What is cupping? Important terms in cupping

Cupping is a fun and important part of Specialty coffee culture. It is a great way to learn more about coffee whether you are a consumer, roaster, trader or even a coffee farmer. Let’s explore it with 43 Factory Coffee Roaster!

What is cupping?

Cupping, also known as the tasting process, can be defined as a widely used and quantifiable analytical method for a sample of coffee. It ranges from overall quality to individual characteristics (such as acidity or body) and specific flavor notes. Although cupping is a very effective way to enjoy many different types of coffee.

At a cupping session, there will usually be many different samples of coffee. They can come from a country, a growing region, but different farms. They may represent different eggplant varieties and processing methods. They may even come from different countries or regions.

The cupping method was invented in the late 1800s, when merchants would taste a variety of coffees to decide which coffee they wanted to buy and also check for consistency. In 1999, cupping was used at Cup of Excellence competitions.

Today, the coffee industry uses cupping to assess coffee characteristics, make purchasing decisions, and confirm bean consistency. And beyond the purpose of making purchasing decisions as well as quality control. Cupping can also be used to determine the ideal roasting profile, coffee production methods, and more.

Cupping is a method to evaluate coffee

Terms used in cupping

In cupping, there are a number of technical terms used to describe important characteristics both of the beans and the quality of the resulting cup of coffee. Having mastered these terms, you can almost spot a crucial part of the cupping method.

Important terms in cupping

Taste/Flavor

This is a term that denotes the aspects of Aroma (defined as the smell of ground coffee when it is still dry) and Aroma (the smell of coffee when steeped in hot water). One can judge this in three separate steps in the cupping process: (1) smell the dry aroma placed in the cup before pouring water over the coffee; (2) smell the wet aroma released as the coffee infuses and forms a crust; and (3) smell the wet scent after the bubble burst. Specific fragrances can be noted under the “quality” and intensity of the dry, broken and wet aroma aspects, all of which are also noted on a vertical scale.

Smell

Flavor represents the main characteristic of coffee. Taste is the sum of its intensity, quality, complexity, and its associated aromas. This is what you will experience when sipping coffee and keeping them on the palate for a long time.

After taste

Aftertaste is defined as the retention length of active flavors (taste and aroma) in the palate. They condense after the coffee is drunk or drunk. If a cup of coffee gives you a short or unpleasant aftertaste, it is most likely a poor quality cup of coffee.

Sourness

Coffee acidity is often described as “brightness” when it’s smooth, or “sour” when it’s not. At its best, acidity contributes to the vibrancy, sweetness and fresh fruity character of the coffee. This is almost immediately experienced and appreciated the first time you drink coffee. However, when the acidity is too strong or dominant, it can be irritating.

Important terms in cupping

Body

Body quality is based on the sense of touch when in contact with liquids in the mouth, especially the feeling between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Most cupping models will have a thick Body, they often receive high marks for quality due to the presence of the gelling agent and sucrose. However, some cupping models with lighter Body can also provide a pleasant feeling when sipping. Coffees that are expected to have a high Body concentration, such as Sumatra, or coffees that are expected to have a low Body concentration, such as Mexican coffee, can both receive high quality scores. the same although their magnitude ratings will be quite different.

Sweet

Sweetness is a descriptive term for the pleasant to fullness of taste which, according to chemical interpretation, is the result of the presence of certain carbohydrates. The opposite of sweet in this case would be sour, “se” or “young green”. Collectively, this property is directly influenced by the way the coffee is roasted and how the sugars caramelize during the roasting process.

Balance

How do all the different aspects of Taste, Aftertaste, Acidity, Sweetness and Body of the coffee sample combine, contrast and complement each other on an axis of balance?. If the sample lacks some flavor and aroma properties, or also if some attributes are lost or too strong, the Equilibrium score will be reduced.

Underdeveloped

Underdevelopment is an attribute used to describe inadequate development of acidity, sweetness and flavor through roasting. It has a strong sour taste and a transient flavor but leaves no aftertaste or aftertaste. It can also relate to the green/vegetal notes in the SCA Circle of Flavors.

Too developed

Overgrowth can cause flavor damage, which happens when the beans are roasted for too long or for too long. It seems to be “muted” in both flavor and acidity. And this can also be linked to references on the SCA flavor wheel.