Wine tasting gets all the attention. We swirl the glass. We notice the aroma. We talk about fruit, spice, chocolate and oak. We pair a wine with food to bring out different flavors.
But coffee? Most of us pour it into a mug and start drinking.
The truth is, coffee has its own complex flavor profile, and tasting coffee can be surprisingly similar to tasting wine. Where the beans are grown, how they’re processed and how they’re roasted can influence everything from aroma and acidity to body, sweetness and finish. And once you start paying attention, your morning coffee gets a lot more interesting.
LOOK, SMELL, TASTE
You don’t need to be a professional coffee taster to start noticing what’s in your cup. Borrow a simple approach from wine tasting: look, smell and taste.
LOOK
Start with what you can observe. Notice the coffee’s color and clarity. A darker-looking coffee doesn’t automatically mean it will taste stronger, but observing what’s in front of you gets you to slow down before that first sip.
SMELL
Just like wine, aroma is a huge part of what we experience as flavor. Before tasting, smell the coffee. What does it remind you of? Chocolate? Nuts? Caramel? Fruit? Spice?
There’s no test and there are no wrong answers. You’re simply noticing what you smell.
TASTE
Take a sip and let the coffee sit in your mouth for a moment instead of immediately swallowing. Pay attention to:
Acidity – Is it bright and lively or mellow and soft?
Body – Does it feel light and delicate or rich and full?
Sweetness – Do you notice caramel, honey, fruit or another natural sweetness?
Flavor – What does the coffee remind you of?
Finish – What stays with you after you’ve swallowed?
Just as two wines made from different grapes and regions can taste dramatically different, two coffees can give you completely different experiences.
WHERE COFFEE GETS ITS FLAVOR
Coffee doesn’t simply taste like “coffee.” Where it’s grown matters. Climate, elevation and soil can all influence the bean. Processing methods add another layer. Then roasting transforms those beans again.
That’s why one coffee might remind you of berries or citrus while another brings to mind chocolate, toasted nuts or caramel. Those tasting notes aren’t necessarily ingredients added to the coffee. They’re flavors and aromas naturally perceived in the finished cup, much like someone might describe cherry, vanilla or tobacco in a wine that contains none of those ingredients.
AND YES – YOU CAN PAIR COFFEE WITH FOOD
We know that the right food can change the way a wine tastes. Coffee works similarly.
Chocolate can highlight chocolate or roasted notes in certain coffees. Fresh berries or fruit can bring attention to brighter, fruitier characteristics. Nuts can complement coffees with toasted or nutty flavors. A buttery pastry can soften acidity and make other flavors more noticeable. Even cheese can create interesting contrasts with coffee.
Try a sip of coffee by itself. Then take a bite of food and taste the coffee again. Did anything change? That’s the experiment.
TRY THE SAME COFFEE MORE THAN ONCE
Here’s another similarity to wine: your first impression isn’t always your final one. Coffee changes as it cools. A flavor you barely noticed when the coffee was hot may become much easier to recognize several minutes later.
So don’t judge a coffee entirely by the first sip. Come back to it. You may discover that your favorite changes as you taste.
THE BEST PART? YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING
You don’t need a sophisticated palate or a vocabulary full of tasting terms. If one coffee tastes smooth to you and another tastes bright, that’s useful.
If you write “this one tastes like chocolate” while the person next to you writes “I don’t taste chocolate at all,” that’s even better. That’s what makes tasting together fun. Everyone experiences flavor differently.
TURN IT INTO YOUR OWN TASTING EXPERIENCE
The easiest way to notice these differences is to taste several coffees side by side, and preferably blind. Without a brand name or package influencing you, you’re simply deciding what you smell, what you taste and which coffee you actually prefer.
That’s the idea behind the Gather & Pour Coffee Tasting Experience: four coffees tasted blind, with a tasting wheel and scorecards to help you explore each cup before the final reveal.
Taste. Compare. Score. Reveal.
And you might discover that the coffee you thought you’d love isn’t the one you choose at all.