First tastings: not at all like spirits!

Coffee, cigars and rum go togther like priests and choirboys. Indeed the brothers are known to have a tipple now and then. Oh and some rum, cigars and Belgian beer as well, lol...
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Capn Jimbo
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First tastings: not at all like spirits!

Post by Capn Jimbo »

It's a new world...


For better or worse, it's fair to say that over the past five or six years Sue Sea and I have come to know rum well enough to speak with a certain authority. We're very pleased that at least on this site, we are not alone. You know who you are.

This kind of knowledge only comes after much time and thousands of hours of experience and discussion. While we can certainly post our impressions of other spirits, say whisky or gin, regarding those we would not dare not call ourselves competent to really rate them. Most wines and spirits are lucky to have one or just a few true accessible experts that can speak with authority, for example Robert Parker and Janis Robinson for wine, or Dave Broom and Michael Jackson for whisky (and in Dave's case, rum as well). F. Paul Pacult is almost unique in his coverage of most spirits.

What we are not is like the Canadian who in just two years now puts himself out as a reviewer and special consultant for rum, whisky, vokda tequila, gin, liqueurs, mixed drinks and now wine. But as always, I digress.


Back to Coffee Tasting...

First let me publicly thank "Sleepy", the King of Koffee whose knowledge and advice have been invaluable, especially in leading us to Sweet Maria's. A sampler pack of eight coffees from the world's leading regions was purchase, and properly stored in a small Igloo cooler to maintain its moisture level.

We started by roasting these two as directed and described by Maria's:

1. Ethiopia Illubabor Camp: moderate brightness, peach notes, floral hints, chocolate roast notes, dense body, nectar-like mouthfeel, bitter chocolate at Full City+ roast.

Wow! Does that sound like tasting a good whisky or rum? You bet your sweet Maria, it does.

2. Ethiopia Goma Duromina Cooperative: restrained, fruit juice sweetness, clean berry notes, peach, lightly carmelized sugars, sweet grain, light body, fruit jam, intensifies as it cools.

We sat down at our usual tasting table with both: the green unroasted beans, the roasted beans, and a freshly roasted cup of each. Not knowing any better - we're not Canadian - we nosed and compared the unroasted, then the roasted beans, and finally the hot cups of coffee - we me, as always recording our experience.

The first problem we faced was Sue Sea cold, and stuffed sinuses. She did get a handle on both, but admitted that frankly, she got almost none of the fruit, floral, berry or caramel notes. I didn't do much better. Without thinking we both attacked the coffees as if we were sitting in a coffee shop.

Upon our return to reality, Sue Sea suggested we then shift our tasting to some lovely small demitasse china cups and this time, to proceed carefully and slowly - nosing the coffee as a dram of fine spirits, taking sips not mouthfuls, and allowing the coffee to remain on the palate - again, like a fine spirit.

Still the differences, and the competent descriptors provided by Maria's were not easily apparent. Finally, I began to "get" some of them: the fruity, floral hints of the "Camp" coffee, and the berry of the "Cooperative". But for both of us these aromas and tastes seemed very well hidden under what we dumbly perceived as uh, "coffee". Mind you, both were perceived as really pleasant, "good" cups of coffee, soft and easy to drink - perhaps too easy and pleasant.

Perhaps this is due to years of enjoying strong and robust coffee, perhaps even with a bit of bitterness enjoyable in the sense of Sue Sea's beloved Guinness Stout. In comparison, these cups of coffee were perceived in the same way as say a Flor de Cana's overwhelming pleasantness.

Sometimes edgy is good, but then again this is a new world for us.


Bottom line...

1. Coffee tasting is a whole new world
2. We are not Canadian, and we hate cold weather
3. We need help!

Special Note: Interestingly, this process of tasting - called "dramming" with spirits - is called "cupping" by qualified tasters of coffee. As for me the only "cupping" I've ever done was in the shower, or the back seat of my first car...
sleepy
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Post by sleepy »

First, take a deep breath and recall the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - written in large letters across the cover in bright red it says:

DON'T PANIC

Tom Owen is a professional coffee taster and probably a near monk, non-drinking, non-smoking, non-fishing marathon runner the rest of the time (joking (I hope) Tom). His palate is refined to the point of being a recognized international figure in coffee tasting and competitions. Only his peers could expect a similar resolution of flavors.

I long ago gave up even trying. Gratefully, his excellent reviews are so clear and consistent that I can reliably parse his descriptions to find coffees that fit my favored profiles.

The major things that I consider are:

Body: thin --> chewy / water to imperial stout. To me, this is the mouth feel of the coffee. Although I would choose a medium-to-full bodied coffee if I could only have one, but a lighter bodied coffee with great flavor and acidity is a delight.

Brightness/acidity: low --> high. I lump these together, although I suspect acidity might be a sub-character in brightness. Acidity declines at darker roasts - hence the tradition of adding a lemon twist to espresso. I feel that the acidity on coffee opens the palate to the rest of the flavors. Too little brightness = relatively flat coffee for me. With different coffees, you might be able to describe the acidity as citric (lemon, orange and, rarely, grapefruit) or acetic (white or even cider vinegar) - usually, to me, it's simply the crispness/bite of the cup less than a specific flavor. Excessive acidity can start edging into sourness/bitterness - usually an acidic coffee under-roasted.

Sweetness: mild --> rich. Oddly, there are coffees that can start with a healthy brightness and still finish with a satisfying sweetness. Not common, but obviously this isn't the obverse of brightness.

Flavor: no, I can't parse flavors as well as Sue, much less Tom. If I actually get something beyond the gross categories below, my naming of it will surely be idiosyncratic. Flavor is INCREDIBLY sensitive to roasting, as is brightness. In general, as roast level increases, brightness and delicate flavors will decline and the deeper, richer flavors will increase.

Base coffee - just like base rum (for a given style) in general, think along the scale of mild --> rich. It is within this that the other flavors emerge.

Florals - when present, I find these nearly as much a part of brightness as of flavor and I really suck at naming them
Fruit - citrus to apple to plum to raisin and on
Chocolate - milk, dark, bitter and cacao powder
Earth/loam - self-evident
Spice - far more restrained and subtle than common in rum. I have found hints of cinnamon and ginger and rarely apple pie spice. Usually, when these are mentioned in one of Tom's reviews, I'm at a loss to find it.
Other stuff - mold, old shoe, etc. - usually not what you want, although in some very rich, heavy, earthy Pacific island coffees, these seem to fit.

The other things graphed in Tom's cupping scores include: dry fragrance, wet aroma, finish, clean cup, complexity and uniformity. Not mentioned is "balance", which Tom very often mentions in the written reviews. My sense of balance is how well the acidity, body, flavor, sweetness and finish work together to provide a great sensory experience.

I hope this helps you as you go forward in your exploration of the world's coffees.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Yet another tour de force by the somnolent one...


Sleepy (whoever you are) this is yet another of the great posts by the amazing crew of people that have chosen to participate at The Project. I salute you.

One of the great things bout learning to enjoy the world's great and authentic contributions - be it pure pot-stilled rum or unique small producer coffee - is the art and humanity that inhabits every drop or bean. We all benefit from admitting our humility and working hard to learn to appreciate their contributions.

Thanks...
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