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Permalink Reply by Andi C. Trindle on September 11, 2008 at 1:12pm

Coffee tasting takes practice and time, but you can definitely jumpstart your learning by using some tools/taking some classes. Not all of them are cheap, though. First, I definitely recommend taking a formal class in cupping if you haven't yet-- the SCAA offers them regionally in the US now and there are also a number of coffee schools out here: Bellissimo, Boot Coffee, coffee lab, and others. It's important to get the protocol right and to start with a common vocabulary. I get kind of freakish about these things as some people know....

You can also check with local roasters and importers and see if they are offering cupping sessions and/or willing to let you come in on some of their private cuppings. You'd be amazed at how many people open up their doors and let people in their cupping labs. I am constantly amazed by the generosity of knowledge sharing in our industry.

On your own, if you can afford it, the Les Nuz de Cafe aroma vials are helpful. I suggest working with them away from the cupping table, getting to the point where you can identify them all blindly through sense memory and then using those terms at the cupping table.

As for the flavor wheel, I am one of those that thinks it can be/should be a universal tool because it gives us common language. I've been tasting coffee for a long time now and I'm a strong advocate of at least starting with language that has some meaning to the larger population versus associating only to our own often eclectic and romantic (though very possibly accurate) descriptions. Not everyone agrees with me on this, though. Either way, I recommend trying to find examples of the aromas on the flavor wheel in the real world (i.e. not necessarily at the cupping table) first and then try to find how they manifest themselves in coffee. It's really helpful to work with others on it, though, so you get some and reinforcement.

Hope this helps a little. Good luck!

Best wishes,
Andi

Please forgive any small typos caused by the necessity of using voice dictation

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Permalink Reply by Tshepo on September 12, 2008 at 6:43am

Thanks Andi what you said will help alot i will try it and tell you how it gose. so if its ok with you i would like to keep in touch with you coz i think i will learn a lot from you coz you know what you talking about.

Thank you so much.

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Permalink Reply by Andi C. Trindle on September 12, 2008 at 9:19am

Happy to share what I know and steeer you in the right direction when I don't know. cupping is my passion-love it! Take care.

Tshepo said:

Thanks Andi what you said will help alot i will try it and tell you how it gose. so if its ok with you i would like to keep in touch with you coz i think i will learn a lot from you coz you know what you talking about.

Thank you so much.

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