Palette Development

I'm a bit curious
I tried the search function but found nothing on this topic.

How do you guys go about developing your taste palette?
As often as I can, I cup as much coffee (and pull as espresso) as possible.
Some coffee is easier to distinct between than others.
But sometimes you just get that real complex cup of coffee and you don't know where to start on describing it.

I first try to figure out the prominent things like the Body and or the acidic values. I try my hardest to look at nothing that might hint to the flavor of the coffee before I decide on what I think. But sometimes I'm really stumped. It's like the combination and complexity is too much to pick apart.

I'm just a bit curious as to how some of you go about this. What's your thought process? Should I just not think so hard about it and appreciate the coffee for its nature? haha

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Permalink Reply by Treva on January 27, 2009 at 9:58pm
Good topic. Pairing coffee with food is good practice for the palate. Some coffee pals and I are pairing coffee and fine cheeses. We've made notes and want to come up with a format for future pairing evaluation. I'm not sure we will go as far as scoring, but it is not out of the question. So far we've made successful pairings with five Dutch cheeses. The goudas felt like a good place to start and proved us right. We'll see how other cheeses play out. Anyone interested in our endeavor should direct message me on BX, connect with the Coffee Culinaria group here on BX or on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/CoffeeCulinaria.com
Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on January 28, 2009 at 8:26am
Hey Treva,
I'm very interested. Have you tried Gjost yet? It is swiss, but I think it might go with the right coffee. I tried your link but couldn't get through. My favorite umami moment with coffe is simple: black coffee (anything will work as long as it is good quality) and a ginger snap. Simplicity = Awesome.
Permalink Reply by Treva on January 28, 2009 at 8:45am
Oops. Here it is, Jesse.

www.tinyurl.com/CoffeeCulinaria-FB

We haven't paired Gjost. Maybe we'll approach Swiss cheeses next and can inlude Gjost. Suggestions and input are welcome. Has anyone on BX found a good pairing they would care to share? We'll go by nationality then types of cheeses (soft ripened, washed rind, etc.) I've read about a coffee washed cheese, but haven't found it. We have a great local cheesemaker - so maybe . . .
Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on January 28, 2009 at 9:12am
Very cool. I am a french trained chef, turned barista, turned coffee professional, so my interest in what you are doing is huge. If you have any openeings in your group, I would love to learn more. Who is the cheese producer?
Permalink Reply by Treva on January 28, 2009 at 9:40am
http://www.chapelscreamery.com makes a great cave aged cheddar. They don't do washed-rind. Perhaps a buttery cheddar with just-the-right coffee added to the curds. There is a Rogue Chocolate Stout Cheddar that works very well. It shouldn't be a big stretch to make a proper coffee cheese. Coffee Culinaria and all associated efforts are open for collaboration. You are welcome to join the fun.
Permalink Reply by fumbleson on January 29, 2009 at 3:58pm
What a great topic. Now I can't wait to try some wild coffee/cheese pairings. I want to add that there's a cheesemaker here in Utah, Beehive Cheese, that makes a cave aged cheddar with a ground coffee and lavender rub. Their site describes it better. It's called Barely Buzzed

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