A coffee tasting could be similar to a wine tasting, although the same etiquette or the same ritual is not used as in wine tasting. Initially, coffee tasting was established to identify defects in the batches of coffee to be purchased and thus classify it according to its quality. Subsequently, with the rise of specialty coffees, it has become a characterizer, being more complex than that of wine, since some 1,500 aromatic and flavor components develop in coffee, while in wine there are only about 200, in Consequently, the range of flavors found in coffee is much broader.
As in wine, the characteristics of coffee are defined in its cultivation and processing, being affected by the region, altitude, climate, soil, the shade of the crop and even other nearby crops. Its flavor and quality in the cup depend on factors such as the variety of coffee, the method of processing, the type of storage, the humidity, the roast profile, the thickness of the grind, the method of extraction and the skill of the barista.
However, unlike red wine [1] which develops its flavor over the years, the fresher the better for coffee. This is due to oxygen, which oxidizes a large part of the components that give coffee its aroma and flavor. For this reason, it is important to preserve it properly after roasting to guarantee its quality. In fact, the success of NESPRESSO has been the preservation of the coffee through a controlled environment in the capsule which prevents the oxidation of the coffee after grinding and the simplicity to prepare the coffee. The good news is that today there are hundreds of artisan coffee roasters where, thanks to them, you can enjoy freshly roasted coffee from the host, without using capsules and super-automatic machines with a quality equal to or better than that of Nespresso.
Tasting sounds complex, but just as it happened with wines in the beginning, when the only differentiation that existed was red or white wine, the practice of tasting different coffees according to their origin, variety, and processing method will take us to a wonderful world. of flavors, origins and stories behind each cup.
[1] Except for wines like Beaujolais nouveau, which is a wine made to be consumed after the harvest.