# Any tips for better tasting?



## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Hi

Has anyone any tips for better tasting the results of your labours? Especially if you're not a hypertaster (or whatever they're called)

My palate sometimes lets me down - I struggle with Espresso being a little too strong for me to discern flavours well, but equally dropping half a ton of milk on a double shot can hide a multitude of sins.

How can I up my game? Of course, on one hand you could say I don't need to (if I enjoy drinking it) but I would like to be able to taste better and tweak even more accurately.

EDIT: I'm thinking once I pull Espresso is there an easy way to taste it without it being too intense for me - current thinking is maybe a mini Americano might work? i.e. Just adding it to a small amount of hot water?

p.s. forgot my please and thank you: Thanks for any advice.

Cheers

J


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Could try referring to the tasting wheel ?


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Try raves Italian job if you want a darker flavour , very forgiving blend . And for something I think is lovely with your milk try the Sumatra .


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

I have to be honest, most of the time i cant taste anything but coffee, i can tell if its sour, bitter, sweet, roasty, woody, nutty... But i just cant taste any of the other flavours people point out, maybe its because i smoke, maybe its because i have an entry level grinder/machine.

But, i enjoy most of my shots, unless i cock up the grind or pull a shot before the classic is up to temp.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Try a pour over method. Around £12 will get you a V60 and some papers. Then try some light/medium roasts and see if you can pick out the tasting notes. Takes a bit of practise but worth it.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Ahh yes, i have a V60, but ran out of filters some weeks ago, must order more!

I like the pourover method more than the gaggia, the difference in Jagong village between the two is huge.


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

The Systemic Kid said:


> Try a pour over method. Around £12 will get you a V60 and some papers. Then try some light/medium roasts and see if you can pick out the tasting notes. Takes a bit of practise but worth it.


I did use the v60 for ages, but I found the results inconsistent - of course, that was because I was: the whole slow circular pouring thing, when you want or NEED a coffee, is hard to maintain - I also found getting the water to the right temp reliably was tricky. That's why I bought the Technivorm - but then that's nowhere near as intense a flavour as the v60.


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Thanks; it's not so much the flavour that I want to be stronger - I just really want to perfect my Espresso game - and feel that's let down by:

1. My consistency on the machine; and

2. My ability to taste really, really subtle differences in flavour.


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

In a press interview , the golfer Arnold palmer was asked the question ..." So you have had a real lot of luck this season and your are really ahead of your game, can you attribute this to anything ?"

to which he replied " um yes , it seems the more i practise ,the luckier I get ! "


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Yes, that's true. I guess the challenge I have is discerning what's OK and what's good given my slightly backward taste buds...


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

I guess the first thing you have to ask is what kind of flavour are you looking for?


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

I thought that was Gary Player


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Thecatlinux said:


> I guess the first thing you have to ask is what kind of flavour are you looking for?


This is more of a 'how can I become a better barista?' question. I generally like the coffee I make - served as a flat white for example - but if I ever decide to quit the day job and pursue coffee in that way then my coffee game needs to be way better, it needs to stand up to scrutiny as Espresso - not slathered in milk - and I don't feel it would right now.


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Jon I would suggest buying a large amount of a coffee you like, but can't quite get the tasting notes from the roaster and then just play around with it, making pourover using different recipes or techniques, as espresso vary your dose, time and extraction ratios until you begin to pick some of the tasting notes up, it is a case of learning to discern the flavours, but when trying to describe what you can taste in your coffee, forget the tasting notes, just say exactly what it tastes like to you.


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Charliej said:


> Jon I would suggest buying a large amount of a coffee you like, but can't quite get the tasting notes from the roaster and then just play around with it, making pourover using different recipes or techniques, as espresso vary your dose, time and extraction ratios until you begin to pick some of the tasting notes up, it is a case of learning to discern the flavours, but when trying to describe what you can taste in your coffee, forget the tasting notes, just say exactly what it tastes like to you.


I think you've hit on a very good point here. Buy a lot of one thing! I subscribe to has bean and by the time I have had say 6 coffees I'm onto the next bag, Maybe a couple kilos of rave is in order!


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

jeebsy said:


> I thought that was Gary Player


May have been !


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Cup. cup as much as you can. Talk to local roasters and cafe's who do it and attend their public cuppings. It's the only way to really learn.

DunneFrankowski at one point were offering a course where you cupped with various fruits and things that they use to teach you to pick out flavours, think it's this one but there is hardly any info on it online anymore:

http://dunnefrankowski.com/education/


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

froggystyle said:


> maybe its because i smoke


I'd say this, when I used to smoke I enjoyed better coffee from HasBean but didn't really get the flavours, my palate has massively improved since I quit. Much easier said than done though, still miss it sometimes and it must have been around 4/5 years now.


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

aaronb said:


> Cup. cup as much as you can. [/url]


Thanks for this. The coffee scene in Kent is - so far as I'm aware - backward, at best.

I could venture to London I suppose - is there any central resource (on here, or elsewhere maybe) for these sort of events of which you're aware?


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

jonc said:


> Thanks for this. The coffee scene in Kent is - so far as I'm aware - backward, at best.
> 
> I could venture to London I suppose - is there any central resource (on here, or elsewhere maybe) for these sort of events of which you're aware?


There is a specialty coffeeshop in Canterbury, you should be able to find them if you search Canterbury here.

DunneFrankowski do public cuppings most (every?) Sunday, never been but the pics on twitter look good!


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

jonc said:


> Thanks for this. The coffee scene in Kent is - so far as I'm aware - backward, at best.
> 
> I could venture to London I suppose - is there any central resource (on here, or elsewhere maybe) for these sort of events of which you're aware?


Coffeebeanshop are based in Kent maybe worth trying them for cupping events, also to add to my earlier post maybe when buying a large quantity of beans to play with make them a Single Origin bean rather than a blend,which should make it easier to pick out flavour notes, and as I said on another thread, just describe what you are tasting out loud, don't over think it just say whatever comes into your mind.


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## ShortShots (Oct 2, 2013)

We covered a few things on this thread a few weeks/months ago:

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?15182-Learning-to-taste-Coffee!&highlight=palate


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## chinery (Apr 14, 2014)

Don't know if you've got anywhere like this nearby, but if you can get to a speciality coffee shop where they serve multiple espresso beans alongside tasting notes, then try this: ask for a mystery shot, and then try to guess which coffee they gave you based on the tasting notes. Repeat once they've changed their beans (or even before). Many of the staff will be happy to discuss it with you too to give you an idea of where they're coming from when they think up those notes.

You start to notice trends in the notes. I find it very rare that I try a coffee and think "oh this tastes like lemons". Maybe some people get that all the time, but not me. But since trying this, I've been able to taste a coffee and think "well the acidity on this is quite crisp, sharp even, similar to the experience of eating citrus fruit, maybe as strong as a lemon". Especially if I am looking at two sets of notes, one says "lemons" and the other says "blueberries".


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