# Taste Buds



## MarkB (Dec 18, 2013)

I have a theory and this is my theory - that the perceived taste of coffee can vary in an individual from day to day and even within a day depending on mood, situation, last meal, expectation and many other variables I expect.

We all strive for consistency and 'the best shot' but all things being equal I still find that SHMBO can on some days find the output fantastic or other days underwhelming and the same goes for me and not necessarily the same days even with two identical drinks! So my theory is that making a good cup of coffee is not just down to beans and extraction but also down to taste buds.

I would be interested in the received wisdom on this theory but please don't shoot me and sorry if this has been aired before.


----------



## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Perceived taste is likely to be influenced by mood. Actual taste is certainly affected by what the coffee is paired with. Couple of days each week, I have porridge for breakfast - no sugar - few walnut pieces. Brewed coffee I have with it tastes more complex than when consumed with say, toast and marmalade. That's why cupping is so important - tasting the coffee without it being affected by other contaminants.


----------



## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Dont ask us, ask the scientists ^_^

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0065006


----------



## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Definitely, at the fat duck Heston Blumenthal does all sorts of stuff to affect taste - sprays with certain smells, iPods with sounds of the seaside etc


----------



## MarkB (Dec 18, 2013)

"That's why cupping is so important - tasting the coffee without it being affected by other contaminants."

So, what if the contaminant is the person doing the cupping?


----------



## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

I find the quality/taste of my coffee and technique of stretching milk always goes a bit south when your guest(s) expectations are high.


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Taste perceptions are to some degree subjective & there are a lot of variables when making coffee, especially by different methods (filtration etc.). The flavours of a given coffee can be tweaked by things like brew temp (higher = more acidity), but given the same coffee, even extraction & same method, but the biggest variable is extraction yield...it doesn't account for all the complex flavours in a coffee, but it's a good starting point in identifying where you are on the acidic/sweet/drying (flavour balance) side of things.


----------



## James811 (May 10, 2014)

I enjoy cigars and I had a coffee the other day when having a smoke and it tasted totally different to the day before when I had it in the afternoon.

Also, taste buds last 4 days before new ones replace them and get less sensitive each day until they're replaced so that can make a difference


----------

