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The idea of cupping is to make coffee tasting very scientific (all those high school chemistry labs finally pay off). We try to keep all of our variables consistent such as
- the amount of coffee
- the grind of the coffee (medium coarse)
- the amount of water (6 oz)
- the temperature of the water (off the boil)
- the type and size of cups used
- the length of time the coffee brews (4 minutes)
- even the kind of music (or other distractions) in the room
then…
The only things that change are the type of coffee and the flavour.
Once we have the ground coffee in the cups and everyone is standing around waiting for the water to boil, we take this opportunity to smell the actual coffee for “fragrance”. Is it pleasant, burnt, grainy? Any hints of fruit, spice, flowers? We make notes, mental or otherwise, then add the boiling water.
After a few minutes, the grinds form a layer or “crust” on top. We gently remove the crust with a spoon and smell the coffee for pleasant or unpleasant smells. Is it strong, weak, smooth, sharp, lively, dull?
Next we fill a spoon with brewed coffee, avoiding grounds and “slurp” the coffee with some force to spread it throughout the mouth.
Then we swirl and swish the coffee (taking in more air) to get a good sense for the overall flavour and any fleeting flavour sensations.
Finally, we spit the coffee out and rinse with water before tasting another.
At Just Us!, we cup with a small group of regulars so we can compare notes. Few coffee companies would actually cup as much as we do, but for us, the final proof of quality is in the cup!
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