There are a number of flavors that can found in a cup of coffee. Read the coffee reviews on this site and you’ll see the mention of various types of nut, fruit, cookie/biscuit, etc. etc. These flavors are the result of the presense of organicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms... acids
Many acids contribute to coffee flavor: acetic, malic, citric, quinic, tartaric, phosphoric, etc.: Many acids contribute to coffee flavor; malic, citric, quinic, tartaric, phosphoric, etc. See Acidity or... and compounds and certain chemical and physical changes that happen during growing, harvesting, processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural..., and roasting.
One of the best ways to teach yourself to be able to discern these various flavors is to sit down to some very purposeful tastings where you can compare and document the differences and similarities between 3 or more types of nut, or apples to oranges to apricots, or even apples of different varieties.
Today I am going to start a regular blog feature where I will do some of these tests and document my findings. I’ll look at 3 or more items and compare their sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly..., fattiness/mouthfeel, and acidityAcidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem... or astringency. I’ll also talk about some other foods where these similar flavor descriptors might be found, and list some coffees that have those flavor attributes. I encourage everyone to mimic these tests and/or to do their own and pretty please post their findings over in the Sweet maria’s Forum.
There’s some greater detail about learning to taste in the Teaching to Taste article in the Sweet Maria’s Library, found here – www.sweetmarias.com/library/node/2931
Todays tasting will be: Almonds, Peanuts, & Walnuts
I’ve chosen 3 types of nut/legume, roasted and NOT salted. Nuts/Legumes are astringentAstringency is a harsh flavor sensation, acrid flavor, that provokes a physical reaction on the toungue, the tactile feeling of papery dryness. It can have saltiness, sourness and... foods, and when used as a descriptor in another product is usually accompanied by a dry or astringent mouthfeelHow a coffee feels in the mouth or its apparent texture, a tactile sensation : A major component in the flavor profile of a coffee, it is a....
– Almond: sweetest out of the 3, a bit of fattiness and dryness in the aftertasteAftertaste refers to lingering residual sensations in the mouth after coffee has swallowed. It might be distinguished from "finish" which is the final sensations of the coffee while..., but in tasting the familiar almond flavor it’s hard not to think about cakes. There is a liquor-like quality to the sweetness that isn’t as pronounced in the other 2 nuts here. There’s more flavor throughout the palate as well. The Java
There are several types of Abyssinia variety coffee, but they are not from Ethiopia but rather Indonesia. Abyssinia 3 = AB3. PJS Cramer, a Dutch plant researcher, introduced this variety... Sunda Pitaloka has some toasted almond notes at most roast levels from City through Full City: www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.indonesia.java.php
– Peanut: This is the fattiest of the 3 with a creamyCreamy is a mouthfeel description indicating thickness and soft, rounded texture. See also buttery. mouthfeel and long lasting aftertastes. There is a sugary sweetness underneath all the fattiness, more sugary than liquor-like. One thing that the fattiness really counters is the dryness. There is a much less bittering dryness in the peanut compared to the other 2 nuts. Coffees from BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... can frequently have some sweet peanut flavors and attributes: www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.southamr.brazil.php
– Walnut: Easily the driest of the three nuts. The depth of flavor is also the lightest, as well as the sweetness. That dryness really takes on a presence though. There may be little aftertaste, but the dryness lingers for some time. Dryness like this can really help accentuate certain acidities though. Walnut-like dryness paired with an apricot-like acidity could really pronounce that stone fruit sweetness. There is more of a siltiness to the mouthfeel as well, some of the liquor-like qualities found in the almond, but not with the same depth. The Java Pitaloka has a nice walnut type nuttinessas well, and coffees from ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true.... can show some of that bracing dry walnut-like acidity: www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.southamr.colombia.php
