Thursday, April 29, 2004
Cupping
Did you know that taste testing coffees is an art as well as a science?
Manager and I have been sampling coffees from a variety of roasters to see which one we want as the "House" coffee. We'll also be selecting the other types of coffees, and are debating flavored coffees.
Me, I've been disappointed in some of the flavored coffees. I think additives would be better than pre-flavored beans. My opinion. I seem to dislike beans that claim to carry cinnamon or hazelnut flavors because they taste off, but adding essential flavors to the grind in the basket, or afterwards, to the brewed coffee is fine. Maybe it's just the beans.
Anyway, I can't make a real judgement because I've only sampled from 4 different roasters.
So far, our choice has been "Strange Brew" from Organic Coffees for the House coffee. It has a nice balance with a slightly nutty aftertaste, clean and sharp. It has the added bonus of being relatively inexpensive.
But we haven't tested them all yet, and there may still be better ones.
If anyone reading this has any suggestions on their favorite roaster, blend, brand, or whatever, drop us a comment or an email. We'll try it.
