How to taste coffee Develop your sensory skills and get the most out of every cup

Calling all coffee nerds! Easto gave a fantastic crash course in coffee production and brewing in Craft Coffee (2017). Now she's upped the ante to help coffee enthusiasts crack the lingo on the coffee label (grape soda? toasted marshmallow? honey processed?), develop their palates, and even set up their own cupping (official coffee tasting). But before these things are possible, basic groundwork must be laid in the areas of language and sensory processes and perception. Easto knows this and writes with personable clarity--and absolutely no condescension--specifically to help bridge the gap between industry professionals and coffee consumers. She begins with a discussion of taste and smell on a physiological and chemical level, including exercises to help the reader pinpoint key aspects of the tasting experience, such as bitterness, sourness, sweetness, astringency, flavors, aromas, and mouthfeel. Easto effortlessly applies this "sensory lexicon" to tasting coffee, establishing a clear vocabulary and tying it to relatable reference points. From there, the reader is guided through the process of setting up their own cupping, which allows several coffees to be tasted and compared at once--a very helpful tool when learning to identify differences in one's brew. Illustrations, a resource sheet, and impeccably documented sources further elevate this savvy guide to tasting coffee in all its complexity.