What Are Tasting Notes?
Tasting notes describe the flavors, aromas and characteristics you can expect from a coffee. These notes guide you through the coffee’s profile, giving you a deeper understanding of what makes each cup unique. Our tasting notes are crafted by our QC team through a process known as cupping. Each note is the result of careful analysis and years of experience.
The Cupping Process: How We Taste Coffee
Step 1: Sourcing & Sample Selection
Before the coffee makes it to our roastery, it goes through a thorough sourcing process. Our QC and green buying team tastes through many samples from different lots in search of coffees that meet our standards and needs.
Step 2: The Cupping
Cupping is the formal process we use to evaluate the quality and flavor attributes of the coffee. It is the universal method used in the coffee industry to evaluate a coffee’s fragrance, aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body and acidity. If you see a coffee professional hovering over a lineup of cups with a silver spoon, this is probably what they’re up to.
Step 3: Evaluating the Profile
During cupping, each coffee is evaluated for:
Aroma– The first impression when you smell the coffee. Does it remind you of fruit, or something more complex, like the smell of a specific flower?
Flavor—The combined sensory experience of taste and aroma.
Body– The weight or mouthfeel of the coffee. Does it feel light or full on your tongue?
Aftertaste– The effect the coffee leaves on your tongue after it has been spit out. Is there a sweet, lingering sensation, or does it leave a dry astringency?
Acidity– Varying from mild to bright, the acidity of a coffee can be mellow or tangy like a citrus fruit. And many things in between.
Balance– The overall perception of how all attributes harmoniously sit together.
How We Create Tasting Notes
After a cupping, we make sense of all we’ve gathered from the sensory experience. Part science, part art, our tasting notes are nailed down by our QC team. Once a test roast is approved for release, the QC/roasting team conducts a tasting, documents sensory data, and selects three descriptors based on recurring attributes. Our tasting notes are inspired by the inherent characteristics of the coffee. We have built a flavor vocabulary around the standard SCA coffee taster’s flavor wheel and Counter Culture Coffee’s flavor wheel. Sometimes, when we’re feeling wild, we go off-wheel.
The Importance of Tasting Notes in Your Coffee Journey
Tasting notes help you get to know your coffee on a deeper level. They make you aware of the complexity and uniqueness of the coffee you’re drinking. Whether you’re brewing at home or enjoying a cup at a café, knowing the tasting notes allows you to fully appreciate what you’re sipping. Here’s how tasting notes can elevate your coffee experience:
Better brewing choices: If you know you prefer coffees with bright acidity, you can look for tasting notes that highlight this.
Enhance your flavor experience: By understanding the flavors you’re tasting, you can learn to identify them in every cup.
Explore new favorites: With our tasting notes, you’ll be able to branch out and try coffees you might not have thought to explore before.
Want to try cupping coffee at home?
The process is simple, intentional and a great way to slow down and connect with your cup. Whether you’re new to coffee or deep in the rabbit hole, we invite you to try it for yourself. Check out the official SCA descriptive assessment form below.