A Beginners Guide to Coffee Tasting
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Get the Tasting Guide pdf here: bit.ly/Hoffmann... & get 2 months of Skillshare Premium for free here: skl.sh/jamesho...
I hope this video is useful - I look forward to your feedback!
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James, your videos matter. For someone trying to find their own way in coffee, you are a great ally. Thanks again.
Liked that
#HearHear
Dav Gats very clean explanation of cupping!
What a beautiful worded comment
Indeed. Thanks James
I’m a cocktail bartender and a professional barista.
I literally watch your videos over and over again man, they help me not to forget pieces that I may have unintentionally.
You have struck a perfect deliverance of amazing content that appeals to both novice and pros alike.
You literally are a guiding light for pretty much everyone in the coffee industry and home baristas alike.
I think I can speak for everyone, thank you sir, we must protect you at all costs.
For the sweetness you're referring to; in Chinese we have a phrase called 回甘 (huí gān) or just the word 甘 (gān) used to specifically describe a non-sugary sweetness, a sort of pleasant and sweet lingering aftertaste typically associated with tea.
哎呀！就是这个！可是我从来都尝不出来这种回甘😭
@@ilikehoodies1658 我以前也是，但现在找到好的豆就有了！
HululusLabs 真的嘛？！我现在在墨尔本 去好多有名的咖啡厅喝过各种产地的各种处理方法的豆子做的手冲、batch brew 或者奶咖 唉还是喝不出来那些丰富的风味
Rosie my love 我也是在墨尔本，只是觉得墨尔本的咖啡好好喝，但具体都说不上来😂
after-sweetness.
after V60 now this? God i am in heaven.
We dont deserve this.
Coffee Jesus leads the way
It was definitely worth the wait!
This is the good place.
Who needs Netflix when you've got this channel?
Sir, I could listen to you talking about coffee forever! Really grateful for all the content you put out, the world of coffee can sometimes seem so difficult and your perspective allows me to just enjoy and try it.
Been rough lately and from watching your videos for consecutive days ( as anything about coffee brings me so much relief ), there is one detail in your contents/ videos that actually I want to point out: Your tagline,
" I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. "
I just realize now how very, very simple but to me the most sincere.
So yeah,
I hope we all do.
I hope you’ve had many great days since!
Soooo glad you touched on the sour/bitter confusion. After quite some time, I came to the conclusion that what I was perceiving/describing as bitterness, was, in fact, acidity.
Ah yes, my favourite food-group "things that have gone brown and are now delicious". 😋
10:30pm here in New Zealand and a perfect way to nod off dreaming of that morning coffee 👌🏻
6:01am here and a wonderful way to wake up
8:10pm here in New Zealand and clearly I missed the notification 21 hours ago 😆
It’s 11 at night where I am and I’m drinking a nice cup. Why wait until morning?
I’m a coffee professional and still find this to be useful. You present and teach in ways that make it seem so much simpler than when I started out.
You call this a beginners guide but I'm developing strategies to use for Brewer's competition next week as an experienced barista from this.
This was amazing and I'm really grateful for the time and effort you put into your videos.
2:17 Aroma
3:21 Acidity
6:12 Sweetness
7:58 Body/texture/mouthfeel
9:50 Finish
10:57 Skillshare
11:57 Flavor introduction
13:12 Flavor - Fruity
15:35 Caramelization (aka things that have gone brown and are now delicious)
16:20 Flavor description tips
17:02 Scoring
17:36 Bitterness
Your the best, thank you. 😊
Aroma - intensity, quality
Acidity - bright and crisp and fresh, not sour, not to be confused with bitterness
Sweetness - no simple sugar sweetness, more complex
Body/Texture/Mouthfeel - like skim milk and whole milk and did you like it?
Finish - what are you left with after swallowing the coffee
Bless.
Years ago when I was still actively listening to people within the coffee community, I often hear them say that an espresso shot left alone for more than a minute will inevitably go bad. My question is: why is it like that for espresso and yet they say that cooling down regular brewed coffee to a lower temperature 'improves' the taste?
Edit: Btw, I love how you adjust your vocabulary depending on your audience.
Good espresso tastes good when it cools, ok espresso tastes ok hot and terrible cold. (This is my opinion). The concentration of acids in espresso do throw things out a bit, and your perception of most key tastes is linked to temperature so it will change its balance as it cools.
You are absolutely right.i like to test the coffee when it is cold.
On temperature, here in Asia, I find that we are more familiar with hot drinks at piping hot temperature, likewise for our traditional Nanyang coffee. I'm still trying to get used to 'foreign' coffee where it tends to be drank at lukewarm temperatures which goes rather cold in an instant. That brings me to the temptation which James led me...down the path of the ridiculously expensive Ember Mug. Let's not get there.
I’ve seen 100 ads for skillshare before, but this was the first time I wanted to check it out. Thanks for the great content!
This could not have come at a better time. I have just taken the plunge along a new career path in speciality coffee and, with very little previous experience in the practice of assessing coffee, have been exposed to cupping within the first two weeks of starting. Although in a relaxed environment with my peers, I found the process to be intimidating. This video has brilliantly demystified the subject for me and moving forward I can use this information to make the process more approachable and enjoyable. Thank you very much James, keep up the amazing content.
sam52x7 how do you/they recommend cleaning your palette before/between spoon dips? Good luck with your coffee hustle.
@@idixon5168 I was surprised to find this having had a background in wine but to be honest, in general there isn't any palate cleansing in between each coffee. You can obviously sip water if need be but the point of tasting is to constantly compare and contrast the different coffees you are tasting, so there isn't a need to. This does also depend on the amount of coffee/length of time you are tasting as palate fatigue can occur. So for example if you are tasting two large groups of coffees in the morning, you would potentially need eat something inbetween to rest/refresh the palate and caffeine consumption is also a factor. I had one roaster mention he likes to have miso soup in between tastings 😂. Anyway hope this helps answer your question
Let's applaud this for guy, and let us note that he's gotten around 19k subscribers over the last 5 days. Trending !
Goddamn you are a charming individual. It's sp great to hear your balanced, selfaware, thoughtful perspective on this whole taste thing. This is lovely to watch!
Really enjoyed the complete breakdown of the process. I also found it refreshing when you give us your take on how you do things different from the community.
We have a civilization. I appreciate Mr. Hoffman's reminding us of that reassuring fact.
Thank you, James! After reading all of the terms used in cupping coffee over and over again through the last 15 years, I *finally* understand what they mean.
My green coffee supplier cups every batch of the coffee he sells, and his scores and descriptors never meant anything to me; I might as well just flip a coin to decide what I purchase. Thanks to this video (and a few of your other videos), I can now choose my coffees more intelligently.
"Coffee is a moving target."
It is indeed! As such, it brings forth diversity of experience having sipped coffee out of many cups.
I’m not a barista. Will never be but watching your channel has given me so much information. I want to try and note down all the flavours I feel. Thank you. This is something I definitely want to try.
Your channel is my new obsession. It’s refreshing and exhilarating to hear someone so intelligent and knowledgeable talking about something passionately but without being pretentious. I could listen to you talk about anything for hours! Thank you. 😊
James, these latest videos you've put out, and indeed, all the videos that help a novice or beginner in the coffee world bridge that gap between the professional community and the widely available commercial atmosphere are so, so important. I can't thank you enough as someone who has aspirations to open a coffee education/information center one day. Accessibility is key to reminding career baristas and lay people alike what we're doing this for, and who we're doing this for. Honestly, thank you for all that you do for our community and for being a source of challenge and inspiration so that we might, as the SCA says, "Make Coffee Better."
Good man, this is one of the nicest, clearest yet very pragmatic videos about taste I’ve come across. I’m a nutritionist and I’ve seen a few on the matter.Really massive thank you. You have already change how I see coffee and brought a world of difference to my daily brew. Thank you.
These uploads are the exact content UA-cam hasn’t had in a while. You’ve done an excellent job.
I’m not a coffee drinker but your channel made me to become more curious about it .I love how passionate you are about it and I think your love for coffee makes me like it more.
As a life long coffee drinker I hope this will help me figure out what I actually like and don't like about coffee instead of me just saying coffee bad coffee good.
That's exactly why i'm here as well
A cliffhanger?! DAMN YOU!
Love this. The wife and I did our first home cupping the other day with 3 dramatically different coffees. It was loads of fun!
Thanks for doing this James. I had a cupping at home. I used several coffees that I bought here in California, and a few farther away. Your explanations were 'required' viewing before the event. It all worked quite well in my household. Thanks!
I pretty much gave up on coffee about 5 years ago; I was a hot chocolate drinker and an occasional coffee sweet milk drink. During lockdown I discovered your videos. Now I am drinking coffee again; mostly black. Thank you for the vocabulary to communicate the different tastes of coffee. I have a bit to go to get all of the tasting notes. I have a better appreciation of: acidic, sweet and bitter. Hoping for more range later.
I’ve always been a coffee lover, but by watching your videos I am discovering a whole new Coffee Universe. Thanks.
Been binging your videos this week as I found a newfound passion for making coffee and all the parts associated with it. Thanks for producing elegant and informative videos!
In all the years since the inception of UA-cam that I have been consuming content I have rarely ever felt compelled to leave a comment or even click on the like button (privacy freak) but you sir produce such an immensely useful and educational content that I can’t not complement you for it. I have been binge watching your videos for some time now and I have learned so much from you. Thank you!
I'm 10 minutes in and all I can think about is how cold your two cups of coffee must be by now.
Lol... I had the same thought and came across your comment as I was listening to him talk about Skillshare.
I find that many of the subtle flavors are more notable as it cools. I can't taste much at all if it's piping hot.
It's like every mom's coffee 😅
@@vladtepes9614 I usually drink dark roasts, but recently tried a light roast from Rwanda and it tastes so much fruitier at room temp! Almost felt blasphemous to say I liked it better since I'm so used to drinking only either piping hot or ice cold lol
Lol you have ADHD dont you
James, I have learned so much from you over the past year that I haved started watching your videos.
They are incredibly helpful and full of insight and expertise.
I love your way of talking (and it's not just because you have a British accent 😁😂) and how you easily articulate your thoughts, it actually reminds me of Allan Watts.
You have intensified my love for coffee a thousand times more.
Thank you very much for being so amazing at what you do.
Wish you bliss, joy and health.
The books, and videos from you are my motivation on my coffee journey ! Thanks James !
Very interesting that you mention the effects of filtration on mouthfeel. The scotch whisky anorak community (I have my anorak) are really becoming aware of the same thing with chill-filtration of single malts. Distillers are starting to bottle more and more malts with him I’ll filtration due to demand of those “active customers”.
I started with your espresso videos and your World Atlas of Coffee, but as I am trying new coffees I wanted to find a way to learn them in a very basic way. Then, compare and contrast different brewing methods to accentuate what I like about that coffee (e.g., Turkish, V60, French press, americano, or espresso). This video and the cupping video are fantastic tutorials to get one back to the beginning…to a foundation to build on. Your ability to transfer knowledge, while focussing on the aspects that bring the most fun and make the process accessible, is invaluable. Thank you for the gift of knowledge!
James! I love this! I’m a coffee lover and never truly stopped and thought why I didn’t like a coffee or what I loved about it and your descriptions are so helpful!
It's really interesting to watch as a person working with premium tea, specializing in Puer tea. In a similar manner to what's mentioned here, I focus very much on richness, finish (after-taste), mouthfeel, enjoyment. Something notable is that being too specific with aromas may be less useful since all of us have a slightly different linguistic base and/or subjective memory. Of course, on the other hand, great descriptions help people pay more attention to things they might not have noticed before, although I do prefer to use leading questions for that, which then refers back to the use of the assessment sheets. Great video and I appreciate all the work to help inform more people about these concepts.
I've always loved coffee, but I'm new to the world of people who are OBSESSED with it (I don't mean that disparagingly). Your content is so informative and helpful, accessible to beginners without being patronizing.
I think the frustration that I'm having is simply being the kind of person who likes to dive head first into subjects, but not having enough experience to navigate the territory. It's easy to become overwhelmed, but at least I came to realize soon enough that I'm out of my depths, and need to slow it down. There's no shortcut for the experience required, especially when you're dealing with an area like this that's somewhat esoteric, abstract, and subjective, but for now, I'm certainly enjoying learning the basics.
Thank your for your fantastic content!
These videos are def refreshing to me. The host has a thoughtful presentation that's easy to digest. I bought my first espresso machine 2 days ago and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment, these videos help, a bit (lol).
As a learning noob in coffee, your video's have helped me tons. I can actually get the taste of my coffee beans with my v60 now. Knowing what I can look for in coffee is gonna be an absolute blast. Have you got any other material to recommend except for your channel? Channels, books, things to do, taste or brew?
This is how I imagine a fireside chat with you James!
One of the best coffees I've ever had as someone who primarily drinks and ranks cold brews was a cold brew from a local place (like trailer in the parking lot of the Ramada kind of local). Ordered black, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The best way I've been able to describe it is that it was deep and sweet in the same way as really dark chocolate, like 90+% kind of dark.
I swear you are the only person on this planet I would be starstruck by. Thank you for your unpretentious guide to espresso, and thank you for taking away the intimidation. It made me take the plunge into buying an espresso machine and I’ve discovered a love for making coffee as well as drinking it!
I didn't start drinking coffee until I turned 30s. It was just a few weeks after starting a new job that requires me to wake up very early in the morning. I had struggled to the point where I pushed myself to drink coffee to stay awake and energized. This was about a year and a half ago, now, I drink at least two cups of coffee a day and I only drink specialty coffee. Aside from my co-worker who helped me understand more about coffee, your channel was the golden gem that helped me know more not only about coffee, but also how to make good one. Your videos are very well-structured and nicely filmed. Thank you, man!
skillshare course by James Hoffman anytime soon? awesome content!
I thought about it, it’s a maybe....
Or a masterclass??
Thank you for bitter and sour comparison - I’ve struggled with this and now feel much more confident
This made me subscribe to your videos. I have always been intimidated about the whole idea of cupping and describing the taste notes of coffee. But you make it seem like an invitation to try because there is no right or wrong in describing what you actually experienced in that cup. Thank you sir for this very pleasant and easy to watch video. Took off a lot of insecurity in my head. Now I’m excited to try it at home!
Very good description for Coffee ☕️ tasting . Actually similar like wine tasting aroma “nose”, acidity “alcohol” , vinegar “sourness” bitterness “tannic”, mouthfeel, “slurping overall tongue roof of mouth taste” finish “after you swallow or spit out, the aftertaste”
Thank you for this channel, James! I’ve been watching your videos daily for almost a week now and they’ve been so knowledgeable. I’m dreaming (and starting the process of planning) to open a coffee shop locally sometime hopefully in the near future, and this channel has truly been my go-to for coffee knowledge and skill. Thank you.
As a new coffee shop owner I must say you do give much food for thought. I have always thought of tasting or simply the ways your nose reacts in general is subjective at beat. This is certainly a starting point in quantifying the elusive. I thank you and more importantly, my employees will thank you.
I needed to meet you long time ago James, but still not late as long as I'm alive, the only UA-cam channel with notification alarm on. keep teaching us.
Last thing, I think specifically this video helps me in rchitectural criticising, how, by translating perceived info into feelings and measure them.
Thank you.
james, thank you for making this video! as someone who is very new and wants to thoroughly enjoy exploring coffee, you are a godsent. Your explanation is clear, objective, clear and logical. I'll see if I can write down the score of every coffee I drank!
(I started my first cup a week ago, singaraja bali, and since then my perception on coffee drinking changes. It's super acidic, no lingering aftertaste, no bitterness, the color is red. Not like coffee at all! It surprised me because I only know coffee tastes like bitter-burnt-cheap-sachet-robusta beverage. I want to try another bean so I go to starb*cks, but I'm quickly overwhelmed with those weird descriptions. I honestly thought they really tasted like mango or strawberry. turns out only (as you've said in your vid) it's just - more or less - "level of acidity". So, thanks a lot for the lecture! It really helps me, and of course, many others who watch your video!
Watching this just now, learning so much and building the knowledge but also the love for coffee. Thank you for your channel.
Excellent work, thanks!
Back when I was drinking instant (being a student I find that to be the most convenient thing to keep me awake) I stumbled upon his channel and found it absolutely BS but a few months into the future and I bought my first bag of coffee and learnt the V60 from him and kept brewing and I swear to god the difference was humungous. I'm still developing my taste and I don't think my method of brewing is perfect but I'm genuinely invested in this now and I wanna travel the world and try coffee from Ecuador to Indonesia and all other beautiful parts of the world. My mother thinks I'm crazy for buying more and more coffee each month but I love coffee so no big deal. James your changing lives man.
I've a histamine intolerance and I've only just been able to reintroduce coffee into my diet. Needless to say, it's delicious! I think I need to look into consuming the 'cleanest' coffee possible so I suspect your videos will be extremely helpful. 👍
When James posts a video I do not know, or care, where the adventure will take me, I just strap in and enjoy the ride.
Read your book. Now watching the videos. Thank you for the down-to-earth practical videos. Your logical presentation and breakdown of coffee related topics are amazing
You have the most pleasing voice. I can fall asleep listening to you.
very timely. I've just started roasting my own, and getting further and further down the rabbit hole.
I just had my first black cup. It was from a local company. It was smooth and rich in feel. I just have not be able to fully taste coffee, for years.
I didn’t really know what I did and didn’t like about coffee until watching your vids, I just knew I liked good coffee and wasn’t really fond of instant. This is a brilliant pair of videos to introduce the kinda noob into what to look for and how to describe and investigate coffees. It’s really good to listen to someone who has a passion for something, anything really, talk about it. You manage to make the things you talk about be it a machine, a bean, or whatever, sound interesting. I don’t know if you have any other interests, but it would be good to hear you talk about other things too. Maybe.
The most entertaining descriptor I saw on a bag of coffee was a particular variety of wild berry specific to one country.... Yes. This is a taste note I can relate to...
Your channel is my knew favorite obsession! I have spent 5 of the last 24 hours studying your videos! I feel like I never knew anything about coffee before!
Hi James, first of all great videos you have here in your channel, really enjoyed every single of it.
As a regular viewer, may I give a few suggestion about your room set up, hope you don't mind.
1. About the rack behind you, probably we can move it around 30cm or so to your right, just so we have a clear space on your head area (nothing sticking out of your head)
2. Probably can add a small plant just under the books and also on the small rack om your left replacing that black thing (a bag or something).
I guess that's about it. Once again hope you don't mind and looking forward for the next videos.
Cheers
Wow. I’m so glad I watched this. I was having a hard time articulating and finding sweetness to an expresso as most of the people on expresso would describe. Now I kinda know what that meant.
I found that particularly helpful - thank you. It's prompted me to approach my local coffee shop to do a coffee tasting session as he gets coffees from all around the world and roasts on site, and I would like to be able to grow my understanding of the different flavour profiles you've mentioned. Many thanks.
I Wana something coffee skill
I've been roasting coffee for a short period of time. I just recently discovered your channel but have really been enjoying the content. I think it is funny about the bitterness thing. Sort of like "if we don't talk about it as an industry, even though it is there, it will go away." I always like the approach of letting people put labels on their experience and then shape them by relabeling what they may be experiencing. Example: someone takes a chance and says I think I taste something sour or like fruit. Response: sort of like raspberries, right? I never knew coffee would be as deep a dive as whisky, beer, and wine. Loving it!
One of your best videos James, the diligence in writing the script and going through the points in an organized and succinct manner was really helpful and interesting, and I’m glad you kept it down to earth as well. One suggestion: if you’re going to fix your hair between takes, perhaps include in the shot you fixing it while talking in order to avoid the continuity jump. Lol.
If someone ever tells you, you speak too fast--ignore them. I love to listen to people who are fluent, concise, precise, and find it painful to focus on information, which is delivered slowly, with lots of gaps and searching for the right word. Having a youtube channel is the perfect venue for you. You have something you know well (coffee) and are able to speak about it intelligently, with concentration and focus. I am not a coffee drinker (yet?), but enjoy your videos because of your delivery--made even better by your British "accent". Thanks.
Anyone else having trouble using the tasting guide link?
Thank you so much to deliver the knowledge of coffee to people who like to learning it.
20 minutes of pleasure, especially the comments on specificity of flavour
Christmas started early this year ❤️
Great stuff as usual, really the only coffee content worth watching. Very elucidating words on what sweetness is. I would say that a coffee is sweet when other flavour attributes - bitterness, acidity - are not predominant, a bit like the difference between a very dry crisp white wine and a more balanced one.
Didn’t notice the acidic side of my mouth after taste feeling in the cup of v60 brew I was drinking until I finished watching the video. I really enjoyed the conversation about taste.
I think there is more to explore in the real of bitterness in coffee. I think caramelized/sweet/baked sweets flavors can play well with roasts that are higher in bitterness. Often it depends on other flavors whether bitterness is pleasant for me.
You are like what I look for in my coffee, honest and sincere.
After your first cupping Video, we made a cupping at home and it was really fun. I'm gonna buy a bunch of different coffees and try it again with you sheet. Thank you
I don't understand a bit when it comes to vivid taste descriptions
I just feel like something is hitting the sweet spot in my brain when I taste coffee that I like
James, you are simply awesome. You have this way to easy understand what you mean by simplifying it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Cheers from Guatemala.
I've always had problems nailing down specific flavours (like I don't remember what apricot tastes like); glad to see that I shouldn't worry about that.
These videos are so valuable to beginners who are into coffee :) !! Thank you!
You are just fantastic James. Thank you very much for taking me in the coffee world.
This is so great, specifically now that I am trying brewing in a French press, but instead of boiling water, I pour in two shots of espresso and let it sit for 10 minutes. I will compare that to a regular double shot and a regular French press cup, wish me luck.
I just loved the way u explain coffee. *Cheers from Indonesia
This was a great video. Totally set us straight on the difference between bitter and acidity. Thanks.
Found your post interesting to watch. I can't wait to see your new videos soon. Good Luck with the upcoming update. This UA-cam channel is really very informative and effective.
Find what you are good at and keep doing it
I had a eureka moment while watching this video that ever since i got into specialty coffee, i have not tasted that "bitterness" anymore. Its more of the acidity/sourness of the beans that im tasting now. Coffee for me used to be just bitter but wow. Specialty coffee is a whole different world.
Yes my curiosity led me to you,and i hope to get better in it, it's really a whole interesting story on it own
Great video. Totally essential for someone getting serious about their coffee for the first time...
At a nice coffee bar once I tried a Chemex coffee for the first time, and it was totally non bitter, which was weird, it was more tea-like than coffee to me. I enjoyed it but it's definitely not the thing I'd want every day for my coffee. I thought it was just because the super filtration of the Chemex did its thing to remove the bitterness but now I have chemex filters and know it still has bitterness and basically tastes like regular pour over coffee (ok, maybe a bit better haven't done a direct comparison though), and I recently learned it might have been a Gesha type coffee (apparently they're very smooth?). So yeah I think some bitterness can be a good thing, you just want it to be a nice balanced bitterness. Oh and if you're making drinks with milk, you definitely want some bitterness since it gets sweetened up by the milk anyway, otherwise it would just be too smooth and mild most likely.
Yes! The overly specific descriptors on bags of specialty coffee can be so intimidating and limiting for some people. Suddenly it becomes a win-lose kind of situation when you either taste the strawberry jam or whatever other flavors they describe or you don't. Often you don't and you feel disappointed, doubting either yourself or the roasters, even if the coffee is perfectly fine.
Thank you James, love your informative video so much! Sometimes I'm struggling to describe the flavour is happening on my tongue, sometimes I do even taste chilli though 😂
Yes, there are many kinds of acidities! Not all are pleasant. Same to bitterness. There is also a dark-bitter-strong confusion.Mouthfeel is also a question of aftertaste, which can be very short or last for hours.
Bitterness is my favorite part of coffee, second to a full body. I was honestly surprised when you called it failure.
Kudos to your very specific and detailed explanation for every videos! I'm an aspiring Barista and very excited to learnnn from you! 💯 Much love! ❤️