How I Mastered Coffee Tasting - My training protocol for Coffee Q-grading exams

Summary

In this video, a two-time Indian coffee champion and Q grader shares his three-step tasting protocol to enhance coffee tasting skills. The protocol involves Aroma (smelling and describing ingredients), Tasting (focusing on food textures and mouthfeel), and Cupping (refining the vocabulary to express coffee flavors). By removing visual cues and focusing on descriptive practices, the speaker helps viewers build a detailed sensory memory for coffee tasting. This method encourages deeper understanding and precision in identifying and describing coffee flavors, ultimately improving cupping results and overall tasting abilities.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Q Grader exams test your ability to identify and describe flavors in coffee through aroma, taste, and texture.
• 😀 Developing a strong memory bank of flavors is essential for accurately identifying coffee notes during tastings.
• 😀 MV's Tasting Protocol is a three-step process: Aroma, Tasting, and Cupping.
• 😀 The first step, Aroma, involves smelling different ingredients and describing their characteristics without labeling them immediately.
• 😀 Describing aromas helps build a deeper sensory connection, allowing you to better recognize them in coffee.
• 😀 The second step, Tasting, focuses on identifying the textures and mouthfeel of food, which can help improve your sensory awareness for coffee tasting.
• 😀 Practicing with foods in different forms (like pureed or ground) helps enhance your ability to identify flavors and textures in coffee.
• 😀 The third step, Cupping, is about formalizing your tasting skills by writing detailed and accurate cupping notes.
• 😀 By following this protocol, you’ll build a vocabulary for describing coffee and enhance your overall tasting experience.
• 😀 Consistently practicing these exercises will lead to noticeable improvements in your ability to analyze and describe coffee flavors.
• 😀 The protocol is not just about cupping coffee daily; it’s about developing a sensory dictionary that improves your precision and clarity in flavor descriptions.

Q & A

What motivated the speaker to create MV's Tasting Protocol?

The speaker was preparing for their Q Grading exams in 2015, but despite cupping hundreds of coffees, they were not satisfied with their tasting skills. They realized they needed a better way to build a memory bank of flavors and aromas, leading to the creation of MV's Tasting Protocol.

What are the three steps in MV's Tasting Protocol?

The three steps in MV's Tasting Protocol are: Step 1 - Aroma (smelling ingredients and describing them), Step 2 - Tasting (focusing on textures and mouthfeel), and Step 3 - Cupping (applying the knowledge from aroma and tasting to evaluate coffee).

How does the speaker describe the importance of describing rather than labeling when it comes to aroma?

The speaker emphasizes that the key is to describe the aroma before labeling it. By focusing on descriptive terms like sweetness, sharpness, and spice, rather than immediately identifying an ingredient, you strengthen your sensory perception and avoid relying too much on visual cues.

What is the significance of removing sight in the first step of the protocol?

Removing sight in the first step helps isolate the sense of smell. When the visual aspect is hidden, the brain doesn't immediately associate an aroma with a known ingredient, forcing it to focus solely on the sensory experience and enhancing the ability to describe what is being smelled.

Can you explain the exercise involving food textures in Step 2 of the protocol?

In Step 2, the speaker recommends altering the texture of various foods (like grinding them or changing their form) to better understand the mouthfeel. This helps in recognizing how different textures impact flavor and taste, and aids in identifying these textures when tasting coffee.

What role does the concept of 'Umami' play in the protocol?

Umami is described as a distinct, savory flavor, often associated with foods like mushrooms. The speaker uses Umami as an example to explain how identifying specific tastes like Umami (in this case, from mushroom) can enhance the ability to describe and categorize flavors in coffee.

How does MV's Tasting Protocol help improve cupping skills?

MV's Tasting Protocol helps by building a sensory vocabulary for aromas, tastes, and textures. By practicing aroma identification, texture awareness, and taste description, it enhances one's ability to evaluate coffee more accurately during cupping, improving the quality of cupping sheets.

What is the purpose of practicing with different ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf?

Practicing with ingredients like cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf helps train the nose and brain to distinguish specific aromas and their qualities, such as sweetness or sharpness. This allows the person to describe coffee aromas more effectively without relying on preconceived labels.

Why does the speaker suggest using a 'cheap' tool to enhance tasting skills?

The speaker suggests using inexpensive tools, like simple items from your kitchen or small devices, to train your sensory skills without needing a high-end investment. The idea is that enhancing your sensory awareness doesn’t require expensive equipment; it’s about developing the right vocabulary and focus.

How does the speaker suggest sharing the knowledge gained from this protocol?

The speaker encourages viewers to share the knowledge of MV's Tasting Protocol with others, especially those following the channel. Sharing and applying the protocol helps build a stronger coffee community, which in turn can lead to better coffee evaluations and tasting experiences.