Tasting
11 articles
Bourbon: The Sweet Coffee From a Small Island
What to know about Bourbon coffee (not the whiskey): its history, red, yellow and pink types, where it grows, flavor and how to roast and brew it.
Caturra: The Little Tree That Changed Latin American Coffee
What to know about Caturra coffee: its Bourbon origin, how it grows, where it is planted, how it tastes and how to roast and brew it.
Gesha (Geisha): Why One Coffee Costs So Much
Why Gesha coffee costs so much: its path from Ethiopia to Panama, how it grows, its floral flavor, what you will pay and how to brew it.
SL28 and SL34: The Varieties Behind Kenya's Famous Cup
What SL28 and SL34 are, how they differ, why they define Kenyan coffee, how they taste and how to read a Kenyan bag and brew it well.
Typica: The Coffee Variety Behind Most of the Others
What to know about Typica coffee: why it matters, its path from Ethiopia to the Caribbean, how it tastes and how to roast and brew it.
Cupping at Home: How to Taste Coffee Like a Pro
How to cup coffee at home like a pro: the simplified protocol, what you need, step-by-step tasting and a three-coffee comparison session.
Dialing In: How to Fix a Coffee Recipe One Change at a Time
How to fix a coffee recipe one change at a time: the four controls, starting recipes and troubleshooting for filter coffee and espresso.
How to Taste Coffee: Using the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel
How to taste coffee with the flavor wheel: what to look for in a cup, a simple tasting method and practice exercises you can do at home.
Anaerobic and Experimental Coffees: What the Labels Mean
What anaerobic, carbonic maceration, yeast and co-fermented coffee labels mean, and how to decide whether an experimental coffee is worth buying.
Coffee Processing Explained: Washed, Natural, Honey and Wet-Hulled
How washed, natural, honey and wet-hulled processing change the taste of coffee, side by side, and how to use that when buying beans.
Arabica vs Robusta: The Two Coffees You Actually Drink
How arabica and robusta coffee differ in taste, caffeine and price, where you meet robusta and which one you should buy.