Comments on: It tastes like….. coffee

By: Mister Moo

Mister Moo — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:42:27 +0000

Well sir, you sure did mention my signature “extraordinary” bean (Aricha/27) and at least one standout flavor (Misty/blueberry). You didn’t spotlight the fresh-lemons-to-die-for aroma and taste (lord willing) on the hot side of the right-roasted Yirgacheffe cup but your point is made.

Nevertheless, I see it the other way around. The only problem with all other coffees is they AREN’T in some way spectacular like Aricha/27 or they lack a nuance that makes for pause and thoughts about silken richness of body, or lemons and berries and chocolate.

Tastes-like-coffee coffee is already too easy to find. And that fact is worsened by so-called professionals who start with great beans, then under/over roast as if sweet-spots don’t exist; by those who refuse to tag bags with a roast date and – mercy – by brew-purveyors who don’t know 195*F water from 195*C water.

We need more blueberries in the cup. Shoot – if you don’t want blueberries, just roast it wrong and brew it on the boil.

By: Recent URLs tagged Crazy - Urlrecorder

Recent URLs tagged Crazy - Urlrecorder — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:01:11 +0000

[...] recorded first by gleuschk on 2008-12-08→ It tastes like….. coffee [...]

By: Steven Jack

Steven Jack — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:20:29 +0000

This post from James Hoffman amused me. I know my cupping notes can tend to be a bit little purple.I come across this from time to time with the regular Joe Public or a non-coffee drinking member of staff.
http://www.goldenteahouse.com/

By: Lance

Lance — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:21:44 +0000

It is indeed interesting to experience the average “Joe’s” reaction who happens in during a cupping. (Of course you invite them to participate)

I marvel at the simplicity of their experience, without the pretension, the tasting notes, the profiling…

Simply; they enjoy the coffee for what is – coffee.

By: Sé

Sé — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:37:43 +0000

Nice one james, maybe next we can move away from some of the younger baristas obsession with pouring latte art in shops and get them to concentrate a little bit more on getting better and more consistent extractions. Sé

By: The Knock Box » Blog Archive » it still tastes like coffee

The Knock Box » Blog Archive » it still tastes like coffee — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:42:07 +0000

[...] This post from James Hoffman amused me. I know my cupping notes can tend to be a bit little purple, so perhaps it’s a good reminder for me. [...]

By: Anya

Anya — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:08:40 +0000

For me, the realisation that it is in fact just a great coffee came when I tried coffees made not texbook style but in a desert, made on sand, using generations of experience, passion and secrets. Where I didn’t know how exactly it was made or what was added to make it taste so heavenly. I didn’t have any criteria to “judge” it on and I was simply left to enjoy. I’d like to think that now I’m a little less critical and far more open minded, I hope.

By: Dean Chalk

Dean Chalk — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:43:02 +0000

Its a really interesting point that James has made, and one that Liz and I struggle with a lot.
We roast a range of coffees, and through our well adjusted commercial kit each has their own characteritics. However, we always regularly ‘cup’ our coffees via standard cheap domestic kit, and a lot of that uniqueness goes and it just becomes ‘great coffee’. Many of our customers try different coffees regularly, but seem to come back to those that distinguish themselves only because they give the most flavour in cheap kit. So, who do you cater for ? your newbie regular or you connoiseur customers ?

By: shadybob

shadybob — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:11:09 +0000

I come across this from time to time with the regular Joe Public or a non-coffee drinking member of staff. Of course it tastes like Coffee it is Coffee, that in itself could be a compliment.

By: Søren Stiller Markussen

Søren Stiller Markussen — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:23:00 +0000

James, I cannot only submit my my thoughts of this issues as well. I think you are having a very good point in this topic. 2 weeks ago I was asked to make an article for a Danish Magazine – suggesting 5 great coffees. The first Coffee the editor suggested to write about was Kupi Luwak – which after 1 hour I convinced him, that I find greater coffees for les money. We agreed to write about 5 coffees where a normal person without these trained palettes could distinquese between flavours and taste. In my oppinion there is still a big gab between expectation and experience. And too often the expectations are hyped to high dimensions with words there doesnt match the experience. Like booking a room at a 4 star hotel – to discover when you enter the room it looks different than on the picture…or the promising words.
Sometimes simple is also good – as you mentioned…its just good coffee. I still supprises me when I serve good coffee that you get the comment “ohh, that taste good” ehh, yes!!! eventhough its a simple coffee. I think the biggest mission is to learn the avarage consumer to drink good normal coffee instead of continuing accepting drinking all this bad coffees which are around….because they still do it???