Good afternoon all,

As I try to develop my espresso taste buds, I went to a local shop this morning and tried a capp and a straight double (not at the same time of course), just to see what some of the differences were.

Note: I now realize how terrible all my shots have been over the past couple of years with more than likely stale coffee and a crappy machine.

In any event, here is what I tasted, and I was hoping someone out there might be able to confirm or deny my initial impressions.

Milk Drink

-Very rich flavor, almost chocolatey, a bit nutty, and somewhat earthy undertone. I really liked it...

Straight double

-Crema was very deep, and extremely earthy, nutty, and a touch sweet (like caramel sweet, not sugar sweet)
-Finished very bright, citrus, and somewhat floral on the back side

Again, this was how I tasted it, and I recognize it's impossible to say with any degree of certainty that I was right or wrong, but I was curious if I'm on the right track in keying in on some of the flavors in that profile.

Also, one quick question...I think I have a hard time deciphering citrus from acid...are those terms interchangeable when speaking in terms of taste? If not, what are some of the differentials in your opinion.

This may be an impossible question/thread to tackle, but I have been thinking about it now for a couple of hours...

Regards,

Mark

espressonewb wrote:Also, one quick question...I think I have a hard time deciphering citrus from acid...are those terms interchangeable when speaking in terms of taste?

I'm glad Alterra is now roasting a little lighter so you get some brightness in the finish.

Acidity is a technical term referring to how crisp, winey, or tart the coffee tastes. It is strongly associated with one of the three major coffee taste categories, the "enzymatic" flavors -- citrus, berry, pit fruit, flowers, herbal ( the other two major flavor categories are "sugars browning" -- chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and "dry distillates" -- roasty, smoky and spicy flavors). So, technically citrus is a flavor (sensors in the nose), while acidity is a basic taste (sensors on the tongue)

Coffee mavens regard acidity as a good thing, while most everyone else wants to avoid it. Partly, this is because the mavens drink so much coffee, they want something crisp and refreshing to balance the roast, while regular folks drink lemonade or white wine, etc, if they want refreshing. Partly it is because the really fine and rare flavors in coffee are in the enzymatic group, and high acidity means there will be lots of them.

Finally, if a brewed coffee is just plain sour, it is either not sweet enough due to it being picked unripe, or fermented (vinegar flavors) due to poor processing. It is never too sour because it is too acidic. For espresso, the story may be different; a coffee may be too acidic, or roasted too light, or not developing enough oils in the crema to buffer the acids. The exact reasons why some coffees can taste too bright for espresso remain controversial or unknown.

Hello Jim,

I would be remiss in concluding that my initial description is accurate, so please don't draw any conclusions that they've 'changed their ways' for better or worse for that matter.

I really appreciate your commentary, as it was a perfect blend of technical terminology paired with the ease of espresso layman prose. Considering I surely favor the later, it was a very helpful reply.

I should think, based on your information that there was a great deal of enzymatic and sugars browning, with just a touch (and I mean a touch) of dry distillates in that blend then. For me, I think the back half of volume was too enzymatic. It did taste a bit too sharp to me...not bitter sharp, but bright sharp, maybe too tangy? It was good, but this was truly the first shot of espresso that I actually thought about as I drank it, so please bear with me.

I've always just enjoyed espresso as it was a 'bold' flavor to me. Far better than the junk my parents and in-laws drink. However, 'bold' is fairly non-descript, even as an adjective, I suppose.

Guess I probably need to go back there tomorrow, just to see if I feel the same way...

Boy, this may turn into a habit...can't wait until my equipment arrives...then it's game on!

Thanks again,

Mark