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Expertise
The many tastes of NESCAFÉ
April 2008
Coffee cupping is a meticulous process of tasting coffee prior to its release to the market. Leading coffee brand NESCAFÉ employs cuppers, as these expert tasters are called, to assess if the coffee is of the right quality.
Here are three of the basic properties of coffee they commonly check in helping to produce popular coffees.
Acidity. This refers to the sharp, lively characteristic of coffee. Tasters look for that pleasant sharpness and vibrant quality of the beverage. Too little acidity, on the one hand, means less flavor, resulting to a "flat"-tasting coffee. Too much acidity, on the other hand, would result to an undesirable sour taste. A strong but pleasant acidity is characteristic of the Arabica beans used in NESCAFÉ Gold.
Roastiness. This refers to the degree of roasting applied on the coffee beans. Roasting is a critical part of coffee processing as it develops and brings out the full flavor and aroma of the bean. Proper roasting requires the right temperature and the right length of roasting time. Different varieties of beans also involve different levels of roasting.
For instance, Arabica beans should not be roasted too dark in order to preserve the original characteristics of the beans. On the other hand, increasing the roast would increase the bitterness. Roasting the coffee too dark would make the coffee too bitter.
Coffeeness. The coffeeness of a NESCAFÉ cup means good, clean, coffee aroma and the notable absence of any off-tastes in the coffee.
A “grassy” taste means the presence of immature or unripe beans. In addition big no-no for coffee are are chemical, rusty and moldy flavors Instead, cuppers are looking for a bold taste that's a hallmark of good quality Robusta you’ll find in NESCAFÉ Classic products.
As for Arabica coffee, it should be devoid of earthy, fermented tastes. NESCAFÉ cuppers also look out for any medicinal, rusty or moldy flavors. REPLACE. Coffeeness: good clean coffee free of off notes. Off notes like groundsy, grassy, and stewed are caused by incorrect post harvest treatment methods of berries and incorrect processing of coffee beans
With 70 years of coffee-making experience, NESCAFÉ has all the bases covered when it comes to giving Filipinos premium coffee. Whether it is a cup of NESCAFÉ Classic or Gold, both are coffee products that feel, smell, and taste just right. |
