Describing the taste of coffee...
It's been a long day of packing and moving for us today. The contents of my old family home have been boxed up and delivered to an apartment as the next phase of the cycle begins... and I'm sitting writing this blog post in front of a glass of good Hunter Valley Shiraz. This has made me think about the incredible vocabulary and process for describing wine which wine critics have and I thought I'd take a quick look at the coffee tasting equivalent which is the coffee taster's flavour wheel.
I think the flavour wheel is a fantastic way of categorising the sorts of flavours that you discern in your coffee and also gives you a clue as to the sort of roaster you might prefer when you purchase roasted coffee. When I look at the wheel, the progression of flavour categories mirrors the way coffee flavours change as roast degree increases. That is, as the temperature I drop the roast increases, the flavour characteristics tend to move counter clockwise on the flavour wheel.
I prefer flavours in the following categories: fruity, floral, sweet, nutty/cocoa. These flavours assert themselves in light medium to dark medium roasts. You won't be surprised that the roast profile that I aim for is right in the medium range.
Take a look at the flavour wheel and let me know which parts of the flavour spectrum you prefer.