To coffee neophytes coffee tends to all taste the same. I tried to be sensitive to this when I was a coffee trainer. "I realize it probably all tastes like mud to you and that's OK," I would assure my coffee trainees during a tasting. The palette has to be developed to be capable of distinguishing a flavor profile. This means lots of tasting, and more specifically - a lot of comparative tasting. Coffee must be continually assessed and experienced to be well understood.

The more the aromas are let in, the more the coffee is allowed to spend time in the mouth, the more coffees are tasted side by side, the more things like smoothness, liveliness, floral aromas, hints of chocolate, etc. will be realized. And when that moment finally comes where you realize that the coffee you are tasting is different from the one you tasted before it's very exciting! This is particularly so when you identify that the coffee has a very full body, is smooth and has earthy flavors with hints of spice and cocoa. That's when you're a goner.

To get started on the voyage to coffee enlightenment, I recommend tasting a coffee from each major region side by side: Latin America, Africa and Arabia and Pacific. Remember to smell the beans, the grinds and the coffee first. Then start tasting for the following:

Acidity
Acidity is gauged by a sharp bite on the back of the tongue. Without acidity coffee would be flat. Low acidity is referred to as smooth and high acidity is referred to as lively, clean, bright or sparkling.

Body
Body is gauged by the impression of a coffee’s weight when rested on the tounge. It can range from low to very full.

As we learned in part one of this coffee tasting series, it is possible for a coffee to taste like a wet beaver. However, "wet beaver" is not a coffee tasting term. Besides references to acidity and body, the following are terms typically employed by coffee professionals:

Nutty
Earthy
Buttery
Herbal
Fruity
Spicy
Sweet
Caramelly
Complex
Chocolatey
Floral
Roasty
Pungent
Smoky
Berry
Citrus
Tangy
Syrupy
Mild
Tart
Soft
Musty
Dry

Some unpleasant flavors: carbony, scorched, bitter

Next we will discuss the typical flavor profiles for the three major growing regions and some of the best methods for tasting coffee. There will also be a flavor profile challenge coming up. Stay tuned!