DavidoffDegustationDuring a tasting a Sommelier pays special attention to the 4 parameters of body, acidity, aroma and flavour of the coffee that are essential for describing the impressions of his senses and determining the characteristics of the coffee. The viscosity of a coffee is described as its body. The composition of the coffee is defined by qualities such as fullness, heaviness, lightness, milkiness or wateriness, according to how it feels on your tongue. Acidity – not to be confused with bitterness – is an extremely desirable quality in a coffee, because it makes it lively and sharp: it brings vibrancy, just as carbonation brings vibrancy to water. The acidity of the coffee can be felt on the outer edges of the tongue, and it brings a sensation of dryness to the palate. The aroma of the coffee is detected through highly sensitive smell receptors in the nose, which help to discern flavours such as floral, fruity or wine by our palate. So the sense of smell, which allows us to taste sweet, sour, salty and bitter, does the groundwork for the palate. The individual flavour is a combination of aroma, body and acidity, and so describes the characteristic overall impression of the coffee. |