Cupping
Aroma
Learn to smell coffee in three moments: dry grounds, wet crust, and crust break.
Aroma often gives the first clear signal. Write what you smell before you start judging flavor.
Set Up
- 3 coffee samples
- 8.25 g coffee per cup
- 150 ml water per cup
- Water near 93 deg C
- Grinder
- 3 cupping bowls or similar glasses
- Spoon
- Timer
- Notebook
Do This
- Grind each coffee.
- Smell the dry grounds. Write one or two plain words.
- Pour water into each cup.
- Wait 4 minutes.
- Smell the wet crust.
- Break the crust with a spoon and smell immediately.
- Write the strongest aroma from each stage.
Record
| Sample | Dry | Wet | Break |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 |
Use Plain Words
Good first words are enough: fruity, floral, nutty, cocoa, spice, earthy, roasty, smoky, green, sour, stale.
Common Mistakes
- Trying to sound professional.
- Using one word for all stages.
- Smelling too hard until the nose gets tired.
- Ignoring a change because you cannot name it perfectly.
Self-Check
What are the three aroma moments?
Answer: Dry grounds, wet crust, and crust break.
What should you write if you are unsure?
Answer: A simple memory or broad word. Example: cocoa, fruit, wood, spice, smoke.
What makes the note useful?
Answer: You can smell it again or notice that it changed.
Before Moving On
Repeat once with fresh cups. Move on when you can write one clear dry note and one clear wet or break note for each coffee.
Notebook
| Prompt | Your note |
|---|---|
| Dry aroma | |
| Wet aroma | |
| Break aroma | |
| Most repeatable note | |
| One uncertainty |