Cupping is a word used by people inside the coffee industry to describe a technique for judging coffee based on the senses of taste, smell and touch. Coffee tasting is a difficult and very disciplined process. An expert must evaluate the brew and determine the characteristics of this sort. Firstly the expert estimates the appearance of green beans.

Then a small portion is roasted and the taster tests the beans for the aroma and flavor. After that coffee is macerated in water and the expert scents brew. After couple minutes the brew is lightly stirred and smelled again. The foam must be removed and here the taste testing begins. The taster takes a teaspoon of coffee into the mouth and rinses around before expectorating. The procedure is repeated several times accompanied with notes and remarks. There are four criteria for coffee taste: , aroma, flavor, acidity and body.

Aroma: Coffee aroma is a pleasant subtle odor arising from a cup. Brewed coffee has “floral” or “winy” characteristics.

Flavor: Coffee flavor is the overall distinctive taste of the coffee in the mouth. Different roasts have different nuances of perception.

Acidity: Acidity in coffees is actually quite welcome. Acidity gives coffee its sparkle, brightness and much of its complexity. The darker a coffee is roasted, the more its acidity dissipates.

Body: Body is the viscosity, heaviness, thickness or richness that the coffee has in the mouth. Coffees with a heavier body will maintain more flavors.