Coffee tasting - How to train your taste and smell

Discovering all the hidden nuances in a cup of coffee is a fascinating journey that blends technique, sensitivity, and passion. Tasting is not just a moment of pleasure, but a true sensory exercise that allows you to distinguish the quality, flaws, and unique characteristics of each bean. Training your taste and smell is the first step toward turning a daily habit into an unforgettable experience.

Basic techniques to get started

To approach coffee tasting, it’s useful to start with some fundamental practices. Even before tasting, it’s important to observe the colour and texture of the crema signs that already provide an indication of proper extraction. Then the sense of smell comes into play: smelling the freshly brewed coffee helps to distinguish the most prominent notes, whether floral, fruity, spicy, or roasted.

The actual tasting requires attention and slowness. With small sips spread across the entire surface of the tongue, you can perceive acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and body. Repeating this exercise with coffee from different origins or roast levels allows you to progressively refine your sensitivity, expanding your sensory vocabulary.

Aromas, notes and profiles to recognize

Behind every coffee bean lies an aromatic universe that expresses itself differently depending on the variety, roast, and brewing method. Three main categories of aromas can be distinguished:

• Primary aromas, linked to the botanical variety, which offer elegant and refined notes for Arabica coffees and intense, impactful scents for Robusta
• Secondary aromas, developed during roasting, reminiscent of chocolate, caramel, dried fruit, and baked aromas such as biscuit-like scents
• Tertiary aromas, more complex, arising from aging or specific fermentation processes, like the scent of tobacco
   

Taste also follows a precise balance: acidity for freshness, sweetness for roundness, bitterness for depth, and body for structure. Recognizing these components and how they interact is what sets a good coffee apart from an extraordinary one.
 

Course to enhance your sensory experience

Training your taste and smell doesn’t just mean trying many different coffees: it requires method, consistency, and guidance from professionals. Tools like aroma kits can help imprint specific scents in your olfactory memory, while techniques such as cupping allow you to taste coffee in a standardized way, objectively comparing origins and roasts.

For those who want to take a step further, our Portioli Academy offers the Sensory Coffee Skills course, designed for Distributors who wish to refine their sensory abilities and deepen the professional analysis of coffee. During the lessons, participants have the opportunity to recognize aromas, compare single origins and blends, experiment with different brewing methods, and engage in blind tests.

This training path is not limited to coffee but also extends to chocolate, tea, and infusions, offering a comprehensive overview of the world of tasting. The course concludes with a practical and theoretical test, allowing participants to consolidate the skills acquired and take with them useful tools to continuously improve the quality of their offerings to customers.

Training the senses for tasting means discovering coffee in a new light, enhancing every detail. Thanks to the right training and consistent practice, a simple cup can become a unique experience, capable of telling stories, showcasing regions, and preserving traditions all in one sip.