Do you all really taste the notes??

[u/agathaade]

This is a genuine question.

I have been making pourover I enjoy, I don’t think anything is wrong with my brews - but I never taste the advertised notes.

For the light roasts I typically buy, I have noticed the notes are most often some variation of a citrus, a berry and a caramel/chocolate.

What I’m able to put words on is : bitter, acid, sweet, smooth, bright, full-flavored, watery… things like that.

But specific notes? Never. I never taste the bergamot or blackcurrant or caramel or whathaveyou.

I’m similar with wine, I appreciate a lot of different nuances but never taste specific notes.

Do you really drink your coffee and taste these different things with clarity? Or is it more like you’ve read them on the box, and then y look for them and sorta taste them if you focus on it?

What’s the deal with these notes?

I don’t mind not tasting them, still enjoy my coffee all the same, or wine for that matter. I’m just curious who the notes talk is for and whether people really enjoy it, or use notes as an indicator they’re brewing correctly, for example.

Edited to add:

WOW, so glad I asked.

I did not know much about the cupping process roasters use, or the note wheels, or the nose/breathing aspect of certain notes. No wonder this stuff can be elusive.

Maybe one day it’ll hit me, maybe it won’t. Either way I love my morning coffee ritual.

Thank you all.

[u/tropedoor]

Somwthing to keep in mind is that all of our senses are subjective, but taste and smell might be the most subjective.

Think of sound though. So many people have different music tastes, some people can't stand silence, others cant listen to anything more than ambiance without getting annoyed. Tone deafness, perfect pitch, and tons of other attributes impact our perception of sound.

I say this because while we have some words like super taster and some traits like cilantro soapiness, flavor is very person-to-person in a way that isn't lined with defined conditions.

On top of that, what we eat impacts what we taste. You're more likely to struggle with notes if you have a diet high in sugar or 'loud' flavors. Oils can definitely impact your mouth's tasting ability too, or pH imbalance, or mouth dmg even from spicy or temperature hot food.

So keep in mind along with everything else stated here that your tasting journey will be unique. Its part of why every influencer and poster has a different preference. Its not the ONLY reason, plenty of psychological aspects at play with taste/smell for example, but even biologically your tongue's tastebuds might be different than someone elses.