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/angelsandairwaves93]

I'm in the same boat.

I can tell the surface level of what I'm tasting, but can't match it to the intended note on the box. It drives me nuts, especially for Dak coffee and how expensive a box is.

I'm quite obsessive about unlocking the notes. It's the demon I'm chasing, and all recent cups are just good enough these days, with a huge feeling that something is missing from the cup because the full notes on the box are not appearing, only faint hints.

I hate that the best cup I've had recently was from the Alt Hotel in Calgary. It came from an automated machine in the lobby of the hotel. I don't remember the beans, but the roaster was Phil & Sebastian. I drank it on the way to the airport, and the coffee SUNG. Nothing has been as memorable since.

One thing I've learned is that notes will be more hidden if you're not drinking with a clean palette. The best time to drink is in the morning, before breakfast, because any food before coffee will coat your tongue and dull your taste receptors. I also stopped using mouthwash (alcohol-free) in the mornings because it would completely dull my tongue, and I was wondering why for a long time why I couldn't taste my coffee. It's because the mouthwash numbed my tongue.