When we are tasting coffee, we often times have an instinctual understanding of what a good and bad cup of coffee tastes like but what if I told you that there are some characteristics that you can look out for that makes this process much more systematic? What I will be talking about are some common “bad” tastes that come with under-extracted and over-extracted coffee. Understanding that will then give us a better scope as to what a good cup of coffee should taste like!

Under-extracted tastes

Under-extracted coffee is when you have extracted too little from the coffee bean. Some of the taste qualities that are often times present in these cups include:

• An unpleasant acidity – This is an acidity that is sharp, intense and makes you think of something chemically or unnatural.
• A quick finish – After you take your first sip, the intensity of the cup will disappear quickly, often times within the first few seconds. Keep in mind that mouthfeel and longevity in your mouth is also a quality that impacts the taste of your coffee.
• Intense tartness – So many people like tart coffee but the tartness that comes from under-extracted coffee is at a level that goes beyond the sour candies that you buy from the store. It is a tartness that you cannot find in any natural fruit but instead need to get manufactured through other means like sour candy.

How to taste under-extracted qualities

If you want to practice tasting under-extracted qualities, mix a solution of 1:15 lemon juice and hot water together. This will replicate those under-extracted qualities you many times get in your coffee.

Over-extracted tastes

Over-extracted coffee is when you have extracted too much from the coffee bean. Some of the taste qualities that are often times present in these cups include:

• Bitterness – The common quality that is the most common descriptor for “bad” coffee is bitterness. Sometimes people even confuse bitterness and sourness so make sure you know the difference between the two. Some descriptors for bitterness include a dull, raspy sensation and unpleasant sensation.
• Dryness – Think about when you are craving a cup of water after not drinking anything for half a day. That dryness making you feel like there is not enough saliva in your mouth is also a quality of over-extracted coffee. Even though this is kinda a quality of bitterness, I think it is an important part of it to highlight as a separate quality to look for!
  

How to taste over-extracted qualities

The best way that I found where you can taste over-extracted qualities is through dark chocolate. It brings out that raspy and dry mouthfeel after you have had a piece. Keep in mind that there will be some good qualities shining through too like smoky and nutty but really focus on the bitterness and dryness when you are eating the dark chocolate and familiarize yourself with that.

Balanced extracted coffee

Now that we know what bad tastes we should be on the lookout for with under-extracted and over-extracted coffee, what does a good cup of coffee taste like when the extraction is balanced?

• Sweetness – The first indicator to look for is if you manage to taste sweetness. If you manage to find sweetness in your cup of coffee, then I would consider that a win!
• Clarity – When you have brewed a balanced cup of coffee, that means that there aren’t any qualities of under-extracted or over-extracted tastes that are overshadowing your cup. So since you don’t taste those “bad” tastes, there are other tastes that shine through, which leads to this clarity in your cup of coffee.
• Lasting mouthfeel – When you have a balanced cup of coffee, you often times have a lingering mouthfeel. Think of drinking 3.25% milk or some thicker liquid where that liquid is coating the insides of your mouth. This is the type of lasting mouthfeel that you can achieve with a balanced extraction.

How to taste the qualities of “good” coffee

The best way to taste the qualities of a balanced cup of coffee is to eat fruits and explore different foods with your tastebuds. If you ever drink a cup of coffee and can link that taste to something you have eaten in real life, that is a good quality~

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If you are more of a visual learner,
check out the video below!