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 When drinking coffee try to notice the different characteristics of the coffee. These are aroma, body, acidity and flavor.
How pleasant is your coffee to your nose? Generally speaking a good coffee, when brewed, draws comments like "That smells wonderful", even from non coffee drinkers.
Commonly you will find some of these aromas: floral, a hint of butter, earthy, spicy, sweet and caramel. Scientists have found over 800 aromatic compounds in coffee beans, and the number is still increasing yearly. This is what makes coffee so unique and gives us a wonderful experience every time.
Body is the weight of the coffee that can best be sensed by allowing the coffee to rest on the tongue and by rubbing the tongue against the roof of the mouth. Coffee body ranges from thin, to light, to heavy and is a result of the fat content. Medium and dark roasts will have a heavier body compared to lighter roasts.
Coffee Acidity is the bright and dry taste that adds life to a coffee. The darker the roast, the less acidity is present, and the more bitter the coffee. The key is to find a roast that suites your taste and strikes a perfect balance between acidity, bitterness and body. Kenyan arabica is well known to have very high acidity as do any wet-processed coffees.
When tasting coffee you will experience all of the above sensations in one sip. The aroma, body and acidity combine to what we'd like to call flavor and you will decide if the combination is to your liking. If it is too bitter, increase the water to ground coffee ratio. If this does not help, then you might want to change your bean to a lighter roast. If the acidity is too high, decrease the water to ground coffee ratio. This will increase the bitterness and lower the acidity. If it still does not help, change to a darker roast.
Do not buy flavored coffee. Flavored coffee will leave residue in your coffee machine and it is very difficult to remove. You will, after just a few times, start to get odd flavors in your coffee which is not pleasant. Instead go for coffee syrup. Generally coffee syrup is made from high quality materials, and you can easily control the amount of flavor for each cup, depending on your mood.
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