How to Identify a Good Cup of Whole Bean Coffee? | Best Coffee Beans in the World

Here’s a question – do you need to be a coffee expert to identify a great cup of whole bean coffee? Or to put it another way, are the best coffee beans in the world wasted on those who aren’t up to speed with every type of coffee bean out there?

In short, the answer to both questions is… no.

Whole bean coffee is the kind of pleasure anyone can enjoy. Even if you’ve no idea regarding the science of coffee and the coffee bean, you can still get maximum enjoyment out of a good cup.

As is the case with fine wines, the best coffee beans in the world deliver a multi-sensory and multi-dimensional experience that simply must be savoured. It’s all about taking your time and getting to know the humble coffee bean a little more intimately. After which, you’ll be tasting every quality coffee like a pro in no time!

Pros examine every cup of coffee in accordance with the following:

Aroma

You can tell a lot about a coffee by its fragrance. The best coffee beans in the world release the kind of aroma that’s borderline intoxicating. Coffee beans release fragrances that vary from caramel to fresh earth to dark chocolate to dried fruits. Take the time to breathe in the aroma of the beans and the freshly brewed coffee and see what you can pick out.

Acidity

This is the extent to which the coffee leaves the back of the mouth feeling dry after the coffee has been swallowed. Some of the best coffee beans in the world have a relatively high level of acidity, while some coffee beans have little to no detectable acidity. The extent to which acidity is preferable comes entirely down to personal tastes.

Body

The way the coffee ‘feels’ in the mouth is referred to as its body. While some coffees feel light and refreshing in the mouth, others are richer, heavier and in some cases almost ‘buttery’. As the coffee coats the inside of your mouth, use your tongue to touch the roof of your mouth to assess the residue and feeling left behind. Again, preferred mouth feel varies from one person to the next, so it’s worth experimenting with different varieties of whole bean coffee.

Flavour

As for the flavour, this is the overall way you pick up on the various notes the coffee delivers while in the mouth and immediately after swallowing. The best coffees beans in the world can be light and refreshing, spicy, floral, chocolatey or even have a taste a little like red wine. Whatever the flavour profile is, it should be deeply enjoyable and balanced, as opposed to overpowering and bitter. Along with the types of coffee beans you choose, your preferred brewing method will also have a massive impact on the overall flavour.

Aftertaste

Last but not least, the flavours that remain after the coffee is swallowed combine to create the aftertaste. This could be anything from rich red wine to fresh berries to chocolate to tobacco. The aftertaste of good coffee not only linger, but evolve over a period of time to produce all manner of different taste combinations.

At Hayman’s online coffee store, you will find the best coffee in the world, including the legendary Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, best Kona coffee Hawaii, and Panama Geisha coffee beans (a.k.a. Gesha coffee). These spectacular gourmet coffees are available as green coffee beans (for home roasting), roasted whole bean coffee, best ground coffee, Nespresso compatible pods *, and coffee pods compatible with Keurig K Cup coffee makers (incl. Keurig 2.0 models)**. Click here to order today, we offer free worldwide shipping!

 

* Nespresso® is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., unrelated to Hayman®. Our espresso pods are not created or sold by Nespresso®.

** Keurig and K-Cup are registered trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. unrelated to Hayman®. Our pods are not created or sold by Keurig®.