The Travel Chica

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My first cupping

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Am I the only one who thinks that sounds dirty?  Anyways, moving on…

The first stop on the Columbus Food Adventures Coffee Tour was so great.

I figured it would be hard to learn much more.

 

I was wrong.

 

Our second stop was Stauf’s Coffee Roasters.

Stauf’s was the first micro-roaster in Columbus.

I have been drinking their coffee for several years, as it served at my favorite neighborhood coffee shop Cup o’ Joe.  This was my first trip to their roasting facility on the west side of Columbus.

I love touring craft breweries, and for me this is a similar special experience.

I enjoy meeting brewers because they have so much passion for what they do, are so knowledgeable about their craft, and they want to share it.

I think coffee roasters have that same passion and knowledge.

They truly love what they do and want to get better at it every day.

 

Tommy talked about the roasting process as he roasted coffee beans.

 

I went a little crazy with all the good photography opportunities.

What is a cupping?


Traditionally, the purpose of a cupping is to find faults with the coffee.

However, this was more of an exercise for us to experience the differences between two coffee profiles.  Both were the same coffee beans, but one was roasted at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time than the other.

 

I could really taste the difference.

 

The higher temperature, shorter roasting period was more savory, almost meaty and also my preference.

 

 

I have to admit, I’m not the best at picking up subtle aromas and flavors.  That can make activities like wine tastings and cuppings a little intimidating.  But I jumped right in when I lived in Argentina, and I learned a lot.  While I couldn’t quite pick up all the flavors of these two coffees, I know I will get better with time.

 

The owner Mark offered some advice.

 

When you start, go with what you know.

Don’t be afraid to use simple terms to describe the flavors.

 

And my favorite quote of the day…

The best coffee in the world is the one you love.

 

If you are a coffee snob or if you just want to learn more about good coffee, take this tour with Columbus Food Adventures.  They only offer this tour every few months, and it always sells out, so be sure to purchase your tickets in advance.

 

Note:  I paid for this tour and was not compensated for writing a review.  I really am this geeky about coffee.

Comments

  1. I was somewhat recently introduced to the magical world of homemade coffee and grind-on-demand machines and I have (with few exceptions) never set foot in a Starbucks since. I now think of it as the Domino’s of Italian food. Good coffee made me a huge coffee nerd.
    OCDemon recently posted..Sexy Tango time on Red Square

  2. Awesome! My boyfriend is a huge coffee lover and high on our wish list is visiting a coffee bean plantation and doing tours like this. I am a huge tea lover and we recently visited a tea plantation and factory, which was great! Now off to find a coffee plantation.
    Angela recently posted..Koh Phayam – Could we live here?

  6. Hi Stephanie, when I first read your post title I thought you were referring to the “cupping” method used by acupcunturists! Ha! Ha! I have never heard about the cupping exercise for coffee tasting. I love coffee so I thought its’s really interesting. I love your last quote about the best coffee — it’s so so true for me.
    Marisol@TravelingSolemates recently posted..Ta Prohm Temple: Embraced by the Jungle

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