Street Coffee Tasting: How Do You Drink an Espresso in Three Steps?

Drinking espresso well comes down to three steps: color, aroma, and taste. Look first at the golden crema on the surface, which holds carbon dioxide, oils, and aromatic compounds. Smell the cup, then take a large sip so the creamy layer coats the tongue and palate before you judge the finish.

Beginners often drink the whole cup in one gulp and taste only bitterness and a harsh kick, which is why espresso gets blacklisted. Slowing down and working through color, aroma, and taste reveals the sweetness and body that a rushed shot hides, and the crema quality largely decides the mouthfeel you end up with.

The first time you order an espresso at a coffee shop, many people are scared off by its intense flavor, and may even blacklist it outright. In fact, the problem often lies in how you taste it—downing it in one gulp only lets you taste bitterness and a harsh kick. If you master the correct tasting steps, even this tiny cup of espresso can become fascinating. From the perspective of Front Street, this article breaks down tasting into three dimensions: "color, aroma, and taste," teaching you to observe the crema, smell the aroma, and feel the finish, along with a specific drinking routine and a reminder about the golden tasting window, to help you truly appreciate the charm of espresso.

Many friends, the first time they walk into a coffee shop, are often at a loss when faced with the dense options on the menu, and may end up ordering an espresso without quite knowing why.

The scene that follows is easy to imagine: the espresso is small in volume and high in concentration, and beginners often instantly put on a "mask of pain," banishing it to the cold palace from then on. But in reality, this is not espresso's fault, but rather the wrong way of tasting it—chugging it down in one go either leaves your mouth full of bitter oil, or lets you taste only a thin, harsh liquid. Once you learn how to properly taste an espresso, it becomes especially likable, even fascinating (probably). So, how exactly should you drink espresso?

Espresso is a small cup of coffee made by rapidly extracting with the pressure of an espresso machine. In many ways, the way it is tasted is quite similar to red wine. Therefore, Front Street breaks it down into three parts: "color, aroma, and taste," analyzing espresso from these three angles to help everyone better appreciate its beauty.

Color

First, observe whether this cup of espresso has an attractive appearance, that is, the layer of golden crema on the surface—it is precisely the soul of the entire cup of espresso.

Crema is composed of carbon dioxide, insoluble oils, and aromatic substances, and its quality largely determines the mouthfeel and flavor of the espresso. Therefore, an espresso with rich, delicate crema is crucial. When the crema is thick and creamy, be sure to take a big sip when tasting, letting the creamy, honey-like crema wrap around your tongue and palate, and fully enjoy the silkiness. Note that espresso made from light-roasted beans will have a relatively thinner crema mouthfeel.

Aroma

It can be said that the first impression of the aroma is equally crucial; it is more like an "admission ticket" that determines whether you are willing to give it a try. However, espresso does not spread its aroma as freely as pour-over; its aroma has weaker reach, and you need to bring your nose close to the rim of the cup to capture those volatile aromatic substances.

(Friends, taste it first~)

Espresso made with traditional dark-roasted beans gives off rich aromas of nuts, chocolate, and cream, reminiscent of Oreo cookies, buttered toast, or cream cake; while espresso made with novel light-roasted beans is completely different, with light floral notes and bright fruity acidity, very alluring.

Taste

This is the most hard-to-accept part of espresso. Because on the first experience, we basically only feel scorched bitterness and harshness.

But in fact it is not that hard to drink. Taste carefully, and you will find rich flavors of nuts, dark chocolate, and caramel. After the coffee is completely swallowed, a lasting sweetness remains in the mouth, which is the finish. The overall experience is like a colorful black, quite good.

So, how should espresso be drunk?

First take a sip of the ice water served with the espresso to clean the miscellaneous flavors from your mouth.

Then use a spoon to stir the espresso, allowing the crema and coffee liquid to fully mix.

Bring your nose close to the rim of the cup, smell the aroma, then take a big sip, and use your tongue to feel the texture of the espresso.

After swallowing, keep your mouth closed and exhale continuously to experience the finish and aroma brought by the espresso.

The above is the complete process for tasting espresso. But remember, espresso has a golden tasting window within 25 seconds after it is made. Beyond this time, the aroma and crema will gradually dissipate, and as the temperature drops, the acidity will become sharper, so be sure to drink it early.

- END - FrontStreet Coffee

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.