The Tastes of Coffee

By Christophe Servell & Pierre de Chantérac.

Bitter, sweet, or strong... This is how nine out of ten people describe the taste of coffee. What a contrast to the hundreds of aromas a cup of—good—coffee can express! What mental image do we really have of coffee? Is it a delicate taste, a sweet and lingering sensation in the mouth, different with each cup? A powerful beverage with stimulating properties but a slight burnt and bitter aftertaste? Also, what is the relationship between terroir and the taste of coffee?

The almost hegemonic dominance of industrial coffees immediately closes the doors to awakening the senses and the joy of appreciating the true taste of a good cup of coffee. To such an extent that we are no longer even capable, despite our pleasure in consuming it, of recognizing the good from the bad. This book aims to help the reader form a new understanding of coffee, to change their perception of it, from its production to its consumption. To understand in order to taste better, to shed preconceived notions, and to fully enjoy the pleasures offered by tasting a specialty coffee.