For most people, describing a cup of coffee involves just a few adjectives. Aromatic, bold, good, smooth, strong, tasty, and maybe a few more. For coffee enthusiasts familiar with the practice of coffee cupping, those adjectives are far from sufficient. In coffee cupping terms, a cup of the acclaimed La Minita coffee from the Tarrazu region would probably be described as bright and mild with aromatic hints of vanilla and almond, a taste reminiscent of cinnamon and spice; scoring about 8 out of 10 in acidity and aftertaste.

Coffee cupping is similar in scope and function to wine tasting, and can be just as complex. It is mostly practiced by professionals who are involved in different capacities within the coffee industry. While it is safe to assume that some kind of tasting and aromatic quality control has existed since ancient times, the standard practice of coffee cupping for the sake of comparison across blends and roasts did not begin in earnest until the late 19^th century.

The History of Coffee Cupping

American coffee giants Hills Brothers are generally credited for introducing cupping to the coffee industry. Near the end of the 19^th century, the Hills Brothers Coffee company had set up its coffee packaging headquarters in San Francisco, California. The tasters at Hills Brothers used to roast and steep samples of coffee offloaded from the ships arriving at the Embarcadero from different parts of the world. The results from this cupping determined if Hills Brothers would be interested in purchasing coffee for further roasting and packaging.

Coffee cupping became paramount to the success of the Hills Brothers operations. One of their earliest logos depicted a stylized silhouette of an Arab man tasting a cup of coffee. Tasting coffee in a critical manner is part of ancient Arabic rituals similar to Asian tea ceremonies, and just as complex. Hills Brothers would later introduce gourmet coffees to the American public different specialty flavors and a clever marketing campaign that featured suave Italian-American actors who educated the public about the joys of coffee tasting.

The Coffee Cupping Process

The commercial success of retail coffee shop giant Starbucks around the world has brought renewed attention to the world of coffee. Tasting coffee is an important form of quality control for those who are involved in the industry, from growers to roasters and from distributors to retailers. For coffee enthusiasts, cupping can be either an elitist endeavor or a fun way to determine the next blend of coffee to purchase, or the next plantation or growing region to visit. Correctly guessing which region of the world or plantation a particular coffee comes from just by cupping it is the epitome of aficionados.

A good cupping session will consist of about 5 to 10 cups, which do not necessarily need to match the number of coffee samples. Coffee cupping participants shall not be privy to the profile of the coffee samples they are about to taste. Each sample must be provided in its roast and green forms, and they must be covered at the beginning of the session. Once the samples are revealed, tasters should move in to observe and make notes regarding the appearance and unprepared aroma of the samples.

Preparation

The standard roast for coffee cupping preparation shall be light, similar to the roasting of Colombian and Brazilian beans destined for mass consumption in the United States. In technical terms, it shall roasted at a 65 rating in an Agtron Spectrophotomer bench unit, or about 30 seconds after the first crack of the coffee bean. All samples must be submitted to same roasting standard.

Boiled filtered water shall be used for coffee cupping sessions. No coffeemaker devices shall be used; the only instruments should be boiling water, glass or ceramic cups and metal spoons. To calculate the ratio of coffee to water for this naked brewing method, think about 55 grams of coffee per liter of H20. The coffee grounds should have a consistency between that of a French press and drip coffee.

As soon as the boiling water is poured into each cup, the aroma shall be inhaled before disturbing the brew with a spoon. This can continue for about two minutes, at which point a top crust should have formed on the surface. The spoon can be introduced at this point to stir the brew and help most of the grounds to sink to the bottom. Too many floating grounds can indicate an uneven roast.

Tasting

Two minutes may not be enough time for the freshly brewed coffee to cool down, and thus it is important to wait until it is ready for tasting. The preferred intake method is the strong and loud slurp; it may sound unglamorous, but doing so will ensure that the brew is evenly distributed throughout the tongue surface while engaging the nasal passages. This is not a coffee break where discrete sipping is a polite expectation. In fact, if tasting more than two cups, some spitting out of coffee is expected. Relaxed enjoyment in a social setting can come later.

There is no need to write down observations regarding aroma at this point. While the rest of the senses are still engaged, the following observed aspects shall be noted down quickly: body, taste, acidity, and aftertaste. Once that’s accomplished, it is time to quickly move to the next sample.

The observations shall be frank and immediate. They shall not be grandiose, and can be associated to other tastes and aromas experienced in the real-world. If finishing a certain blend of coffee is reminiscent to mango, then it must written down. If the aroma is pungent like wet grass, then so be it. This is why it is important to choose light roasts, as some gourmet coffee blends that have been heavily roasted to achieve a bold flavor suitable for latte drinks may taste like battery acid during a cupping session.

Coffee Cupping in Costa Rica

Cupping is hardly a widespread phenomenon in Costa Rica. Ticos like to automatically accept that some of the world’s best coffee comes from the land they love, and thus they may see coffee cupping as unnecessary. The first recorded instance of a professional cupping session occurred in 2007, and on that occasion tasters selected ten of the best coffees produced in Costa Rica. The sponsor of the first coffee cupping event was iCafe, the government-sponsored institution in charge of promoting coffee production.

The defining annual event for coffee in Costa Rica is the Annual Coffee Week (SINTERCAFE in Spanish). In 2011, SINTERCAFE turned 25 years old, and later this year the 24^th International Conference on Coffee Science will take place in Costa Rica -the first time a conference of such magnitude takes place in the Central American region. Coffee cupping is expected at the conference.

A coffee cupping session at home in Costa Rica can be easily accomplished by visiting the coffee shelves of just about any supermarket and choosing a few choice brands. The coffee industry in Costa Rica goes back to the early 19^th century, and the country was the first to export coffee beans in 1820. In 1832, the British got their first taste of coffee grown in our country, although it was branded and labeled as coming from Chile. The first export to the United States took place in 1860, and currently the country is engaged in moving towards a more organic type of coffee farming that will include crop rotations. An ambitious plan to rotate 30 percent of all crops has been underway since 2010.

In the past, it was common for Ticos to lament the fact that all the good coffee was exported and only the dregs remained in the country, a practice that is the opposite in countries such as Brazil and Colombia, where the mass-market coffee is exported and the good stuff stays at home for the enjoyment of the citizenry. Ticos can now purchase quality coffee at reasonable prices. In 2010, the preferred brand in terms of quality and pricing was Cafe Rey, followed by 1820, Volio and Dorado. The ubiquitous gourmet brand Cafe Britt has managed to capture 10 percent of the local market, a respectable feat considering that Cafe Britt was mostly focused on exports.

Coffee Tours

Not all coffee lovers may be fond of coffee cupping, as it may be too technical and may also lack some social and cultural elements. Besides, many people enjoy their coffee with additives such as sweeteners, creamers and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. In Costa Rica, coffee is almost invariably enjoyed with a meal or snack in a social setting. For these types of coffee lovers, rural tourism operators offer coffee tours that visit plantations and roasting facilities. Coffee tourists cannot only enjoy the natural beauty of coffee plantations, they can learn about the cultivation and roasting processes and taste slow-drip made coffee complemented by fresh and delicious food offerings.

Late last year, a new Ruta del Cafe was organized by rural tourism operators. This new coffee tourism route is concentrated in the Central Valley and begins at the National Theater and it moves through Ciudad Colon until it stops at Nacientes Palmichal for lunch before getting to the actual plantations at Cerco Don Manuel. The idea is to get visitors accustomed to the traditional afternoon coffee break in Costa Rica, which takes into consideration the fact that lunch has already been digested.

At Cerco Don Manuel coffee is grown and picked, but not roasted. Further preparation is the next stop of the tour at Beneficio Rio Jorco, where the beans are processed for distribution to wholesalers and exporters. Traveling east past Tabarca, just south of Aserri, visitors finally get to taste coffee along with a tamal or an empanada at the Afaorca cafe. This tour is very educational in the sense that visitors aren’t simply taken to a plantation and served coffee on site. Visitors get to follow the entire process over many kilometers, as if they were coffee beans destined for the slow-drip sleeve themselves.

Other interesting tours include Coopeldos in Tilaran, on the way to Monteverde and Tour Coffee Experience in Santos. In both tours, the cultivation process is organic and sustainable, as Coopeldos not only practices crop rotation, but also grows about 50 thousand trees per year for replanting. At the Tour Coffee Experience, visitors can also enjoy an exhibition by expert Baristas and even witness the transformation of coffee husks into ethanol fuel (from November to March). Cafe Britt also has a notable and educational coffee tour worth checking out.