One of the truly wonderful things about coffee is the incredible range of options.
And this depth of choice needn't be daunting to the adventuresome coffee lover, because there's a bit of a trick to it.
A lot like wine appreciation, the trick is to think with your palate and look for the sensory experience you personally find most pleasant. Very soon coffee lovers develop a map of personal preferences that enables them to explore the territory of new coffee flavours with confidence.
Your sensory journey with coffee starts with the aroma. A coffee that is going to taste wonderful will be pleasing to the nose. So drink in the aromas and start to appreciate the first mouthful. Sour, unpleasant and harsh aromas are a clue to what is likely to be a disappointing cup.
Then, thoughtfully let the coffee fill the mouth and wash over your tongue where you will detect the body or richness and thickness followed by the flavour, acidity and finish of the coffee. Pleasant coffee aromas range from sweet and fragrant, through smooth and nutty, to powerful chocolatey spicy and smokey.