How to Taste Coffee: Part 2 | Sweetness

When we think of coffee it is normal we believe it to be dark, bitter and aggressive.  When we think of coffee being sweet, we associate that by adding sugar or cream to subdue the bitterness and easier to drink.   We have some news for you, some of the best coffee tends to be sweeter and the higher quality coffee beans express this often.  The Italians knew this all along. 

So what are you looking for when we mean sweetness in the coffee?  Similar to flavor, you first start with the tastes of caramelized almonds and other sweet nutty flavors.  Some blends offer strong hints of fruits or even maple and yes we cannot forget brown sugar.  An easy way to experience this is to have two or three types of coffee, that are different blends beside one another and taste them.  To get the most out of this experience, taste each cup 3-4 times and make notes of what you discover, sharing what you find after each sip.  To have some real fun try coffee from different regions of the world to see how the flavors differ from one another.  This is something that will surely expand your knowledge of coffee and enlighten your appreciation of coffee.