Welcome to Kin Coffee, where we take pride in our commitment to quality through the meticulous art of coffee cupping. This method serves as a sensory journey, allowing us to evaluate and analyse the rich flavours and aromas of our carefully selected coffee beans. Our cupping process is not just a ritual; it’s a gateway to informed decisions that shape the sourcing, roasting, and brewing of our exceptional coffees.
Cupping Protocol at Kin Coffee
Equipment : Coffee Beans, a Grinder, a Scale, water at 93c, bowls/Cups of the same size, a few tablespoons or cupping spoons, a Timer (or phone), notebook, Pen, cupping form (google for standard forms) and if you’re really going for it… a Spittoon!
Grinding: We grind 10g of coarsely ground beans for each coffee, arranging them in a blind tasting format, by marking the cups underneath with a number.
Smelling Dry Ground Coffee: An initial exploration of the coffee’s characteristics begins with a deep inhalation of the dry coffee ground’s aroma.
Adding Hot Water : 180ml of hot water at approximately 93°C is poured over the coffee grounds, setting the stage for the brewing process.
Breaking the Crust : After a 4-minute undisturbed steeping, a crust of coffee grounds forms. Using spoons, we delicately break the crust to release the coffee’s enticing “wet” aroma.
Tasting : At the 10-minute mark, using a spoon, we slurp the coffee, covering our entire palates, using separate water bowls to cleanse spoons between tastings. For those exploring multiple coffees, a “spit bowl” ensures you don’t experience over-caffeination!
Scoring and Recording : We score the coffee based on attributes such as acidity, body, sweetness, balance, and uniformity/cleanliness, meticulously recording their observations.
What are we looking for ?
The elephant in the room is that our customers are not sitting down and comparing multiple coffees and they are putting their trust in us to deliver on the tasting notes on our packaging. We want coffees that are naturally packed with flavour and then curate a roast profile that helps to demonstrate the characteristics of their origin/processing method, swaying away from commercial bitter coffees.
Our range consists of a few clear brackets of coffee flavours such as our chocolatey/nutty medium roast “Earlybird”, our darker more traditional “Thunderbird”, our decidedly fruity coffee “Songbird”, a weirder boozy fermented coffee “Farmbird” (coming 2024), the occasional seasonal blend such as “Jinglebird” and a decaf “Freebird” with a proper amount of flavour, sweetness and zippy acidity that is lacking in many decafs.
Cupping Notes :
Aroma : Both dry and wet aromas are meticulously evaluated/scored, offering insights into the coffee’s potential and the fragrance of the brewed cup. This is often overlooked in the world of coffee, but we feel the aroma is a very important part of the coffee experience.
Flavour : We delve into primary and secondary flavours, identifying notes like fruity, nutty, chocolatey, and floral to capture the essence of each coffee.
Acidity : Describing the brightness or liveliness, we seek a desirable level of acidity to add a pleasant zing to the cup!
Body : The weight and thickness on the palate define our perception of a full-bodied or delicately light-bodied coffee.
Aftertaste : A clean and pleasant aftertaste is a hallmark of a quality coffee, lingering on the palate after each sip.
Balance : Harmonising acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and other elements, we aim for a well-balanced cup.
Overall Impression : Cupping is an inherently subjective process, allowing for diverse perceptions of flavour. At Kin Coffee, this ritual is a crucial tool for maintaining quality control, guiding our journey in coffee excellence. Join us in savouring the art and science behind each cup.
