Have you ever looked at a bag of coffee with tasting notes like "Jasmine, Bergamot, and Wild Strawberry" and thought to yourself, "...but it just tastes like coffee?"

If so, you're not alone. Almost everyone feels this way at first.

But what if we told you that there's a hidden world of incredible flavour right there in your morning cup, just waiting to be discovered? And what if we told you that learning to taste it is a skill, like learning to ride a bike, that anyone can master?

This guide is the key. By the time you're finished, you won't just drink coffee anymore. You will experience it. Welcome to your sensory training. It's time to unlock your coffee superpower.

Mission Briefing: Why Learning to Taste is Your First Step to Becoming a Coffee Hero

Learning to taste coffee properly does two amazing things:

1. It Makes Your Coffee Taste Better: When you know what to look for, you get more enjoyment and pleasure out of every single cup. The flavours become more vibrant and the experience richer.

2. It Helps You Buy Smarter: You'll quickly figure out what you truly love. Do you prefer chocolatey and nutty coffees, or bright and fruity ones? Knowing this means you can confidently buy beans you're guaranteed to enjoy.

The Tasting Blueprint: A Simple 4-Step Ritual to Unlock Flavour

This is the core of your new skill. Pros around the world use this simple, four-step ritual to taste and understand coffee.

Step 1: SMELL (The First Clue)

Before you even brew, take a moment to smell the freshly ground coffee beans. This is the dry aroma. Is it sweet? Nutty? Earthy? Now, smell the brewed coffee itself. This is the wet aroma. So much of what we "taste" is actually what we smell. Don't skip this step!

Step 2: SLURP (The Pro Technique)

This is the game-changing secret. You know that loud slurping sound coffee tasters make? They do it for a reason.

Your Mission: Don't be shy. Take a spoonful of your coffee and take a quick, sharp slurp. This sprays the coffee across your entire tongue and mixes it with oxygen, making the flavours explode in your mouth. It feels silly at first, but it works.

Step 3: SAVOR (Locating the Core Flavours)

As the coffee sits on your tongue, try to notice a few key things:

• Sweetness: Can you taste a pleasant sweetness, like sugar or honey?

• Acidity: This pleasant brightness comes from a range of organic acids in the coffee, similar to those found in fruits.

• Body (or Mouthfeel): How does the coffee feel? Is it light and delicate, almost like tea? Or is it heavy, rich, and creamy, like full-fat milk?

• Finish: After you swallow, what taste is left behind? Is it sweet and clean, or is it dry and bitter?

Step 4: DESCRIBE (Finding the Words)

Now, you need to put a name to what you're tasting. This is where a flavour wheel comes in handy.
To help, professionals use a tool called the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel, originally developed by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA

Don't be intimidated. Just start from the inside and work your way out.

• Does it taste fruity? Great! Now, what kind of fruit? Is it bright like citrus, or is it sweet like a berry?

• Does it taste sweet? Is it like chocolate, or is it more like caramel?

You'll be surprised at how quickly you can start picking out these flavours.

Field Training: Your First Tasting Mission

Every hero needs a training ground. It's time to put your new superpower to the test.

For this mission, you will need two completely different coffees. We recommend starting with our classic, chocolatey Hero's Superior Blend and our bright, floral Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Single Origin.

Mission 1: Tasting the Superior Blend

Brew a cup of the Superior Blend and follow the 4-step blueprint.

1. Smell: You should get rich aromas of chocolate and toasted nuts.

2. Slurp: Go on, give it a good slurp.

3. Savor: Notice how heavy and creamy the Body feels.

4. Describe: What's that main flavour? It's like a dark chocolate brownie, right?

Mission 2: Tasting the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe

Now, brew a cup of the Ethiopian coffee and do it again.

1. Smell: The smell is completely different! It's light and smells like a bouquet of flowers.

2. Slurp: Give it a slurp and notice the difference.

3. Savor: The Body is much lighter, almost like tea. Feel that pleasant, bright sensation on the sides of your tongue? That's its Acidity.

4. Describe: Can you name that flavour? It’s like lemon and jasmine tea.

The Debrief: Congratulations. You have just tasted the difference. You see? The superpower was inside you all along.

Advanced Intel: Decoding the Lingo

As you explore coffee, you'll hear a few common terms. Here's a simple cheat sheet.

What is "cupping"?
Cupping is just the formal, standardized process that coffee professionals use to taste and score coffees, following the 4-step blueprint you just learned.

Your Hero's Journey Begins Now

You are no longer just a coffee drinker. You are now a coffee taster. An entire world of flavour is now open to you. Every coffee you try has a story to tell, of the place it was grown and the care that went into it, and now you have the ability to read it.

Your training is complete. The world of flavour awaits. It's time to explore.

Put your new superpower to the test. Start your adventure with our curated collection of Single Origin coffees and discover your new favourite.

Explore our Single-Origins with the best coffee beans in Australia. 

Find the coffee blend that suits your palate and kick-start your day!!