Here we are again, ready to talk about another important element that you always have to consider during a coffee tasting: the body.
We already explored, in a former piece, “aroma” and “roundness”, as they are two of the most important coffee features. Today we are focussing on the “body”.
Gaetano Aiello’s main mission was to share his knowledge about the authentic Italian espresso with the world. We are carrying on his mission with the same enthusiasm. We want to spread the “espresso love” and make you a real espresso expert, able to evaluate each and every aspect of every coffee you are going to have from now on!
“Body” evaluation in your coffee tasting
We can experience each one of the main coffee properties with a different sense. When it comes to body, for example, we use our tactile sense, especially with our lips, tongue and throat. We experience these sensations in the exact moment we taste the coffee, but real experts say they can feel it even after they already digested it!
First and foremost, let’s see how real experts categorize the “body” in a “technical” tasting. These kinds of tasting happen when there’s the need to assess a new market’s taste for coffee, or during blend selection for a coffee roaster or in tasting contests.
So, in these occasions, a coffee’s body is evaluate basing on 3 parameters:
- Density
- Viscosity
- Oiliness
“Viscosity” is about the ratio of solid/liquid parts in the coffee.
“Oiliness” is about how much fatty substance afloat on the liquid, kind of like when you pour oils in a cup of water. Even though it might sound strange, it is perfectly regular for a coffee to have some fat in it, as it is a natural element from the beans. The appropriate fat quantity is functional to a smooth and nice taste.
“Density”, as you may know, is the mass of a substance per liquid volume. We would love to tell you more about density but it’s far too complicated even for us and we would need an entire article just for that!
How we define body: full or light?
We use “chewiness” as well as a parameter for body. In this kind of evaluation, the parameter can vary from light to full, which varies depending on the roasting:
- you’ll have a “light body” when roasting is light
- you’ll have a full body when the roasting is more robust
Take for instance the vast majority of American coffee blends: they are the result of a strong roasting which, together with the dilution with water, contribute to a slightly sour flavour.
On the contrary, Italian espresso blends are processed to take in as little water as possible. This makes the coffee more flavorful. You can achieve that both from a light roasting or a strong one. It depends on the many other elements contributing to the decision about the process. For example, the final use of the coffee being prepared.
The more the roasting process is strong, the more intense it will be on coffee beans. This kind of procedure will give you a bitterer flavour, which, contrary to popular belief, can still give an exceptional coffee.
Light Roasting
In our quest for the perfect coffee, we assign a specific manufacture procedure to each coffee type. What all of them have in common is a “soft roasting” procedure, which is milder than a regular light roasting.
A coffee has a lighter body when all the blend’s and process’ elements are picked with care and expertise. This gives you a coffee:
- that has a rich flavour and thick texture
- that is smooth
- that maintains all of its sensory characteristics
- that has a harmonious taste with a persistent aromatic taste
- that retains its creamy texture enhanced by its rich flavour
We hope you were able to learn more and that you’ll want to know more…if so, keep an eye on our next article about more coffee’s properties! For example: aren’t you curious about what differentiates the Arabica variety from the Robusta one? Learn more with our article!
