It is said that if you have never enjoyed a cup of Espresso, you have never entered the world of coffee. Espresso is not only a drink about enjoyment but also brings value in terms of soul-cultural identity. So have you ever been curious, wondering about this attractive drink?
Curious about what Espresso tastes like? A cup of Espresso will have an intense taste, and on top, there is a brown foam called Crema, aromatic and slightly bitter. So in this article, let’s find out what Espresso is to see what is so special about this drink that captivates coffee connoisseurs!
What Is Espresso Coffee?
Espresso is a full-bodied, concentrated coffee served in a “small cup”. It’s made by passing hot water under pressure through coffee beans that are ground with an espresso machine. The result showed a liquid stronger than coffee, coated with a “crema”. A brown foam forms when bubbles combine with the soluble oils of finely ground coffee and sit on a steep espresso. Crema contributes to the rich flavor and lingering aftertaste of Espresso.
Espresso is made from the same plant as coffee and is grown, processed, and roasted similarly. Any coffee from any origin and roast can be used to create a cup of Espresso. The distinctive difference between coffee and Espresso is the degree of grinding and the treatment of the beans. Coffee beans are ground to a more acceptable consistency than coffee and packed tightly before being forced through hot water with an espresso machine.
What Does An Espresso Coffee Taste Like?
Bitterness:
All coffee has a bitter taste. The bitterness in Espresso is more substantial because it has a more robust flavor than other coffees. Most espresso connoisseurs associate anger with a “standard” espresso. This’s one of the reasons that espresso blends are often darkly roasted, and mixed with robusta beans to increase the bitterness.
Sour:
Sour taste is another cause when we enjoy coffee, which is also often abundant in Espresso. The tart (acidic) taste creates a slight numbing sensation on your tongue.
The sour taste in coffee is something some people like and most people don’t. Too much sourness will make you wince, like when you suck on a slice of lemon. However, this glass of water is not very interesting when you drink a glass of fruit juice without a bit of sourness.
Sweet:
To balance bitterness and acidity, your perfect Espresso should have a noticeable sweetness. This is hard to believe when you are used to coffee’s bitter or sometimes acrid taste.
You know that coffee is the seed of the fruit that grows on a tree. Coffee beans come from inside the soft flesh of tropical fruit. The fruit, when ripe, is sweet, and so are the seeds inside the coffee cherries. Therefore, ripe coffee has a high value.
Roasters also need to choose the best roasting method to enhance sweetness. The reason is that the roasting process creates chemical reactions that give the brown color of sugar and caramel, etc.
Read more:
Is Cold Brew Stronger Than Espresso? – Exact Answer For You
Does Espresso Taste Like Coffee?
Espresso Has A Stronger Flavor Than Coffee:
They come from the same coffee beans. However, they have some differences. They are roasted, ground, and brewed differently, with different flavors, textures, and caffeine content.
More Caffeine Than Coffee:
It is generally believed that Espresso has more caffeine than coffee. Well, it depends on how much you have.
An average cup of filter coffee contains more caffeine than a cup of Espresso. Typically, an 8-ounce coffee contains 85 to 185 mg of caffeine, and a cup (about 1 ounce) of Espresso has 40 to 75 mg.
Although Espresso has a higher concentration of caffeine per ounce, this can be confusing. You’ll still get less caffeine by drinking an espresso instead of a coffee. Of course, things change if you’re an espresso fan making more than average daily referrals (5, by the way).
Steps To Taste Espresso Coffee:
- Color Observation Of The Crema Layer:
A standard espresso will have a thick layer of Crema on top. Crema is Italian for “ice cream”. The crema layer is created when hot water under high pressure dissolves the CO2 gas – generated from the roasting process. When the coffee flows out of the machine and is exposed to air pressure, the CO2 escapes the water and creates tiny bubbles.
The thick layer of Crema implies two essential things you should keep in mind. It’s freshly roasted coffee. Because newly roasted coffee will contain a lot of CO2. The second thing is the strength of an espresso. Many espresso blend products blend arabica and robusta beans with different ratios. One of the reasons for mixing with robusta beans is to increase the Crema’s thickness and the Espresso’s strength.
Crema should be dark, like mahogany and dark oak, rather than pine. The color of the crema layer is caused by how dark or light the coffee beans are roasted. Usually, you will choose a medium-sized (entire city) or opaque (dark) roast for your Espresso.
- Smell The Fragrance:
To start:
- Exhale as far as you can.
- Place your nose near the mouth of the cup and inhale deeply.
- Pay attention to the aroma of the coffee.
The aroma of Espresso should be deep, rich, and complex. Espresso must not have a burnt, foul, or chemical odor. If it smells like burning rubber, you can guess the coffee has many robustas.
- Espresso Coffee Tasting:
As soon as you inhale deeply, exhale a little and take a small, gentle sip. Remember that smell and taste are closely related. This is why you sip right after finishing a sniff with your nose. You should let the Espresso spread gently from the front to the back of your tongue. Next, gently rotate your language around your mouth so that the coffee covers more of your oral cavity. Finally, swallow the coffee and inhale gently through your mouth.
A lot of flavor in espresso coats your tongue to mask the bitterness from the caffeine. Caffeine has a very bitter taste, although in minimal amounts. In addition to the bitter taste of caffeine, coffee has a bitter taste from other ingredients. You may not feel all that is in the cup in the first sip. So you should sip a few times. Please pause and repeat a few times to get the taste. If the first sip or two flavors are unpleasantly burnt, thin, too bitter, or too sour, you should discard that cup or this roasted coffee bean.
- After Taste:
The delicious taste of Espresso will linger on your tongue and palate for a long time after sipping. That’s a good thing (but not always). A great espresso remains delightful for about five minutes after drinking. Conversely, suppose you feel sour or have an unpleasant bitter taste. In that case, you can take a sip of water to dissolve this unpleasant sour and bitter taste. In addition, you should know more about how long espresso lasts and drink it at a suitable time.
Conclusion
Through the above article, we hope to introduce you to some helpful knowledge about Espresso coffee and answer questions about what Espresso tastes like. And then, don’t forget to order yourself a cup of Espresso to feel the difference and sophistication. You might like Espresso, and it will become your new favorite drink!
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