Exploring Criticism

What is a critic? It is obvious that all people are lay critics. Everybody has an opinion and can describe their experience with things in their own way. So why should people be concerned with what any professional critic may say? A professional critic gets paid for his/her opinion. It would seem such professionals would have a grasp of language regarding their critiques of products that is more exclusive and educated than the mass of lay persons who use the products being critiqued. Although I am not a professional, I thought it would be interesting to write my own criticism of coffee. I drink it every day and try different varieties, so I have my own opinions. When I was young and rushing to work, I had a cup of what was available to start the day and keep me going. Most people get their coffee from a convenient place and are aware of any taste difference from day to day. People occasionally try something different and can tell others about their experience with another type or brand of coffee. How difficult can being a coffee critic be?

When I google “coffee critique,” I get a brief overview that says it, “involves evaluating a coffee’s qualities like flavor, aroma, acidity, body, and aftertaste, often using a structured scoring system.” What is a coffee’s acidity, its body, its aftertaste? I have never heard a person speak about the acidity of coffee, at least not in daily conversation. “Body” is a general term. Is coffee supposed to have an aftertaste? Aftertaste makes coffee sound like a bad diet cola. I think I should read some of these professional coffee critiques. I haven’t been discussing my coffee experience at a connoisseur’s level. With that said, I’ll try wiring a novice critique.

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Draft Mule, Runaway Wagon, Dark Roast Coffee

For this tasting of Draft Mule, Runaway Wagon dark roast coffee I needed a second day to be sure of what I was experiencing. Draft Mule, dark roast coffee smells and appears reminiscent of coffee from a plastic tub. Its smell is innocuous in the bag, but when poured out is less than desirable. It is a coarse grind and is not what I would call a dark roast appearance. After pouring hot water through it, there is a dark tint rather than an opaque liquidity, like a good dark roast. The packaging is enticing, it made me want to try it. The package appears simple and practical, like a paper bag with a mule on the front. Draft Mule’s package is designed well; in fact, it is overengineered. Its graphics catch the eye because of how exact they are. The paper bag is actually a plastic insulated containment pouch with a pull tab that exposes a zip lock access hole. After scooping some of the coffee into my pour-over funnel I started to notice how much attention was given to the packaging v...

Discussing 3 Coffee Tasting Attributes

As a novice coffee taster, my attention has been drawn to the attribute scale (three bars) on the packages used by Thomas Hammer Coffee. The three attributes of coffee measured by these bars are: roast, body, and acidity. Professional coffee tasters know the intensity of these three attributes and their effects on the way coffee is experienced in consumption. As a novice, I do not. I have made it my duty to try a couple of Hammer’s coffees with different attribute scales and learn what it is professional coffee tasters are experiencing. Before I begin, other novices like me may want to know how these attributes are determined. I have briefly researched these attributes and will go over my discoveries here. The first attribute is “roast.” There are many ways to roast coffee. A large drum roaster using heated air is commonly used in commercial coffee roasting. The three most common levels of coffee roasting discussed are light, medium, and dark. When coffee is roasted, the beans wi...

Four Sigmatic Focus Organic Coffee

In the gourmet coffee aisle, I see the same brands, often they stock their takes on the same flavors and roasts, but this time I almost overlooked something different. For this tasting I chose Four Sigmatic Focus Organic Coffee. While the packaging is top quality, its graphical design is not as eye-catching as the other brands. What captures my attention about it is its claim of mental clarity and energy. These terms are subjective, but in my experience mental clarity is always desirable. Today’s fast-paced world can be unforgiving; some clarity is always appreciated. The subjectivity of mental clarity led me to the decision of trying this coffee over a period of two days rather than one. Before I talk about this coffee, I bring up a caveat on the package: “consult your physician before use if you are pregnant, lactating, have a medical condition or are taking any medication.” I believe all natural supplements are subjected to such warnings. I’ll let buyers make their own judgments. My...

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