Cupping for a new blend

At Vienna Coffee Company we are always looking to improve our coffee, and make new blends of coffee that will tantalize your taste buds. Here are a few pictures taken from this Monday during one of our cupping sessions. "What is a cupping session?" you might be asking yourself.

Cupping is one of the coffee tasting techniques used by cuppers to evaluate coffee aroma and the flavor profile of a coffee. To understand the minor differences between coffee growing regions, it is important to taste coffee from around the world side-by-side. Cupping is also used to evaluate a defective coffee or to create coffee blends.

In this picture, Bob Knoll is doing the first step of the cupping process, smelling the ground coffee before water has been added. The next picture is Audra actually tasting the coffee once the water has been introduced to the coffee. The next step would then be to taste it again after it has been sitting for a little while. The coffee will have different aromas and flavors at each process of the cupping. Knowing all of these flavors and aromas can help to make the perfect blend for anyone's pallet.

Are you interested in learning more about cupping and would like to join us for a cupping? Please email cristi@viennacoffeecompany.com for more information.

Espresso and Latte Art Class

On June 26, 2010, Vienna Coffee Company hosted an Espresso and Latte Art class at their roastery. With people from all around east Tennessee area attending, instructor Les Stoneham started the class talking about coffee from farm to cup. With beautiful pictures from his travels to the coffee growing regions, he helpped the students understand how much work and love goes into each and every bean. He also explained how important it is as a barista to create the perfect shot to allow all that hard to show through.

To further explain this point, the second half of the class was hands on where each student could create latte for themselves. He made sure that each student knew what to do and why it's important to do each step.

This is a picture of one of the lattes he poured as demonstration. To close out the class, student were invited to partake in yummy sipping chocolate and a plethera for munchies.

If you are interested in going to our next class. Make sure to sign up for our newsletters, check our facebook, or check back here for more details.