The Aftertaste Matters

While I was going to review my next coffee shop, I wanted to write about a key element to a great cup of coffee: the aftertaste. This is something that I believe the average coffee drinker tends to ignore, and those who typically "don't like coffee" focus on. The aftertaste is a selling point, the final touch really to any coffee drink.

Put it in this perspective: You are writing an argumentative essay. You have done all the research, have everything to back you up, you're pretty confident it is an "A" paper. You write a rough draft. You don't look it over and you just submit it. You get the paper back and received a B- or maybe even lower of a grade because of grammar/misspelled words. Then, you cry (well that's what I would do) and you are upset with yourself. Coffee with a bad aftertaste is like that paper.

I think a common misconception is that coffee is "bitter." Starbucks is a great example of this burnt taste. While I think Starbucks is the best out of the chains, I refuse to drink their coffee (love their cold brew tho). The reason is, from what I have read and have been told, they purposefully roast their beans at a higher temperature to produce a larger amount of coffee, causing a burnt aftertaste. If you are a person who doesn't really drink local coffee, puts cream, sugar or all the fun stuff in your coffee, you don't really notice because it is masked by other things. If you're like me, you drink your coffee black and you just can't do it.

Maybe I am wrong, but I believe our schools cafe does the same thing as Starbucks, which makes sense considering they are catering to a large audience as well (not Starbucks large, but larger). The reason I think this is because the provider we have is Finger lakes and I have had their coffee in other locations and have enjoyed it. When I drink it at school, I have to put Almond Milk in it. Unfortunately, that doesn't always help.

Starbucks and our school cafe is not the only one guilty of this. Local shops do this as well, and in my next review you will hear another perspective.

In the meantime, what makes a "good aftertaste"? In my experience. If it is a "sour bitter", it is bad. Bitter does not necessarily have to be a negative word. There is plenty of good bitter coffee out there. It's when you can taste how it is purposefully bitter and not naturally.

Recently I have had the opportunity to try coffee from a company called "Sweet Maria's". Their Ethiopian blend was out of this world good. They roast the beans in these sweet fruits that the aftertaste was light and a little sweet. I didn't feel like I needed to drink something to get rid of the taste.

If you need to drink something to get rid of an aftertaste of coffee from overtime, chances are it wasn't that good of coffee. I'm not judging your choices, but have a cup of coffee that doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth after and then you'll understand.

For my friends who read this and do not enjoy coffee, I encourage you to go out and try to see if you can find a blend you like from a local shop. Coffee is not "just coffee." It is much more complex and the aftertaste matters way more than people give it credit for.