David is one of the individuals who are in charge of the sourcing process. He led the cupping session and answered the questions I had prepared for him.

 

The Brewing Method

 

Step 1: 11g Coffee

Step 2: Let it steep with around 7oz of water for 4 mins

Step 3: Break the crust after the prescribed time and smell the aromas and nuances

Step 4: Let it sit up to 11 minutes

 

Types of Coffee: Guatemala, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sumatra

 

Q: How does the cupping process work?

A: Usually the best time to cup would be in a quiet lab environment. 1:00PM in Granville Island on a busy Friday might be hard. But the process is quite similar to the steps above. One thing to note is that as time passes and as the coffee cools it is key to taste the coffee. Reason being is that the coffee flavors increase in nuances.

 

Q: How does JJ Bean choose their coffee?

A: The best cup on the table always wins. David and the sourcing team at JJ bean all have 15 years of experience in tasting and scoring coffee. One thing that David mentioned was to remove all bias and that the coffee that taste the best is going to be the one they bring

 

Q: How do you choose the best brewing method?

A: French press is the best method in the eyes of JJ bean because it is the oldest and most efficient way to brew. By using a finer filter many times the sediments and particles of the coffee are lost. This contains a lot of the flavor of the coffee.

 

Q: How do you improve the palate?

A: Practice, practice, practice. It is always best to compare the types of coffee by having at least 2 types of coffee to compare to. Reason being is that many times we can’t taste the differences of the coffee unless there is a specific benchmark.

 

My overall experience:

David and the JJ Bean team at Granville and Woodward are awesome people. Although it was my first time to experience a cupping session they were not shy in answering any of my questions and taught me a lot about the cupping process.

 

I will be going to more JJ Bean cupping events. I encourage anyone who has a fondness for coffee or anyone who identifies them as a coffee drinker to stop by at least once. I’ve always appreciated the thought that goes into a great cup of coffee. Where will Coffee take me next? #CwC