morning palette

[stormer]

In the morning when I'm opening the shop during the past couple weeks, I've been finding while dialing in to the espresso that everything just tastes bad to me. I think I would say that there is a persistent flavor of dandelions greens, or something similar. The shots taste fine to everyone else, and after eating a pastry or something and downing a couple glasses of water, I start to appreciate espresso after half an hour and enjoy it within an hour and a half.

Does anyone else experience this? I'm not getting over a cold, and I would say that the occasional hangovers have ranged only from mild to moderate (except for one belated birthday celebration; damn you Philip). I don't experience this phenomenon when I come in during the afternoons, maybe because I've already had "seasoning shots" before coming to work? Or maybe it matters that, when dialing in, I've just hopped off of a bicycle.

Does anybody have some suggestions? I never asked for this curse, I cannot live like Midas.

[Jeff Jassmond]

I can't speak specifically to espresso, but when I used to ride a scooter to my wine tasting jobs I noticed a lot of carry over between the weather and how I perceived flavors immediately after walking in the door. Spring always threw me, and it would take a while for me to stop tasting sweet floral or super grassy/astringent notes that I knew were not typical of the wines in front of me. Fall would bring more musky, decay-like notes. I always wondered if it was from residual scents that got blasted up my nose and lingered in my throat.

All that being said, I like tasting in the mornings much more than in the early afternoon regardless of my means of transportation. I find that I am much more critical and notice defects I might ignore or blow past later in the day.

[Mike White]

maybe it's from brushing your teeth before heading to work?

[stormer]

maybe it's from brushing your teeth before heading to work?

i am very familiar toothpaste tongue, and this is not it. toothpaste tongue tends to make espresso taste like bacon to me.

[Mike White]

it's possible you just need more sleep...it could be taking a bit longer than usual for your brain to wake up.

[Chris Kornman]

Or maybe it matters that, when dialing in, I've just hopped off of a bicycle.

This definitely affects me, typically in the negative. I don't really know why, but after a tall glass of water I usually find myself more calibrated and adept at tasting.

Also, I find the first shots to be pulled in the morning often taste like the cafe cleaner used the night before.

[gabelucas]

i am very familiar toothpaste tongue, and this is not it. toothpaste tongue tends to make espresso taste like bacon to me.

and this is bad because....


mmm. bacon.

[coffeetaster]

You should "Prime" your pallete. Have a few sips of strong brewed coffee or espresso before beginning your tasting routine. This is a normal practice to remove any other tastes from your tongue and prepare your taste buds for the oils and intensity of coffee.

[nick]

Palate.

[Rich Westerfield]

Palate.

Does that mean that spelling has lost its banana republic status?

Hey, at least it wasn't pallet.

[stormer]

you know, i pondered the spelling for quite a while. there are so many similarly pronounced and spelled words. stupid english language! what i would give for a language with standardized spellings and pronunciation . . .

i guess i assumed that it was better to use the word for a painter's color selection over the spelling used for a method of warehouse storage. it didn't even occur to me to look up the spelling for the roof of one's mouth, nor did i have any idea how to spell it.

i love this forum's dedication to schoolin' people in spelling. i haven't learned this much about spelling since English Lit with Mrs Hempstead back in eleventh grade.

[trish]

i am very familiar toothpaste tongue, and this is not it. toothpaste tongue tends to make espresso taste like bacon to me.

and this is bad because....


mmm. bacon.

[Matt Milletto]

Could have been Morning Pilates ...

[stormer]

where in the world did you get that picture? that is, umm, astonishing.

how are you these days, trish?

[Ryan Willbur]

i love this forum's dedication to schoolin' people in spelling. i haven't learned this much about spelling since English Lit with Mrs Hempstead back in eleventh grade.

We have to help each other out... we're an industry of drop-outs and drug addicts...

[Jason Haeger]

i love this forum's dedication to schoolin' people in spelling. i haven't learned this much about spelling since English Lit with Mrs Hempstead back in eleventh grade.

We have to help each other out... we're an industry of drop-outs and drug addicts...

Speak for yourself.

[trish]

where in the world did you get that picture? that is, umm, astonishing.

how are you these days, trish?

the great Wes Buckwalter of Zoka Coffee sent me that picture of bacon. My mother made me a bacon weave during my last visit to Cali, and it was all it was cracked up to be. We theorized that the weave is the perfect configuration for the BLT preparation.

"should I give up, or should I just keep chasing bacon?"
Adele's original lyric until the record company made her change it...little known fact.

I'm doing great, thanks, Joe.

[Phil Proteau]

I had several weeks where all coffee, espresso, brewed, cupping, all tasted pretty bad to me. I knew I had a cold, but had never has such a profound change in my taste perception. It was a sinus infection that would not go away. Anything out of whack in the sinus cavity will have dramatic affects on taste perception. This could include, but is not limited to, aerobic activity, infection, desensitization from over exposure to other smells.

Just a thought.

[Aaron Ultimo]

Two words...

Neti Pot.

[trish]

Just like the rule you learned in driver's ed..."10 and 2"
I like to cup at about 9:30am to about 11am, and if there is another table to do, I'll do it at about 2:00.
For me, that allows for enough time after meals, (and yeah, I have to time my meals better on days with a lot of cups like COE coffees) and also enough time between tables.
The morning cups always taste better to me, btw.

[Matt Milletto]

didn't think this thread would be revived, but there is more news from the world of all thing bacon.