How to Host a Coffee Tasting at Home This Fall
Fall is a good excuse to slow down over a warm cup, especially when friends are coming over and there’s something sweet on the table. A coffee tasting at home turns that everyday ritual into a simple way to explore new flavors together.
You don’t need a professional setup or a perfect tasting vocabulary. Start with two coffees, brew them the same way, and compare small sips. Our new Ethiopian arrivals, Guji Hambela Natural and Yirgacheffe Chelbesa Washed, make an inviting pair for a November weekend or a Thanksgiving brunch.
Choose two coffees with something to compare
For this tasting, try Ethiopia Guji Hambela | Natural, with notes of blueberry, papaya, and hibiscus, alongside Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelbesa | Washed, with notes of apricot, honey, and pomegranate. Both are light roasts, but their listed flavor notes give you different things to look for.
These are tasting notes, not added ingredients. Use them as a starting point rather than a test you have to pass. “Fruity,” “floral,” or “this reminds me of jam” are useful observations, too.
The natural and washed labels describe processing methods. These coffees also come from different places, so the tasting won’t isolate processing as the only reason they taste different. The point is to notice what you enjoy in each cup.
Set up a relaxed tasting for two to four people
Two different coffees, with 25 grams of each ready to grind
A grinder, scale, kettle, and your usual pour-over brewer with filters
Two clean servers and two small cups per person
Drinking water and a piece of paper for notes
Label the servers A and B. If you’d like a little surprise, keep the bags out of sight until everyone has written down a first impression. Skip scented candles at the tasting table so you can concentrate on the coffee’s aroma.
Brew each coffee with the same starting recipe
For each pour-over, start with 25 grams of coffee and 400 grams of water, a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio. Use the same water, a medium-fine grind, and water around 205°F.
Rinse the filter and empty the rinse water.
Add the grounds, then pour 75 grams of water to wet them evenly. Let them bloom for about 45 seconds.
Continue pouring gently in stages until the scale reads 400 grams total, including the bloom.
Let the brewer drain, then swirl the server before pouring.
Repeat with the second coffee. One brewer is fine; rinse it between batches and let both coffees cool to a comfortable sipping temperature before comparing. For more technique, follow our Hario V60 pour-over guide.
This is a starting recipe, not a rule. If a cup tastes sharply sour or drying and bitter, revisit the grind on the next brew. Change one thing at a time and let taste guide you.
Compare aroma, sweetness, brightness, and texture
Smell each cup first, then take a small sip of A followed by B. Try the reverse order, too. A sip of water between rounds gives you a fresh start.
Aroma: Does either cup remind you of fruit, flowers, or something familiar?
Sweetness: Is the impression more like honey, ripe fruit, or caramel?
Brightness: Does the cup feel gently lively or more tart and juicy?
Texture: Is it light and tea-like, rounded, or creamy?
Write down what you notice before deciding which you prefer. Taste again as the cups cool and see whether your impressions change. There’s no need for everyone at the table to agree.
Add a fall dessert after the first round
Taste the coffees on their own before bringing out food. Then try one small bite of apple cake, a plain butter cookie, or a square of chocolate, followed by another sip.
These are pairing experiments, not guaranteed matches. Does the dessert make a coffee seem sweeter, brighter, or less distinct? Try the same bite with both coffees. It’s a simple way to choose what you’d like to serve after a fall meal without brewing a whole pot for every option.
Make your next cup a little more personal
Keep one note from the tasting: the coffee you preferred and why. That small detail is more useful than a complicated score. Next time, try it with a different breakfast or adjust your brew and see what changes.
Ready to put two cups on the table? Explore Guji Hambela Natural and Yirgacheffe Chelbesa Washed, or browse our current coffees to build your own tasting.
Happy brewing!