How To Taste Espresso Like A WBC Judge | COFFEE BREAK!

Tasting espresso is one of the most important skills in coffee, but it is also one of the least clearly taught.

In this episode, we break down how espresso is evaluated using the World Barista Championship sensory framework.

Ben Bicknell, World Barista Championship judge and Q Grader Instructor, explains how to assess sweetness, acidity, bitterness, flavour, body, texture, finish and balance, while separating personal preference from actual quality.

Then we put the framework into practice by tasting four very different coffees and scoring them in real time.

A practical episode for baristas, roasters, competitors, café owners and coffee drinkers who want to taste espresso with more structure, clarity and confidence.

Because “I like it” is a preference. Knowing why it works is a skill.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Learning How To Taste Espresso
03:27 — Why Espresso Tasting Matters
09:01 — Quality vs Preference
13:07 — Building A Shared Coffee Language
20:21 — The WBC Espresso Scoresheet
24:16 — Flavour Notes vs Accuracy
28:28 — Body, Texture And Finish
30:44 — How Espresso Gets Scored
37:55 — Ben’s Espresso Tasting Framework
39:28 — Tasting Coffee One
47:53 — Tasting Coffee Two
54:06 — Tasting Coffee Three
59:56 — Tasting Coffee Four
1:06:06 — What The Scores Mean
1:10:21 — Using Feedback To Improve Coffee
1:14:56 — Final Takeaways

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Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems

Apax Lab: apaxlab.com Condesa Co.Lab: condesacolab.com.au

Riverina Fresh: riverinafresh.com.au

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