La Taza Habla Podcast By doncox cover art

La Taza Habla

La Taza Habla

By: doncox
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La Taza Habla (The Cup Talks) takes you on a 20-year java journey through specialty coffee’s rich tapestry, brought to you by ”Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co.”, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Each episode unveils the untold stories behind your daily brew—from origin to roast to ritual. Join founder and chief brain-hydrant Don Cox, a.k.a. ”Bald Guy,” as he transforms complex coffee concepts into engaging narratives that deepen your connection to what’s in your mug, the hands that crafted it, and why it matters. Visit us at www.baldguybrew.com or connect on Instagram and Facebook @baldguybrew.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Art Food & Wine
Episodes
  • Part 3: Training to Taste - Organic Acids

    Part 3: Training to Taste - Organic Acids
    Mar 27 2026

    In this episode of La Taza Habla, we dive deep into the sensory science of specialty coffee to demystify the complex world of organic acids. Drawing on over two decades of experience and the high-stakes pressure of a Q Grade exam, we explore a unique musical framework for understanding flavor. By comparing the four primary acids—citric, malic, acetic, and quinic—to the instruments in a blues band, you’ll learn to identify the sharp "lead guitar" brightness of lemon and the "harmonica" roundness of green apple.

    We move beyond technical jargon to provide a practical exercise on how organic acids affect what you taste. Whether you are a home brewer or a professional, this episode includes a step-by-step DIY palate training guide using simple kitchen ingredients like lemon juice and over-steeped tea. Discover how to "listen" to the flavors in your cup and understand the rhythm of your morning ritual.

    • Check out the Bald Guy Brew Youtube Channel
    • Stay Connected: Get exclusive coffee stories & tips delivered to your inbox
    • Fresh Roasted Coffee delivered to your door: Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co.

    5 Takeaways

    1. The Musical Metaphor: Use a blues band framework to categorize flavors: Citric (Lead), Malic (Harp), Acetic (Drums), and Quinic (Bass).
    2. Temperature Reveals Truth: As coffee cools, the sharp citric notes settle, allowing the rounder, malic flavors (green apple) to step forward.
    3. Feeling vs. Tasting: Acetic acid is felt as a "sparkle" or "zing," while Quinic acid provides the physical "weight" or body you feel in your chest.
    4. The Danger of Over-Fermentation: Too much acetic acid transforms a "groove" into a vinegar-like taste, often due to bad fermentation.
    5. Training is Accessible: You don't need a professional cupping lab; you can train your palate using diluted lemon juice, apple juice, vinegar, and tea.

    Related Episodes

    Aroma Perception: Training to Identify the difference of flavor

    Temperature & Flavor: A deep dive into why your coffee tastes different as it cools.

    🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co

    Roadhouse Blues by Larry McCray, https://t.lickd.co/l/qOoOvk6zEzR

    Show Notes

    🍋 Citric Acid Recipe
    • Preparation: Dilute fresh lemon juice 1:125 to 1:150 with water, or dissolve 4g food-grade citric acid powder in 1L water
    • Taste: Sharp, clean sourness — hits the sides and front of your tongue with immediate onset and fades quickly (~5–10 seconds)
    🍏 Malic Acid Recipe
    • Preparation: Fresh green apple juice, diluted 1:1 if very tart. Alternative: dilute apple cider vinegar 1:10
    • Taste: Slower onset than citric, persistent finish, subtle sweetness woven in — a "juicy" mouthfeel that lingers instead of fading
    🫙 Acetic Acid Recipe
    • Preparation: Three concentrations to build your range:
      • Sub-threshold: 1 tsp white vinegar in 2 cups water (~0.1%)
      • Threshold: 1 tsp in 1 cup water (~0.4%)
      • Above threshold: 2 tsp in 1 cup water (~0.8%)
    • Taste: Pungent sharpness with slight burning or irritation — you'll feel it in your nose as much as your tongue. Taste all three side by side to map how sharpness scales.
    🍵 Quinic Acid Recipe
    • Preparation: Steep 2 tbsp black tea in 1 cup boiling water for 5+ minutes (over-steep intentionally). Alternative: tonic water, diluted 1:1 if too sweet
    • Taste: Drying, puckering mouthfeel — reduced saliva sensation, bitterness without sourness. This is a feeling more than a flavor.
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    9 mins
  • Part 2: Training to Taste - Aroma Perception

    Part 2: Training to Taste - Aroma Perception
    Mar 20 2026
    In this episode of La Taza Habla, we explore the often-overlooked world of specialty coffee sensory training. Much like a pilot must be trained to fly, a coffee lover must be trained to truly taste. We break down the complex sensory training journey through a unique baseball analogy, explaining how your olfactory bulb processes hundreds of signals simultaneously—just like a player navigating the bases. Moving beyond basic "coffee roasting" flavors, we dive into the codified science of aroma perception. You will learn a practical "base running" drill to help you identify flavor families, starting with the broad category of fruit and narrowing it down to specific notes like citrus, raisins, or plum. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned professional, this episode provides the tools to move from "first base" to "home plate" in your sensory journey. We also discuss how your perception might shift as the cup cools, reminding us that what we smell at the start isn't always the finish. Check out the Bald Guy Brew Youtube ChannelStay Connected: Get exclusive coffee stories & tips delivered to your inboxFresh Roasted Coffee delivered to your door: Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co. 5 Takeaways Training is a Requirement: Just as pilots require training to fly, the ability to perceive complex coffee flavors is a learned skill, not just an intuition.The Nose is a Powerhouse: While your eyes use only three receptors to see every color, your olfactory bulb uses over 300 to process the dozens of signals in every sip.Use a Sensory Vessel: To properly "trap" aromatics, use a small wine glass, snifter, or a mason jar with a lid to concentrate the scent for 30 seconds before smelling.Establish a Baseline: Use common household items, like a jar of mixed fruit jelly, to create a "baseline" for broad flavor families before trying to identify specific notes.Track the Temperature: Always re-evaluate your coffee as it cools; the flavor notes you detect at 180°F may be entirely different once the cup reaches room temperature. Related Episodes Temperature & Flavor: A deep dive into why your coffee tastes different as it cools. Show Notes 🧪 DIY Aroma Reference Kit — From the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon How to use: Place each reference in a small wine glass or snifter. Cover with a lid or coaster to trap the aromatics. Let it sit for 30 seconds. Lift and smell. Then brew a cup of coffee and see if you can find that same aroma in the cup. ☕ Family 1 — Fruit Step 1 — Broad family: Fruity Smucker's mixed fruit jelly — open the jar and smell. A sweet, bright, generalized fruit aroma. That's your baseline before you break it apart. Step 2 — Narrow the fork: Citrus or dried fruit? Fresh lemon (cut) next to a plum. Lemon is bright and electric. Plum is dark and heavy. Two completely different directions. Step 3 — Name it Line up a lemon, an orange, and a grapefruit. The differences are obvious when isolated — that's the whole point of training. 🌸 Family 2 — Floral Step 1 — Broad family: Floral Uncooked jasmine rice in a bowl — cover and let it sit. A delicate, perfumed sweetness. This is what floral smells like before you get specific. Step 2 — Narrow the fork: Jasmine or rose? Jasmine rice next to a capful of rose water. Jasmine is light and airy. Rose is heavier, almost syrupy. One floats, the other lingers. Step 3 — Name it Steep a chamomile tea bag and smell alongside the jasmine and rose. Chamomile adds an herbal-sweet third option — honeyed, dry, and earthy. 🥜 Family 3 — Nutty/Cocoa Step 1 — Broad family: Nutty A spoonful of Jif creamy peanut butter on a plate. Rich, oily, roasted — the broadest expression of "nutty" most people already know. Step 2 — Narrow the fork: Nut or chocolate? Raw almonds next to Hershey's Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder mixed with a splash of water. Almonds are dry and clean. Cocoa is deep and bitter. Same family, opposite directions. Step 3 — Name it Line up a raw almond, a hazelnut, and the cocoa paste. Almond is mild and papery. Hazelnut is richer and sweeter. Cocoa is dark and heavy. Three distinct markers. 🔥 Family 4 — Roasted Step 1 — Broad family: Roasted A handful of Grape-Nuts cereal in a bowl. Toasty, grain-forward, malty — roasted before it gets dark. Step 2 — Narrow the fork: Toasted grain or burnt? Grape-Nuts next to a piece of heavily charred toast. Grain is warm and sweet. Burnt is acrid and sharp. The fork between medium and dark roast character. Step 3 — Name it Line up the Grape-Nuts, the burnt toast, and a drop of Wright's liquid smoke on a cotton ball. Malt, carbon, and smoke — three distinct stops on the roast spectrum. 🌿 Family 5 — Green/Vegetative Step 1 — Broad family: Green A fresh green bell pepper — cut it open and smell the inside. Vegetal, raw, alive — this is the green family at its broadest. Step 2 — Narrow the fork: Fresh herb or underdeveloped roast? Fresh basil leaf next to 25g ...
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    10 mins
  • Part 1 - Training to Taste

    Part 1 - Training to Taste
    Mar 13 2026

    In this episode of La Taza Habla, we pull back the curtain on why so many specialty coffee lovers feel lost despite years of "education." Drawing on two decades of experience and Q Grader training, we explore the disconnect between the industry's branding and the actual experience of coffee tasting. We dive into why terms like acidity in coffee remain confusing for the average drinker and how "Big Coffee" handed us a map without teaching us how to read it.

    This isn't just about coffee roasting or origin—it’s about reclaiming your own palate. We move beyond the "training room" labels and return to the "tasting room" reality. You’ll learn a simple, DIY palate training exercise using common pantry items to recalibrate your tongue to the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory . By the end of this episode, you’ll have a foundational sensory lexicon that doesn't rely on a bag's marketing, but on your own biological flavor attributes. Stop trading tasting for talking and start trusting what is actually in your cup.

    • Check out the Bald Guy Brew Youtube Channel
    • Stay Connected: Get exclusive coffee stories & tips delivered to your inbox
    • Fresh Roasted Coffee delivered to your door: Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co.

    5 Takeaways

    1. Biological Foundations: You already possess the biology to detect sweetness, bitterness, and acidity; you don't need a certificate to own your taste.
    2. Language as a Barrier: Industry frameworks often act as a "layer" between the drinker and the cup, prioritizing labeling over the actual experience of tasting.
    3. The "Map" vs. The "Dictionary": The industry provided the vocabulary (the map) but kept the definitions (the dictionary), leaving consumers confused.
    4. The Five-Taste Reset: You can train your palate at home using sugar, lemon, salt, baking soda, and soy sauce to create clear reference points.
    5. Curiosity Over Categorization: True tasting is about staying curious and sitting with the cup, rather than rushing to label it for social belonging.

    The Five-Taste Reset Exercise

    Before you pick up your next cup of coffee, spend ten minutes with these five basic tastes to recalibrate your tongue. This exercise creates clear, biological reference points so you can trust your own experience over the marketing on the bag.

    • Sweetness (The Solution): Dissolve one tablespoon of sugar in warm water. This provides a clean, simple reference for sweetness without any outside argument.
    • Acidity (The Sour): Use a fresh squeeze of lemon juice. Forget the "bright acidity" descriptions on a coffee bag for a moment; this is the raw reference for acid.
    • Saltiness (The Amplifier): Mix half a teaspoon of salt into water. Sodium acts as an amplifier for the flavors around it.
    • Bitterness (The Quinine): Dissolve two teaspoons of baking soda in water, or use tonic water as an alternative. The quinine in tonic water is a clear bitter reference that translates directly to the coffee experience.
    • Savory (The Depth): Dilute a small amount of soy sauce or a splash of Worcestershire sauce. This represents "umami"—the depth and roundness that makes a cup feel complete.The Goal: Taste these five solutions in a row, then immediately drink your coffee slowly. You might be surprised to find that you already know exactly what is in your cup
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    7 mins
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