I approach cupping from a different angle. I pull my normal doppio ristretto. I swirl and smell, to see what sort of nose I get. Not a lot of swirling, because my next task is to actually taste the crema. Some coffee has a pleasant tasting, approachable crema. Others are a bit plain, down to those which really should not even be bothered with. You often get the earthy, musty, herbaceous notes in the crema. Next, I progress through the whole glass, taking tiny tastes each time. From there I compare to what flavours I've had before. Is it like dried apricots, semi-dried figs, blood orange, blackberry, currant, etc. Where is the flavour concentrated, how does it progress as it moves along the palate? How is the mouthfeel? Is it cloying and rich, or light to medium. Sometimes it can be compared to a certain type of wine (often reds). How is the finish, abrupt or lingering, crisp or on the bittersweet side? Is there a definite flavour profile as you go down into the glass? Each mouthful is different than the previous. That is complexity. Is it the same throughout the glass, then it's more well-balanced. I'm no professional, I just call it as I see it. I don't need a tasting wheel, I simply compare it to flavours I've had before. In a nutshell, that's really what cupping is.
