The Image of Taste

by

Editorial Policy

Published on

Last updated on

[F]or fifteen years, Sustainable Harvest has logged every cupping done by each of their Q graders, collecting all the data you could want for a coffee. Last month, Oscar Magro, the company’s chief technology officer, projected that data in its code form on a large screen at Let’s Talk Coffee in Panama. There was so much data it just looked like a gray swatch. The Matrix would be easier to read.

(Photos: Courtesy of Sustainable Harvest)
(Photos: Courtesy of Sustainable Harvest)

To make this data easier to access, and look at, Magro and the rest of Sustainable Harvest’s team created Tastify. The program, which was introduced at this year’s SCAA and just went into beta testing, compiles and organizes that trove of data, offering it in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Most powerfully, it allows users to search for coffees based on flavors, offering roasters a chance to find flavors from countries they didn’t expect them. Its highlight is a dynamic flavor wheel, itself inspired by the SCAA’s and Counter Culture’s wheels, that cuts out all but the flavors ascribed to that coffee by Sustainable Harvest’s Q graders.

The final plan for Tastify is in flux, very much contingent on the beta testing. If you’re a Sustainable Harvest customer or a supplier you can join the testing by e-mailing tastifybeta@sustainableharvest.com.

Cory Eldridge is Fresh Cup’s editor.

Share This Article

Cory Eldridge

Join 7,000+ coffee pros and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Other Articles You May Like

Five Places, Five Operating Hours

Are you an all-day cafe, or do you close shop right after the morning rush? Learn how coffee shops choose their ideal operating hours for profitability, safety, and customer experience.
by Haley Greene | December 20, 2023

Survey Results: The 2023 Coffee Business Owner Salary Report

We surveyed owners of coffee shops and coffee roasting companies to learn how much business owners make in the coffee industry. Here’s what we found.
by Garrett Oden | September 13, 2023

At Clutch Coffee Bar, Drive-Thru Reigns Supreme

Drive-thrus can feel rushed and impersonal. But folks like Clutch Coffee Bar are reimagining the drive-thru model as a vehicle for fun, friendly, and fast customer experiences.
by Anne Mercer | September 1, 2023

How Technology Empowers Coffee Shops to Deliver Consistent Quality

Consistent coffee quality is the key to driving repeat customers. But consistency can be difficult to maintain without the right tools in your arsenal.
by Anne Mercer | July 14, 2023