Here’s what some of our Season 1 participants had to say about their experience:

“It helped me develop an appreciation for coffee which wouldn't have been possible otherwise. My partner and I did the Taster's Club boxes as a couple activity and it made for some of the best times we've spent together. Mindful, meditative and deeply educative, Taster's Club is everything it needed to be, in my opinion. It's helped me improve my understanding of coffee flavours and while that has impacted my ability to walk into a random coffee shop and grab a casual cup of coffee since I'm no longer easily satisfied, it has definitely encouraged me to brew more at home and brew better. Thank you for thinking of this!”
- U Kumar

“I liked that they went into hyper detail about varietals, processing, roasting. These were things that I knew a bit about, but never knew how much impact each step can have into what is finally brewed. It was a very mindful activity that took up my evening and made me focus more on the finer notes of coffee tasting. Shreyas helped  me so much on this journey, and the literature is something I regularly go through.”
- Mrinal Dutt

1. I have no brewing experience or equipment, can I be a part of the Taster’s Club?

Yes, the Taster’s Club’s activities and exercises are designed to help you explore specialty coffee in an easy, user-friendly, step-by-step manner. Whether you’re a first-time brewed coffee drinker or a coffee connoisseur, this course will help you understand what goes on behind the scenes and how it affects the coffee you taste. You do not need to have any prior experience in brewing or cupping. We do, however, recommend using scales to measure the coffee and water for brewing.

2. What are the additional benefits of a Taster’s Club subscription?

Through our subscription, you’ll get access to a community of coffee lovers which includes our roasters! Signing up for subscription classes gives you uninterrupted access to resources on the Taster’s Club Discord server. It's a great way to continue the conversation about everything coffee related with fellow coffee enthusiasts and not miss out on any of the topics that we cover in this series. We’ve created this platform so that there’s no end to the engagement and education around coffee. 

3. When will I receive my subscription box?

The bookings will be open for each episode in the last week of the month till the 5th of the next month. We will then be roasting the coffees on the 5th, and dispatching episode boxes on the 7th of that month. If either the roasting or the dispatching date falls on the weekend, the schedule will be pushed to the next working day. You will receive a confirmation email for dispatch.
 
4. Why are there only two options to select from — ‘Cupping Grind’ and ‘Whole Beans’? Is there no other grind we can get our coffees in?

The tasting exercises are designed for cuppings which is why we’ve kept the grinds best suited for the activity. If you prefer to grind your own beans, please select whole beans and grind them to a medium-fine texture.

5. How do I need to brew the coffee for the tasting exercises?

All the information regarding the brewing process will be mentioned in the handbook for the exercise. You will need to make the coffee as per the cupping process, which is black, without adding milk or sugar. The process of cupping is very different from brewing a normal cup of coffee. 

6. Is there a way to make group bookings or to gift these sessions?

Yes, please feel free to write to us at community@bluetokaicoffee.com and we’ll be happy to assist you.

7. Will I continue to have access to the Blue Tokai Taster’s Club Discord Server if I purchase only one episode?

You will have access to the Discord Server only for the episode you subscribe for. To get access to the channel for the next episode, you must purchase the episode individually or have it covered in the window of your subscription.

8. Can I consume the rest of the coffee after doing the tasting exercises?

Yes, since you’ll be using approx 8 - 12 grams for the cupping, the rest of the coffee can be brewed and consumed. If you’ve ordered ground coffee, you can either brew it via a V60 Pour Over or use the channi method (brew with a simple tea strainer) and by adding a cheesecloth over the strainer.