_{(Liam Kenna, photo from http://baristaexchange.ning.com/)}

One of my favorite podcasts is The Splendid Table from American Public Media.  Each week Lynne Rosetto Casper talks to folks "doing" food all over the country and all over the world.  I only wish they'd cover coffee more.  Well, a couple of weeks ago, they visited Stumptown Coffee Roasters' Liam Kenna for a cupping.

Here's a link to the episode, podcast, and show notes.

From the intro:

It could be argued that nowhere is coffee mania more alive and well than in Portland, Oregon. Folks there are obsessed with good coffee and local roasters' shops are treated like hallowed ground.

One of these roasters is Stumptown Coffee but they go a step further than most. Here you can learn to "cup" with an expert. Cupping is the industry standard for tasting and testing coffee quality. Industry buyers use the method to determine which coffees they'll purchase.

Lynne was in town recently and had a cupping lesson with Stumptown's cupper, Liam Kenna. Many brews were sipped, but the one Lynne liked best was Panama Esmeralda Especial.