Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491371
48 STiR tea & coffee industry international sess. Consumer panels, like expert panels, go through rigorous training and testing for sensory acuity. In general, three kinds of entities use tasting panels: research centers which may be public or belong to universities like the Sensory Research Center at the University of Otago where Fernandez is studying; specialized consulting companies that get hired by larger corporations for product development projects; or global companies which choose to invest in creating and maintaining internal teams. Chris Hallien, a professional who has worked with specialty micro-roasters and large multinational brands, got his start in coffee as an average consumer in a tasting panel. Today, Hallien is a licensed C and Q Coffee Grader, a jury member for the Cup of Excellence, and a board member of the SCAA Technical Standards Committee. Hallien shared his explanation of how panels work: "The panelists are typically well trained in very specific attributes (those that one would expect to find in a coffee prod- uct). They're calibrated to identify and quantify a specific attribute, and almost always have a reference sample to study and refer back to." Nestlé Nespresso, for example, assigns employees from various business units to tasting panels. The cross functional team consists of staff who fulfill a range of func- tions for the company. Panels may include individuals from procurement, product development, or industrialization and production teams. Alexis Rodriguez, green coffee quality and development manager at Nestlé Nes- presso, said "Panelists are required to follow a strict training process which takes 6-9 months in order to become certified panelists. They are then monitored monthly to ensure their performance." One of the main differences between panelists and cuppers is that a panelist could just as easily be trained to describe the flavors of chocolate for a new candy or the aroma of various fruits for a new household cleaning product. The other, of course, is the green buyer's concern for quality of the lot purchased upon delivery. Tim Hill, coffee buyer and quality manager for Counter Culture Coffee Photo courtesy Counter Culture Coffee