I was for some unknown reason, sitting on a boat at 3 o'clock this morning. At that wonderful time of day, when to the East, the dawn was just making its presence known as the west was still asleep in the blackness of the night.
Of course no sane person was around, so for auditory company, the only sounds were curlews calling and the tide seeping away. Needless to say, that when a more appropriate hour came along for elevating ones eyelids, my whole being was calling for the ubiquitous cup of coffee to jump start the neurons into action.
And so it was, that this mornings tasting was Ethiopian Mocha Beans. Known by some as being the origin of coffee where a shepard first noticed that his flock were excited after eating the berries from a coffee plant. Mocha, as the name suggests, gives the indication that chocolate may be in store. 12 million work in the coffee business in Ethiopia and is the 2nd biggest in Africa.
The aroma is pleasant, not heavy, but slightly sweet and floral, but the taste is something to behold. To say that the brew tastes of chocolate is an exaggeration, but the the coffee is bright, and the weight and slight sweetness on the palate does indeed have dark chocolate overtones. There are some acidities there aswell, and although not a dark roast, seems to hold its own with other flavours on the palatte competing for room. Aftertaste is good and lasting.
If you have not tried Ethiopian coffees, then you should. Give one a go today.
