The Coffee Serf

3 little words - Old fashioned ones

2011-08-12T10:05:00.003+01:00

It strikes me that all that is wrong with the world can be summed up by the absence of 3 old fashioned attributes, namely: Discipline, Respect and Responsibility. From these 3 facets flow 3 very human or humane traits that are so valuable in an envied society. Like the primary colours that make every shade, these are, fear, hope and aspiration. Unfortunately the liberal left that have blighted 2 generations that have spawned a youth devoid of fear of the law or its punishment. They have no hope of a job, or a life better. Nor do they aspire to anything different.

Little wonder that the countries now powering ahead are those countries that have instilled in their population, discipline, respect and responsibility. It may seem harsh at the time, but it is far more cruel to deny someone all the colour that life brings by turning down the hue.

If we create a certain market for terrible coffee, we guarantee its existence.

Time as an Illusion

2011-03-23T09:21:00.003Z

Time is a paradox. Although linear on a human scale, perception bends it into an accelerating format gaining momentum and speed as we travel through it. I have longed believed that the reason why this is so, is that as we get older our memories are peaks of excitement good or bad that are elevated above the routine that life becomes. These peaks are close together in youth as everything is new and exciting, but age dulls the sheen of novelty and hence the peaks start spread apart at a exponential rate.
I worry that this can be also be applied to coffee. Peaks of greatness are distancing themselves and how ordinary to have an ordinary coffee, time will pass quickly before I have one worth remembering.

A Mish of Metaphors

2011-02-25T12:26:00.005Z

As we wander through the tangled wood of life, I pause to consider whether some see refuge in the density of the enveloping canopy or whether the same foliage represents darkness, oppression and something to fight against. With certainty in the autumn, the greenery thins and disappears and it is only then we can see how far we have travelled.
And so it is, that after the last sip of my espresso, the hubris of its making is put to one side and the lingering memory is either savoured or forgotten in an instant. Whether it be with people or a coffee, the sentiment is the same.

Depression but Full of the Joys of Spring

2011-02-25T08:57:00.004Z

Hello everyone. The Coffee Serf is back with amusing musings on life in general. Noticing my past tweets, it has indeed been a while since I have tickled the keyboard. Much has happen and not least in the country as a whole. Rejoice that a Conservative led government is formed, perhaps now, we won't have the children in charge of the nations credit cards.
On the coffee front, we still seem unable in this country to make the black brew properly. There are notable exceptions amongst the independents. I think there is a correlation between the state of education in the country and the quality of my Latte. There should be a Chalkboard/Latte Index - maybe I should start one. Essentially, most of my Lattes are made by people who have more interest in discussing Xfactor, or Cheryl Cole - how is that going to help in steaming the milk to a perfect microfoam.

New Coffee Serf Webpage - A free resource

2010-05-26T11:57:00.003+01:00

Just setting up The Coffee Serf Video site that will be a free resource for anyone who wants to tap into some free instructional guides on how to make and improve their coffees.

We will also be doing some video tastings on lots of different coffees.

What I want to know is why anything to do with computers takes an inordinate amount of time!!

New Elections

2010-05-11T08:58:00.002+01:00

So the country has decided to have indecision within the corridors of power. A certain degree of ideological prostitution must take place. The mere possibility that the losers (lib dems) could form a government with the runners up (Labour) should only be news in a despotic African country giving the illusion of democracy, but it seems a real possibility in Britain. We must be the laughing stock of the world. To add insult to injury, the losers would have to also form an alliance with the Scots who not only want independence but with whom Westminster has a diminishing influence. What a nation!
So as I sit sipping my morning espresso, I have a heavy heart as I fear what is to become of this country. What is even more depressing is that my espresso is old, cold and bitter - an analogy for the UK as a whole I think.

Are Branded Coffees a Lazy option?

2010-03-12T10:21:00.003Z

For a while now, I have been thinking why o why do stores spend so much time creating a great name for the themselves and then fill their stores with other companies brand names. Could it be that it is the lazy option believing in the mistaken belief that a brand attracts instant respect and product loyalty.

Of course the pushers of such brands will tell you in unison that their coffee is the best and that they are better than everyone else. - Big and lumbering behemoths means that they become inflexible in their ability to see subtle market shifts in taste and trends. You will never get a coffee brand that hunts out the great estate coffees from the far flung regions of the world, instead they will rely on the bulk producers that are akin to choosing between butter mountains.

Having spent years with customers all around the country, the best coffee is served by those who take pride in their machines, their service, their ambiance and most of all choose coffees that are best suited to their customer base and the food that they are serving. Best of all if they have all of the above right, the only name that should be on the bag - is theirs!!

Flat Whites versus Lattes

2010-02-25T13:27:00.004Z

Oh Lord!! I am losing the will to live.

Flat Whites are being pushed by the high street chains at the moment - but are they all that they are cracked up to be?

The chains will market them as being the next big thing, trying to distinguish between their rather poor lattes and their not so bad lattes. To me they have got the names the wrong way round - how dull does a 'Flat White' sound. Like a Flat Tyre, Flat Foot, Block of Flats, Flat Notes and now we have a Flat White!!!!!

Well I've tried a couple and to be honest about them, they weren't bad at all. However, what really gets me, is they are precisely what Lattes should have been from the beginning!!

There are a growing number of independant coffee stores that take great care how they produce their lattes, in fact when I train new baristas, I always leave the latte till last as it is the hardest coffee do well. It is precisely for this reason that most chains have avoided doing the Latte as it should and have opted for hot steamed milk plonked on to the coffee.

Flat Whites do prove two things though - Firstly, do coffee right and you can command a higher profit margin. Secondly the best places are often the good independant coffee stores to buy your coffees.

Why Espressos don't taste the same

2010-02-08T11:27:00.003Z

There is such as thing as the perfect espresso - it exists in your mind. Like the perfect holiday, it is difficult to replicate again and again and there are many facets that go into the make up.

On a basic level, you need the right coffee and a good clean machine a grinder and a cup. But this is like saying that for a good holiday all you need is an aeroplane and a passport.

Temperature and humidity, sharpness of the grinder blades, residue build up on group head pipes, scale, pump pressure, age of the coffee, skill of the barista, heat of the cups, shape of the cup, water temperature, atmospheric pressure etc etc etc and that's just for an espresso. Add milk into the equation and well......

Each one on the the above list is subject to a seperate discussion, but the elusive replicability of the perfect espresso is far from an easy one to explain.

I don't mean to be a humbug....

2009-12-03T15:51:00.003Z

....although Christmas is yet a mere heartbeat away, I can only just get over the fact that the sailing season has finished and the temperature in the Solent has headed South.

This did not stop me being on a small sailing boat on Sunday with the instruction booklet as to how to get the heating working. Fuel would have been the answer or rather lack of it, and once the tank was filled, warmth was a welcome soulmate. On the other hand, what I should have done was to ignore the Winter and headed straight to the kitchen to open a fresh bag of Espresso beans and make myself a morning espresso. I should have counted my 23 second extraction time and had some internal central heating courtesy of the those friendly coffee farmers in Brazil.

In the seat of power!!

2009-11-12T12:37:00.004Z

Well, just returned from my dinner in London with the powers to be where a poor underling was being eviscerated over policy. Although the starter looked like it had been eaten once before, the rest of the meal was very good. However, with a rather delightful portrait of Winston Churchill overlooking the preceedings we should have been in safe hands.

However, when coffee was served, what a disappointment. It was a good thing that there were no Germans in the room. Filter coffee - nothing wrong in that, but it had that very distinctive overstewed burnt taste that is so easily recognisable. You did not have to be a Serf to realise that the staff had anticipated the dinner to be over sooner than it had. Filter coffee can only be left on the plates for a maximum of about 30-45 minutes. Blends last slightly longer, single origins are delicate and Viennese with fig will last about 90 minutes.

Winston would have been happy with the roasted peasant though.

Sack Cloth

2009-11-03T11:03:00.003Z

Next week I will find myself sitting down with some of the higher echelons of the Conservative Party in London. The Serf now moves in powerful circles!! So much so that I have been looking for a new suit.

Why, I hear you ask, are such people asking the Coffee Serf to attend dinner. Is it that on the eve of taking power they are worried that the coffee is not up to scratch in Westminster? Could it be that the latest expense scandal has meant that people with taste are now reduced to drinking an Instant. Ironic I thought, that the current batch of MP's are wearing sack-cloth - not too dissimilar to the material from which our delicious brew emanates.

The Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy

2009-10-12T13:32:00.009+01:00

Because I do this, does not necessarily give rise to that. It may have happened anyway!!

Believing that having a nice shiny espresso machine and a fancy packet of coffee is the reason that the establishment is busy is not always true. It could well be busy due to the competition being even worse!

I was in Gloucester at the weekend and after the usual traipsing around the shops on a busy Saturday, I thought I would treat myself to my favourite tipple, namely an Espresso con Panna. Eager in anticipation and salivating like Pavlov's dog, imagine my disappointment when I was handed my nectar. Oh dear! This coffee is probably one of the easiest coffees to make and this high street chain completely bastardised it. The cream had been ejected by flatulence and decorated the rim with just as much grace.

To add insult to injury, the cafe was packed - I fear more to do with their location than their product. The fancy adverts in the window purporting that their coffee was the best was indeed a fallacy.

At the top of the mountain

2009-09-03T09:02:00.005+01:00

We all stand on a peak whose height is determined by our experiences. Some stand on mighty mountains while others view the world from a lesser altitude.

It struck me the other day with this thought, that the time that we dwell in the past is inversely proportional to the expectations of future experiences. Is this why time seems to go faster as we get older - perhaps.

What has this got to do with coffee - well nothing really, only in that I was sipping a rather fine Mexican Liquid Amber infusion revelling in the snug duvet of contentment wanting one more minute of present, knowing that the imminent future was going to be ever so slightly less bright.

Tea and Solvent Abuse called Decaf Coffee

2009-08-13T16:55:00.004+01:00

I am sitting here, writing this while sipping a cup of tea - yes, I know. What on earth has prompted the Coffee Serf to succumb to the Devil's Spawn? Tea is not necessarily the antithesis to a coffee lovers pallette, but in this blog there is a hint of Hades wafting from the gates of fermented tea leaves.

The reason for this rare infringement was caused by an attack to the neurons transmitting the ghastly experience generated from a decaf coffee blend that dared not state its origin. It was cheap and had used solvent to drag the caffeine out and quite frankly one could tell.

Papua New Guinea

2009-08-03T08:46:00.003+01:00

Oscillating between the effects of caffeine and the soporific effects of sea air, I find my self at the start of this simple sine wave.
No espresso machine today, so we have the advantage of using my trusty cafetiere and todays experience is from Papua New Guinea. Now given that my eyelids feel like the arms of a weedy man doing press ups, anything seems appealing at this time of the morning. Even the name conjures up images of friendly people in rainforests.

OK, now for the all important tasting. At first I was not too impressed - but wait just a minute (no really I mean it) and you get a really great cup of coffee - there is plenty of flavour there, a hint of pleasant acidity, good rounded balance in the mouth. There are no Jilly Goulden or Oz Clarke moments but this is coffee not wine. One doesn't need verbal explosions at this time in the morning.

Freda has a following. Fish and Coffee!!

2009-07-28T10:22:00.001+01:00

Now look here people, Freda may look cute and cuddly but if The Serf can't get the milk then she is a bad cow!! I have told her that she has had several emails saying that she is quite right to cross her legs, but that doesn't excuse her.

Anyway, she did relent in the end, but wanted to pass on her good wishes and thanks to those who emailed in and showed some cow appreciation.

OK, back on message. I was on the Solent at the weekend catching the only Mackerel within a 100 mile radius (very proud of myself) and at the end of a long day, coffee was made. I say, coffee, but it was that ground up instant stuff that resembles gravy. Anyway, I was tired, the sun had got to me and I was glowing in pride at the my catch, so I relented and accepted the Bisto. Well, it was the best darn coffee..... No actually it wasn't but it got me thinking - is taste a state of mind? Do our perceptions and environment have a bigger impact on our senses than we think

Coffee versus Coffee

2009-07-14T10:28:00.007+01:00

In Orwell's 1984, there was painted a nightmare world where information was kept from the proletariat. Ignorance was the weapon that the state used against the population. It seemed that 'Education will set you free' (sounds like a Labour soundbite).

Rather than ignorance, our society is bathed in information from every direction but the effect is ironically the same. The information that should elevate us to a position of knowledge is obscured by a opaque screen of banality.

So what has all this got to do with coffee? Well, how much of our opinion of coffee is from received wisdom, or the fancy packet, or the story of how wonderful the farmers are (which of course they are)? Is our view of coffee moulded by the advertising, the logos, the brand the fancy name from where it comes? Probably - so I have a challenge for you all, - buy something that you don't usually have and try it, you never know you may like it.

Less is More

2009-07-07T09:47:00.005+01:00

I was told the other day by an intrigued baffoon in a well known coffee bar in Southampton, that the little Espresso Con Panna that I was drinking was a waste of money because it was so small. I decided not to tell him that his wife probably says the same about him.

But it got me thinking, while I was telling him that for the price, one is not experiencing volume but quality and often great things come in small packages (contrary to what his wife may say about him). I told him that to savour the delight of over 200 aromatic compounds and esters created during a devilishly complicated roasting process and to absorb the essence of what was created thousands of miles away on volcanic soils, notwithstanding the toil of the farmers who nurtured the crops, one had to experience the intensity. The conversation went as follows:

Baffoon: "But it's gone so quickly"
The Serf: "All the more reason to enjoy the pleasure more"
Baffoon: "I get more for my money"
The Serf: "Do you really?"
The Serf: "What will you do while you drink you coffee?"
Baffoon: "Read the newspaper"
The Serf: "The coffee is a side issue then. In essence you are paying the cafe £2.95 for the time spent on reading a paper for 30 minutes, and the cafe has given you a coffee while you do it - that's not good value!!".
Baffoon: "You're odd"
The Serf: "No, you're deluded"

Here ended the exchange.

The Pinnacle of Coffee

2009-07-03T17:59:00.008+01:00

The Serf is has always been a fan of Latte Art as it sets aside those who think they know how to make a good coffee from those who actually can. Naturally the Serf is now an expert given that 4,562 gallons of milk and 6 month hard frothing have now passed. Freda the cow, who up until now has willingly given her milk for the cause, is now crossing her legs in protest. MOOOOooooo!!!!

I will cajole Freda with some fresh grass to relinquish some more of her juices, but until then, here is a short video of one I have just done - definitely not perfect, hence my need for Freda to uncross her legs.

Quebradon Colombian first thing in the morning.

2009-07-02T10:27:00.003+01:00

OK people, here we go, ready yourselves for another fantastic tasting confabulation.
A new morning heralds a new tasting and todays victim is Swiss water decaffeinated Colombian coffee from the Quebradon region.

First thing to note is how dark it is roasted. It is far from being roasted to within an inch of its useful life, but usually to get the best from Colombians (the beans, not the people), they are generally roasted lighter, but not always - lets see what this one is like.

Expectedly the crema that forms is dark, the aroma is buttery, not too dissimilar to popcorn. The taste is definitely Colombian, beautifully smooth, but hang on a second - what's that overtone? It's subtle but definitely there. To me it tastes like burnt toast that's been smothered in Utterly Butterly, but in coffee it is Utterly not what it's meant to taste like. Colombian coffees should caress the palate and tantalise the tongue in a merry dance that makes one conclude that expectations can indeed be exceeded.

The search goes on in our mission to beat the Colombian from the Popyan region, but in the words of frustrated father driving his children on a clogged motorway, - 'Nope, we're not there yet'.

Swiss Water Decaf from Sumatra

2009-06-12T15:22:00.007+01:00

Now I usually consign decaffeinated coffee to the in-tray marked waste, but lets be fair..... Actually lets not be fair, what is the point of a firework if it doesn't go bang. Yeah yeah, those Roman Candle things do an ok job of wooing the crowds for 5 seconds, but us hardcore Fawksian admirers want a meaty rocket don't we?

So you can imagine when this coffee came in for a tasting, I was less than amused. Was I going to think I was wasting a good slurp? The reason for this tasting was that our usual Colombian Swiss Water decaf was rather off menu and we needed a substitute prompto. Now the advantage of the Swiss Water process is that it does not use that rather toxic methyl tetrachloride to drag the reluctant caffeine molecules from the comfort of the bean. Instead the beans are washed in a solution of water that persuades only the caffeine to exit (what a waste).

Looks can be deceiving as it looks like the beans have been roasted a touch too high, but brewed as a cafetiere we all had a go in the office. I really wanted to like this . The very first impression was from the aroma which was distinctly fruity, unlike the Colombian that we tasted side by side which was vanillary. Anyway, the Sumatran was sipped and ...... well it is a bit rough me thinks, a little like licking the inside of a tobacco leaf (and not one that has just been rubbed on the thighs of a virgin). Not that the lady's thighs would change the opinion in this case, as it is a coffee that is beyond many redeeming features.

Nope, the Serf won't sticking this one his Christmas list. In comparison to the Colombian that makes up the the MIYA decaf range, the MIYA wins hands down.

No Country for Old Coffee

2009-06-01T12:02:00.004+01:00

It's monday morning and the sun is shining and I am sitting by my computer with an espresso that has just been handed to me. I act grateful, put on a smile, feign sincerity, but secretly I am thinking I should get off my backside and open a new packet and make it again.

For the coffee beans that have come thousands of miles and have been grown for months soaking up those volcanic nutrients somewhere in South America, it seems a shame that their fate should rightfully be down a plug hole without having the opportunity to impress. I should act like Simon Cowell and give them short shrift and send them packing. I consider the risk benefit of the effort to make the coffee again with fresh beans against the increased pleasure that I will attain. I am ashamed to say that I choose to benefit from the saved effort.

Ten minutes have gone past, I have had one sip and now it's gone cold!! That one sip had been enough. The beans have had their opportunity and I have blown it, not because I didn't drink them, but because I didn't have them last week. Now that is a shame.

A Coffee that MP's can claim for!!

2009-05-22T12:36:00.006+01:00

How embarrassing this MP expense scandal is. And a scandal it surely is. Hard to see how some expenses fall within that gamut that the rules allow.

Anyway, the reason, why I mention all this is that I am somewhat aggrieved that MP's will find it harder to file in their expenses a packet of finest Wallenford Estate Jamaican coffee (approx £75/kg). Instead, they may have to make do with some Turbo Roasted Euro Blar stock coffee (approx £5.99/kg). So that is what is being reveiwed today.

Now we shouldn't dismiss it just because it whizzes through the roaster at high speed and at extra high temperature to reduce costs. Also we shouldn't dismiss it because compared to their slow roasted cousins, the depth of flavour has disappeared up the flue, nor should we look down our noses and and tut at the unfortunate beans that have been dealt a rough card. No, we should taste them and make up our minds.

OK, here we go then. First impressions are the crema is not bad, thick enough but only just. A slight tweak on the grinder may adjust this, but extraction time is at its max, so I doubt it. Colour is a little on the light side, (I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I gave some moments ago (about extraction)). Taste wise, well actually it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Yes a Kojak coffee (a bit thin on top, but got some body), nevertheless, I have tasted far worse. The taste buds don't fire to the tune of a Harley, but actually I'm quite surprised that I haven't reached for the bucket. Don't get me wrong, this isn't great, but it's not terrible either. Little acidity, some body, nothing too exciting, little depth and maybe a little bland - in fact perfect for our current batch of MP's!!

Costa Rican, Actually no.

2008-08-04T08:36:00.006+01:00

Have you noticed all those industrious people jogging in the evening, holding their elongated donut shaped drinks bottles - the contents of which make it dubious as to whether they are consuming from it or relieving into it. Anyway on noticing a poor chap who was suffering from the recent heat looking much the worse for wear. I was only grateful for the air conditioning in the car

Nicaraguan Jinotega Matagalpa

2008-07-21T11:29:00.007+01:00

The Serf has been away for a while but now back with some more musings and cupping notes.

Mssr Brown and Darling seem to have graduated from the Blue run slopes of humilation in their handling of the country to a scary vertical precipice of an economic cliff face. No doubt that little ol' Joe Public will be left to pick up the pieces. If like me you are trying to sell a house at the moment, one can do worse than contemplate the heady days of fixed rate mortgages under 5% while sipping on some Nicaraguan Jinotega Matagalpa.

Although Nicaragua may bring mixed images to mind, the coffee is well worth looking at. Aside from an attractive name that needs a couple of practice goes before one masters it, coffees from Nicaragua and especially from the Jinotega region are capable of being some of the very best coffee available.

Cupping this one, you get a sense of chocolateness right from the beginning both from the aroma and when you get to taste it. Aroma is intense with a hint of nuttiness and the weight and body of the coffee is very satifying indeed with some citrus coming through aswell. I will mark this one as one of my favourites.

Cupping Ethiopian Mocha beans

2008-06-16T18:12:00.004+01:00

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.

Cupping Burmese Myanmar

2008-06-09T12:25:00.004+01:00

As our economy seems Titanic like in its slow but relentless slide under, due in part from the financial icebergs of subprime mortgages and oil prices and clever bankers who simply got it wrong, I ponder what is in stall for us all over a coffee from a country who has seen more than its fair share of disaster. Namely Burma or Myanmar as it is now known.

Known in the past for rather ropey Robusta coffees, this embattled country is producing some fine Arabica of note worthy pedigree.

Now then, cupping this coffee starts with the aroma of the beans. Clear the nasal passages and inhale and what do you get? Well, it has got a distinct aroma, a cross between mud and dry grass, but let's not be too hasty to cast judgement. If you were a worm or even a blackbird, then this would be admiral qualities. To be fair the aroma is not unpleasant, but not one that set me alight.

Previously I have described this coffee amongst my favourites, so I was intrigued to revisit this bean to see if it still cut the mustard. A sip and a slurp and the black liquid is drawn in. A heavy dense flavour is the initial impression, an acerbity (bitterness) is noted and then after that I was somewhat dissappointed, somewhat flat.

Rather like taking a really great photograph, only to find that the only thing in focus was the bush behind the subject. Fine if that was intended, and would probably be best if used as a base for something else (e.g. an espresso blend) or if a flavour is already on the pallet to disguise that lingering heavyness to relieve the weight on the tastebuds.

Coffee Anaesthetic found in Cowes!!

2008-06-02T11:37:00.006+01:00

I hold my head in my hands. I should slap the back of my hand on my palm and shout in an American accent 'Work with me people!!' The reason for my depression was during a short trip over to Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Whether I was succumbing to the Pavlov Dog conditioning of realising the end result before I tasted this coffee may have contributed to my conclusion. A nice shiny espresso machine raised an eyebrow of interest and the situation tempted me into asking for an Americano.

Aside from doing everything wrong, and I mean everything, including cold portafilters, insufficient tamping, not wiping the filter basket rims, using boiling water etc etc. Although not an exhaustive list, the coffee was to my surprise not bitter tasting. At least the machine may have been kept clean.

However, aside from not being bitter, it was not anything else either. I sipped, I sucked, I closed my eyes, waiting in anticipation of the sparks that would fly around my mouth. Instead I am sure than I have found a coffee anaesthetic, acting as an anti-taste drink. When I was trying to identify any of the taste groups, it was somewhat suprising that there was no sensation other than heat - not a particularly good feature on its own from a £3000 piece of equipment. Could it be true that my taste buds were actually being numbed by the black liquid, surely not. So another sip was needed to confirm. Yup, a coffee anaesthetic has been truly found and it lies in a restaurant in Cowes. Now then where's my Patent Lawyer, I'm going to make a fortune.

Incidently, the best coffee cleaning advice I have come across on Espresso machines can be found here

Cupping Colombian Medallin

2008-05-28T17:38:00.005+01:00

MMmmm, hush my sweet your time is nigh. A Simpsonesque response to the iminent devouring of a favourite donut. I, however, felt the same response with the prospect of my first tasting of the morning of this deservedly popular coffee.

Perhaps a little unfairly, Colombian coffee seems to be everywhere these days and familiarity can sometimes lead to comtempt or at least be dismissed.

Firstly this coffee - a light to medium roasted coffee from the Medallin region of the Aburrá Valley, acting more or less as a bullseye to the cartography of the country, it should be treated with velvet gloves. Treat it as if handling a rare manuscript rather than a shabby old book and you will start to unlock the subtleness that is so often overlooked.

OK enough of my hyperbole and onto the tasting. First take in the aroma. Remember this is a subtle coffee, more of a spring lamb than craggy ram. This coffee will never be a heavyweight so treat it as such. Barry MaGuigan not Frank Bruno. Sip, suck in some air, and pick off the individual flavours. The weight is light, but there is something there.

Look, forget the flavour for a second (it will take that long before it really gets there), close your eyes and imagine a Tuscan valley bathed in sunlight while a croissant awaits you for breakfast. Then you will get the delicate overtones - what is it? winey - no, woody - no, bitter - definitely no, hazelnut - arh now we're getting somewhere, a hint of pistachio I think (we are talking hints here). Initial acidity is light but disappears quickly and overtaken by some weight at the centre of your tongue. Swallow and the taste goes quickly leaving little aftertaste, making your tastebuds needing another fix before excitement fades and life seems dull again.

Cupping the Kenyan Peaberry Coffee

2008-05-20T16:35:00.000+01:00

The most important thing I have found when I am cupping a new coffee (especially in the presence of others) is to make an impressive slurping noise.

An opportunity arose this week to open a packet of Kenyan Peaberry beans to demonstrate to a couple the characteristics of this particular coffee.

Cupping this latest batch proved particularly satisfying. A delicious snap of fruity acidity that danced upon the tastebuds. A light to medium body that left the mouth feeling like it had had a refreshing tonic. Little lingering aftertaste and without knowing it, we were all smiling afterwards proving that this particular coffee was an anitdote to dull anti-taste coffees that are so abundant. Roll on the Kenyans. We will be sampling some Kenyan AA and some Elephant Ears very shortly as comparison.