Espresso Enthusiasts

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

It's a lovely 25*C day down under today, fine and sunny, with not a cloud to be spotted. Perfect weather for getting out into the garden and doing some weeding and other maintenance.

Coffees, double roasted, have just been consumed and went down a treat!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's a lovely 25*C day down under today, fine and sunny, with not a cloud to be spotted. Perfect weather for getting out into the garden and doing some weeding and other maintenance.

Coffees, double roasted, have just been consumed and went down a treat!

Sounds brilliant.

While I shall make a pot later, for now, I think one mug of Ethiopian coffee will meet my immediate needs.

 

[AVBeatMan]

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sipping a mug (Le Creuset) of hot, freshly ground coffee from the Yirgacheffe region of the highlands of Ethiopia.

Next up, will be to squeeze fresh juice for Decent Brother and myself (oranges, grapefruit, lemons) and prepare a pot of steaming hot Ethiopian coffee, as he makes a late brunch (bacon rashers, sausages, scrambled eggs, all organic).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And lunch - sorry, Sunday brunch - was washed down with a pot (Le Creuset French Press) of freshly made and quite lovely Ethiopian coffee.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A coffee may be called for shortly.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The coffee (Ethiopian. Yirgacheffe. Hot.) was consumed, in a Le Creuset mug. And quite delicious it was, too.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, I was out for a few hours this morning, and am now sipping a belated mug of nice, fresh, hot, Ethiopian coffee after a late lunch.

And very welcome it is, too.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The gardener turned up today, - she loves coffee and travel and traveller's tales - so we get on well.

She tweaked, pruned, murdered moss and annihilated weeds, and we chatted over (Le Creuset) mugs of freshly ground, freshly brewed nice, hot, Ethiopian coffee.

 

[Nick11Mac]

This cold morning's cup is Organic Rainforest Blend by San Francisco Bay Coffee company. Very nice.
From the company's desciption:

"Our certified 100% organic, Rainforest Blend is an artful mix of coffees from Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Indonesia that produces a smooth, yet full-bodied taste with lively citrus notes. Perfect when paired with torts and ganache."

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This cold morning's cup is Organic Rainforest Blend by San Francisco Bay Coffee company. Very nice.
From the company's desciption:

"Our certified 100% organic, Rainforest Blend is an artful mix of coffees from Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Indonesia that produces a smooth, yet full-bodied taste with lively citrus notes. Perfect when paired with torts and ganache."

Enjoy it. Sounds lovely.

Earlier, the gardener had confided that one of the (many) reasons she likes to come to us - apart from the fact that my Mother loved gardening and was herself a gifted and imaginative gardener, is that I serve such good coffee.

"You should see the horrible stuff I am served in some places," she said grimly, "instant from Lidl or Aldi", adding that she would try to find a way to discreetly get rid of it without any of the plants having to suffer from the consequences of her caffeine deprived displeasure.

 

[Nick11Mac]

Enjoy it. Sounds lovely.

Earlier, the gardener had confided that one of the (many) reasons she likes to come to us - apart from the fact that my Mother loved gardening and was herself a gifted and imaginative gardener, is that I serve such good coffee.

"You should see the horrible stuff I am served in some places," she said grimly, "instant from Lidl or Aldi", adding that she would try to find a way to discreetly get rid of it without any of the plants having to suffer from the consequences of her caffeine deprived displeasure.

Really good coffee is all I will settle for. Instant is patently unacceptable. Love that quote from your mother!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Really good coffee is all I will settle for. Instant is patently unacceptable. Love that quote from your mother!

Actually, the quote was from the gardener, but she had always viewed Mother the way a teacher might look upon a very bright and promising student, that is, someone with great potential, but you had to help train them, a bit like a plant.

 

[Nick11Mac]

Actually, the quote was from the gardener, but she had always viewed Mother the way a teacher might look upon a very bright and promising student, that is, someone with great potential, but you had to help train them, a bit like a plant.

Now I see I misread it. The morning coffee had not yet lifted the fog.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Now I see I misread it. The morning coffee had not yet lifted the fog.

Oh, yes, a heartfelt amen to that, as I must admit that I know that feeling, very, very well indeed.

Indeed, there are days I doubt my own humanity until the nectar that is my first cup of coffee of the day has been imbibed.

 

[AVBeatMan]

A little something for the weekend.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

A little something for the weekend.

In blends of this sort, my experience is that the Ethiopian coffee (unless the percentages are other than the classic one 'third' each) will be overwhelmed or overpowered.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and do, please, let us know how you found it.

For myself, well, I have had Ethiopian coffee today.

 

[mobilehaathi]

In blends of this sort, my experience is that the Ethiopian coffee (unless the percentages are other than the classic one 'third' each) will be overwhelmed or overpowered.

It'll depend a bit on the roast; I imagine. And likely whether they were roasted together or separately.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It'll depend a bit on the roast; I imagine. And likely whether they were roasted together or separately.

I daresay.

However, from what I have seen (and tasted) thus far, if the Ethiopian truly comprises only a third of that blend (Brazilian tends to be very robust) it will be pretty much overwhelmed, smothered and stifled.

My sense - and I have been experimenting with blends over the past year, and belatedly, and reluctantly, came to the realisation that the more 'standard' proportions don't always quite work if you want the qualities of the lighter, less roasted - coffees to come through.

These days, not least because I love Ethiopian - because 1) it is lightly roasted, but 2) because I love its clean, clear, "bright" qualities - I know (from experience) that it will be smothered if strictly proportional quantities are used with other coffees, i.e. if one uses a third of each.

In my experience, if you want the qualities of the weaker coffee to come through, you need to adjust the percentages, or proportions; for two blends, 60/40 or 70/30 - in favour of the Ethiopian would work if you wish the features of the Ethiopian to come through, rather than, to be used merely to temper the excesses of the others.

For a blend of three coffees, unless I am using three different varieties of Ethiopian coffee (which I have done, and where I will strictly adhere to the thirds rule), if, for example, I am using Brazilian and Colombian, I would use 40% Ethiopian and 30% of each of the other two, or - even, at a pinch, 50% Ethiopian and 25% each of the others, or 50% Ethiopian, and - depending on strength (and roasting) 30% and 20% respectively, of the others.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I daresay.

However, from what I have seen (and tasted) thus far, if the Ethiopian truly comprises only a third of that blend (Brazilian tends to be very robust) it will be pretty much overwhelmed, smothered and stifled.

My sense - and I have been experimenting with blends over the past year, and belatedly, and reluctantly, came to the realisation that the more 'standard' proportions don't always quite work if you want the qualities of the lighter, less roasted - coffees to come through.

These days, not least because I love Ethiopian - because 1) it is lightly roasted, but 2) because I love its clean, clear, "bright" qualities - I know (from experience) that it will be smothered if strictly proportional quantities are used with other coffees, i.e. if one uses a third of each.

In my experience, if you want the qualities of the weaker coffee to com through, you need to adjust the percentages, or proportions; for two blends, 60/40 or 70/30 - in favour of the Ethiopian would work if you wish the features of the Ethiopian to come through, rather than merely temper the excesses of the others.

For a blend of three coffees, unless I am using three different varieties of Ethiopian coffee (which I have done, and where I will strictly adhere to the thirds rule), if, for example, I am using Brazilian and Colombian, I would use 40% Ethiopian and 30% of each of the other two, or - even, at a pinch, 50% Ethiopian and 25% each of the others, or 50% Ethiopian, and - depending on strength (and roasting) 30% and 20% respectively, of the others.

I can see that a blend with a large marjority of Ethiopian could be nicely "filled out" by small portions of other more robust varieties and could work quite nicely. One of these days I'll have to buy something other than Ethiopian and try it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I can see that a blend with a large marjority of Ethiopian could be nicely "filled out" by small portions of other more robust varieties and could work quite nicely. One of these days I'll have to buy something other than Ethiopian and try it.

I'm not being didactic.

It is just that I have learned that blends which are 'strictly proportional' - with weaker roasts (such as Ethiopian, which I love) don't work, if you want the qualities of the less robust coffee to come through in the blend.

Now, it also depends on the actual coffees being used.

As with cheese and wine (the cheese and wines from a specific region tend, madly, to work very well together in, say, French cuisine, for example) my sense is that the African coffees (Kenyan, perhaps Rwandan) need not be diluted to quite the same extent as some of the others, if blending with, let us say, an Ethiopian coffee.

Thus, for example, if I had a Kenyan (a good one) and - let us say, a Rwandan - coffee, I'd risk a 30/30 blend with each of them, and - perhaps - 40% Ethiopian, in a three way blend and I suspect (and I have tried something similar) that this would work very well, whereas, with the South Americans, I'd increase the Ethiopian to 45-50%, and reduce the quantity of the others accordingly.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I'm not being didactic

Sometimes didacticism arises by accident.

And of course I don't mean that with any of the negative connotations that are possible.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sometimes didacticism arises by accident.

And of course I don't mean that with any of the negative connotations that are possible.

Touché.

And, yes, with me, for both professional and personal reasons, that is something of an - ahem - occasional occupational hazard, I'm afraid.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Touché.

And, yes, with me, for both professional and personal reasons, that is something of an - ahem - occasional occupational hazard, I'm afraid.

Well all my blending has been theoretical whereas yours has a large empirical component. I'm bound to pay attention when you discuss it.

 

[0388631]

Friday. My favorite day. Reading a book or two tonight while having some nice cognac to warm my otherwise cold soul according to some PRSIers and enjoying a nibble or two of the pate the missus made for guests tomorrow night.

And yes, copious amounts of coffee in between.