The Siphon Bar has created a lot of new conversation about the coffee and the brewing method. I believe that this is the best way for extracting the dynamic varietal flavors out of the coffee.
brewed above shimmering light
coffee perfection.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
The Siphon Bar
We are just finishing our second week with the siphon bar at caffe d'bolla and the results are starting to come in.
The Siphon Bar has created a lot of new conversation about the coffee and the brewing method. I believe that this is the best way for extracting the dynamic varietal flavors out of the coffee.
Clean and dynamic
brewed above shimmering light
coffee perfection.
The Siphon Bar has created a lot of new conversation about the coffee and the brewing method. I believe that this is the best way for extracting the dynamic varietal flavors out of the coffee.
brewed above shimmering light
coffee perfection.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Heart of the Forest Espresso - A Great Start!
On our caffe blog, I tell about our exclusive espresso blend for Tony Caputo's Market and Deli.
I stopped in to see Matt and Tony this afternoon, and as a brand new offering, the coffee and espresso is selling well. I'm roasting new coffee early this week, and it looks like it will be a great relationship.
I stopped in to see Matt and Tony this afternoon, and as a brand new offering, the coffee and espresso is selling well. I'm roasting new coffee early this week, and it looks like it will be a great relationship.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Ethiopia Koratie DP -- in the Siphon
Wow!
This coffee was roasted to a dark city, almost full city roast... but I would do it at a lighter City roast next time to highlight the sweeter flavors.
In the cup the initial sips are blueberry up top and peach on the bottom. Midway through the cup a tiny hint of melon flavors begin to come through, though still surrounded by the blueberry.... and a bit of bitter cocoa in the background.
Blueberry and cocoa begin to dominate as you finish the cup. It finishes with a blueberry bittersweetness. I believe that the sweeter fruits would be more prominent and balanced at a lighter roast. I will report on that next time.
Total brew time on the siphon: 45 seconds - 35 brewing up, 10 to descend.
This coffee was roasted to a dark city, almost full city roast... but I would do it at a lighter City roast next time to highlight the sweeter flavors.
In the cup the initial sips are blueberry up top and peach on the bottom. Midway through the cup a tiny hint of melon flavors begin to come through, though still surrounded by the blueberry.... and a bit of bitter cocoa in the background.
Blueberry and cocoa begin to dominate as you finish the cup. It finishes with a blueberry bittersweetness. I believe that the sweeter fruits would be more prominent and balanced at a lighter roast. I will report on that next time.
Total brew time on the siphon: 45 seconds - 35 brewing up, 10 to descend.
If you're average and you know it...
... Clap your hands!
There are a relative handful of coffee shops that deliver a quality product and continue to push the envelope. They have knowledgeable and well-trained barista, they roast very good to phenomenal coffees or offer exquisite coffees from a top notch roaster/roasters.
Each of these shops continues to improve their craft and exhibits an eagerness to learn from the top down. These shops make it known that this is what they do, they stand behind it, and more often than not, they deliver in the cup. (Hey, nobody's perfect all of the time, it's the ability to learn and improve that separates the talkers from the doers. )
Now there are thousands upon thousands of coffee shops that confuse, dismantle, and lower the bar with every cup they serve. They source coffee based on price alone. They over roast or buy stale coffees from roasters selling at a discount. Each of these shops takes interest in trying to look cool while having no relevant information to pass to their customers, and their lack of skill and dismissive attitude at the craft of coffee is displayed from the top down.
I wonder? If so many coffeeshops work and train hard at being average and mediocre, why don't they profess it to the world? There seems to be a place in the market for these kinds of shops, so come clean and let the world know. If you're average and you know it, say it proud!
There are a relative handful of coffee shops that deliver a quality product and continue to push the envelope. They have knowledgeable and well-trained barista, they roast very good to phenomenal coffees or offer exquisite coffees from a top notch roaster/roasters.
Each of these shops continues to improve their craft and exhibits an eagerness to learn from the top down. These shops make it known that this is what they do, they stand behind it, and more often than not, they deliver in the cup. (Hey, nobody's perfect all of the time, it's the ability to learn and improve that separates the talkers from the doers. )
Now there are thousands upon thousands of coffee shops that confuse, dismantle, and lower the bar with every cup they serve. They source coffee based on price alone. They over roast or buy stale coffees from roasters selling at a discount. Each of these shops takes interest in trying to look cool while having no relevant information to pass to their customers, and their lack of skill and dismissive attitude at the craft of coffee is displayed from the top down.
I wonder? If so many coffeeshops work and train hard at being average and mediocre, why don't they profess it to the world? There seems to be a place in the market for these kinds of shops, so come clean and let the world know. If you're average and you know it, say it proud!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Thoughts on Roast Profiling
I've been working with some new roast profiles this past week. There are three camps on this issue:
The first is that the progression of roast via the roast curve makes a difference with respect to each bean. The second is that there is an optimum roast curve based on the chemical processes happening within the bean, and it is the knowledge of when to drop your beans that matters. The third camp would say that there is a generally acceptable "Point A" and a generally acceptable "Point B", and if you go from A to B quickly, and then it's a matter of leveling off and progressing the roast from there... it really didn't matter HOW you got from A to B, as long as you didn't stall the roast... in the cup, wouldn't matter. And you can be sure there are countless variations of all three.
The simple question is: Does profiling matter?
I would place myself somewhere amongst the first and second camps. I think that as a practical solution, there may be an optimum profile for various types of beans, and while there may be a perfect profile for every bean, I have neither the time nor the beans to waste to find out. I think that there is a profile for most SHB (strictly hard beans), and as Willem Boot proposed, a profile for the larger beans, such as the Margogype, and/or the more delicate beans such as the Gesha. Because of their size and density, I believe there is a profile that is best suited for peaberry, although I haven't found one I am 100% satisfied with. And it may be there needs to be a more
gentle progression the latter stages of the roast because any endothermic heat built up has a greater influence inside such a small bean. ... I'm still working on that.
I've spent a fair amount of time profiling in previous years, and my roaster has the ability to take profiling to an insane level, and from my hands-on experience, I will say that the degree to which profiling matters is directly correlated to the complexity, or quality, of the beans. If I get a generic Brazil Cerrado and tweak the profiles, there isn't much noticeable change in the cup. However, if I roast a Brazil Cachoeira Estate, a Brazil Daterra Santa Columba, or especially the Brazil Fazenda Esperanca, the more flavor nuances there are, the more critical the roast progression is into highlighting the "middle" complexities of these coffees.
Internally, there is a slight difference in the nature of the bean, because I can see it when I grind. For example, do you increase by 30 degrees a minute, 40 degrees a minute, or something greater? Is it a straight progression to first crack? Is it a graduated progression? Or does it progress faster as time goes on? I am finding that a gradual progression after reaching first crack seems to produces a little more
sweetness and distinctive flavors, while another curve may produce an amalgamation of those flavors, but they may not be as precise. Sort of the difference between what many find in espresso from a Robur vs. a Super Jolly.
Suffice to say, profiling is interesting, and I think that we are just scratching the surface. There are some theories that are complete b.s., and others that I've found out to be true, but what I am certain of is that the more the bean has to offer, the more profiling matters.
At least that's what I think.
The first is that the progression of roast via the roast curve makes a difference with respect to each bean. The second is that there is an optimum roast curve based on the chemical processes happening within the bean, and it is the knowledge of when to drop your beans that matters. The third camp would say that there is a generally acceptable "Point A" and a generally acceptable "Point B", and if you go from A to B quickly, and then it's a matter of leveling off and progressing the roast from there... it really didn't matter HOW you got from A to B, as long as you didn't stall the roast... in the cup, wouldn't matter. And you can be sure there are countless variations of all three.
The simple question is: Does profiling matter?
I would place myself somewhere amongst the first and second camps. I think that as a practical solution, there may be an optimum profile for various types of beans, and while there may be a perfect profile for every bean, I have neither the time nor the beans to waste to find out. I think that there is a profile for most SHB (strictly hard beans), and as Willem Boot proposed, a profile for the larger beans, such as the Margogype, and/or the more delicate beans such as the Gesha. Because of their size and density, I believe there is a profile that is best suited for peaberry, although I haven't found one I am 100% satisfied with. And it may be there needs to be a more
gentle progression the latter stages of the roast because any endothermic heat built up has a greater influence inside such a small bean. ... I'm still working on that.
I've spent a fair amount of time profiling in previous years, and my roaster has the ability to take profiling to an insane level, and from my hands-on experience, I will say that the degree to which profiling matters is directly correlated to the complexity, or quality, of the beans. If I get a generic Brazil Cerrado and tweak the profiles, there isn't much noticeable change in the cup. However, if I roast a Brazil Cachoeira Estate, a Brazil Daterra Santa Columba, or especially the Brazil Fazenda Esperanca, the more flavor nuances there are, the more critical the roast progression is into highlighting the "middle" complexities of these coffees.
Internally, there is a slight difference in the nature of the bean, because I can see it when I grind. For example, do you increase by 30 degrees a minute, 40 degrees a minute, or something greater? Is it a straight progression to first crack? Is it a graduated progression? Or does it progress faster as time goes on? I am finding that a gradual progression after reaching first crack seems to produces a little more
sweetness and distinctive flavors, while another curve may produce an amalgamation of those flavors, but they may not be as precise. Sort of the difference between what many find in espresso from a Robur vs. a Super Jolly.
Suffice to say, profiling is interesting, and I think that we are just scratching the surface. There are some theories that are complete b.s., and others that I've found out to be true, but what I am certain of is that the more the bean has to offer, the more profiling matters.
At least that's what I think.
Friday, July 25, 2008
New Coffees at the caffe
New Coffees at caffe d'bolla!
*Costa Rica El Puente "Caturra Miel"
* Panama Golden Peaberry
* Guatemala Finca San Jose
* Sumatra "Blue Batak" Tabarita Peaberry
* Ethiopia Koratie DP Organic
*Columbia Antioquia - Jardin Cerulean Warbler
*Costa Rica El Puente "Caturra Miel"
* Panama Golden Peaberry
* Guatemala Finca San Jose
* Sumatra "Blue Batak" Tabarita Peaberry
* Ethiopia Koratie DP Organic
*Columbia Antioquia - Jardin Cerulean Warbler
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The "Incident" - An Observation
Some of you may be in the dark regarding the "Incident" at Murky Coffee in D.C.
There has been literally thousands of comments across the blogosphere regarding this tiff, and it brings some important issues to light:
This is not your father's coffeeshop.
Coffee has progressed incredibly over the past twenty-years, from the farmer cupping their lots, testing various drying methods, utilizing the science of cultivation--which can create a higher quality bean, to the artisan barista who spends countless hours understanding dosing, leveling, and extraction techniques... and who has to master the nuances of each espresso just as a concert pianist masters various pieces of classical music.
Several coffeeshops across North America have raised their standard of coffee and espresso quality to be greater than the food quality of most high end restaurants. It is the average shop, where over-roasted bitterness is the norm, that continues the thought that coffee is a method of caffeine injection, rather than a culinary experience. For these handful of shops that treat coffee as a culinary experience AND deliver it, a higher standard of respect should be given by their customers, as well as a higher level of decorum should be present in the barista.
This begs the question,
"Can we serve an exceptional product while maintaining a casual atmosphere and expect a high level of respect from the customer?"
There is a casual elegance you can find in many restaurants. Take a look at some of the seafood restaurants in San Fran as an example. Shorts, nice shirt, maybe even sandals... dinner for two, $400+
Is it a product of the atmosphere? Of the pricing? Is it a matter of revamping the entire atmosphere to elicit a different response, a different expectation from the customer?
These are questions I have been thinking about for a few years now and while I have a few solutions in mind... it is the implementation that is hardest. But I do believe you can raise the standard by raising the expectation through better presentation and consumer coffee education.
But the customer wants...
When you get a McFish from the Golden Arches it is entirely different from ordering the Seared Ahi Tuna loin at Charlie Trotter's; the same holds true for coffee.
Quality isn't for the Everyman, and rather than try to appeal to everyone, customers are given the best service by a continual raising of standards along with continued pursuit of excellence in our craft. All of this translates to an exceptional cup, and that is the greatest reward we can give.
There has been literally thousands of comments across the blogosphere regarding this tiff, and it brings some important issues to light:
This is not your father's coffeeshop.
Coffee has progressed incredibly over the past twenty-years, from the farmer cupping their lots, testing various drying methods, utilizing the science of cultivation--which can create a higher quality bean, to the artisan barista who spends countless hours understanding dosing, leveling, and extraction techniques... and who has to master the nuances of each espresso just as a concert pianist masters various pieces of classical music.
Several coffeeshops across North America have raised their standard of coffee and espresso quality to be greater than the food quality of most high end restaurants. It is the average shop, where over-roasted bitterness is the norm, that continues the thought that coffee is a method of caffeine injection, rather than a culinary experience. For these handful of shops that treat coffee as a culinary experience AND deliver it, a higher standard of respect should be given by their customers, as well as a higher level of decorum should be present in the barista.
This begs the question,
"Can we serve an exceptional product while maintaining a casual atmosphere and expect a high level of respect from the customer?"
There is a casual elegance you can find in many restaurants. Take a look at some of the seafood restaurants in San Fran as an example. Shorts, nice shirt, maybe even sandals... dinner for two, $400+
Is it a product of the atmosphere? Of the pricing? Is it a matter of revamping the entire atmosphere to elicit a different response, a different expectation from the customer?
These are questions I have been thinking about for a few years now and while I have a few solutions in mind... it is the implementation that is hardest. But I do believe you can raise the standard by raising the expectation through better presentation and consumer coffee education.
But the customer wants...
When you get a McFish from the Golden Arches it is entirely different from ordering the Seared Ahi Tuna loin at Charlie Trotter's; the same holds true for coffee.
Quality isn't for the Everyman, and rather than try to appeal to everyone, customers are given the best service by a continual raising of standards along with continued pursuit of excellence in our craft. All of this translates to an exceptional cup, and that is the greatest reward we can give.
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