Finca La Joyeria from Columbia

Hey everybody, what are you drinking? I'm Roger In Coffee and welcome to Coffee Cup.   This week I’d like to spill the beans on Finca La Joyeria from Columbia.

“Finca la Joyeria” translates to “the Joyeria estate” and describes a Santa Barbara Columbian coffee. Columbia has become a big player in the coffee world for its high volume of export, but it is the subtleties and differences between the small estates that make Columbian arabica special.

This review is based on a 250g whole bean package of “Finca La Joyeria” from Pact Coffee, prepared as two-shot espresso and two shot americano using an Aeropress coffee maker.

Opening the bag gave an impression of fruits.It’s light fruits, not red berries, and while the poached pear description of seems like an exaggeration it's definitely at that end of the spectrum. The beans are a mid brown, with plenty of dark flecks. I'm not a roasting expert but from the colour I'm going to guess this is a full city roast, which is around 230 degrees C (440F) The colour of the beans varies a shade or two darker, but this isn't a dark roast. The roast is significant as it has an impact on what happens to the oils and sugars in the bean, which in turn defines the flavour.

On the grind the aroma intensified and was joined with darker, toasty notes that are more characteristic of Colombia.

The first drink I make with a new coffee is always an Espresso. In many ways, espresso is the purest form of coffee and draws a small amount of water over the grinds. The Joyeria pulls an Espresso that carries some fruit sweetness but it’s a dry mouth feel like grapes or pears. I found the initial taste was mostly these pear like high notes with a mixed acidic sweetness of grapes, complemented by a dry mouth feel that quickly transitioned to a darker, toasted earthy finish. These dark earth notes seem to build on each other and dominate the palette by the end of the drink. 

An americano is made in the same way as an espresso, and then hot water is added. It’s a great way to enjoy coffee and essentially a “dilute to taste” approach to the drink. The extra water can soften a coffees main flavour and allow its more subtle complexity to come through.

At americano strength, the Joyeria retains the dry pear mouth feel, but emphasises the darker earthy flavours providing a platform that soaks up flavours. I found plenty of honey brought this earthy raw cacao feeling to life, and sweetened the tail of the coffee without loosing its body.

The dark, dry flavours can be alleviated with a cooler and shorter extraction. This means dropping the water temperature off by around 3-5’C and maybe using a fraction less water. These flavour are always going to be present, but this will pull them back under control giving the Joyeria a fresher, livelier flavour. What we are really doing here is changing the proportion of oils and sugars extracted from the bean.

If you are using an aeropress, then this is fairly easy to do. If you are using a cafetiere, then just make sure the water isn't too hot and plunge fully and early.

As a Colombian coffee with earthy flavours, I found that honey offset its darkness better than maple but both worked well.  Classic coffee biscuits like Lotus or shortbread soak up the flavour but the Joyeria pairs better with sweeter flavours. Your goal here is to bolster the coffee with flavours that are similar, but missing, from main drink. The almond and cherry of a sweet bakewell tart fills the spot well, as will a number of other fruit pastries I'm sure.

It's no surprise that milk chocolate [39% cocoa] added a creamy smoothness, and orange chocolate [56% cocoa] worked very well giving it a missing citrus spring but darker [85% cocoa] chocolate was a bit too much and didn't really add anything missing from the palette.

Before summing up I'm going to admit that none of my favourite coffees have been Columbian, and it’s harder to be objective to a drink that isn't to my taste. The Joyerias dry palette is quite drinkable but I found I missed the brighter and sweeter flavours that I really enjoy.

If you like to taste those big earthy peaks, then you are sure to enjoy the Joyeria.

If you want to sign up to Pact coffee, you can use the discount code ROGER-_UB25Q to get money off of your first subscription. For more details on the Joyeria estate, and Pact coffee, visit their website here : Finca La Joyeria at Pact Coffee

I've been Roger in Coffee, and this has been a review of the Finca La Joyeria from Columbia. In the 21st century we are drinking over two billion cups of coffee a day. I'm doing my part, are you?

Ethiopian Limu Konjo from Cafedirect Handpicked

Hey everybody, what are you drinking? I'm Roger In Coffee and welcome to Coffee Cup.   This week I’d like to spill the beans on a beautiful jewel from Ethiopia, this weeks coffee highlight, the Konjo from the Limmu region in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Coffee needs no introduction and the “Limu Konjo” builds on a centuries-long tradition of Arabica from the homestead of coffee. The Limmu region from which the coffee gets its name sits in the Western Highlands of the country where grains like tef and corn are common in the moister lowlands. As the altitude rises the land is dominated by coffee that is grown chiefly for export. The Konjo is grown from around 1650-1900M, (although I'm not clear if that is elevation from ground or altitude from sea level.)

This review is based on a freshly roasted 250g whole bean package of “Limu Konjo” from CafeDirect Handpicked, prepared as two-shot espresso and two shot americano using an Aeropress coffee maker.

Opening the bag provides an immediate aromatic sweetness that captivates the senses. The beans are a mix of medium and small sizes, and can vary a tone or two in colour around its medium brown hue. If you are particular about your roast, I'm going to say this is a city roast that steps boldly into city-plus. I'm not expecting any darkness or bitterness from this.

While grinding, the sweetness bursts out and the grinds have a strong bright brown colour. A city roast is easy to grind and isn't overly tough or brittle. I'm using a very fine grind and will be pulling tons of flavour from this.

At espresso strength the Konjo has a sweet, deep body. Dominated by muscovado sweetness and teasing nectar at the top end of the palette.

There aren't booming low notes, and the mouth feel is super clean with no dark earthy taste and not a trace of bitterness which puts the Konjo equally at home as a breakfast champion or as a digestif in the evening. The dark notes it has are subtle and serve only to broaden the bold sweetness of its mid tones.

Americano tempers its natural sweetness with a dry finish and filled in the high notes with a surprising, slightly toasted flavour where I was expecting the nectar to give way to a floral bouquet. The Americano was an easy drinker and although I preferred the initial body to the toasted finish, its after-taste was was neither unpleasant nor lingering and added a complexity to the drink.

It’s quite possible to pull long shots of the Konjo and the over-extraction adds it’s late mouth flavour and emphasises the after-taste. Personally, I think I prefer it shorter but if you want it to linger then this will work just fine.

Since the Konjo works so well at espresso strength, I also tried a ristretto. I found my first ristretto to be more tart and some of its characteristic syrupy sweetness was lost to the acidity of the strength, although your exact preparation may affect the balance of the taste. The ristretto was very intense and the simple, clean flavours peak at a particular part of the spectrum just like the espresso.

The Konjo doesn't ask for anything to sweeten it, especially at espresso strength where it’s own dominant sweetness is enough, however it will survive a range of syrups and take even quite strong flavours on board for the journey.

Sweet shortbread emphasises the citrus twist to its sweetness, as will an almond croissant or cinnamon swirl, further placing this as a breakfast favourite.

At Americano strength and pulling long shots I found that it had lost some of its sweetness but it welcomed even the sweetest biscuits and even cherry bakewell wasn't too much. Maple or blueberry flavours will bring the americano alive if you are looking to perk it up, however all in all it isn't asking for the extra sugar.

Overall the Konjo is a great drinker and highly recommended. Working better at full strength, the sweet and versatile bean is a reminder that Ethiopia sets a very high bar and this puts the Limmu region on the map as a coffee to remember.

If you've enjoyed the Konjo or have a bean or blend recommendation, please leave a comment and tell me about it. Don’t forget to like, favorite, share and subscribe to be kept up to date with future news and reviews.

In the 21st century we are drinking over two billion cups of coffee a day. I'm doing my part, are you?

Rich Italian from Taylors

Taylors Rich Italian

Hey everybody, what are you drinking? I'm Roger In Coffee and welcome to Coffee Cup.   This week I’d like to spill the beans on an off-the shelf brand ground coffee from Taylors.

The Rich Italian is a good offer from Taylors, and is readily available from supermarkets and local stores. It’s a blend of dark Brazilian and south American beans with an African content to balance it out and fill the flavour.

This is another one of their 100% Arabica coffees, and certified by the Rainforest Alliance. The rainforest alliance is an international non-profit who are working to maintain biodiversity, reduce environmental impact and work toward fairer economics.

The coffee came pre-ground in a package that will last several days, depending on how much you drink, and was fresh enough that it should last that time without going overly stale. You could probably extend its lifespan by a couple of days by taking care with a well sealed container too. You’ll notice the flavour start to drop off after a week if there is any left, so it’ll be up to you if you want to continue drinking or grab something fresh.

The opening Aroma is quite sweet, loads of mid tones and a lighter presence. It doesn't wholly fill the spectrum but it isn't overly earthy and is not stale. The grind is fairly even, and small grain size doesn't vary too much.

The first cup is Espresso, prepared as a two-shot in an Aeropress. Espresso suits this coffee really well. Its dark notes aren't overpowering and the smooth cacao of its Brazilian heritage gives way to a buttery mouth feel.  The finish doesn't stay beyond its welcome but lingers for a moment, staying quite dark before fading away.

At two-shot American the drink is a little light, so I’d recommend you keep this fairly strong and you’ll get a great hit from it. Again the dark chocolate notes are present but not as dominant here.

The opening kiss as it hits the tongue is still smooth but its buttery mouth-feel is replaced by a fresher and lighter sensation that carries through until the after-taste. Although the African nectar flavours are subtle, they are present and the extra water helps bring them to life.

I did manage to waste a cup with water that was too hot, and I found it easy to over extract which quickly produced a very pale crema and was more tart on the tongue which counteracted the buttery feel and I’d say this is a blend you want to be gentle with to get its rewards.

With its smooth buttery feel, this doesn't ask for much sweetening, and goes well with hazelnut. Don’t be afraid to break out the biscuits, but avoid anything that will overpower the palate and compete with the coffee. Think lotus, or vanilla wafers, or fresh cookies for a mid morning treat.

I found the Rich Italian wasn't quite as rich as something like a Viennese and being 100% arabica wasn't as Italian as a lot of coffees that are cut with robusta so I’d say this qualifies as an Italian inspired rather than Italian style coffee.  Nonetheless the strong espresso worked and I could well imagine sipping it in the plaza.

Taylors Italian blend comes out recommended, and should have broad appeal.

If you've enjoyed Taylors or have a bean or blend recommendation, please leave a comment and tell me about it. Don’t forget to like, favourite, share and subscribe to be kept up to date with future news and reviews.

In the 21st century we are drinking well over two billion cups of coffee a day. I'm doing my part, are you?

The Rainforest Alliance

www.rainforest-alliance.org

Taylors Group Yorkshire Rainforest project

yorkshirerainforestproject.co.uk/

Taylors Coffee

taylorscoffee.co.uk/blends/rich-italian/

La Fincona from Honduras

Hey everybody, what are you drinking? I'm Roger In Coffee and welcome to Coffee Cup. Today I’d like to spill the beans on this week's coffee highlight, La Fincona.

La Fincona comes from Honduras, a Central American country that borders the Caribbean sea and Pacific Ocean.  Honduras has a rich history of ancient Mayan civilisation but today we’ll be talking about its contemporary Arabica export. In the last five years Honduras has grown from a small fry to a big player in Central American coffee, has earned a name for high quality beans, and government backed initiatives have placed it firmly on the coffee map of the world.

This review is based on a 250g whole bean package from Pact Coffee, prepared as two-shot espresso and two shot americano using an Aeropress coffee maker.

Opening the bag reveals a fresh whole bean smell, dark but not overly earthy or bitter. The beans are high grade, and fairly even in size and colour with little variation. I’d say about one in ten beans is a shade darker and there were no beans outside of its colour range. This is important because it means it is a nice even roast.

The beans are pale, this is quite a light roast which is consistent with its aroma.  A lighter roast can be tougher to grind. If you are grinding by hand you’ll notice a little more resistance than normal but with a little perseverance you’ll get exactly the results you are after.

Once ground, the beans start to release a rich black cherry aroma that stays as the drink is prepared and poured.  As usual, I tasted two drinks for my first cupping. A two-shot espresso and a two-shot americano.  The espresso was closer to a shot-and-a-half as from the grind and smell I felt it shouldn't be served too strong, but I think you won’t have any problems if you prefer something with more punch.

The Espresso was very smooth, and La Fincona dances with flavour. It’s a rich black forest mouth feel, slightly tart but its sweetness is still dominant.  It tastes darker than you might expect, and a little earthy but not at all bitter. The high notes complement the mid cherry flavour from afar, providing a slightly sharp twist to the tail. Its finish is deceptively quick, and the drink fades without a long linger.

Served at americano strength the distinctive flavour is present and doesn’t give way very much. It is lighter and readily drinkable, but I found the reduction in intensity left it a little too pale. So against my initial judgement, I’d say this is best enjoyed slightly stronger than your regular brew whether you prefer espresso or americano.

With the tasting notes from the first cupping, I later tried a two shot ristretto. An Aeropress ristretto is really an under extracted espresso and comes will all of the disadvantages of that too. It can be a challenge to make well, and doesn't work with some beans.

This produces a short shot, an intense exaggeration of the espresso strength. The ristretto is more tart than the espresso, and it loses some of its fresh fruit feel. It was still one of the better ristrettos that I've made and I’d wager that a lot of the beans flavour comes from the hit you get out of the early extraction.

Lastly, a two shot long black was surprisingly good as well. The crema didn't white out entirely but was as pale as it gets, and all of the flavour was extracted. The drink didn't suffer from over extraction at all.  All of that sweetness was retained with a long pull and the drink stayed surprisingly robust. The whole drink is lighter and the dark tones gives way to the sweet flavours, the finish lingers longer and it still carries a little earthy feel.

With its deep flavour and short finish, La Fincona isn't screaming out for any accompaniment or sweetening.  Natural flavours like honey or maple will taste great but I’d advise to only use the smallest dash so you don’t compete on flavour. It really doesn't need sweetening though and I wouldn't recommend these.

Considering the sweetness, I did try carrot cake thinking the lighter flavours and walnuts may combine with the rich coffee but overall I was disappointed, and found myself unable to adjust to the juxtaposition without a palette cleanser. The sweet cake was too sweet and stole the show from the coffee, leaving it overly dark.

Shortbread, Lotus, or an almond pastry seem like good choices, but anything overly sweet seems to make the coffee feel too sour in comparison.

The long black is more versatile and a wider range of biscuits and flavours will compliment it, especially with its longer tail you can enjoy biscuits with more going on without overpowering the taste.

Overall La Fincona is going to come out well recommended, with an intense sweet feel that I wouldn't have expected from a Central American cup. Best enjoyed at a good strength, this is a juicy dark drinking coffee and really well suited to a morning pick-me-up or breakfast brew.

If you've enjoyed La Fincona or have a bean or blend recommendation, please leave a comment and tell me about it. Don’t forget to like, favorite, share and subscribe to be kept up to date with future news and reviews.

In the 21st century we are drinking well over two billion cups of coffee a day. I'm doing my part, are you?

La Fincona at Pact Coffee

https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffees/la-fincona

Pact with flavour

Hey everybody, what are you drinking?
I'm Roger In Coffee and welcome to Coffee Cup Extra!

Today I'd like to make a very quick bonus post about Pact Coffees pod kickstarter.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/600258854/the-best-coffee-youve-ever-made-now-in-a-pod

I've ordered a lot of coffee from Pact and I'm always been happy with their selection. Their kickstarter to make and distribute pod coffee for Nespresso style machines has recently broken its £20,000 funding goal, and with fifteen days to go it looks like it'll be a great success for them.

Sadly, some of the top-tier rewards are gone but there is still time to get in on the action and order some early bird pods.

I've never used a Nespresso machine, but this seems like the perfect excuse to buy one and try out their range of coffees - and of course it'll give me a great excuse to write about it on the blog.

So if you a Nespresso junkie, or just curious to hear how this turns out, remember to like, favourite, share and subscribe to Roger In Coffee and read all about it when I spill the beans.

In the twenty-first century we drink well over two billion cups of coffee a day.  I'm doing my part, are you?

Wallenford Estate from Jamaica Blue

Hey everybody, what are you drinking?
I'm Roger In Coffee and this week I'd like to give an honourable mention to Wallenford Estate coffee.

If this looks familiar, it's because it is a repost from my previous Roger In Technology Blog.

The Wallenford Estate review this week is based of off two cups of Wallenford long black, both purchased and consumed at a coffee shop local to me.

The long black was served as a 12oz cup, which is a good size for a double shot coffee. I used to enjoy it a little stronger but this is a good way to get the flavour. I take my coffee straight black, and while I never add sugar or syrup on the first cupping I will often pick something that goes well if it's a drink I will return to time and again.

The initial hit of the Wallenford was a little more acidic than I'd expected, not quite citrusy but certainly accompanied by some high notes. Drinking was smooth and easy and the body of flavour comes from its mid-tones, I found it very drinkable and the cup disappeared surprisingly quickly.

The overall palette is very mid-balanced, medium bodied coffee with few high notes and no great earthy flavours to drown out its almost buttery flavour.  If found it missing the sweet fruity, cherry, flavours I was hoping for and that part of the spectrum was surprisingly absent but its uncomplicated mid flavours were pleasant.

I will say there was a slight coffee-shop finish.  Filters in coffee shops often leave too much grit in the drink which does contribute toward a darker, more bitter finish to the cup than is otherwise fair. But even considering that the finish was fast and clean, and any lingering taste wasn't unpleasant.

My other critique would be the paler-than-expected crema typical of an over extraction. I'm not going to put too much into the colour of the crema, but darker is better and I find over extractions a little sharp and combined with the bitter body I think the preparation let the coffee down. Both of these are preparation artefacts that wouldn't be present if you made it at home and not inherent to the bean. Despite these points it was a very fast drinking cup and any bitterness was brief and mild.

I enjoyed shortbread with my second cup, which I thought would bring out the buttery sweetness and create a simple combo but I found the flavours clashed too much and didn't play to each other. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, just that it was far from the perfect combo I'd expected. The Wallenford is missing a nutty body, so think hazelnut balocco or hazel syrup if thats your style. I did leave thinking that a dark chocolate brazil would go well, but didn't have the chance to try the combination. To the coffee shops credit the cup was the correct radius for a stroopwaffle, and although I didn't indulge I'm sure every long black works well with the dutch delight.

I didn't manage to make my own Wallenford yet, and I think that the fine paper filter of an Aeropress would significantly improve its finish, and bolster its strength without sacrificing its smooth body. I'm going to guess that it's best enjoyed at an americano strength where it's uncomplicated butter feel will linger and be enjoyed.

Overall the Wallenford Blue Jamaica was a good cupping, and I enjoyed the drink despite the number of flaws I've presented here. I've tried to be fair and balanced, and while I have a personal preference for some of the light, cherry and fruity coffees of Africa the Wallenford was a good drink in its own right.  I wasn't blown away but I did really enjoy it.

Original post at Roger In Technology
http://www.roger-in-technology.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/thing-of-week-jamaica-blue-mountain.html

Jamacia Blue opening in Cambridge
http://www.jamaicablue.co.uk/news/jamaica-blue-opening-soon-lion-yard-shopping-centre-cambridge-2/

In the twenty-first century we drink well over two billion cups of coffee a day.  I'm doing my part, are you?

Roger In Coffee

Hey everybody what is going on?
I'm Roger in coffee and in this new blog I'll be talking about coffee news, beans, reviews, coffee shops, suppliers and the tools of the trade.

I've posted some coffee reviews before on my Roger In Technology blog but I decided it was time to get a bit more serious and dedicate some online space just to coffee.

In the meantime, here are a couple of links to previous posts about coffees

The Blue Mountain
http://rogerincoffee.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/wallenford-estate-from-jamaica-blue.html

Australian Skyberry
http://www.roger-in-technology.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/coffee-cup.html

Hawaiian Kona
http://www.roger-in-technology.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/taste-of-hawaii.html

Peruvian Altura 
http://www.roger-in-technology.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/bean-counter.html

If you have any requests, or would like to hear about a particular topic then drop me a line. Otherwise, grab a cup, sit back, and join the discussion on the worlds most loved drink.