Brazilian Carmo de Minas Nespresso shots

Brazilian Carmo de Minas Nespresso shots

Hey everybody what are you drinking? I’m Roger in Coffee and welcome to my Coffee Cup blog. Today I’d like to spill the beans with an update on the Pact Pod kickstarter, with a double-bill review of both the hardware and coffee.

To keep you up to date, Pact coffee have recently started producing coffee pods compatible with Nespresso machines. Colour me interested. Nespresso machines have a loyal following and because it’s something I’ve never tried I decided to jump right in and commit to a rack of forty pods - twenty espresso and twenty long shots.

For the transatlanticans, Nespresso is a branded K-Cup pod. They are small plastic cups with a few grams of coffee, and sealed with a foil cap. I’ve avoided disposable machines like this because of the waste they create and they just feel like a gimmick but this seemed like the perfect opportunity to try them out and make up my own mind.

The machine I’ve chosen is the Krups Pixie, a small footprint machine with a removable tank that provides short or long shot operation. I think the colour of mine is “Titanium”, which I’m guessing is a Chrome-Manganese alloy stainless steel, but the machine is also available in striking scarlet or a variety of hues to suit your decor. Overall, the side panels look easy to remove and refit so giving yours a splash of custom colour is not so difficult.

True to their word Pact Coffee have delivered the goods and my box of shots arrived in the post at the start of the year. So the two coffees I’ll be cupping are the espresso and long shots from the kickstarter. Both are the Carmo de Minas from Brazil, the accompanying letter claims the region has the perfect altitude, soil and rain for growing coffee.

Carmo is an area of Minas in Southeast Brazil. It sits just shy of the coast where the landscape transitions from hills to mountains giving the coffee growers a range of conditions for growing. While the area is famous for the beauty of the mountains, just for today we’ll be taste tourists of this wonderful landscape.

So let's dive right into to the coffee! The short shots produced in the nespresso machines have a thick crema. It’s a typical mid crema colour, you can see it slightly lighten during the extraction as you’d expect. The drink doesn’t have a strong aroma - it smells of coffee but doesn’t overpower.

The first sip is quite impressive, it’s clearly everything you’d expect from Brazil. Surprisingly smooth, the Carmo has an immediate earthy feel in the mouth. It’s not the sharp darkness from a deep french roast but without seeing the beans I’d guess “well done” rather than “medium rare” The sweetness from the Carmo is a dark, caramelised sugar complementing the bass notes.

Typical of Brazil, this dark flavour dominates the experience and carries on to a lingering aftertaste once the shot is done. I’d say it overstayed it’s welcome a little and I’d recommend sweetening the shot or consider adding a touch of milk or foam to quell its bold flavour. After a few experiments, I’m adding a tiny touch of honey to the shot after it’s pulled.

My first impressions of the Carmo were that it is quite strong - I’m not set up to titrate or otherwise measure the caffeine content but I did register the effect. I’m accustomed to strong coffee and didn’t expect two or three shots to register on the scale but was pleasantly surprised by the strength of the short shots. Because of its darkness, and the hit, I’m feeling the Carmo as a good morning drink.  

The lungo pods are similar to the shorts. The initial intake isn’t as dry and earthy so it’s more gentle if you aren’t looking for such an intense hit. The lungo shots open up the hints of caramel sweetness - it’s still not a sweet drink, but that dark caramel comes out of hiding here. The body if the flavour is the same and it carries the same aftertaste but overall I found the long shots a bit underwhelming. Maybe the mouth feel is a little drier, maybe my machine is supplying too much water, I’m not sure. Overall I just didn’t rate the long pod as highly as the shorts.

It’s also possible to draw a long shot from a short pod, and ristretto the long pods with reduced water. I didn’t find either of these two options hit the spot, and I’m not going to recommend going against the grain.

Carmo de Minas, short shot Americano.

Next on my list was a black Americano made with the Carmo short shot. The drink didn’t gain much here, and it’s well suited to the stronger strengths. I found that it wasn't a super drinkable combination as the earthy balance became too dry and the caramel character was lost. Overall if you are after a more delicate taste, honey or milk foam will go a long way rather than just water. If you are after an Americano, definitely start with two short shots. One just isn't enough.

Short Shot in the aeropress.

To establish a basis for comparison, the pods can be carefully opened with a peeling knife and the ground coffee extracted. The grinds are very fine and not suitable for all coffee makers. I opened two pods and emptied the contents into an aeropress, using enough hot water to make up a double espresso drink.

The aeropress preparation tastes very similar to the nespresso machine. I’d say I over extracted a fraction and the aeropress result was more similar to the long shot than the short, with much of the initial bitterness tempered by hints of dark caramelised sugar. Like the pods, the long aftertaste is dry and dark which could put some drinkers off.

It’s worth saying I’m very impressed by how similar the Aeropress and Nespresso performed here - I really didn’t expect the machine to rival the smooth, even results of the Aeropress. I can see how the Nespresso machines have earned such a loyal following. If it wasn’t for the additional plastic waste, i’d recommend the Krups Pixie pod based machine in a shot.

I’d say the Carmo de Minas works well as a morning coffee, and don’t be afraid to go to town at the patisserie - a Pecan slice, or almond croissant, and this coffee will make a great breakfast. The pastry will give it a surface to sit on and complement the mouth feel and the extra sugar will bring it alive and add some zest to that dry finish.

After drinking many of the pods, I’m really preferring the short pods. I can’t really put my finger on why. I suspect the long shots are destined for the Aeropress. Overall, I’m surprised with the quality of coffee from the nespresso machine which I’d always ignored as a gimmick. It’s a button-press operation that delivers a coffee better than most high-street drinks you’ll find.

Pact Coffee

https://www.pactcoffee.com/about

Nespresso
https://www.nespresso.com

Krups Pixie
http://www.krups.co.uk/pixie-stainless-steel

Aeropress from Aerobie

http://www.aeropress.co.uk/

Brazilian Planalto

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 the Planalto from Brazil.

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

The Planaltos espresso has an initial berry hit that is a little sharp, like cherries that are still a fraction pink and this contrast adds to the complexity and fills out the flavour.  The main flavour is deep and booming but not overly earthy.  There aren’t many apparent floral, honey, high notes. The Planalto is all about the bass. The aftertaste is short, and fades away leaving you wanting more.

I always like to try an Americano with a new coffee. Often some of the subtle character is overpowered by the espresso and adding water can reveal higher flavours and bring the drink to life.

At americano strength I also found the Planalto very drinkable, there are small peaks in the flavour but nothing that overpowers the senses. I found I prefered a strong americano which I made by adding just a dash of hot water to the espresso rather than filling a cup, but the weaker drink didn’t suffer and a 10 or 12 oz Americano will work just fine.

The Crema remained dark for all of the regular drinks I made, which might suggest I was under extracting slightly.

Cold Filtering made a great drink, and added to the strength without creating a bitter finish. In a cold filter, you will use a coarser grind and the drink to brew slowly. I actually used warm water - around 45’C (113’F) - but you can go down to room temperature or below if you want to. I found the aftertaste flatter and lasted longer, which wasn't entirely objectionable but didn't add enough for me to push a hard-sell on cold filtering.

In an unusual twist I enjoyed the espresso with some delicious smoked chorizo, and following that can recommend the Planalto as a breakfast coffee.  If you are looking for sweet rather than savory, woody flavours like hazelnut or almond will subtly bolster its strengths. I expected to be able to bring up the top end with a dash of vanilla but I found that it flattened the flavour out and the aftertaste it added didn’t do it justice. Always follow your nose and pick flavours that hit the spot.

Since the Planalto is a mix of subtle flavours, it’s a great drinker that doesn’t overpower the palate and accepts a lot of flavours. I’d expect all of your favorite coffee biscuits or wafers to work well and while anything too creamy will cut into its flavour it’ll manage a range of cakes too.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Planalto. I’d expected to find it overly flat and earthy but was pleased it had such a fruity body. It was a great drinker that you can have easily in large portions.

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

Aeropress steel filter

Aeropress steel filter

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 the Aeropress steel filter from Home Revolution.

The Aeropress from Aerobie is one of the cheapest and most effective coffee machines you will ever have the pleasure to use and produces reliable espresso coffee shot after shot. Keeping stocked with paper filters is easy enough, and they are available in the hundreds from your coffee stockist however I wanted to try the alternative steel gauze I saw that disposes of the need for paper.

I washed the filter before first use, but didn't rinse quite as well as I should have and some detergent residue made it into my cup which just destroyed my first impressions.  Following a paranoid rinse of everything in warm water I was ready for take two, and my second first impressions were good and the results were everything I was expecting.

The steel gauze performs just as well as the paper filters do. It’s difficult to say for sure but I didn’t detect any difference in the coffee. I’ll keep switching between paper and steel in future weeks so I can confirm or deny this conclusion.

Second impressions on the steel filter were mixed. The Aeropress is really designed for disposable, biodegradable, paper filters that you can pop into the waste along with the puck of grounds in one simple movement.  The Aeropress scores high points on hygiene and convenience for how slick this process is.

The steel filter changes that, interrupting your movement with the need to gently remove the filter from the puck before disposing of it and then the filter demands immediate attention to rinse it out and place it on the side for drying.

While paper filters can be rinsed, dried, and reused several times - and you may meet connoisseurs who rinse their paper filters before use - the general practice is to dispose of them.

The steel gauze is incredibly fine and seems like it’s a perfect substitute for paper. One thing is that it feels really delicate and you probably have to be pretty careful when washing it otherwise you could stretch or damage it. Even rinsing under the tap I was super gentle with it because I didn't want to deform it before its first outing. This could be a long term consideration for the steel filter if it takes a lot of punishment and mine already has a small mark on it from where I applied too much pressure.

The steel filter costs about as much as a thousand paper filters, and while it might survive a thousand uses I'm not sure it’ll take that much rinsing and washing unless you really do take care of it.  Holding it in the plastic cap for the rinse should let enough water through without putting it in too much trauma.

Taking these downsides - minor as they are - into account, I don’t see myself switching from paper to steel for general home and office use, but I'm definitely pleased with the steel filter.

It might be that the more I use it, the more I like it, but the extra care and cleaning it adds kind of goes against the quick and easy operation of the aeropress.

The Steel filter will be great as a backup, and especially as a travel option it’s the way to go. Carrying one steel filter on the road is hugely preferable to carrying half a dozen paper filters and knowing there is a steel filter available at home means running out of filters is no longer a problem.

Likewise the steel filter could be a good choice for the outdoors - camping, hiking, or fishing trips - where a few grinds might bio-degrade but you don’t want to litter the camp-site with used paper filters that can get dug up by animals.

In conclusion, I’d recommend having a steel filter, even if you don’t use it every day. It’s small enough that it doesn’t take up any space. It can sit at the bottom of your paper stack so you know where it is and you will always have a filter to hand. It’s absolutely perfect if you are on the road, or there is an earthquake and your house floods and ruins your paper filters. At least you can still make a top-notch coffee.

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

Aeropress from Aerobie

aerobie.com/product/aeropress/

Stainless steel coffee filter from Home Revolution at Amazon

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0063SL2TQ/ref=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1

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?

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