Brewing Up The Grumpy Mule

Okay, I'll be honest. I've been lazy. Firstly, I haven't posted for a bit. Secondly, I still haven't gotten around to cupping those coffees I've gotten from the girlfriend. So, to make up for this, I'm going to brew up a french press, and I'm going to do it in two parts. The first part is going to be pre-tasting, the second post tasting.

Part One:
It's a pre-ground Rwanda Musasa from a roaster called Grumpy Mule. It is a Red Bourbon Arabica which 'tastes' "complex, sweetly scented with a lemony brightness". It is an Omni-grind, for french press, filter and percolators. Grumpy Mule is a British roastery, dedicated to fairtrade and organic coffees, and passionate about giving back to the farmers who grow their coffees. Okay, so that's the boring part. Now for the aroma :)

On opening the bag you're immediately hit by a sweet, fruity aroma. It was, admittedly, a little stale smelling, but it is pre-ground, so will never smell the same as the freshly ground espresso grind I've become used to behind the bar.

I've just plunged and poured the coffee, and right off the bar you can smell the sweet, citric aroma. So, onto the tasting!!!

Part Two:
First test, slurping a dessert spoon full. It's a bright, refreshing coffee, with a light acidity but great body; you can feel it, but it's not overpowering. The taste lingers at the back of throat, soon replaced by a wonderful citrus feel on the palette.

So, in conclusion, I'd have to recommend this coffee to anyone looking for a nice little french press for a warm day. Left to cool it really releases the lemony brightness the packaging advertises. If you have a grinder then try to get the whole bean, I can only imagine this coffee to be even better when freshly ground a week or so after roasting, but even the omni-grind is something lovely for those hot, humid days we get once in a blue moon on our little island.

Hope you found this helpful, and I look forward to doing more,
Seamus.