A Union Delivery, A Night With The Girlfriend And A Whole New Blogging Tool...

Hey guys!

Well, it's been a while, and I can only apologise for that. But, what I have lined up for you should hopefully make up for that. First things first, the 26th. Matt and I are running a coffee tasting 'experience' at Pumphrey's Cafe. We're looking at recording the audio and finding a way of letting you hear it. No promises, but we'll give it a go! And if you happen to be in the area, Newcastle, around the 26th September, places are limited to 15, and we're filling up pretty fast.

So what's up right now? Well, guess who got some nice, fresh Union micro lots? Oh yes...a good old Third Wave tasting. Unfortunately, Matt wasn't at work today, and our rotas don't match up this week, so this week you get the input of my lovely girlfriend and coffee widow, Kat. She;s not a coffee professional, but has taken to it as a hobby in a really satisfying way. My V60 and Skerton are usually at her flat, and she loves messing around with them. She listens (and actually takes in...) when I talk constantly about coffee science and the like. So, it's just us, tasting three wonderful coffees, all through a V60. So, let's dive right in!

So, firstly, which coffees do I have? Well, Union were nice enough to send me a washed Suki Quo Ethiopian Sidamo, a Mafalda Mokka, and a Costa Rican from San Juanillo.

First, Kat and I tasted the Sidamo. Straight away it hits you with a smooth body, and peach acidity. Behind that, giving a good, solid yet not overpowering mouthfeel were lovely chocolate tones. As the coffee cools, the apricot comes out, until it becomes the overriding flavour. Lovely complexity, with a developing flavour profile. One of the best coffees I've had in a while.

This was, however, quickly overshadowed by our next coffee. The Mafalda Mokka proudly tells us of it's bergamot and vanilla flavours on the packaging., Now, for those of you who know me, I have a very sweet tooth. infact, the only reason I'm in the coffee industry is because of my love of hot chocolate and, importantly, vanilla syrup. This coffee does what it says on the bag; a bergamot opening with a vanilla hint. Great coffee, nice flavour, medium body and a lasting mouthfeel. Then it cools, and that vanilla hint becomes a vanilla syrup, with the bergamot moving into the background. The Dairy Milk tones in the coffee begin to give a faintly syrupy sensation, which coupled with the vanilla tastes like a flavoured coffee, in a nice way.

Finally, the San Juanillo. A honey sweetness with a red berry top note. It has a bright, lemon like acidity, and a flavour I simply couldn't put my finger on. Kat and I sat and chatted about it for a bit, and we came up with strawberry. It's not quite the right descriptor, but it's as close as we could come, and it gives the right idea; a lovely, sweet, bright fruit with bags of acidity.

All in all, three very nice coffees, and three I'd recommend you try out. My favourite was probably the San Juanillo, if only because I have simply never tasted anything with that particular strawberry like flavour. The Mokka, however, is a very close second (as a side note, this is the second time I've tasted all three together. The first time the the Sidamo rocked my world, and the other two were simply nice, smooth coffees. All for the sake of a few days degassing)

Last thing before I go, I have a new blogging tool. Meet my new iPad and bluetooth keyboard! The upshot of this is that I can now blog from work, from Kat's house, wherever. So hopefully I should be far more regular than I have been since I started up again.

Cheers guys, it's been a pleasure as always. Now, a Punk IPA and planning tomorrow's blog (hopefully...).

Seamus.