Third Wave UK

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

2011-09-13T23:25:00.001+01:00

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.

E-Mail, Twitter, And A Bitter Aftertaste...

2011-08-18T00:50:00.003+01:00

Hey guys. Today's post is one I've been trying to post for a couple of days now. Technology problem? No. I just seriously underestimated the topic I'm going to be discussing. To be honest, what was originally going to be an in-depth look at the chemistry of coffee is increasingly becoming more of a discussion. If you know more about coffee chemistry, or chemistry in general, than I do, drop me an e-mail and let me know what you think of this post. Correct me if you can, please. If you don't know anything about chemistry, let me know if I've explained it well at all. Cheers guys.

Here we go.

Have you ever wondered why coffee tastes bitter? Have you, like me, gone looking for an answer, finding that caffeine is a naturally bitter substance? Has a barista ever told you that overextraction pulls out too much caffeine, which makes it more bitter?

I told my customers this for coming up to four years, believing every word. Until I read an article of Sweet Maria's (I'll post the link at the end). The article was on coffee chemistry and freshness, and contained so much actual chemistry that I needed to spend two days teaching myself bits and pieces just to understand it. Caffeine, it turns out, is in too low a concentration to affect the taste of coffee all that much. Bitterness is, for good or bad, contributed by the presence of Chlorogenic Acid Lactones (CALs from here on in), derived from chologenic acids, and Multiply Hydroxylated Phenylindanes. CALs are the predominant polyphenol in green coffee. So what's a polyphenol? It's a structural class of natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic organic material, characterised by the presence of large multiples of phenol units. Great. So what's a phenol? It's a class of chemical compound directly linked to an aromatic hydrocarbon group. The term aromatic refers to their generally sweet aroma.

When the green beans are roasted, two things happen.

The phenolic acids (such as CAL) break down into di- and trihydroxybenzenes. These are aromatic compounds which are in turn classed as phenols.

The acids epimerise (they become epimers...I couldn't find a simple description of what an epimer was, so please guys, let me know) and dehydrate to give various lactones that provide a pleasent, 'coffeelike' bitter quality.

If the roasting continuesthe lactones break down and form 4-vinylcatehol as a highly reactive intermediate. This is a highly energetic molecule which breaks down very quickly into a more stable molecule, in the case Multiply Hydroxylated Phenylindanes. These yield a lingering, harsh bitterness, almost always associated with over-roasted coffee.

That, unfortunately, is all I know. I hope it's been of some help, and if anyone has any further details, feedback, etc, let me know. It's what the e-mail and Twitter accounts are for :) Quiz me, make me go and search for things. Keep me busy. All the contact details are to the right hand side of the window, at the top. Hope to speak soon. Oh, and if you thought this helped, tell your friends.

Cheers guys

Seamus.

(http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee_chemistry/tweaking_coffee_flavor_chem.html)

Shadows Of The Past, Happenings Of The Present, And Rumblings Of The Future...

2011-08-13T22:10:00.002+01:00

Well, first things first, this Rule Of Three I use in my titles? Not always easy.

So, first things first; the past. Coffee back when I started Third Wave was a very different animal to what it is now. Maybe it was just my perspective on it, but way back when, coffee seemed to far less defined. Finding exact definitions of what drinks were, how to brew coffee, or even what was happening when coffee was brewing was difficult. Yes, it's still niche, but things like brew ratios and extraction yields were incredibly difficult to find when I first started out. Even social media, blogs, forums, etc were difficult to find. The times I did find people talking, there was very little about filter, and certainly little to do with the science of it.

Now? Well, Coffee Forums UK has grown massively since my last visit, with a healthy cross section of home baristi and professionals. It's difficult to search for coffee without finding a blog, a book or a forum, and with people like the guys at Tamper Tantrum putting out great podcasts, filled with really, really geeky knowledge, education is getting easier and easier. The public even seems more open. Looks like all those crap newspaper articles about 'speciality coffee' might have had some kind've affect.

So what does that mean for us? (If you're reading this, I assume you're a geek (or have just been directed here...probably by me), but if you're not, I apologise, because this probably won't apply to you. Please, bear with me though) We need to capitalise. Grab people's attention, make coffee accessible, appealing, make things like V60s and Aeropresses the go-to home barista kit, rather than Gaggia super-autos. Down South, I know people are doing a great job, but up North we're fighting a good, hard battle. Cuppings, latte art jams, free or at least cheap barista courses, evenings where people can come along, get in cheap, taste a load of coffees and be taught something about them. You'd be amazed how many people's eyes actually light up when you tell them what a bloom is.

So; the future. Well, for Third Wave, I'd like to develop something of a local feel. Every blog in existence tells us everything about Square Mile, the London Coffee Scene, the SCAE, etc. Newcastle has some great cafes and some great baristi, and soon, I hope, some really, really good events. That'll be my job. Which is where my other bit of news comes in...

I'd like to welcome a new writer. Dane, unfortunately, is no longer part of the coffee industry. Just so that you don't get sick and tired of my rantings, I've gotten someone on board to replace him, someone with a huge passion not only for coffee, but also for tea and (this one seems almost unhealthy...) bread; sour bread in particular. His name is Matt Pickering, and he's an awesome guy. He's been a barista for 11 weeks, and knows far more about certain things than I do. He's a very quick learner, and has a lot to teach me (and hopefully you). From what I gather (I don't hold a very tight leash on my writers...except quiet editorial control :p), he plans to do a Barista 101 in a series of articles as he reads a couple of very good books on the science of coffee. I, for one, can't wait.

Hope that's enough for now. Sometime soon I'll be posting a couple of tastings (got a Monsooned Malabar and La Ilusion from HasBean, as well as a couple of Union microlots, stuff like that), but until then, happy hunting (...for people to educate, turn into coffee geeks...go be metaphorical vampires!).

Seamus.

A New Job, A New Passion, And A Few Thanks.

2011-08-11T22:52:00.003+01:00

Here we go again. Back into the world of the obsessive coffee geek. So, what's happened in the two and a half years since my last post? Well, I stopped caring. For many reasons, frankly. It went from being the love of my life, to a job, to something I hated more than anything else in the world, to being something I did to keep petrol in the tank. I stayed at Coolaboola throughout, doing my job to a varying degree. I was promoted to head barista, then bumped down to senior barista because I was so regularly late. My latte art soared to heights I never imagined during my competition days, then deteriorated again. So I looked for a new job. I even looked at buying a friend's business, and running my own coffee shop. In the end, Pumphrey's advertised for jobs, and now I work for them as a line barista.

A new passion? At Coolaboola, we did a great job. We served great coffee, we prepared our milk well, and we had a passion. But the majority of it, I've since discovered, was guess work. We did it right, but didn't know how or why. And hell, a lot has changed since my last post. The first major difference is my attitude towards preparation. At 'Boola, when dialing in a grind, we kept running shots until they ran to about 21 seconds. Now? Now I have to take into account coffee dose, grind size, grind time, brew weight, TDS, contact time, etc, etc. I care about temperature stability, and the effect of temperature on extraction rates. I actually understand the term extraction yield (a phrase I'd never even heard of), and MojoToGo is one of my favourite coffee toys. I love coffee again, and I want to know everything I can. I want to learn how to fix machines, what acids and lipids make up green coffee, the perfect brew ratio for every coffee that Pumphrey's sells...I take every chance I get to play with the Uberboiler. Hell, I've kicked off Third Wave again.

So, my thanks. Well, first of all, a huge shout out to Ru and Lu. You hired a 19 year old lad who hated coffee because I was the best of a truly appalling bunch. I hope (and without wanting to blow my own trumpet, I think I did) I made a difference, and I really do thank you for getting me into this world. Without coffee, who knows what I'd be doing. Something crap, probably. I'd have never met some of my favourite people, and I can't imagine my life without hands stained brown from ground coffee. I don't think it's much of an exaggeration to say that I owe who I am now to you both. Cheers. Oh, and poke Maisie-Boo's cheeks for me and Kat.

Secondly, Stuart Lee Archer for being the geekiest SOB alive. And for buying Ubers. I have a passion now that I didn't have a year ago, and it's a passion I'm desperate (as he may have noticed...) to share. Many thanks for the chance...now, onto UKBC!

Thirdly, everyone I've worked with. I know it's not always easy, but thanks for not punching me. Congrats to Ace, who pipped me to the post (by a good few lengths) in getting Union's Northern Trainer job. When I stopped caring, he really started. He is a tremendous barista, and I wish him the best of luck. I also hope to see him at competition, and if I don't I'll be asking why. You've been warned Ace! Also, best of luck to James Andrews. An amazing barista from down south (and up north...he lived in Glasgow while at Uni), who is opening his second shop. Hope this one goes well, and I'll make sure when to pop in! And I won't forget Leeks, Russell, Ben, Richie, Sam, Dane and all the guys I work with at Pumphrey's.

Fourthly, Kat. My girlfriend of two and a half years, we started going out in January, as I prepped for competition in February. She's seen every stage of my life in coffee, or at least every stage of my passion, and has been a supportive coffee widow from the start. I love her to bits, and in fact am writing this on her laptop, in her flat, drinking a Monsooned Malabar that she made with my V60. It's lovely. And she listens to me go on about coffee, and even picks it up herself. I will have her converted, and it isn't even taking that much effort.

So what are my plans for the future of Third Wave? Well, I want it to be more scientific. I want it to, in part, chart what I learn, try to pass my knowledge on to other people. I'll also continue with cup tastings, local events, stuff like that. Hopefully it'll be half decent.

Well, speak soon. And thanks for reading. Without you guys, I'm just some idiot throwing stuff out into the void.

Seamus

A Quick Update, Yet Another Apology, And Some Great News...

2009-02-18T22:44:00.002Z

Well, today was the UKBC Northern Heat. My heat. The reason I haven't really been posting...at all. But, all my preperation was for...well...nothing. I screwed up my espresso, cappuccino, and burned the chocolate sauce for my sig drink. But I came fourth! Awesome! And now I know how to kick arse next time!

But yes, sorry about the delay to the Birmingham write up. It's half written, and now I should have time to finish it. That will be done soon, hopefully. Again, very sorry, but I'll have it done very soon.

Also, I have a new video on the site! Katie (a local barista) and I were interviewed for BBC Look North. The news piece is here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7897383.stm

Hope you enjoy!

Post soon,
Seamus.

Second Time Lucky On The Title...Oh, And An Update...

2009-02-11T23:07:00.002Z

It's 6:27 am. It's cold. I can see my breath condense before my very eyes. I'm waiting at Durham train station for my ticket to Birmingham. I have a Costa double ristretto (do I ever learn?), and a cheese and ham toastie. Slipknot is playing very loudly, and I think the guy at the table opposite disapproves.

I'm headed for the Midlands Regional heat of the 2009 UKBC, partly to cheer on my good friend Chris Weaver, partly to be the first blog (to my knowledge) to do a write up of this year's comp. Mostly though it's to rip every screed of info I can in preparation for my own heat inn a weeks time.

The upshot of this, however, is that I can get back into blogging with a minimum of pain. I should probably apologise for not posting in over a month, but I have been tremendously busy, and the last thing I've wanted to do is take my job home with me. I was recently made Head Barista at Coolaboola, which includes writing up a training manual. We also took on a new barista. Some of you will already know him; Richard O'Connor, or RJames as those on CoffeeForums will know him. I'll post on his development as a barista (and mine as a barista trainer) at a later date, but suffice to say he's coming on brilliantly, even in the face of my training.

The two main reasons I've ignored Third Wave, however are both very simple. Competition has terrified me, and I got bored. Doing coffee day in, day out is fantastic, but coming home and blogging about it does get tiresome. After Christmas, with my competition preparation ramping up (at least in theory), Third Wave became nothing more than a distraction at best. So I knocked it on the head for a month. Now I hope to resurrect it.

Today I hope to put out two posts. This one, and a full run-down of the Midland's regional. One thing I've noticed as a competitor is a lack of any real information on what to expect. Aside from a few conversations with Stuart Lee Archer (of Pumphrey's Coffee, the host of the Northern Heat), I know almost nothing about the comp, except that it won't be a lot like Copenhagen was. So by the end of today I hope to be able to tell you the grinder which is provided, the layout of the competition, what the atmosphere was like, and much more besides. I'll also do my best to write up the competitors, so don't expect anything like a short post. Then again, when have I been known to write short posts? You love it really.

Anyway, I'll dash. Need to read through the Pro Barista Handbook and rip what I need for the Coolaboola manual lol.

Chat soon,
Seamus.

2009 And A Much Needed Cup o' Joe...

2009-01-04T14:43:00.002Z

So, New Year has been and gone, and 2009 is upon us. With it comes the Common Grind podcast (something I have still not had time to listen to), and James Hoffmann's 2009 predictions. After getting 4/5 right last year (by public opinion...I still think it was 4.5), I'm very interested in seeing how he does this year, especially as regards the WBC and his grinder prediction.

So, what of me? Well, as we speak I've had two hours of sleep out of thirty, and today is my last day off work. So of course, it's now that I've chosen to taste the first of my Christmas coffees...well...write it up anyway. I'm tasting the Brazil Inglaterra Toca Da Onca Canario 2008 Crop. Whew...every Brazil I taste always has a fe'k off long name...

Anyway, today I'll be using a pour over. I've been following Mr. Hoffmann's advice (see the Square Mile or JimSeven blogs), but I up dose slightly. Today I'm using 20g to 300ml water, with a medium grind (literally halfway along on my Starbucks Barista grinder). The smell of it brewing is amazing. There's a really tropical, yeasty and heavy aroma.

Before I taste this, I'll be honest. At the moment my mouth feels like rat crawled in there and died. Just in case I do taste nothing but coffee, I do have Steve Leighton's notes for reference lol. So. In the cup the tropical fruit shines through, a refreshing change from the zesty citrus I've become used to. This coffee has a great mouth feel that stays with you, and compliments the boozy, chocolate finish.

My favourite thing about this coffee is it's blend of fruity flavours, while retaining an almost earthy texture and body. After my last foray into a Brazilian coffee I'll be honest, I wasn't sure I'd be a fan of this, but I was wrong, I love it. A robust enough coffee to get you up in the morning, but with delicate enough flavours to be interesting.

Another thing about this coffee, according to Steve it works wonderfully as an espresso, where the acidity and pineapple, in his words, smack you around the head. It's something I'll be trying if I can get my hands on a machine, so I'll let you know how that goes.

But of course, like I said, my mouth feels awful. For a more in depth cupping, check out the Common Grind podcast (see above for link) where Chris Weaver and his companion Ash Porter will make a much better effort of than I. They're both fantastic cuppers, and have much better palates than I. If you haven't already, check out the podcast and the blog. I promise you won't regret it.

Anyway, I should probably get out of my dressing gown and do something other than drink one of the best coffees roasted last year. Cheers for reading. 2008 was a better year than I could possibly have hoped for, and Third Wave seems to be doing well despite my best efforts lol.

Anyway, here's to another great year, and may all your endeavours be prosperous.

Seamus.

Scared Shitless By The Steady March Of Time...Oh, And A Happy Christmas...

2008-12-30T23:14:00.002Z

So, it's nearly 2009...and therefore nearly time for competition heats...crap...so, to date I've had one real practice run through, and used the San Remo machine for twenty minutes...I've done fe'k all on my Sig drink except buy glasses and screw up my one attempt at them. So, tonight ladies and gentlemen, you find me brewing up all manner of concoctions...grinding up cinnamon sticks by hand while trying to boil a syrup without burning the cinnamon already in there...and type this at the same time.

So what is my sig drink? Why do I need syrups? Why don't I brew them there and then? Simple; one less thing to do. The reason I'll give though is that in order not to burn the spices they need to be simmered over a long period rather than boiled quickly. Sounds alright...doesn't it? As for what my sig drink is, it's a spiced mocha. The base of this is Union's Revelation espresso blend, with it's cherry opening, zesty acidity and spicy chocolate/caramel finish, combined with a cinnamon and a cardamom syrup. The theory is that the cinnamon will give the sweet spice flavour as well as a wonderful aroma, while the cardamom adds the middle note while contributing to the aroma. This is how it is working out in my head. No doubt tomorrow it'll all go tits up and I'll cry.

To make my drink a mocha, I am obviously using chocolate as well. This will be based on a chocolate I already know goes well with the Revelation; a single source chocolate from Hotel Chocolat. It has a fantastic dark chocolate taste, with a hint of caramel; exactly what my spiced mocha needs...again, this is in my head.

As an aside, I'm very sorry that my Christmas post is taking so long to get out. I've been very busy lately so I hope you'll forgive me. However, by ways of an apology, tomorrow night I'll post a series of tastings of the Hasbean coffees I got for Christmas, as well as a review of the Gaggia Classic-Starbucks Barista Grinder combo I was using on Christmas day.

Back to the work at hand. I'm going to be honest, I am no cook. I've been making this syrup now for half an hour, and I'm scared to take it off the heat in case it's not quite ready and I bollocks up all this time. But, who dares wins, so off it has come.

Anyway, rather than bore you with a play-by-play account of me screwing up a simple syrup, I'll just take you through the rest of my comp. stuff.

My coffee is, as said before, Revelation. I use this every day at work and know it inside out. Or at least I thought I did until I took the producer notes and actually tasted the coffee. Be it stress, or a new-found palatte, but the coffee really came to life. I now have a full page of notes on it that I need to condense into a 30 second speech. My milk, well, I'm cheap so it's gonna be Cravendale. Besides, I love the creamy heaven that is a Cravendale-made capp. And I know from past experience it works wonderfully with Revelation. Music? Well, this one's been the thing I've really focussed on. I wanted something I love to work to, which the crowd could get into, and which made me feel confident.

When it comes to competition music, Steven Morrissey really stands out. His music had EVERYONE on their feet. I even spent three months trying to find out what it was. I aimed for that with my music. My first instinct was to use The Go! Team. They're the official band of Coolaboola, and I love them to bits. Great to work to. I had a playlist together, and was listening to it non-stop, running through my presentation in my head. Then, last week, my iPod cracked out a fantastic tune by a band called the Players. Imagine modern, funky jazz. They remind me of my Mod tendencies, and make me feel more relaxed and confident. It's also something I can really get into a groove to, and I hope the crowd share my enthusiasm for them.

So, this post is already very long. I'll let you get back to your lives. See you tomorrow!

A very scared Seamus.

The 50th Post, A New Tamp Handle, And Plaing With A New Grinder...

2008-12-20T10:58:00.003Z

The 50th post! Whoop! Pity it's taken me so long to get it out, but I've been really very busy recently. However I do have a lot of very good news. Firstly, I received a very big order from Hasbean. It includes the Christmas espresso blend, the Christmas filter blend, the COE espresso blend, four different Hasbean loose leaf teas, and the Christmas roast selection pack. All of these coffees will be tasted before Christmas, and posted up here. I'll also be tasting the teas, as something a little bit different. Never played with loose leaf tea before, so it could be very interesting.

In other news, I have a new toy, which is also part of the Wish List. It's the Reg Barber Radical Pro. This is specifically aimed at anybody with larger hands. The Pro fits perfectly into the hand and eases the strain on the palm that shorter handles sometimes cause. Beautifully made it looks fantastic as well, and is a must have for the barista with big hands.

Now for an equipment review. Well, actually more like a first look. The Starbucks Barista Grinder. Coming in at £60 this grinder is one of the cheapest burr grinders I've seen on the market. The first time I really heard about it (apart from seeing it every now and again when I went in for a coffee...I was desperate) was when Ace (a co-worker) bought one for home use. He seems to have had no problems with it so far, and needing a new grinder I bought one up.

To look at, it's great. It's sturdy, the hopper is easily large enough for a 250g bag of beans and it grinds directly into a small box at the base of the grinder. My only gripe is that it doesn't have an on-off button, only a timer on the side which is set in six second intervals. More about this later though.

So, first use. I got out some old beans (the Kenya Gethumbwini, actually, from the last batch of Hasbean coffees I got...in October), and tested the grind. The grind is easily changed, with a series of steps, with the three major grind settings marked on. These are espresso, percolator and french press. The french press grind was even, and more course than the Union pre-ground coffee I had lying around. The espresso grind was very fine, possibly even moving towards a Turkish coffee grind, and had a small amount of clumping. The percolator grind is half way between these two grinds, and there are plenty of smaller settings between the two extremes to ensure the perfect grind for your coffee.

As for the actual grinding itself, it's quieter than any grinder I've used before, and so won't be too much of a pain when trying to get through a hangover. The static is acceptable, and much more so than the Mahlkonig K30 Vario I used recently. Not bad for a grinder £740 cheaper. The timer problem also isn't that bad, so long as you don't mind standing around. If you turn the timer dial a little it grinds, but doesn't engage the timer, allowing you to stop grinding when you want.

Now, downsides. Well, on my first use of the grinder my only real problem with it is that the hopper lid rattles about a bit while grinding. Even this isn't much of a problem if you're standing around holding the timer anyway; just put your hand on the lid to make sure it stays in place. But, like I say, I've only used the grinder once, and will put up another, more detailed review, later on.

So, till then, I'll say my goodbyes.

Till next time,
Seamus.

Stone Cold Sober, But Here For The Wishlist

2008-12-13T23:34:00.002Z

Damnit. I was meant to be out tonight with a friend, but alas, it snowed, and I live on a hill that the council doesn't grit. Damnit.

So, anyway, I'm here with you, and that's better anyway :D

So, what's next on the Wishlist? Good question. It's the Motta steaming pitcher. It's essentially a straight walled milk pitcher, but with a belled bottom and a button in the bottom. These two features help the circulation of the milk, making it easy for even the newest barista to create the perfect milk, and the elongated spout allows for beautiful latte art. The heavier weight and thicker steel make the jug feel tremendously comfortable. All in all a wonderful jug, second only to the Alessi in my opinion.

And that's all from me for tonight. I'll be off to mess about on xBox live (which would be a Wish List item, but it's not really coffee-related) and drink Martini.

Cheers y'all,
Seamus.

Cascara.

2008-12-12T21:30:00.002Z

So, my first test. Was I right to recommend you buy something I hadn't tried? Well, yeah, because it was as much a lesson in what coffee really is as anything else. So, did tasting Cascara challenge my thoughts on coffee, and what coffee was? Or was it simply a coffee novelty, in the same vein as Kopi Luwak?

To answer this I'm going to break this post down into three parts; my first tasting, Ru's first tasting, and Ace's first tasting.

So, my first tasting. On opening the bag I was greeted with the most floral, woody, winey, blackcurrent aromas I have ever experienced in a coffee. Intregued I measured out eight grams and threw it into a french press. This is where my problems with the Cascara began. It smells horrible when it's brewing. Every person I have offered a cup has agreed, the wet Cascara is repulsive. Four minutes later, I plunged the cherries to the bottom of the french press and poured. The aroma is much the same as the dry cherries, but with much more blackcurrent. In the cup it even tastes like a very weak, hot Ribena. There were also floral notes, a definate peat flavour, and some chocolate towards the end. Having said this, I had already been put off, and didn't enjoy the coffee at all.

Then yesterday I took my one cup Bodum and the Cascara into work, and gave tasters to different people. The first was my boss, Ru. He described it as like hot Ribena, and while not hating it, wasn't taken by it.

Now for Ace (Chris Walton, my co-worker). Well, Ace really liked it. And where Ru and I had seen mostly eye to eye on flavour and aroma, Ace came up with some fantastic new flavours and aromas we'd missed. Firstly, the dry cherries. There's a definate raisen smell, which I had missed. In the cup he described it as a fruit tea, likening it's floral and fruity tastes to those of herbal teas.

So is Cascara really a coffee drink that you could serve day-to-day, or is it a novelty? Well, I'd start by saying it's an aquired taste. It took me three goes to properly enjoy it and even now I find it a little earthy to enjoy a large mug full. But it did challenge my belief as to what coffee is. Cascara is a fruit tea in all but name. It's dried fruit which is steeped in hot water for four minutes. But at the same time it's obviously a coffee, because it comes from a coffee plant. I promise you, if you get the chance to try this drink you will never look at coffee in the same way.

There is some bad news though. Square Mile have sold out, as of yesterday (I think). If you know anyone who does have some, or you can find any lying about, grab a taste. If you're near Newcastle I have two bags, though I'm giving one to Ace for Christmas lol. just give me a bell and let me know if you're dropping by and I'll bring it to work with me.

Anyway, Christmas Wish List tomorrow, if I'm not too drunk to type. So, till then, best wishes :)

Seamus.

Union Hand Roasted, Cold Days Ahead, And The Wish List!

2008-12-10T18:39:00.003Z

So, it's getting cold now, isn't it? For all you fe'kers down South who think a cold day is where you have to wear a light jacket and a scarf, let this be an education. I went out the house today wearing thermal long johns, a thermal t-shirt, and a Canterbury thermal base layer on top of that (with my usual work clothes of jeans and a polo shirt over the top). Good God, it was cold. Anyway, that's my rant about the weather over. The moral of the story, use more petrol, burn coal in your back garden, and buy a herd of cattle. Lets get that global warming thing sorted!

So...my visit to Union. Well, I got there eventually (after getting very lost). Was welcomed in, and we set off training. To start with we messed about with their new Winter Blend, tasting it an espresso, and deciding how it was best packed, and at what time it was best extracted. In the end we decided that over packing the basket, and tamping it lightly brought out the best flavours and the most balanced espresso. The blend itself is fantastic, with zesty citrus and chocolate leading to a spicy cinnamon finish. We then messed about with my signature drink (which I'll go into more depth in at a later date), the Chilli/Spiced mocha. The espresso worked perfectly with the spices and the chocolate, and tasted great, though I do now have to work out which ingredients fit, which ones I don't need, and the best balance of the flavours.

So far so good. We tried the blend as a cappuccino and, rather than being pleasantly surprised we were stunned into silence. Rather than the espresso punching through the milk it died on it's arse. The zesty lemon had disappeared, as had the cinnamon finish, leaving only a vague taste of chocolate and the creaminess of the milk. So, in the end, I decided that rather than mess about with two grinders I'll use the Revelation blend instead as I know it's robust and versatile enough to make excellent espresso and cappuccino, while still working with the sig drink. After that I ran through my presentation a couple of times, asked any lingering questions, then headed home.

All in all it was a really useful day, and coupled with the barista jam in Blaydon I now feel prepared to give the UKBC a good go. So, watch this space!

Now, the wish list item for today. This one's aimed squarely at espresso drinkers and is...the Union Winter Blend! This is the first winter blend I've tried this year, and it's fantastic. Really, if you love espresso and like zesty coffees you'll love this. It's got a fantastic mulled wine taste, with great mouthfeel and a really nice brightness to it. So, go out and get some!

So, until next time,
Seamus,

Union, Barista Competitions, And Yet Another Crap Costa.

2008-12-08T07:36:00.002Z

Okay, before I say anything, I want to point out one thing. I was tired, and Costa was the only place to go. So, while I'm on the train doing nothing else, I may as well review it. I ordered a double ristretto (which was to go, since I was in a train station at the time). I can already hear the purists screaming at me, but it was either that or brave whatever burned mess they seemed to be serving as cappuccinos. So, anyway, I get to my platform, no more than a minute after getting my order, open up my ristretto to see...a tiny filter coffee. No, not the syrup thick, treacley wonder that is a ristretto, it's golden creama flecked with reddish brown. Instead I see a water-thin cup of, for want of a better word, shit. Not even a hint of creama around the edges! Even Costa used to be able to make a nice ristretto! It was the one coffee I enjoyed from them! Now this?! Oh well. The lesson of the story, train station Costa is NOT good.

So, now that we have that cleared up, Union Hand Roasted. This is my first trip down to the roastery, and only my second time in a roastery (the first being Pumphrey's, at the barista jam). I thought, to start off this post I'd give you the run down on Union; what they're about, who they are, why I love them so much.

Firstly, who are they?

Well, Union is a privately microroastery based in London. It is owned by Jeremy Torz and Steven Macatonia.

Second, what are they about?

Union is about providing good coffee, and giving the farmers a fair price for that coffee.

Thirdly, why do I love them?

Well, it's my job to love them for a start. Any barista worth his salt should be enthused about the coffee he prepares and sells. In the end a barista is part chef, part salesman, and a salesman must believe in his product in order to sell it. For me, Union ticks all the right boxes. They don't pander to the Fairtrade crowd, selling only one Fairtrade and Organic coffee, but they ensure that all their coffees are ethically sourced, paying 35% above the Fairtrade minimum, last I heard. They also care about their customers. The only reason I'm so enthusiastic about coffee is because my boss is enthusiastic about good coffee. Union ensure that they enthuse the shop owners and the baristi they supply, so that their great coffee doesn't simply become a creama-less mess in the bottom of a paper cup.

The main reason I love them is because they sell damned good coffee. Before I got the job at Coolaboola I hated coffee. My only experience had been Costa mochas (and we have seen my opinion of Costa already). I got the job, was given a series of lattes made with Union's Revelation blend, and my eyes were opened to what coffee really was. Not the bitter, lifeless drink that Costa would have you believe it is, where the only difference between a latte and a cappuccino is the order you put it together. No, coffee is as much a food stuff as a good cut of beef.

And that's Union. As I type I'm on a train to their London home to train for competition, and to taste a couple of different blends they think will work well with my sig drink idea.

And, as I said last night I'll be giving you a run down of what goes on today when I head back this evening.

So, till then, I'll sign off.

Seamus.

So, What Exactly Does A Barista Do On His Day Off?

2008-12-07T22:42:00.002Z

Well, he goes to work...the snow melted and I went to work. I got a free coffee and bought a load of stuff, then put on a sequined cat suit, white go-go boots with a three inch heel and go to a fancy dress party...

Yeah, anyway, tomorrow should be interesting. I've got a visit to the Union Roastery, and free Wi-Fi on the train, so expect a very excited post tomorrow about all my training adventures :)

I will also be posting a review of the Square Mile Cascara on the train journey down, so expect a post-packed day!

As for the Christmas Wish List, today's entry is Union's Revelation blend. A wonderful espresso blend with a red cherry opening, leading to toasted caramel, a spicy, dark chocolate finish, and a lingering chocolate aftertaste. This really is a staple blend for the espresso machine, although it works nicely as a filter coffee as well.

Anyway, sorry for the rushed nature of this post, but I've got a lot to do, and wanted to bang a post out, as much to stay in the habit as anything else. Like I said, expect two longer, more in depth posts tomorrow.

Cheers,
Seamus.

So...What Does A Barista Do On His Day Off?

2008-12-04T11:02:00.002Z

Well, I've been snowed in. I'm meant to be at work in an hour, but it ain't happening. So, what do I do on my day off? No, seriously, that's a question: I don't know. Right now I'm sitting on my bed chatting to you guys, listening to the music of South Park and The Mighty Boosh. Well, I'd best waste some time and put together a real post then.

So, to kick proceedings off, the Christmas Wish List! Today, it's Square Mile's Finca Mauritania Cascara . I haven't tried this coffee myself, but I have two bags on order. I don't think it's much of an overstatement to say that Mr. Hoffman and his crew of roasting buddies have opened my eyes as to what coffee really is with the Cascara. Before I was under the impression that only the bean was suitable for brewing a lovely cup of coffee, but Cascara is the dried remains of the coffee cherry itself! It is apparently the oldest form of coffee, and is brewed in the same way as a fruit tea.

The Square Mile webshop describes it like this:

"Finca Mauritania Cascara Price £5.00
A rare chance to taste possibly the oldest coffee drink in history. The dried coffee cherries make a delicious, sweet and refreshing infusion with flavours of rosehip, raspberries, cherries, plum and of course coffee fruit.
Aida Batlle, who owns Finca Mauritania and is well known as one of the most talented and progressive farmers in El Salvador, produced these coffee cherries using her Pasa method. The cherries were dried on the tree past ripe, before being sorted and then dried again on the patios. Once hulled the cherries were vacuum packaged separately and we have purchased a small amount.
We’d suggest brewing it like a fruit tea, and have found a ratio of about 20-25g per litre works very well. We enjoyed a steep of 4 minutes best – though feel free to experiment and let us know what you find!
We hope to secure more from next year’s crop – but for now we have about 40kg in stock. Not much at all….
As we said – this is a rare opportunity and you may be surprised that this is not only an interesting drink but a genuinely delicious one."

So there you have it, a drink that an coffee enthusiast should give his right arm to try. Like I said I have two bags on order, and will be reviewing it when it arrives for anyone who may be unlucky enough to miss out.

Okay, my second Wish List Item (to make up for not having posted yesterday), is a piece of kit I'd be lost without. My Reg Barber. Now, I know that choice in tamper is down to personal preference as well as income, but please do give the Reg Barber a look. Ranging in price from £30 to £100 there is an RB for everybody. Mine is a 57.5mm flat stainless steel base with a short ball handle. It's a joy to use, with a nice heavy base, and a light handle. Beautifully balanced, it makes tamping level a doddle. They're available from www.hasbean.co.uk, as well as Reg's own site www.coffeetamper.com.

Anyway, that's me done for today. Tomorrow, a day in the life of Seamus McFlurry, and the next item in the Wish List.

Cheers,
Seamus.

Plans For December, And The Third Wave Wishlist.

2008-12-02T21:04:00.002Z

So, as you may have noticed, it's December. So, to celebrate this festive season I have some plans for Third Wave. Firstly, The Life Of A Barista. I said I'd do this piece ages ago, and I've decided to do it now for a couple of reasons. A) it's the run up to the competition, so there's that element to my days, B) I have Christmas drinks to play with, which makes the whole "latte, two capps and....etc" a bit more interesting for me to write and you to read.

Secondly, I'm down at Union Hand Roasted in London on Monday, so I'll have a full write up of that on Tuesday evening. This is again based around competition training, so it's just another little insight for you all into the life of a first time competitor.

And finally, the big thing this Christmas. It's new, it's original, it's never been seen before, it's...*drumroll*...the Third Wave Christmas Wish List!!!!!

Okay, so it's the CoffeeGeek wish list with a different name. Basically, over the next month I aim to bring you a selection of items I have tried and know to be great, or that I think will make fantastic additions to a home barista's arsenal, and be totally essential in the pro barista's kit. With it being the second of December today I'll start off with a big one.

Today's Wish List item is the HasBean 'Christmas Roasted Selection Pack'. This isn't just a nice to have, this is fe'king essential for anyone who claims to love coffee. The pack consists of four coffees for £40, roasted and shipped on 18th December. It is a one off, and for very good reason. The coffees are

Brazil Inglaterra Special Fazenda Toca da Onca Canario 2008
Panama Esmeralda Geisha lot number 5
El Salvador La Ilusion COE No.
Kenya Gethumbwini

The La Ilusion and the Gethumbwini have both been reviewed on this blog before, so I know they're both amazinf coffees. The Panama Esmeralda I know only by reputation, and it is one I am very excited to try. It is also only available as part of this set. The Canario, according to Steve's site, is from a very rare variatel (the Canario, strangely enough), which all but died out. HasBean have two of four bags in the world, making this a truely rare experience. I feel that anyone with a love for coffee should order this up now before it's too late. I know I'm ordering mine tomorrow, when I get paid.

Anyway, that's all for tonight. Tomorrow I won't be posting anything because I have to drive to Manchester and back to see the Mighty Boosh. Again...I'll explain why another time. So, to make up for this, I'll post two Wish List items on Thursday, and they're both great ones!

So till then, have fun, and stay safe on the roads!

Seamus.

December! The Barista Jam, And A Promise To Keep Blogging...

2008-12-01T00:24:00.003Z

Well, here we are. It's December! Nearly Christmas! Whoop!

So, for my first post in fe'king ages I'm going to go over a couple of things. Firstly, my goals for December, and secondly a write up of the Newcastle Barista Jam.

So, December aims. As some of you may have noticed, posts have dried up somewhat. I am going to rectify this. I was dumped by my girlfriend of three and half years on Thursday, so I'll have loads of time to blog to you all! The blog will also be moving away from the cupping side of things. In the past I've relied on tastings to fill out weeks when I've had nothing to talk about. With Common Grind moving more towards the cupping side of things I've decided to move more towards the day-to-day life of a barista, with some french press tastings thrown in. This will include a fairly regular, detailed run up to the three competitions I'm entering. These are the UKBC, Coffee In Good Spirits, and the Cuptasting competiton.

So, no for the write up. The Jam took place on Wednesday 26th, at Pumphries Coffee in Blaydon. To be honest I had no idea what to expect from the Jam, the people attending, or even Pumphries. Fair enough I had ideas about what Pumphries would be like; mediocre coffee roasted months ago with a huge sales pitch. I have to state now that I was totally wrong. The coffee was great, if a bit fresh, and the closest thing to a Pumphries sales pitch was the free bag of goodies we got when we turned up.

So, I turned up, was offered a coffee by Stu, and got to meeting and greeting the people I met. People seemed to have turned up from everywhere. There were a couple of guys from Scotland, some from Bristol, Chris Weaver, Ash Porter and Richard Teasdale from Lincoln, and local kids such as myself and a fantastic local girl called Katie (who won the Esquires Coffee in-house comp).

The day itself was made up of a series of workshops and hands on time. The first part of the day included espresso with Hugo Hercod (an amazing workshop worth my weight in gold), a cappuccino workshop with the someone who's name escapes me at the moment (Sorry man, but your workshop was fe'king awesome), and a run down of the rule changes for the '09 UKBC. After that we were treated to a run down of Hugo's presentation, a taste of Stu's bizarre, but tasty garlic/chocolate sig drink, and a huge buffet lunch. After that we got time on the new San Remo machines we'll be using in the UKBC and a trip down to the roastery.

The day as a whole was fantastic, well worth the £25 I paid to go. The only blip was a speech by the SCAE UK director. It turned what was an informal series of workshops/networking event into a sales pitch for the SCAE sponsors. I'm not sure about anyone else, but to me it felt totally out of place, and I'm not sure I felt entirely comfortable with it. He didn't do himself any favours in my opinion by asking us baristi to join, then saying that really our money didn't matter as much as the sponsors, who we should all go and buy lots of things from. On top of that he totally forgot to mention the huge effort Stu made, and Pumphries involvement in the Jam altogether. So I'd like to say now:

Thank you Stu for a fantastic event, thank you Paula for tremendous name badges, and generally for all your effort in organising the event. Thank you Pumphries for inviting us all to use your space and equipment. We all of us appreciated you effort, and I for one am waiting for the next one :p

So there we go. An educational event, and great for networking. I'm now better friends with Katie (who I knew before the event, but had never really considered training with before the event), I've finally met Chris Weaver and Ash Porter, who really are tremendous guys and you should all go and see his website, and listen to his blog.

So, I'll sign off now, with the promise that I will carry on blogging regularly and stop being so lazy lol.

Also, I realise I've spelt Pumphrey's wrong all this time, but it's 1am, I'm tired and I have a twelve hour shift at work, starting at 6:45...

Cheers,
Seamus.

The Long Awaited, And Long Put Off, Cupping!

2008-11-12T19:42:00.006Z

Well, yeah, it's taken me a while. About a month in total...sorry guys. Been fairly busy recently, so it's been a case of taking sleeping pills and going to bed rather than blogging lol. So, shall we get on with the show?

I decided to take on a traditional cupping, with four dishes for the coffee, all freshly ground, a cupping spoon (okay...a deep dessert spoon), and all the other cupping bells and whistles that could be easily found in a coffee lover's kitchen.

I've described the outward appearance of the bags. So next, the coffee itself. On opening the bags the first thing I was hit by was the smell of each. Unfortunately I didn't have any paper to hand, so I can't tell you the details, but one coffee has really stayed with me since that day. The La Ilusion smelt amazing. A really sweet, fruity smell with hints of deep chocolate. It was one of those rare coffee moments when even the most experienced barista suddenly gets the feeling they had when they truly enjoyed their first coffee. Not, of course, to say the other coffees didn't smell fantastic, but the CofE just took the biscuit.

To make this feel less like a narrative I'm going to describe each coffee in full, rather than step by step.

Firstly, the El Salvador La Fany. This coffee is from the Santa Ana region and 100% bourbon. The grinds have the smell of dark chocolate and caramel. After letting it brew for four minutes I broke the crust. The aroma was deep and chocolaty, with a slight floral note. On the tongue it has a lovely sweet, creamy taste with a dark chocolate and caramel finish which lasts. It has a fantastic body, not heavy, but not overly light. A very robust, tasty coffee.

Now, the Kenya Gethumbwini. The grinds smell oaky, with a floral note. After breaking the crust the chocolate comes more to the fore, and the floral note develops into a deeper, fruitier aroma. On the tongue it has creamy feel, with the taste of blackcurrents and oak at the opening, with a floral and chocolate finish. I found it an acidic coffee, while not being overly sweet, but well balanced. This coffee is the type of after dinner or late evening french press I'm fond of.

The Brazil Cachoeira Canario 2007-2008 smelt like a deep, dark chocolate. The beans come from the Canario varietal, dried on screen from Minas Gerias. After brewing it smelt much the same I found. On tasting it was a sweet chocolate with a good body, not too heavy. In the finish I also caught a little bit of caramel with a smooth chocolate aftertaste. This is one single source I'd be very interested in trying as an espresso, despite not being a specific espresso coffee.

Finally, the Cup Of Excellence. This is from El Salvador, in the Santa Ana region and is 100% bourbon. The smell was chocolate with a definite fruit kick. After brewing I found that the fruity aroma had disappeared and was replaced by a deep chocolate aroma with a hint of cherry. On tasting, however, this coffee really comes into it's own. It opens with a real fruit hit, a mixture of acidic fruits such as gooseberries. Steve himself puts this best when he describes it as "Fruit Salad sweets". It has a fantastic body which I found similar to that of a strong tea, and had a long lasting, sweet finish and aftertaste. Frankly, i think anyone who has the chance to should leap at this coffee. It's really that damn good.

So, all in all a very fun evening cupping for me, and I hope you found it useful. These coffees and many more besides are all available at http://www.hasbean.co.uk/, and I really recommend you take a look. This is my first real attempt at my own cupping, and am looking to improve all of the basic equipment, so hopefully there should be a few more of these in future.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and again, sorry for getting this up so late.

Cheers,
Seamus.

First decent coffee in ages!

2008-11-10T19:45:00.003Z

So this is my first post in ages, but I don't have too much to say, just thought I'd post what little I do have to say!

So I've been in Durham for just over a month now I think, still haven't found anywhere with good coffee let alone amazing. However I have found myself wondering into Neros every now and again for a cafe breve, I think the cream has been hiding the over extracted shots they've been pouring, but still very drinkable and it gets me through the day, although I think I may be having too much cream :s

On another note, I should be posting some reviews of some coffee I bought today soon, got some Guatemalan from Whittard of Chelsea and some from a stall on the indoor market selling Taylors of Harrogate, I'm affraid thats as good as it gets here in Durham!

Right, now to something I've been meaning to do for ages, I managed to fork out for a nice bottle of Whiskey today, J&B's to be exact, managed to use the student discount too which was nice. So trying to avoid steaming up my room and setting the smoke alarms off (£100 fine for that) fired up the kettle for the caffetier to make a remote attempt at an Irish coffee.

So the results weren't amazing but it was better than anything I'd had recently, although Seona my corridor mate, or what have wasn't too impressed, being Irish I thought she'd like it, but apparently too much whiskey, I'm shocked!

Back to the drawing board, I'll keep you all informed, if I strike lucky!

Looking forward to reviews chris is putting up tonight also!

Cheers,

Dane

We Will Remember...

2008-11-10T02:46:00.002Z

For those of you who don't know me personally, I used to be in the Territorial Army. As such Remembrance Day holds a special significance for me. I've been lucky enough to neither have been deployed to a warzone, or to have had friends killed or seriously injured. Nevertheless it is essential to remember all those who have served abroad for their country, and those families who have loved ones deployed, or who have lost loved ones.

I would also like to take this chance to wish the guys at X Coy 5RRF the best of luck during their deployment to Afghanistan in February.

And, on a coffee-related note, the HasBean review/cupping has been written up, edited, checked over a couple of times and will be uploaded tomorrow night. It's one I really wanted to get right, so sorry for the delay.

Till then, check out the latest Common Grind Podcast complete with special guest host, Steve Leighton, a HasBean cupping, and much more besides. It's a great listen, so go for it!

Till tomorrow then!

Seamus

Whoop Obama! But Oh...Wait...

2008-11-05T00:22:00.004Z

Okay, quick break from coffee here. My other current passion. Politics and economics. I am currently watching the US election on BBC 1 and CNN. I am also getting very drunk on Martini, Apple Schnapps, vodka and Midori Melon. I also have work tomorrow. Bring it. So, what do you think?

Well, I can't say what I think. I love Obama. He's charismatic and interesting. I love listening to him. But he wants to pull out of Iraq. That is a big problem for me. I used to be in the Territorial Army. As such I have a lot of friends who are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This means that their safety is utmost in my considerations when deciding the next president. However, the economic meltdown is another consideration, as is the fact that Sarah Palin could become the president if McCain dies. Shit. Who would I vote for?

As an American; Obama. It's a no brainer. I love the guy. As a brit with a military background and friends in warzones, I'd abstain. I can't bring myself to put my support in Obama, but I can't bring myself to imagine Sarah Palin in office.

So what do you think? Who should be/should have been president? And why must Jeremy Vine ALWAYS be on those stupid sodding maps? He's a fear mongering retard and he should just retire and die. He makes my work life hell, having to listen to him between 12 and 2.

Anyway, cheers, and I'll get that cupping written up tomorrow night.

Seamus.

A Quick Update, Some Good News, And Are HasBean Truely As Good As Everybody Claims They Are?...

2008-11-03T00:45:00.002Z

Well, here you go. I promised you something good, and now you're getting it. But I'll come to that soon. A few quick things I want to get out of the way first. To kick off, I'd like to say well done to Chris Weaver for getting through what I hear were some pretty shit times, and for getting stuck back into the podcast where lesser men may have just given up. Good on 'ya mate, and good luck. Can't wait for the next episode. You can visit his site and listen to the podcast at http://www.commongrind.co.uk/.

Secondly, I'd like to thank everyone who has kept checking back to sew if anything has been posted. I've been really busy lately with work, this latte art evening I'm trying to organise, and the novel I've been trying to write for three years now. Yeah, it's true, I'm a crap novelist as well. Hopefully Third Wave should be getting back to normal soon, and I ask that you'll bear with me for now.

Some good news! Third Wave makes a difference! I recently received an e-mail (that was for Dane, but was sent to the ThirdWave hotmail account) from Jon Hassall, from Operations and Development for AMT Coffee. It read as follows:

"Dear Dane,

I am very sorry to have read you had a bad coffee at our newly opened unit in Manchester.

I am personally going to visit the location next week and review all the equipment and training as we pride ourselves on great coffee.

Separately we are opening a second unit in Manchester, this time in the Arndale next Friday, I trust you will take a visit next time you are up there and we are heading to Newcastle very soon as well.

Best wishes,
Jon Hassall
Operations and Development"

This, frankly, gave me a huge ego boost, that people actually took notice of what two coffee lovers think. It also made me very proud to think that the quality of training and hopefully the quality of the coffee will be improved due to our review of their establishment. In this respect I wish them the best of luck, as they obviously care about their coffee enough to want to impress two young upstarts such as Dane and myself. The news of a Newcastle also excites me; I always love a new coffee bar to try. So, thank you Jon, and please do keep in touch.

Anyway, onto the main event. I decided in late September that it was time I locked horns with the powerhouse of British Roasting, Steve Leighton. A year in the business and I had never tried a HasBean coffee. So, I e-mailed the man himself and asked for his recommendations. To my utter shock he asked for a delivery address and promptly sent out four of the very best coffees I have ever had in my house. Brazil Cachoeira Canario 2007-2008, El Salvador La Fany Bourbon, Kenya Gethumbwini, and El Salvador La Ilusion COE number 1. I received the box, opened it, and my jaw dropped. So let me begin this by saying a f*****g HUGE thank you to Steve.

All the bags were foil bags with a single-way valve. Nothing out the ordinary there. Each was presented in pure white, with a deep maroon/red stripe and the HasBean logo, along with a sticker which declared the name of the coffee, any special notes about the coffee, what the coffee tastes like, and the roasting date. This last detail is what impressed m most. Even Union doesn't put a roast date on their 250g bags. What really impressed me however was the actual roast date itself. I was delivered these coffees on the ninth of October, literally the day after they were roasted! So, I left them for two weeks to let them mature, then got on with the cupping...

And that is where I'm going to leave you for now! Firstly because it's 1am, I'm tired and have work tomorrow, secondly because I feel that this post is getting long, and that the cupping should take pride of place. So I will write that up in full tomorrow.

Anyway, cheers, and hope you can survive till the next post!
Seamus.

Just So You Know I'm Still Alive...

2008-10-25T13:13:00.002+01:00

I just thought I'd post something so that people know I'm still here, and still blogging. A huge apology to you all for being so quiet for the last week, but I'm working on a lot at the moment, not least of which is a post for this site. It should be up very soon.

Again, very, very sorry.

Seamus.

The Search For The God Shot...

2008-10-09T18:17:00.002+01:00

Here we go, lets try and throw up some controversy. The God Shot. Is there REALLY any need?

I don't think so. Making a good cup of coffee is a well documented art now. With all the books out there, all the fantastic barista trainers, online resources, etc there is no excuse for making consistently crap coffee. But as any self-respecting pro-barista can tell you, the God Shot is not simply a good cup of coffee. It's an experience that transcends the usual coffee shop coffee. Flavours should explode in the mouth, and it certainly should be one of those memories which remains with you for the rest of your life. The only problem is that it's impossible to achieve consistently.

Making a good cup of coffee is entirely dependent upon your ability to control certain variables such as water temperature, the consistency of the grind, the distribution of the coffee in the puck before and after tamping, the pressure with which you tamp, and the amount of coffee grounds and water used to make the shot. The God Shot is made when by some utter fluke the barista manages to control every one of these variables. Therefore it is impossible to reproduce over and over again.

But why not strive for the God Shot I hear you say? Because I feel it gets in the way. Rather than sit around as coffee professionals at point of sale, or at home trying to make the perfect shot with what we have, why not put that effort into sorting out the coffee at Origin, making a real effort to give farmers a fair price for the coffee we all love so much. Or why not spend that time teaching home baristas, or amateur coffee lovers how to make good coffee with their little press pot, or their little Gaggia semi-auto. Education is what we as an industry need to concentrate on; both technique and the ethics behind commodity trading. Yes, good coffee is what I want to see, but lets start by educating people how to make good coffee before we sit around deciding how to make the perfect coffee.

There, your thought for the day.

Seamus.

Not so good...

2008-10-08T23:12:00.002+01:00

Right so I've been in Durham since saturday just gone, and I've only just ventured out into the city center today as I needed my course textbook, £40! for one book. Anyways, this presented itself as an opportunity to find some coffee.

I passed O'briens of which I'm not a huge fan, but its drinkable, so decided to have a go, must say I've not had a coffee for about 5 days now, which is torture so I walked in. Then swiftly out again, the machine was filthy, the portafillers were scruffy, the steam arm white and thick, the jugs dull and stained. I'm sure it was a health hazard!

Second port of call a small independent, coffee house by day, wine bar by night, nice set up. Ordered a latte paid up for it, watched the guy make it, bag of starbucks beans next to the grinder :( 'nough said

Cheers,

Dane

Just to let you all know!

2008-10-05T21:17:00.003+01:00

Right, I moved into my uni on saturday, been looking around durham, gonna have lots of reviews for you in the next week, or two, when I should be sober, in the meanwhile if anyone knows of anywhere good please comment!

Cheers,

Dane

Finding Your Third Place...

2008-10-05T02:13:00.004+01:00

Firstly, sorry about the total lack of posts for the last few days. It's been a hectic time for both Dane and I. He went off to Uni for his Freshers' Fortnight yesterday, so don't expect much intelligible from him for a while lol. As for me, well, I've spent every waking moment building a remarkably complex website in html...God it's hard...

Anyway, I was spending some time today with the girlfriend sat in my 'Third Place'. The subject of the 'Third Place' is something I've meant to mention on this blog for a while, but something I've only recently experienced. Now, for those of you who don't know, the Third Place is a part of a concept which assumes there are three places in a coffee lover's life. These are the home, the workplace and the coffee shop. I love Coolaboola. I think we serve the best coffee in Newcastle, and I think we have some of the most committed and professional baristi in the surrounding area. But it's where I work, and for that reason I can't ever relax when I stand at the bar.

The Third Place is something which should be very important to a coffee lover; a place in which you feel comfortable, where the baristi know who you are and, of course, somewhere where you love the coffee. Every coffee shop has it's own unique feel, it's own soundtrack and it's own ethos. In my opinion the ethos is the most important. There are some coffee shops (though they tend not to last very long)who try to appeal to everyone. One coffee shop in Newcastle (who shall remain nameless, for now) which has a laid-back, Costa-style atmosphere, with multicoloured lighting in the ceiling for the local gay community. Another nice touch is the tremendously capitalist Che Guevara milkshake. At the other extreme there are coffee shops who refuse to compromise on drink quality for anyone, serving only 6oz drinks, refusing frappes, etc.

My Third Place is a mix. As a barista I love it when people challenge me to adapt drinks for them. I have total respect for the hardcore baristi who refuse to change anything, and who refuse to serve capps after 11, but I love the culinary aspect of coffee, and the creativity it allows. I love caramel capps with chocolate sprinkles. They're great. That's what my Third Place allows. A huge drinks menu, with a real chance for the consumer to play about and customise their drink. I'd love to tell you all where my Third Place is, but I would hate to upset all the other coffee shops lol.

So, go, find your Third Place! And if you already have, feel free to tell me about it! Comment, and let us all know what you love.

Anyway, I have a web book now, so the reviews should be coming thick and fast soon, and hopefully posts will be a bit more regular.

Cheers,
Seamus.

Manchester coffee scene.

2008-09-29T01:55:00.002+01:00

Right so I went to Manchester this weekend to visit a good friend of mine, with a side mission to look for coffee, good coffee. So at this point I'll be honest, I was far too ill to do that on both saturday and sunday, so...the joys of train station coffee on the way home, AMT was the target.

I bought a cappuccino, their "award winning and critics choice" cappuccino.

A waste of 1.90 if you ask me, burnt and burnt, all I could taste was burnt milk, I cant really say too much more about it. When it cooled down I got a hint of coffee, slightly hazelnutty.

I think train station coffee is best left to coolaboola!

I'll be back in Manchester at some point, so if anyone knows of anywhere decent please send me a message!

Cheers,

Dane

It's Been A While, But With Good Reason...

2008-09-26T22:39:00.007+01:00

I know, I haven't spoken up for a while now. Sorry. But, I plan to make it up to you. Firstly, some news. For those of you entering competition, the Northern regional for the UKBC has a venue finalised! It is Pumphreys Coffee, in Blaydon. They use a fully up to date WBC set up, so I look forward to getting stuck into it. Also, the same coffee shop is holding a Barista Jam on premesise, so something else to look forward to :)

Now, if any of you have watched the Youtube link above, you'll see that a new website is coming soon. Well, now I get to give you a teaser.

Well, there's the (very) basic first draft. It was done in paint, from a plan in a sketchbook. The red won't be quite so scarlett, and there will be a lot more colour in the form of adverts, photos, etc. This is, of course, one design, and I'm sure many others will appear over time, but this is my favourite so far.

So, what is the website for?

It is not a new site for this blog. Sorry guys, but Blogger is the way forward for the moment. I do plan on Wordpressing it, but Third Wave Coffee is the priority at the moment. Also, I want to make some kind of distinction between the blog and the site. The blog will NEVER have adverts, or make money in any way. It will also remain the way it is, unbiased and fair, and will not advertise anything either Dane or myself don't love.

The site is aimed at being something akin to a UK CoffeeGeek, a repository for UK news, reviews of equipment available in the UK, and other such things. It will have a links page devoted to UK coffee sites. However, it also has another use. In conjunction with this site I will be running consumer events which will be advertised on this site. I aim to have a series of leaflets and articles on the site which will tie in with the latest events, as well as an archive of old documents. With time I might open up an eBay shop as well, selling basic cupping essentials, Third Wave T-Shirts, etc. This, along with advertising slots for UK coffee businesses, will fund the site, and consumer events.

This is, of course, all just a dream right now, but a dream I'm passionate about. Some of it may come to pass, some of it may fall by the wayside. I aim to have a functional site up by New Year, but this is dependant upon me having a basic knowledge of CSS and xHTML, as well as a copy of Dreamweaver CS3.

Anyway, any comments are truely welcome. The last thing I want is to make a fool of myself by wasting money on a crap idea. What do you guys think? Do we need this site? And if we do, what do YOU want to see on it?

Anyway, cheers, and I'll have a coffee-related post soon.

Seamus.

Beige again, but better than the last one,

2008-09-16T22:53:00.000+01:00

Sorry about the long wait between posts, been a little busy, and sorry to Seamus, I promised I would have this up hours ago, but had a little bit of a bad day.

Anyways we both wrote this review earlier today, I think we may be doing something like this in the future again, enjoy,

Ok so Chris and myself are reviewing Costa! I ordered a double shot and a small latte, a birthday treat for Chris, I guess it’s easier than buying a card, at least he appreciates coffee. So I’ll be writing about the latte, Chris the espresso

Right so it has crema on top, which is a good sign of things to come I hope. The drink is served in a tall glass, on a saucer with a groove for the glass to sit in, nifty and groovy but I hate the glasses, it makes the latte look so unattractive, grey even. Right so to the taste of the actual drink, hmph. I can only describe it as beige and boring, however there is more of a coffee taste than Starbucks, but it’s not spectacular. It’s boring with a weak tasting coffee element, in fact I get sweet elements from the drink if I really think about it. By the second mouthful it has left my mouth dry, water please. The aftertaste isn’t all that bad, again just a sweet milky taste, not coffee. The milk wasn’t too bad at all, but it was nearer flat-white and not enough foam for me, but that’s not too important when I consider the smoothness of the foam (what was there anyways)

I’m really struggling to say something about a drink which is so generic and bland… I’ve got it.

A hoodie – but one of those grey H&M ones that everyone has.

It’s boring but comfortable.

Before I forget, the advert when I walked in “saving the world from mediocre coffee” … “lol”

Cheers,

Dane/Dave (Delete as appropriate)

So. Double espresso. To look at it was lovely. Fantastic crema, nice presentation, demitasse spoon, etc. On closer inspection, however, the cup was to big for the saucer, and was large enough to hold a traditional sized cappuccino. To taste, it was bitter and over extracted. Also, it seemed a little too cold. Usually espresso burns my tongue, but this I could have downed in one. In the end I had to add a sugar, and even then couldn’t finish it. So, in conclusion, for someone who has grown accustomed to crap instant coffee, it is perfectly acceptable. To anyone who has an idea of what speciality coffee really can be, it isn’t.

Cheers,

Seamus

Third Wave Coffee UK

2008-09-13T23:56:00.002+01:00

'Lo, behold the wonder that is Third Wave Coffee UK!

Okay, maybe I should explain myself. I've talked a lot recently about the future of the blog. Well, it's developed. A lot.

Firstly, I should introduce you all to a new group; Barista Northeast. This is basically aimed at bringing together the baristi of the area and creating a community, through barista jams, fun little competitions, latte art throw downs, etc. This is Dane's love-child, which I am more than happy to help with. At the moment it looks like he'll look after the Durham area (he'll be heading to the Uni there to do Physics), while I sort out Newcastle, We'll then be looking for a guy in York to do things there.

Secondly, there is Third Wave. I've thought long and hard about what I want to do with Third Wave UK (hence I haven't posted for a few days), and I've decided that for now it is staying exactly the way it is. No advertising, and it will remain on blogger.com. For now. Instead, I plan on setting up a company called Third Wave Coffee UK. This will be totally seperate from the blog, despite using the same name. The aim is to bring coffee to the consumer and create some kind of coffee scene, first in the Northeast, then hopefully to roll it out further afield. I plan on doing this by setting up events in conjunction with sponsors, and inviting the public to come along. This would include cuppings, barista nights, and home barista training sessions.

BNE and TWCUK are both part of a two-pronged attack on the Newcastle coffee scene, aiming to get both consumers and baristi fired up for true speciality coffee. However, while BNE is almost certain to go ahead, TWCUK is not. I still have market research to sort out, and I plan on using the contacts I make with BNE to the utmost. This means that TWCUK could be six months to a year in the making. It could be ready tomorrow, who knows. I'll try to keep you all updated.

Anyway, in other news I discovered I have a grinder at home, so I'll be doing some real cuppings very soon.

Well, cheers, and absolutely ANY comments or suggestions for either Third Wave Coffee UK or Barista Northeast will be hugely appreciated by both myself and Dane. Please, please, let us know what you think.

Thanks again,
Seamus.

Very quick one.

2008-09-08T23:16:00.002+01:00

If there is anyone from the Northeast reading this, please please join and invite people to join!

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29947296735&ref=nf

Cheers,

Dane

No Surprises.

2008-09-08T21:16:00.000+01:00

Ok, so this post is being posted a little later than I’d planned to, which leads me to my first complaint, of many.

I decided to tackle the entity that is Starbucks, for all their wealth and resources they refuse to supply free Wi-Fi to its loyal customers and demands payment!

This really annoys me, lesser known places like Esquires and Central Bean provide free readily available Wi-Fi.

First moan over.

Ok, so I’ll be honest, I know what I was to expect at Starbucks, and do try to avoid it unless I’m stuck at an airport or it’s free, so here enter myself, Seamus, Jess and Ting. First problem, we can only just afford a small latte but somehow manage to scrape £2.05 together. I fiddle around with my amazing new barista accessory-A Macbook- whilst Seamus gets the drink in. I’m gonna leave out the craic Seamus had with the barista on the bar, because there was none to be had, he reported not an unfriendly service but one which wanted only to get the drink out on the bar and nothing else.

Ok, the latte arrives and is put on the table. Oh dear. The mug it was served in was like nothing I’ve seen before in any café or coffee bar, it was chipped, scratched, dirty and just looked unpleasant, this is low, even for a large corporation.

Onto the important bit, the coffee, as you can probably guess it turned out to be a cappuccino, a very dry one at that! It was fairly bubbly, wouldn’t have took too much effort for the barista to hit the jug on the counter but that didn’t happen, so instead we hit the mug on the table we were gathered on.

So the foam wasn’t integrated into the espresso at all and was completely white on top, no sign of a crema at all, no taste at all, other than very hot nearly burnt milk., which keeps going to below halfway.

Coffee. At last. It’s very weak, dilute and tasteless, I couldn’t tell you at all any of the component flavours, there’s a bit of colour too, but its pale.

Ok so I’d have preferred a peppermint tea, this is indeed a child’s introduction to coffee, no wonder there’s so many syrup variations on drinks in here to give some flavour.

My mouth is left dry and milky, and needing water, to which Seamus points out there’s water for sale at £1.20 a pop, wow! So anyways, I’m going to be fair, and give Starbucks its dues, it was on the scene first in Newcastle and was the only option, but now there are many Thirdwave outlets and it needs to seriously up its game, which I believe it’s trying to do. Apparently according to a friend of mine they’re upgrading all the machines with a paddle controlled steam arm. That’s all I know though. I’ve had better coffee from Starbucks, but only the milk was better, the shots, are obviously consistently boring and tasteless. Ok, so this has been a massive rant, sorry, but its better to get Starbucks out my system and over with!

Cheers,

Dane

Episode Two: A New Blogger?

2008-09-07T17:38:00.002+01:00

Lets hope this works second time around!

I’d firstly like to introduce myself properly and say a big thanks to Seamus, mainly for taking the risk of letting me loose on his blog!

As mentioned before I work at coolaboola and have done so for about a year and a half, and it’s been a brilliant time as I’m sure most of you reading can imagine, being a barista is good fun!

Hopefully over the coming months I can add to the Third Wave Blog mainly because I’m going to be a full time student, and will have a lot of time spare to review and sample coffee as well as (hopefully) organise events such as a mini-competition for baristi in Newcastle. The intention is to strengthen the spirit of Third Wave in the area.

I’m gonna keep it short until I figure out how to use blogger a bit more efficiently and have something to write about, comments on how to improve my blogging will be much appreciated as I’m a first timer.

Cheers for reading, and I look forward to posting some reviews pretty soon, hopefully with a balanced approach as Seamus has done, I’ll try and forget that awful macchiato I had at Costa yesterday and wipe the slate clean.

Cheers,

Dane.

Central Bean Update, The Blog, And A Warm Welcome

2008-09-07T15:48:00.002+01:00

Well, I thought that, having been back to Central Bean this morning I would update you all on it's progress. For those of you who missed it, Andrew Hetzel was nice enough to reply to my review, and to explain some of the criticisms I made. As for the quality of the espresso he said this;

"With respect to that over extraction, I suspect that the problem was with the coffee; specifically, the coffee over-freshness. I can explain all of the details to you tonight, but essentially, the stuff that we were bringing in was way too fresh out of the roaster, so we're letting it age a little while before it hits the hoppers."

This is fair enough, and seems to be proven by what I taste in the cup. Like I said in the review, each coffee I have had has been better than the last, and today's was no different. I had a lovely 'classic cappuccino' today (basically a traditional, competition cappuccino). The espresso tasted stronger than it has previously, but had a wonderful taste, but was possibly a little overextracted. The milk was a little bubbly, but perfectly smooth and tasty.

In regards to my criticism of the milk, Andrew wrote;

"I've been working with the guys here all this week to keep to our standards and it's looking better than ever. I was here for two weeks bookending Copenhagen and left about a week before the soft opening. We're 7 weeks in now and I'm really impressed with how it has all come along. Super guys, really committed to the trade; lots of good stuff to come."

Again, this is proven in my experience of Central Bean. The milk has gotten better and better each time I've been. The guys there seem really committed to the quality of the coffee, and the owner really cares about his cafe's reputation for serving great coffee in a town which sees Costa and Starbucks as high-end speciality espresso. I was speaking to the owner today and he seems very interested in entering his baristi into competitions, and building the local coffee scene. So, watch this space!

Okay, the blog. We're doing well! Nearly 700 hits, people viewing all over the world, and everything going very well across the board. This, in conjunction with my wanting to help the local coffee scene, has given me the incentive to expand Third Wave UK and be more proactive with the site. So, there are currently three things on the cards. First, I'm planning to use Third Wave almost as a brand name, a kind of neutral organisation under which coffee-based events can be hosted, with the help of local sponsors. Hopefully this means that the industry can become more integrated, rather than cafes simply putting on their own events, polarising both the baristi and the customers. I hope that by using Third Wave as a neutral group the baristi of Newcastle can come together and help one another, and customers can be shown just how wide ranging coffee can be, rather than simply seeing one company's interpretation of coffee.

My second idea is to host Third Wave independently. This would involve either building my own website, or hosting this page on a separate server. This is a much more long term plan, brought about by the limitations of Blogger, and also my desire for a more professional approach to the day-to-day running of the site. This might also include adding a membership option, the introduction of a newsletter, or possibly CoffeeGeek-style articles. None of this is certain, and is simply a vague idea floating about in my head, but is one I will defiantly evaluate.

Thirdly, I'd like to introduce a new blogger. His name is Dane McGreevy. I'm in the process of adding him to the site, and hopefully he'll add a new life and perspective to the blog. We both work in Coolaboola, and he loves coffee almost as much as I do, so I look forward to seeing his contribution to this site, and to Third Wave's plans for the Newcastle coffee scene. I know he's already had the idea for a Newcastle Barista Championship!

So, exciting times. If you have any opinions on all of this, please let me know. You know the deal, e-mail me, comment on this post or hunt me down in Jesmond Metro Station.

Cheers,
Seamus.

My First Real Cupping, The Newcastle Coffee Scene, And Plans For the Future

2008-09-05T21:14:00.003+01:00

First of all, I'd like to say thanks to two people. Firstly, I'd like to pass on my boss's thanks to Chris Weaver, for kindly giving Coolaboola a shout out on his podcast. And of course, I'd like to say thanks for giving me a shout out in the same sentence lol. Secondly, a huge thank you to Liam Beadle. Liam is a guy I know from church, and we also used to go to the same school. After adding him on Facebook he seems to have discovered my blog, read it, and given me a shout out on his blog! Turns out he loves coffee and was born in the same backwater town as me, so kudos.

Anyway, my first real cupping. Well. I met Andrew Hetzel for the first time not so long ago. Seems that he discovered I was in Copenhagen and that I work in Newcastle, where he has just helped open Central Bean. He got in touch with me on Facebook and we arranged to meet through that. When we did finally meet up he invited me to a public cupping at the Bean. I went along with Dane and Jess, not really knowing what to expect; would it be a real cupping, or would it be a few filter pots lined up, and a load of stuff I already know. I was pleasantly surprised to walk through the automatic doors and see a cupping table laid out, with bowls and cupping spoons. As for the cupping itself, I can't remember a huge amount about the coffees, let alone where they came from, but I've asked Andrew if he could send me some info on them, so hopefully I'll be able to write up a full review of the cupping itself soon. As for the presentation and the information given it was a huge learning experience. I already had a good working knowledge of cupping process, but this really gave me an insight into it. And Andrew was a well of knowledge that everyone at the table made every possible use of. So all in all, a tremendous event and one I look forward to trying again at some point in the future. But, like I say, more on this later, hopefully.

So, the Newcastle coffee scene. One thing I've made a point of pointing out in the past is how much I want to see the Newcastle coffee scene grow. At the moment it is no different to the scene in many other cities; mostly Starbucks and Costa oriented, where people think that seeing Tall or Venti on a menu means good coffee will be served. Despite this ignorance of coffee quality, I serve speciality drinks to all sorts of people. Builders buying cappuccinos, school kids as young as 12 having to be talked out of buying double espressos, and buying a small mocha instead. People love speciality coffee! The problem is that people simply don't know what speciality coffee is.

So, future plans. One thing Andrew said at the cupping truly inspired me. He said that helping to grow the Newcastle coffee scene was his pet project. This is something I would love to have a hand in. In the next month or so Coolaboola is planning on having a barista night, to help raise money for Union Hand Roasted (they're building a day care centre in Costa Rica). Being resident coffee geek I'm helping to plan this out, and will be using it as a test case for future events. I'm going to make more of an effort to talk to local baristas and get to know them, as well as getting to know shop owners (hopefully). This should give me a good platform on which to launch future barista nights (where we can teach the public about the art of the barista), cupping sessions, small barista jams and get togethers, and with any luck some small competitions such as latte art comps, WBC style comps, or other (slightly more quirky) comps I've heard about in Norway and Australasia. Whether any of this will actually happen, who knows, but no one else in the region seems to be doing anything apart from Coolaboola, Olive and Bean (a deli) and Central Bean.

So, finger crossed guys! And if you've got any ideas, suggestions, or if you live in Newcastle and are interested in any of this, drop me a line, comment or hunt me down and tell me. It's all gonna help me.

Cheers,
Seamus.

Roll On September!

2008-09-01T20:22:00.004+01:00

I love September. Really love September. It's my birthday in September. It's also the start of the school year, which means that my days at work are longer (so more money for me), and a rise in the number of customers who frequent our humble coffee kiosk as sixth formers rediscover the best coffee in Newcastle.

Also, two months in (well...near enough), we're properly international! I have recently added Get Clicky to my blog, which allows me to track the ebb and flow of the blog, and allows me to improve it, and direct it in a way that a hit tracker simply can't allow me to do. So I'd like to say welcome to my international readers. Firstly, hello to David Fogel from Israel. Secondly, hello to my readers in the US and Milan. It makes me really proud to think that my blog has such a wide reaching audience. And of course, records are automatically deleted after thirty days, and are used simply to improve this blog.

Anyway, the big thing.

*deep breath*

Central Bean.

I've tasted a fair few coffees now. I've spoken to people who have tasted coffee there. I've had comments on Facebook about Central Bean. I've even spoken to Andrew Hetzel, who has helped to set the shop up. So this could be a bit controversial. But, I pride myself on being able to write a no-holds-barred review. Here we go then.

First, what Central Bean advertises themselves as.

Central Bean is advertised as a taste of the Pacific NorthWest, a bar which prides itself on the quality of it's espresso. It is open to it's customers, providing cards with information about their product, their trade and their methodology. They are holding the first cupping I've heard about on Thursday, and are the only place I know about in Newcastle who sells a traditional cappuccino and espresso afagato.

So, my review. On my first trip, the decor lived up to all expectation. It's difficult to explain how it feels to sit inside the shop. As you walk in it feel like any other highstreet shop, but as you go around the back you're suddenly set into the pavement, with people walking at shoulder level on the pavement outside. There are three circular mirrors on the back wall, giving the back of the shop a surreal underwater feeling, coupled with the sensation of being below ground. While this might sound strange, I love it. It gives the shop a unique feel, as well as making it seem more secluded and 'third wave'. From a geek's point of view they use dual La Marzocco GB/5s, with La Marzocco twin hopper grinders, though I couldn't tell you the model number.

Onto the coffee. Now, I've got to be honest here. My first coffee I really had to force down. The espresso was woefully overextracted, and the milk was bubbly and lumpy. But, for reasons I'll explain later, I decided to have another. The second was much nicer. The milk wasn't perfect, and the espresso was a little underextracted, but it was perfectly drinkable and enjoyable. My second foray into Central Bean, I ordered an espresso afagato (espresso poured over vanilla ice cream). This was lovely. It tasted like a creamy, natural espresso con panna, with none of the artificial sweetness the whipped cream gives. However, cream (and ice cream) can hide a multitude of sins, so I withheld judgement once more. More final trip to date was today. I had arranged to meet up with Andrew Hetzel, who has helped to set up the shop, just after Copenhagen, so today we finally met for ten minutes or so. The impression I got from him was that the owners had gone to great lengths to provide quality espresso to their punters. So I had a cappuccino. Despite the milk being slightly bubbly on top the drink was lovely. And, through all of this, the customer service has never been anything short of inspiring. The baristi are all very friendly, and more than happy to chat if it's quiet.

So, my judgement. At the moment, my only reservation is lack of experience. Newcastle is not, to my mind, a well of quality baristi. Starbucks and Costa reign here, and as such the coffee scene still has much growing to do. So I hope that with time the lack of consistency I've encountered is resolved, simply through practice on the machines. I know for damn certain that their shots are no worse than mine when I first started as a barista. The decor, the feel of the shop and the people behind it are all perfect. So I'm very hopeful, and will continue to visit Central Bean, and keep track of it's development. So, all in all a lovely shop, with coffee which has improved each time I've tasted it, and now is at a good level, easily the equal of many other cafes in Newcastle (and much better than a lot of cafes as well).

Now, I've got to be honest, compared to my usual reviews of coffee shops (and anyone who knows my personally will attest to this) this review has been very understanding and balanced. I haven't condemned Central Bean for things which I have condemned other shops for. I have two reasons for this.

Number One: It's just opened. Most of the other cafes I've ranted about are well established, so I feel more comfortable bitching about them.

Number Two: The coffee scene in Newcastle is not what it is in London. There are no sit down cafes in town where I can truly say you can buy a world class espresso. This means that people continue to buy coffee from high street brands, thinking that it is world class. At Coolaboola (the kiosk where I work) we're doing our bit to educate people, but we can only do so much. It's up to cafes in town to do the big stuff and I hope that Central Bean can rise to the challenge. If Central Bean sets itself up as the best coffee in Newcastle, and servesthe best coffee town, as well as continuing with it's Third Wave approach then it'll be a huge step forward for the coffee scene here. Maybe then other coffee shops would step up to the challenge, raising the quality of coffee here.

I'll try not to get this soppy and emotional all the time.
Cheers,
Seamus

Here's hoping.

Readers List

2008-08-31T15:57:00.003+01:00

Well, upon closer inspection of Blogger it seems that I can automatically e-mail up to ten people whenever I throw up a new post. So, would anybody be interested? If you are, e-mail me at thirdwaveuk@hotmail.com and I'll add you to the readers list. That way, whenever I put up a new post, you'll be the first people to hear about it.

Cheers,
Seamus.

WBC 2009 - The Sponsors!

2008-08-29T13:54:00.003+01:00

Finally, the WBC 2009 sponsors have been announced. At 2pm (London time) today the WBC broadcast the announcement on their homepage (http://www.worldbaristachampionship.com/).

Well, I'll get straight to it. The grinder sponsor is Mahlkönig. They have put forward two grinders, the K30 Vario and the K30 Twin, both of which were used by a few baristi at last year's event. As opposed to the classic grinder design we saw in previous events (the K10, with it's dosing chamber) the K30 is an automatic grinder, ensuring that coffee wastage is kept to an absolute minimum. The Twin also allows the barista to use two hoppers, both of which have totally independent grind settings and ventilation.

The machine sponsor has been a subject of debate for a while now; would La Marzocco keep it, or would Nuovo Simonelli finally take their place. Well, I can tell you now that La Marzoccos dominance over the WBC is at an end, and that Nuovo Simonelli are the official sponsors for 2009-11. The Aurelia is an amazing piece of kit, with more technology than I can fit into a post. If people were excited about a dual boiler, it's nothing compared to the tech in this baby. My advice is to watch the announcement on the WBC site, it'll be worth watching if you haven't already.

So what does this mean for us competitors?

The grinder, well, this effectively removes the worry about coffee wastage. I got to use the Mahlkonig in Copenhagen, and if you're on the ball you'll have no problems what-so-ever. This is because, with it lacking a dosing chamber, you have an unfettered view of the portafilter, allowing you to see when the shot is dosed properly. To be honest, this is the bit of kit I'm most excited by, and one that I look forward to getting reacquainted with come the UKBC.

The machine, well, I'll be honest, I was really looking forward to getting onto a GB/5. They look gorgeous, and they're La Marzoccos for goodness sake! who wouldn't want a go. But from the looks of it the Nuovo Simonelli is by no means an inferior machine. Major differences will be the chance to change the length of pre-infusion, and a group system that supposedly removes channeling (though I'd check up on that if I were you; the tech confused me a bit lol). Also, the steam arm isn't switched on and off with a knob, but a paddle instead. It is still a three-group machine.

So, we live in exciting times eh? Two new sponsors, giving Compak and La Marzocco three years to build something better than the K30 and the Aurelia. Personally, as a competitor I can't wait, and as an audience member I can only imagine that this change in espresso machine will level the playing field a little, hurting those people who work on Marzoccos day in day out, or those with previous competitive experience. But that's just my two cents. So, what do you guys think?

Till next time,
Seamus.

P.S: I have been to Central Bean, but haven't gotten around to actually writing any kind of review yet. I promise I will get around to it, just bear with me lol

Scottish Coffee

2008-08-22T20:32:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been a week, but here I am again! *fanfare blares*

Well, not a whole lot to mention really. Turns out I was very busy, so couldn't do much of what I said I'd do. For those of you who don't know, I've been helping with a Church youth group for the last week. But, we did have a day out to Edinburgh, and a day out to Dunfermline. The first was a fantastic introduction to the Edinburgh coffee scene. I visited three coffee shops, all of whom served me with a better espresso than I could find in Newcastle (with a couple of notable exceptions, but more on that later). The first I visited was Cafe Andaluz. It was more a restaurant really, so I ordered my espresso to go. On show was a beautiful, two group Wega Nova. They didn't use it. The bloke who served me went into the back, and came back with my shot, so who knows what it was made on. I took it out, bought a notepad (to take notes), then tasted it. I've had better. It was weak, watery and a little bland. It still tasted fresh, but like they'd used too few coffee grinds and too much water. As such the aftertaste lasted about five minutes, no more. But in all it wasn't an unpleasant shot, just not the best I've had.

The second cafe was Café Rouge. To look at, this is the best coffee shop I have ever been to. It looks more European than Café Europa. All the waiters and baristas are wearing white shirts, full length black aprons and black trousers. Turns out it's a cafe in the true European sense of the word, selling food, with the coffee as a side dish. So, I went for the full experience and had a lemon tart and a cappuccino. The tart was the best I've had. The coffee wasn't. This isn't to say it wasn't nice, however. The milk was good, but not amazing, with some larger bubbles, and the espresso base was nice enough. The temperature was perfect, warm but not hot. All round a nice place to spend an afternoon.

However, looking back, both these cafes should be ignored, totally. They're both on George's Street. Start in Charlotte's Square, walk down George's Street on the left hand side and you'll find them both. Keep on walking, you'll find a better coffee. Wellington Coffee. Basically hidden away underneath another shop. Walking in, I was amazed by how small it was, yet they still managed to fit three grinders behind the bar; one empty, one for decaf and one for their espresso blend. I ordered myself a cappuccino, and sat down. Tragically the banter was minimal, but I forgave them when my drink arrived. The foam was not the meringue nest I'd gotten in Dunfermline (more, again later), but a perfectly intergrated layer of microfoam. The chocolate powder had been poured ontop of the espresso, then had the milk poured into it, creating a rosetta with a fantastic contrast. To taste, it truely is the best coffee I've had since Copenhagen. Finally, I find someone in the UK (putting aside just about everyone I met in Copenhagen) who can make a better coffee than me. I finally have a benchmark to aim for again. To drink my capp was balanced and silky smooth.

Anyway, this is getting to be long, so I'll stop waxing lyrical and get on with it.

In Dunfermline all the leaders on this week away, as well as a couple of the helpers (myself included) dressed up in stupid costumes and ran around the town. I was dressed as a huge yellow dog called Jumpster. A couple of the leaders and I tried to avoid the kids who were looking for us, and found a coffee shop. We sat down, I took off my dog's head, and we had a drink. So, now for the coffee. I got a cappuccino, and later an espresso. The cappuccino was what you'd expect from somewhere that uses Illy beans; it tasted alright, but nothing all that special, and the foam sat totally seperate to the milk. The espresso was served without any creama to speak of, and was bitter and overextracted. I'll try and get some photos of me in the suit up though.

In more local news, there is a new coffee shop open in Newcastle! Central Bean. My collegues at work loved it so much they rang me while I was in Scotland, so today I'm going to try it. I will post my thoughts when I get back, but from the sounds of it I might finally have some competition in Newcastle. Not to sound big-headed, but you really need to have a look at the Newcastle coffee scene to see what I'm on about.

So, will speak soon!

Seamus

A Tidy Up Of Florence, What Happens Next, And A Look To The Future

2008-08-14T10:58:00.002+01:00

Before I go into the post proper, there are a couple of things I want to say about my latest holiday, sort out a few loose ends. First, barista technique and practice in Italy. This is something that really amazed me. In the UK I've always judged a good coffee bar on how full the dosing chamber on the grinder is, relative to how busy the bar is. If you've got a line twelve deep, a quarter full chamber is not a cardinal sin. A chamber which is packed to the hilt when no one is at the bar, that's unforgivable. In Italy, the rules seem to change. In every bar I went to (including the much hyped Rivoire) the chamber was about half full, even where it would be possible to grind totally to order. Now, for those of you who might not know, the crema on espresso is mostly made up of CO2. The CO2 gives a lot of the brightness and acidity to the coffee, and is vitally important in every avenue of coffee. When beans are ground to an espresso grind they lose 80% of their CO2 content within the first minute, losing that lovely, balanced flavour and giving you something dead and lifeless.

I can just see people thinking now that Italian coffee is not as good as people keep saying it is, but this just isn't true. Somehow, despite having left the coffee for over a minute in the dosing chamber, the coffee still tasted lively and deep, unaffected by the flatness that stale coffee is known for. Aside from this the barista technique (or what I saw of it) was largely similar. One thing I did notice was a lack of big-name equipment. Grinders seemed to be Mazzer and Compak copies, and the machines were largely unknown to me, aside from a couple of Rancilios.

On my way back through Terminal 5, waiting for a connecting flight to Newcastle we stopped by Giraffe for some dinner. I'll be totally honest, we only did because I started taking photos of the four group La Marzocco Linea (or GB-5, can't remember off the top of my head), and they used Union Hand Roasted coffee, which I'm sure you know I love by now. Tragically, though the food was terrific, the coffee was a let down. I got myself a small cappuccino (6oz in a glass) and found the milk to be too bubbly, and the foam was separated from the milk, so that it was difficult to drink the foam. The espresso base was the biggest let down though. It was bitter and tasteless, obviously over extracted, and the whole drink felt like it had been left out while they made my dad's drink. My dad's drink, on the other hand, was a lovely idea and not bad to boot. It was a shot of espresso with hazelnut syrup, served with a jug of steamed milk. The espresso smelt over extracted, but tasted nice and balanced with the syrup. The milk was frothed and steamed nicely, with not many larger bubbles.

Okay, this post has already run on for a fair while, so I'll try and keep this section as short as possible. Firstly, I'd like to take this moment to assess the state of the blog. We currently have 443 hits, and that flies up every time a new post goes up. However, I do get the feeling that if it carries on in the vein it's in it'll become stale quite quickly, hence the current poll. So, with sixteen hours to go it seems you want some bits about the life of a barista, as well as some cafe reviews, equipment reviews and some of you even want more coffee tastings! If anyone reading this hasn't voted, please do, as it'll help me plan out what I want to do in the next month or so.

So, in response to this, I've decided to change tack slightly. The blog at the moment is basically updated when I feel I have something to say, so posts can go up daily, or once a fortnight, depending on what I'm feeling like. To a certain extent I'm going to sort this out by planning out certain posts ahead of time. So, on the books for when I get back from Scotland is a comparison of the Motta jug beside the standard straight walled jug, a review of some of my favourite coffee websites, an in depth review of the Newcastle coffee scene (be prepared for a very long post, or possibly even a two or three parter), a review of a couple of press pots, and (in the not too distant future), a no-holds-barred review of Coffee Aroma, the playground of my good friend Chris Weaver and his boss. In between those I'll try and fit in some barista bits, assuming I can work out what "Life of a Barista bits" means.

Anyway, I hope you're all as excited about this as I am. As for coffee tastings, to date I've only tasted pre-ground french press at home. To remedy this I'm going to try to get a grinder and sort out some proper, freshly ground tastings, possibly some cupping. Also, I only usually taste Union, so I'm going to try and branch out. On this subject, if anybody has any suggestions for what I should taste (as well as where I can get it) email them to me, and I'll have a look. My contact details are on the side bar. Also, any roasters, feel free to send me samples! If you do wish to send any samples, drop me an email and we can sort something out. Drop me some cash and I'll make it more favourable :p lol

Quickly, a review of some news. I've been offered a guest host slot on the Common Grind podcast, and am looking forward to taking up Chris on his generous offer. Watch this space. In other news, Mark Prince has announced on the latest CoffeeGeek podcast that he has joined a Cup of Excellence sub committee designed to look at the possibility of a barista membership. I'll blog more about this in the future, but go check out the podcast, it's always a good listen.

So that's it. Two months in and the blog is stronger than I ever could have dreamed. With twenty three people now members of the Facebook group, including some fantastic baristi that I owe much of my passion to, nearly 45o hits on the blog itself, and some great feedback coming in I look to the future with both trepidation and excitement. I hope the blog continues to grow, and that I can keep up the quality of the posts, so please, keep that feedback coming.

Before I go there are a few people I should thank. Firstly, Chris Weaver and Glenn Watson, for keeping my passion for coffee networking and blogging alive. To Stephen Leighton, for not being offended when I basically forgot who he was (sorry mate), and for leaving some great comments on the blog. To all my regulars at work, for putting up with my experimentation and uncontrollable passion for everything Third Wave. To Dane McGreevy and Chris Walton, for forcing me to up my game all the damn time. And finally, to Ru and Lu, my employers, for taking a young, immature, jobless waster who hated coffee and moulding him into the professional barista and general coffee geek that I am today. A huge thanks to everyone, and to all of you reading this. Without you it's just me rambling to an uncaring void.

Cheers, and sorry about the length,
Seamus

A Really Quick One

2008-08-11T22:25:00.000+01:00

My last coffee in Florence before I leave tomorrow. A lungo. Finally, I've tried one. I have nothing to compare it to, so I won't judge it. Instead I'll simply say it tasted like a Cafe Nero espresso. Long and bitter, but not entirely unpleasent. The difference is, of course, that's what a lungo is meant to be. So that's my final coffee here, and it was nice. My parents' capps were lovely as well (still not as good as Rivoire, but close enough).

I'll get the wine and olive oil tasting up soon.

I've had a little too much to drink, so now I'm off to bed.

Goodnight!
Seamus.

Last Day In Florence, Espresso Con Panna And A Five Bob Note

2008-08-10T21:20:00.002+01:00

Well, while not being our last night in Florence itself, it i our last full day to wander around the city. Tomorrow we're off on a tour of the surrounding area, including some wine tasting and some olive oil tasting (which I might post, just as a matter of interest). Today (and yesterday for that matter), we had remarkably few coffees which I haven't already mentioned.

We had dinner at Gilli. Fantastic meal, and I had a cappuccino to finish off, as did my mum. Both of us got latte art in the top (the first I've had all holiday!), mine a rosetta, my mum's a heart. The foam was lovely, with only a few larger bubbles (not large, but larger), and it was sweet and creamy. The espresso base was tasty, and more than complimented the quality of the milk.

As for Rivoire, tonight I had an espresso con panna, and a cappuccino. The espresso con panna is something I can't say I'm a huge fan of. Part of this is simply because I never know how to drink them, but also I find it a weak imitation of an espresso macchiato. It was, however, the last drink on the menu I needed to taste, so I had a go. I'll be honest, it was good. If you like the con panna, you'll love the Rivoire. The cappuccino, while not having any latte art, did have a perfect line of crema all the way around the edge of the cup, surrounding a solid white block of milk. I quickly remedied the lack of latte art with a cocktail stick and some etching. I'll get the photo up on Flickr when I get back. It was, again, a perfect cappuccino. Not complex, or mind blowing, but a solid capp; balanced, sweet and creamy.

As for the five bob note...well...I found five Euros on the floor. Awesome.

And that's about it really. Everywhere is closed tomorrow, so I don't know if there'll be any coffee, and we leave Florence on Tuesday. A quick heads up, I'm away next week as well, helping with my local church youth group in Scotland. There is very little chance that I'll have any internet connection, so I'll be silent for a while. I'll be taking loads of coffee and a french press with me. I might even do a comparison of french press pots if I find the time. We'll see.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading about Florence, and I really do recommend that any of you who love tasting different coffees, and seeing different techniques (something I've sen traically little of) come here. The food, the atmosphere, the sights, the people, everything is worth a look. And the Rivoire is where you need to go.

Cheers, and thanks for reading :)
Seamus

Veni, Vidi, Pluo - Part II

2008-08-07T16:04:00.003+01:00

As I promised, here is part two.

The resteraunt where I had this cup of excellence (:p) was the Rivoire, in the Piazza della Signoria. The food was tremendous (in fact, the main reason we even came back to Italy was because my mum fell in love with the Panacotta last time), and the service was without peer. From start to finish we were looked after by one waiter, who really could not have been more helpful.

This morning, I decided to sample the hotel's coffee. We're staying in the Hotel Davanzati, near the centre of Florence, only a short walk from the Piazza della Republica. The food, again, was great. A full buffet service with everything from cereal and croissants to cheescake. They had both drip and espresso based drinks, so my dad went with an espresso, and I a cappuccino. Tragically, it was not what I had hoped for. The milk was uneven, with two cones of milk froth in the centre of the cup, and the foam was seperate from the body of the milk, suggesting it hadn't been spun properly. This, I knew before I was even served the drink, simply by listening to the woman behind the bar making the milk, frothing it even as she switched off the steam wand. The espresso too was mildly overextracted. To its credit it was served in an eight oz. cup at a drinkable temperature, and was made by hand, on a double group machine.

Having said this, it may have been the worst coffee I have experienced in Italy, but it is still better than the average UK cappuccino. The milk was the same quality as some of the drinks I've had from Costa or Starbucks, and the espresso was only mildly overextracted, but still drinkable.

We also visited the Gilli, in the Piazza della Republica. With it being the middle of the day I only drank water, but my dad had an espresso. The smell of it was lovely. It smelt only slightly bitter, and my dad agreed that, while the Rivoire's espresso was better, the Gilli was still an excellent cup of coffee. We are hoping to back there later this week, so I'll give you a more detailed review then.

We're off out again later, so I'll post again later. And I'll try to keep the posts short, cos the last thing you want is to read two full length essays a day.

See you again soon,
Seamus.

I Came, I Saw, I Showered

2008-08-06T21:39:00.002+01:00

I'm in Italy guys! Because of this my spelling might not be great, because I have no spell checker...well, I do, but it's Italian. The fight was alright, not as long as I thought it was gonna be, and I slept through most of it anyway. Landed in Pisa, then got the bus from the airport to Florence. With no air coniditioning. That was hell. But by goodness, it was worth it. I decided to forgoe a coffee all day, until after supper. Again, it was worth it. All you people who think you know what the 'God Shot' is, you don't. You people who think you understand five star service. You don't. So, I had lasagne, with a white wine, followed by gelato. Then I had my espresso.

The machine was a four group Rancilio. The grinder, unfortunately, I didn't recognise. The espresso was served in a spotless, bowl-style demitasse, and looked perfect. A beautiful, hazelnut coloured crema, with perfect tiger striping. I tried pulling back the crema with my spoon (WBC style :p), and it repaired itself immediately, showing no evidence that I'd ever touched it. The the taste. I'll be honest, there was little complexity to the espresso. However, the quality of the shot more than made up for this. An intense chocolate taste, with a hint of hazelnut at the front of the tongue. All in all I can confidently say it is the very best shot of espresso I have ever had. Despite it obviously being a very dark espresso roast it did not taste bitter at all. Even the crema tasted balanced. It was full-bodied, with a light acidity.

Anyway, I'll post the rest of the night tomorrow, because the family is trying to get some sleep.

Till next time!
Seamus.

Come On Seamus, Not Another Bloody Tasting...

2008-08-05T16:26:00.003+01:00

Well....yes. I'll be honest, I've been buying too many great french press coffees to just not share them with you. And besides, it keeps the blog ticking over until I get some of the big stuff. Just to forewarn you all, as of tomorrow I'm in Florence, Italy. Hopefully I'll have Internet access while I'm there, in which case I'll post regularly about my adventures abroad with the parents. If not, I'll write it all down instead and post it when I get back, at regular intervals. I also hope to do a tamper comparison in the fairly near future (two Reg Barbers and a Bumper, hopefully), as well as a review of the Motta jugs (unrelated to a similar idea floating about on Coffee Forums). Just thought I'd let you know.

Anyway, on with the tasting. Today was a special one. For a change, it wasn't a light, bright coffee. It was a dark, french roast espresso blend with beans from Latin America, East Africa and Indonesia. It also happens to be the espresso blend I use at Coolaboola (the little kiosk where I work; Happy now Ru?), so I've got a fair old idea of what I'm looking for. I am, of course, talking about Union Hand Roasted's Revelation. Using this day in, day out, I know that it has a punchy red berry opening, leading to chocolate with a caramel finish. I know that as a cappuccino it enhances the berry, and diminishes the caramel. This time, however, espresso had nothing to do with it. This time, it would be a french press.

Now, I was more than a little excited, as was Dane. Even stood on the other side of the unit I could smell the intense chocolate aroma as he cut open the bag. Upon closer inspection (for want of a better word) the aroma of toasted caramel, and even a subtle hint of berry. As the coffee brewed away to itself the chocolate aroma intensified, to the point of making my mouth water in anticipation. On the tongue the taste evolved much as the aroma had. A subtle but defined berry opening which excited every part of the tongue, leading to an intense, full bodied chocolate as you swallow, leaving a caramel aftertaste, and a refreshing berry taste on the palette.

Overall, drinking this coffee as a french press really showed me the way that Revelation evolves in the mouth, moving from taste to taste in ways that are far too subtle as an espresso for my novice palette to truly understand at the moment. So this will not be my last cup of Revelation french press, and I look forward to getting back from Italy to try the espresso and the press pot beside each other.

Anyway, hope this alleviated your boredom a little, and I hope to have something a bit more original this time next week (along with pictures on my brand new Flickr account!). Until then I'll hand over the last word to the man, the myth, the legend, Intelligensia's own Geoff Watts:

"F*cking, speciality coffee will kick the asses of all the shitty coffees in the world"

Amen brother.
Seamus

Truly, You Have No Idea How Excited I Am.

2008-08-03T01:02:00.003+01:00

It's something I've been waiting for since I started networking. I'm an avid listener of the Portafilter podcast and the CoffeeGeek podcast. I read the forums, I post on them, I've started my own blog and I'm a moderator. Now, finally, my prayers have been answered. A BRITISH PODCAST!!!

Okay, so I might be a little over excited about this, but finally someone has stepped up to the plate and sorted out some kind of mainstream podcast for us, the UK coffee lover. It's by Chris Weaver (someone I'm mentioned probably a bit too much on this blog) and it's a hugely promising first episode. Fair enough, there are editing issues and it's a little rough, but hell, it's his first go and the content is more than enough to make up for any of it's failings. Aside from the news section (something which on it's own excites me) it has an interview with Steve Leighton, the world famous Hasbean roastmaster which is hugely interesting.

The podcast is only an hour long, so it's easy to fit into the drive home from work (if you travel as far as me anyway), so please have a look and a listen, and get back to Chris with your opinion. He wants to know what people think so he can improve it and make it the world-class podcast I know it's gonna be.

Anyway, I'll post the link at the end of this post, and the link to Chris's blog site is in the window on the right.

Well, I'm gonna go back to listening to it again lol.
Cheers,
Seamus.

http://chrisweaver.co.uk/commongrind.xml

Turkish Coffee, French Press And the Joys Of Kimya Dawson

2008-08-01T22:05:00.004+01:00

[Update: the Columbia tasting has now been added, as has the name of the Turkish Coffee...or at least what I think the coffee is called...]

Come one, come all! Well, as promised I broke out the hotplate and Ibrik and made up another Turkish coffee at work today, and even made notes this time. Now, for those of you who might not know, a Turkish coffee is brewed slightly differently to, say, a french press or a vac pot. It's brewed in a small, handled belly jug called an Ibrik, and uses a powder-fine grind. To be truly authentic it should also be brewed with a small amount of sugar to add sweetness. Again, this will not be a CoE standard tasting, just what Dane (the guy I was working with) and I thought about the coffee. I'll put it up anyway, just in case you find it interesting. The coffee I'm using is a preground coffee, which I think is called Kurukaveci Mehmet Efendi. That could just be a corporation name for all I know. It is from Turkey, however, and I don't speak Turkish...okay, on with the tasting.

Firstly, the aroma. On the nose it's winey, with a hint of oak. Tasting it warm the red wine/fruit notes really stand out, even over the sweetness of the sugar, with woody, oaky tones after the coffee is gone. As it cools the oak notes begin to come out more, giving the cup the taste of, in Dane's words, a forest early in the morning. As for body, Dane and I talked long and hard about this. In the end we decided it was a mix. On the tongue it had a heavy, full body, but on the palette it had a much lighter, watery feel. All in all it was a very different, interesting experience as well as a lovely coffee to drink.

Now onto the next bit of the title; French Press. Yes, today I made up a new (to me) and exciting Union Hand Roasted french press. I used a Colombian coffee from the Timana Co-Operative, Huila. The aroma is that of red wine, deep, full and fruity on the nose. Dane seems to have written 'bum fun' on my aroma notes...this, apparently is what he gets from the coffee. Draw your own conclusions. Tasting it 'straight off the boil', so to say, the coffee has a distinct oak taste, with a medium acidity and a fruit/red wine finish. As the cup cools the oak fades into the background, allowing the wine notes to come into their own, the fruit finish replaced by a defined chocolate aftertaste. Overall the coffee has a medium body and leaves a refreshing, zesty feel at the back of the mouth.

Now, a song for all you coffee lovers out there. Okay, it's a tenuous link, I'll admit that, but it's still an awesome song. It's The Competition by Kimya Dawson. Unfortunately it's not hosted anywhere on the web, so I found another great song by her and Antsy Pants called Tree Hugger (from the Juno soundtrack). Competition is available on iTunes though, and I suggest you buy it now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vOP-slvtg4

Anyway, that's about it for today.

Cheers,
Seamus

The Future Of UK Coffee: Part Two (And Some Other Stuff)

2008-07-31T20:55:00.004+01:00

I've just been having a look at the CoffeeGeek website, and I was shocked and appalled at what I found in the UK regional forums there. In such a small community to have people making personal attacks against other baristi and roasters, etc is unforgivable. The UK coffee industry is growing, yes, but we need to work together in order to help it to reach it's full potential. It saddened me to see so-called coffee obsessives bitching about people and being downright offensive. Come on guys, work with each other, help each other, lets get the Industry sorted out and make Starbucks and Costa work for their money. All this crap is just going to reflect badly on what should be a friendly, open and completely approachable industry. What I will say is thank you to James Hoffmann. Gracious and level headed in the face of personal attacks and bullshit remarks about his ability as a barista, he once again proves he is an ambassador for coffee we can be proud of.

Okay, rant over. For now anyway.

As I promised last night, today I brewed up my first Ibrik-full of Turkish coffee. I think I need a little more practice, but it was a fairly pleasant cup. Probably added a little too much sugar, and was busy serving customers so completely missed the froth appearing, but still. Might try again tomorrow, we'll see. On the other hand I might leave it for the weekend. Either way I'll make some notes on the brew process and the tasting and post them.

And I think that's about it, I think. I'm sure I can throw up some new posts if I remember anything.

Love, hugs, and plenty of other soppy, gay stuff,
Seamus.

Less Of A Post...More Of An Update.

2008-07-30T23:25:00.002+01:00

Well, as you may have read, last Wednesday my collegues and I went to Starbucks, for their weekly Aromalab. Tragically, it was off. This week, we returned. Tragically, the 'coffeemaster' was on holiday. I wept bitterly.And I'm in Italy next week! Where will I get my coffee without Starbucks?!?!?!

Oh....wait...Florence. That's where la Marzoccos are made, yeah? Awesome. As for next week, if I have a PC nearby I'll try my best to post when I can. If not, I'll take plenty of notes. Unfortunatly I won't be visiting the La Marzocco factory. Maybe in the future...

Also, a regular at work (shout out to james Hall) recently went to Turkey, and brought us back somne pre ground Turkish coffee. I bought up a hotplate and an Ibrik, so tomorrow I'll be brewing up some Turkish coffees. Will post about that tomorrow if all goes well.

Anyway, that's about it really, apart from going out to the pub and getting fairly drunk...

Love y'all,
Seamus.

Brewing Up The Grumpy Mule

2008-07-27T22:01:00.003+01:00

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.

Just A Quick One

2008-07-24T00:48:00.004+01:00

It's 00:48 in the morning, and I have a 6:45 shift at work, but there are a couple of things I needed to get on here before I forgot. Firstly, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Glenn Watson, who has kindly added me to the moderating team on Coffee Forums UK. I just hope I can do my part to help it run smoothly and grow to the size it truly deserves to be.

Secondly, my workmates and I found out that our local Starbucks did an 'Aromalab' night every Wednesday from 6pm. Intrigued, we set off to have a look; at worst is would be a laugh, and at best educational. We turned up, went in, and asked the barista behind the bar about it. He told us that it was lead by the house Coffeemaster, who would go around giving free samples and teaching people about tasting and smelling coffee. We sat there for an hour and not one black aproned barista was to be seen. Not to be downhearted we bought coffees, sat and chatted, then knocked off to the pub to drink too many spirits and play pool.

So it seems that Starbucks has decided to make use of their Coffeemasters, and to try to ride the third wave of coffee professionals. Maybe we'll try again next week. If he doesn't turn up again then at least it's a chance for a piss-up. Will make sure to let you know if we ever get around to it.

Love y'all,
Seamus.

Networking And The Importance Thereof?

2008-07-20T21:14:00.003+01:00

Networking. It's the big trend on the web at the moment. Everyone from my 13 year old sister to my old history teacher is on Facebook, and everyone and their dog is on some kind of forum. It's no longer the realm of the computer nerd. So what bearing does this have on the modern coffee professional? Why should they network, aside from being trendy?

The coffee buisness, especially with the 'Third Wave' of coffee professionals, is one of the friendliest buisnesses around. Sure, it has it's problems, and people have their rivalries, but people are willing to share things with each other, and help each other out in the search for quality coffee and the all important 'God shot'. This is where networking comes in.

Networking allows people from all over the world to talk with one another, helping us all to become better baristas, better roasters, better cuppers, etc. It allows home baristas to talk frankly with world barista champions and pick their brains on subjects dear to them. It helps foster buisness relationships in a more casual manner than simply the handing over of buisness cards.

In my own experience networking has helped me as a barista. Only two weeks in to serious blogging and networking and already my Facebook friends list has grown exponentially. I now have Jim Hoffman and Stephen Morrissey added, as well as Chris Weaver and Glenn Watson. All four individually are a vast well of experience and talent that I look forward to learning from, be it from watching a video on Chris's blog to or sending Stephen a message asking him about competitions. To be the best you can be you need to take advantage of every chance and every opportunity, and the internet is one of the best oppotunities to meet people around.

So join coffee forums, make sure you stay in contact with people you've met, make sure you become a part of the fantastic coffee community that exists worldwide. Share what you've learned with people less experienced than you and in turn learn from those with more experience.

Cheers,
Seamus.

Thank God For Girlfriends.

2008-07-16T21:50:00.002+01:00

It was (as I think I mentioned in my last post) mine and my girlfriend's three year anniversary on Sunday (whoop!)! She is the epitomy of a Coffee Widow, but bless her, she got me a box of coffee for my present. Now, she'll admit she knows nothing about coffee, except what she's been forced to pick up just to pretend to understand me, so I opened the box with some trepidation. I was pleasently surprised to find, not the generic, 100% robusta crap that I was scared of having to taste, but some interesting looking, 100% aribica Fairtrade stuff. Each coffee comes with tasting notes, a little info on the farm it comes from, some other great little tidbits.

There are three different coffees:

Indonisia Somatra Lintong
Papua New Guinea
The Premium Blend (a blend of Gayo Organic Coffee Farmers Association, Indonesia; La Central de Cooperatives Cafeteleras de Honduras; Empresa Cooperative del sur del Cauca, Columbia)

With these coffees I plan on just playing about. I'm going to have a go at some cupping, and try them as espresso and cappuccini. I might even post some of the stuff on here. But it looks like some good stuff. Just a quick flick through the tasting notes throw up some really interesting flavours, such as "a deep smokey spice flavour", winey flavours with floral notes, and the one I'm really excited about, a spicy opening with caramel or toffee notes developing on he pallate.

Like I said, I'll try and get some cupping sheets made up for these coffees and put them online. Hope it's of some use to you guys :)

Cheers,
Seamus

The Future Of UK Coffee?

2008-07-14T18:05:00.003+01:00

This weekend was mine and my girlfriend's third anniversary. To celebrate we decided to go to Corbridge, camping. While we were there I was able to taste a couple of coffees, and I found the same problems in both places; over extracted espresso, topped with badly frothed cappuccino milk. Tragically, these problems can be found almost anywhere you go, even some speciality coffee shops. Is this the future of the speciality coffee industry in the UK?

Not necessarily. Lately the market has been flooded by, dare I say it, second rate espresso. Starbucks now use automatic machines, delivering under extracted shots, coupled with milk done in 1.7 litre jugs. I visited one of the better Costa branches lately, the first customer in, and they gave me milk done from another vast jug. I've lost count of the dirty, mistreated espresso machines I've seen in pubs and tea shops, or in carts on train stations. But there is hope.

Third Wave baristas and coffee professionals need to make their voices heard. Even within Newcastle (my native city) the rise of quality coffee shops has begun. From small corner shops, to train station kiosks, to the much hyped Square Mile in London, all are important. If this continues and small independents, or large multinationals who still manage to understand coffee, keep opening then hopefully the British public will grow to learn what a good coffee really is.

International factors may also help. Starbucks, for example, have recently bought up Clover, which promises to improve the quality of drip/filter coffee hugely, being able to brew coffee by the cup, as well as controlling a huge number of variables in each up. Many shops in the US are also beginning to roast their beans on site (something which has yet to really take off in the UK, to my knowledge). With any luck these things will find their way over to the UK.

The rise of small roasteries is also helping the industry hugely. Companies such as Union Hand Roasted (from my own experience), or Origin (from what I've heard) are massively influential. These are run by passionate people, and each have their own fantastic barista trainers who go around the country training the baristi who use their beans. This gives the café owners and the baristi working there a drive (hopefully) to really try, and to make the most of the quality beans they buy.

So all of these factors, in my opinion, are helping to educate the public in what coffee really can be. But in the end it comes down to us; the baristi, the coffee enthusiasts, the coffee professionals. It is up to us to break down that wall between us and the customer, to educate them, enthuse them and make them care about the coffee they drink. We must teach people that coffee is not just coffee, that it is a complex culinary experience that has taken thousands of man hours to reach their cups.

Here's to the revolution.

Seamus.

Wonderful Coffee 2008

2008-07-10T19:01:00.002+01:00

Wonderful Copenhagen, Wonderful Coffee 2008, home of the WBC. For those of you who don't know, the World Barista Championships were held in June this year, in Copenhagen. 51 national barista champions from around the world converged on the Øksnehallen in the centre of Copenhagen. The level of competition was incredible, with some truely inspiring signature drnks being created. The UK entry, Hugo Hercod, did his country proud, placing tenth overall.

After round one, the 51 baristas were whitled down to six finalists; David Makin (Australia), Liesbeth Sleijster (Netherlands), Daniel Remheden (Sweden), Soren Stiller Markussen (Denmark), Michael Yung (Canada) and Stephen Morrissey (Ireland). The finals were packed, with people crowding around any TV screen they could find, the various trade stands around the main hall showing the live internet feed. Even the seperate SCAE competitiom stand was packed, a live feed being shown on the video screens.

The whole atmosphere of the finals was electric. Each of the baristas seemed more laidback and seemed to be having more fun the second time around. None embodied this more than Stephen. During the first round his signature drink (espresso with melted chocolate, panacotta and blueberry jam) had gone wrong, with his panacottas falling over. Second time around he seemed a lot more slick, as though he was happy simply getting through to the finals. As it turned out, Stephen left Copenhagen the World Barista Champion.

Around the WBC was a fantastic trade show. Companies from all corners of the coffee world turned up. Never have I been given so much fantastic, free coffee! Even as a barista the trade show was a great way of building up contacts, learning new things, and even keeping you interested for four days.

I should also mention the SCAE competitions; The Latte art championship, Coffee In Good Spirits, the Cupping Championship, and the Ibrik/Cezve competition. I didn't get to see much of these, but managed to catch a couple of the latte art contestants. They are some incredibly talented baristas, and are well worth a look.

So, four days of barista goodness, and well worth a look for anyone interested in coffee. It's in Atlanta next year, sometime in May.

Hope to see you there!
Seamus

Coffee Blogging

2008-07-09T23:08:00.004+01:00

In the spirit of giving you, the blog reader, the widest variety of views on the coffee world, here are a few local and international coffee sites that I really like.

http://www.coffeegeek.com/ - One of the best coffee websites out there. Look out for the podcast as well.
http://www.ukbaristachampionship.co.uk/ - The website of the UKBC. A must for all would-be competitors.
http://5mcoffee.com/coffeeblog/index.php/tag/coffee-forums-uk/ - Another fantastic coffee blog site.
http://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/ - A fledgling, but nonetheless great forum for home baristas, pro baristas, and everyone inbetween.
http://www.jimseven.com/ - The blog site of the ex World Barista Champion, James Hoffman. Another great blog.
http://www.portafilter.net/ - Nick Cho (on the board of directors for the SCAA) and Jay Caragay (Regional USBC winner) run this blog site, along with a host of other great US baristas. They also have a fantastic podcast which is a fascinating insight into the higher workings of the SCAA and the WBC.
http://www.chrisweaver.co.uk/blog/ - With this last blog site I've run out of hyperbole with which to describe it. Some brilliant thoughts of coffee, and an obvious passion come through in this blog. Finally, some real UK coffee journalism! Well worth a read if you're at all interested in UK speciality coffee.

Well, there you go. Any other suggestions for sites you find helpful are welcome, so feel free to shout them out.

Till next time,

Seamus.

Episode One: The Phantom Blogger

2008-07-09T22:09:00.002+01:00

Well, here we go. My first venture into the crazy, yet bizzarely sparse world of UK coffee blogging. Basically this blog is aimed at everybody from the budding home barista to the best profesional barista. In it I hope to have, for want of a better word, educational articles, reviews of equipment, how to articles, and general UK coffee news. Of course, any feedback is welcome.

Cheers,
Seamus.