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

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...

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...

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

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.

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!

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.

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.