I was just reading Josh Russels blog, baristafail.com and he made me think about the year’s gone coffees. I couldn’t help but do a list the same, hope you don’t mind, Josh.
PANAMA Don Pachi Natural
Strawberries, candied lavender and cream. Usually I’m not the biggest fan of naturals but this was like nothing I’ve ever had in my mouth before. A truly life-changing coffee.
I think this was the worlds most expensive coffee this year (maybe ever) at $220/kg green
EL SALVADOR Finca Suiza
A distinctly honeyed sweetness plus an added complexity not usually found in washed El Salvador
coffees.
KENYA Gethumbwini Peaberry
So good every year. This year it popped with ripe pink grapefruit and blackcurrant jam.
Marichi Clarke (Proud Mary) used this coffee in his competition this year so I got to drink a
shitload of it during his practice and prep.
The coffee mega-mofos just dont give up. The brand has “failed” in Melbourne so they launch a new store that feels different from their other stores.
If you’re stuck for something to do this holidays maybe you could share your christmas cheer …
Or not
Majda Falan and Nedim Rakmanovic have created an awesome space with their design/hospo backgrounds and finished it off with their million dollar smiles.
As quality is the focus here they have chosen some of the best produce Melbourne has to offer for the back and front of house. Istra bacon, Kangaroo Island Eggs, Brasserie Bread and Proud Mary Coffee to name a few.
Check out 594 Queensberry St in North Melbourne.
It seems to be the flavour of the day/month/year/whatevs to combine coffee with beer. Different crew are getting in on the act with some good results and some not so good results.
There were the guys from Matilda Bay and Toby’s Estate who did a limited run.
There are some guys in Queesland from Burleigh Heads Brewing and Zarrafa Coffee that have teamed up and have called it Black Girrafe. A bloke who writes a blog did a review of the stuff.
An international brewery with one of the worlds best beers in their arsenal does an Espresso Stout.
In very recent times there are two Melbourne brewery/roaster teams that have combined with different approaches to create two quite delicious beers of note.
The first cab off the rank was Mountain Goat and Seven Seeds which created a beer called Seedy Goat. As far as I know the coffee was added to the beer during the hot wurt stage and brewed in the wurt for a designated time and strained as one would a regular coffee brew. The resulted beer was quite good with just a hint of added acidity and bitterness from the coffee.
The second was True South Brewery and Proud Mary that created a beer called “Whatever you want me to be”. The beer started out it’s life as a traditional Scotch Ale. Scotch Ales are made with roasty malts so the beer initially has quite a deep flavour. The brewer, once the beer was finished sitting added cold drip coffee to the beer along with cassia bark to finish off the project. The beer that produced especially for Festival of the Frothy was quite stunning and was only available in very limited stocks. Josie Bones is the only place to have some left and was still on the taps two days ago.
What if the pioneers of specialty coffee that influenced you were other than whom they were? Chances have it that you would be roasting lighter or darker than you currently do.
What would you be thinking about the coffee you are about to roast tomorrow if your palate had been influenced by another/s? You would probably love it just the same because you have come to appreciate the development present in the roast whether it be little development or alot.
A bunch of us did a cupping course the other week and it was hosted by an American. The coffee this guy roasted in Seattle was roasted to a level that is considered by many in Australia as roasty or more developed. Whatever you want to call it, it was roasted for longer than many would for filter and very similair to many espresso roasts.
Many in the course blanched at the flavours that the roast level delivered for filter but as we all spoke more with the instructor and talked more about the flavours present it became apparent that the roast level was not bad in any way. It did not have the popping fruits or acids that most of us love but the roast level was balanced.
Many kiwis come over here and claim that some of the coffee is “walked through a warm room” for a few minutes. Most of us would go to New Zealand and claim that their thermocouples must read in Swahili or they often fall off. Looking at the two adversely different styles of roasting makes me wonder if either of the two schools are agreeing with the consumer to the utmost.
Maybe somewhere in the middle is actually where the consumer really enjoys the beverage most. Maybe it’s between Agtron58 and 62, right where the SCAA recommend.
Word to Matt Perger for donating his time to guide a few barista competition competitors in the right direction !
After three years of competing still I had a page of notes taken down and direction on a score sheet to analyze. Although I’m not competing this year it will definately come in handy if I compete again.
Oh my fucking god how handy this info would have been three years ago.
Cheers dude !
It’s that time of year again folks!
First cab off the rank was the Australian Siphon Comp held at the new Small Batch roastery in North Melbourne. Will Glover from Auction Rooms was the winner through artistic and dramatic use of liquid nitrogen to chill a siphon and turn it into beer on stage which tasted pretty damn fine to boot.
Johnny Vroom from the soon to open ORA came second and Aaron Wood from Premises came third.
If you see this you have nearly found some kids making some superb coffee.
If you see this your pretty damn happy. Make the most the 10days it’s open for.
L2 Royal Arcade, 314 Little Collins St.
