Pressed from #7 grinder setting, grinds of Roel Tan-Torres' Sid Vicious 1.21.2007, came out pretty earthy. It was mildly acidic, medium body, a touch of bitterness and a bit 'rough' sans sugar but with 3/4 teaspoon I got a whiff of floral scent and smoothed out the roughness. The coffee is strong in malt flavors and, I imagine, with a wee mocha somewhere there.
Still good.
20070130
20070125
Double Espresso 1.24.2007
Yesterday I was in the funk. Lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, depressed and just miasma put togetther mixed badly and serve.
So I decided to try pulling double espressos with Roel Tan-Torres' Sid Vicious roasted 1.21.2007.
I'd like to note that for the past weeks I've been having trouble pulling shots. I got gushers, thousands of liters of gushers in less than 15 seconds... and nary a chanelling. Yesterday afternoon, I tried again. Started with my usual #3 setting on the La Spaziale M4A (MACAP M4A), gusher in less than 15 seconds. 1-click finer, got gusher again and 15 seconds. Grrrrr.... Yet another click finer, I got... it! Oh yeah, fine 25+ second pull.
And I did again... The last 2 pulls had something interesting: they tasted the way the smell. Sorry, yet again my limited taste vocabulary leaves me speechless. The crema had none of that bitter-sprinkled-instant-coffee-on-the-crema taste. It was wee sweet but mostly neutral AND IT WAS GOOD TO THE LAST DROP. No bitterness at the end. No unpleasant aftertaste. No hightened acidity I noted when brewing from the press pot.
And I thought I lost it. I was about to give up pulling espressos in favor of press pot.
So I decided to try pulling double espressos with Roel Tan-Torres' Sid Vicious roasted 1.21.2007.
I'd like to note that for the past weeks I've been having trouble pulling shots. I got gushers, thousands of liters of gushers in less than 15 seconds... and nary a chanelling. Yesterday afternoon, I tried again. Started with my usual #3 setting on the La Spaziale M4A (MACAP M4A), gusher in less than 15 seconds. 1-click finer, got gusher again and 15 seconds. Grrrrr.... Yet another click finer, I got... it! Oh yeah, fine 25+ second pull.
And I did again... The last 2 pulls had something interesting: they tasted the way the smell. Sorry, yet again my limited taste vocabulary leaves me speechless. The crema had none of that bitter-sprinkled-instant-coffee-on-the-crema taste. It was wee sweet but mostly neutral AND IT WAS GOOD TO THE LAST DROP. No bitterness at the end. No unpleasant aftertaste. No hightened acidity I noted when brewing from the press pot.
And I thought I lost it. I was about to give up pulling espressos in favor of press pot.
20070123
Roel Tan-Torres" Sid Vicious 1.21.2007
Yes! Fresh coffee!
A blend of Ethiopian Sidamo and local Cordillera Bauko or Tuba arabicas.
Grind set at #7, usual starting point, and steeped in the press for 4 minutes and... bad. The plunger went down with little resistance, at first sniff it smelled acidic and little else. Closer to the mug I get a hint of cholcolateness. First sip without sugar confrimed what the nose knows, it also had little body but there was this taste that I cannot describe.
Why? My inexperience leaves my Taste Vocabulary a bit sparse but, hopefully, I'lll rememdy that as time goes by... ( ... a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh...).
*Uhrmm* Anyway. We'll see later if I can get the body up by grinding a notch finer.
Oh and I added less than teaspoonful of sugar and the body stayed thin.
A blend of Ethiopian Sidamo and local Cordillera Bauko or Tuba arabicas.
Grind set at #7, usual starting point, and steeped in the press for 4 minutes and... bad. The plunger went down with little resistance, at first sniff it smelled acidic and little else. Closer to the mug I get a hint of cholcolateness. First sip without sugar confrimed what the nose knows, it also had little body but there was this taste that I cannot describe.
Why? My inexperience leaves my Taste Vocabulary a bit sparse but, hopefully, I'lll rememdy that as time goes by... ( ... a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh...).
*Uhrmm* Anyway. We'll see later if I can get the body up by grinding a notch finer.
Oh and I added less than teaspoonful of sugar and the body stayed thin.
20070121
So it begins...
Last December 2006, I told my brother, who's also my partner, that it's time we walk the talk.
That meant we start looking for a place for Peaberry. Not too pricey, not too far, not too hidden, not too small, not too big and, most importantly, not too few parking.
To this day, we found Three that meets the criteria, another one didn't have parking, yet another didn't want food related businesses. Of the Three, One of the location has appears to have a bright propect and come January 22, 2007 I'm submitting our applications. After a few final questions.
Photos to follow, IF we get the lease. IF nothing comes up.
That meant we start looking for a place for Peaberry. Not too pricey, not too far, not too hidden, not too small, not too big and, most importantly, not too few parking.
To this day, we found Three that meets the criteria, another one didn't have parking, yet another didn't want food related businesses. Of the Three, One of the location has appears to have a bright propect and come January 22, 2007 I'm submitting our applications. After a few final questions.
Photos to follow, IF we get the lease. IF nothing comes up.
Toper Cafemino Roaster (Electric)
Finally, after waiting for Two months the Toper Cafemino Roaster (Electric) arrived at my house on January 18, 2007! YAY!
It actually landed in th port of Manila on December 30, 2006 but being a Saturday AND a holiday, not to mention that the following Monday was also a holiday, it took another week before it got to Davao. Then, I had to rush my wife to the hospital and I ran out of load on my cellphone and I forgot to bring the roaster documents with the custom broker's phone and... suffice to say that it took over a week to clear customs and arrange delivery.
The other day I finally had time to open it.
The crate is sturdy and a sudy in over-packaging, using what appears to be 1" MDF, bolted, nailed, and nailed again, atop a pallet. Afer unbolting the top cover's 8 bolts, I gingerly tried prying the top hoping it wasn't really nailed... and it wasn't. *Relief* The MDFs were nailed to a frame made of 50 mm x 50 mm wood. And there it was wrapped under bubble and plastic sheets and restrained by another 50 x 50 mm wood: the roaster. Er... at least I think it is what I ordered. Hard to tell under those plastic wrapping and I'm not tearing those until we find a place for the cafe.
Or maybe... I won't. Wait, that is.
Photos to follow.
It actually landed in th port of Manila on December 30, 2006 but being a Saturday AND a holiday, not to mention that the following Monday was also a holiday, it took another week before it got to Davao. Then, I had to rush my wife to the hospital and I ran out of load on my cellphone and I forgot to bring the roaster documents with the custom broker's phone and... suffice to say that it took over a week to clear customs and arrange delivery.
The other day I finally had time to open it.
The crate is sturdy and a sudy in over-packaging, using what appears to be 1" MDF, bolted, nailed, and nailed again, atop a pallet. Afer unbolting the top cover's 8 bolts, I gingerly tried prying the top hoping it wasn't really nailed... and it wasn't. *Relief* The MDFs were nailed to a frame made of 50 mm x 50 mm wood. And there it was wrapped under bubble and plastic sheets and restrained by another 50 x 50 mm wood: the roaster. Er... at least I think it is what I ordered. Hard to tell under those plastic wrapping and I'm not tearing those until we find a place for the cafe.
Or maybe... I won't. Wait, that is.
Photos to follow.
20070115
20070112
NOT COFFEE: New daughter
Sophie Haw (subject to change without notice pending submission of required documentation and registration with pertinent governement agencies/its authorized agents) arrived, after sitting pretty in the hosital delivery room for over 12 hours, on 20070111.18:09:00 weighing in at 3.515 Kg.
20070107
Second Mug of the Day
Now, I adjusted the grinder to be a click under #7 to get coarser grinds.
After pressing for about 3 minutes and into a mug with no sugar I get a more musky fruity scent, medium acidity, not much body, not bitter. Adding about 3/4 teaspoon of sugar brings a bit of perfumy aftertaste and I get more body this time (probably due to the sugar).
The room smells nutty, chocolate drink made from tableas. Very nice, very pleasant. Not like the stale coffee sold in supermarket that smells acidic when used in a drip.
...sip
After pressing for about 3 minutes and into a mug with no sugar I get a more musky fruity scent, medium acidity, not much body, not bitter. Adding about 3/4 teaspoon of sugar brings a bit of perfumy aftertaste and I get more body this time (probably due to the sugar).
The room smells nutty, chocolate drink made from tableas. Very nice, very pleasant. Not like the stale coffee sold in supermarket that smells acidic when used in a drip.
...sip
Roel Tan-Torres' Belafonte 1.05.2007
Ground at #7 setting on my La Spaziale M4 (nee Macap M4) and pressed in my Starbucks (nee Bodum) press pot. The press pot offered little resistance when I plunged the screen, after letting the coffee brew for a little over 3 minutes. Bad.
Still, coffee had a nice whiff of that perfume but not as much as the last Giraffe. It tasted... ah... well... Fruity, I think...
Frankly, after almost 2 weeks of with no good fresh coffee, I forgot to taste after the first sip. Even the impression from the first sip was forgotten as I just started to enjoy the coffee. Just enjoy the coffee.
...sip
Still, coffee had a nice whiff of that perfume but not as much as the last Giraffe. It tasted... ah... well... Fruity, I think...
Frankly, after almost 2 weeks of with no good fresh coffee, I forgot to taste after the first sip. Even the impression from the first sip was forgotten as I just started to enjoy the coffee. Just enjoy the coffee.
...sip
20070106
Coffee!
At last fresh coffee!
400g of Roel Tan-Torres' Belafonte blend (Ethiopian Harrar and Cordillera arabica) arrived this morning. Yes!
But it's my half-day off so that means I'll have my first taste tomorrow.
Stay tune...
400g of Roel Tan-Torres' Belafonte blend (Ethiopian Harrar and Cordillera arabica) arrived this morning. Yes!
But it's my half-day off so that means I'll have my first taste tomorrow.
Stay tune...
20070104
A Nice Rainy day but...
NO COFFEE !
'AUUUUUGH !' quoth Charlie Brown.
I'll drown my sorrows with a shot or two of Laphraoig tonight...
'AUUUUUGH !' quoth Charlie Brown.
I'll drown my sorrows with a shot or two of Laphraoig tonight...
20070103
NOT COFFEE: 2007
So another wasted year gone by and a new year rolls in...
And it still feels the same... still stuck in the rut... rained all day too... *sigh...*
A least Jan 1, 2007 was spent motoring here and there with the family.
And it still feels the same... still stuck in the rut... rained all day too... *sigh...*
A least Jan 1, 2007 was spent motoring here and there with the family.
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