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Tadesse Meskela - The Espresso Blend that is..
One of the interesting parts of roasting coffee is being able to experience the roast development of each different coffee origin. As it advances through the different stages of the roast, different smells and colours become apparent. A good roaster knows the different characteristics and dynamics of each origin and tweaks their roasts to bring out the flavors they want. This understanding of the complex elements of each origin is then used to combine them to a composition required to produce a quality espresso blend.
Cup of Excellence Palate Calibration Workshop
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a "Cupping" workshop put on by the New Zealand Coffee Roasting Association (NZCRA). Cupping coffee is much like a wine tasting where you smell the coffee, taste and spit it out, in an attempt to accurately asses all the flavours and nuances of the beverage. This program was run by a couple who are very experienced in the specialty coffee world and run a business called Cup of Excellence (COE). This competition is run every year in various countries allowing any farmer to enter their coffee. All coffees get judged purely on quality of taste, and culled until only the best are left. Finally, these exceptional coffees are sold in an online auction often for exorbitant amounts of money. Some of the farmers in the cooperatives we buy from have had placings in the COE.
