Author: Pete Denison

Wiser Web Wednesday

/ Pete Denison / 1 Comment

On Fountain Pens
A great idea from Maybelline, a series of guest posts titled 12 Days of Fountain Pen Bloggers. Given the title, the nature of the series is fairly self-explanatory. A post by yours truly has recently gone live, as the Day 5 contribution. A great blog, a great idea, and something I was honoured to be involved in:
12 Days of Fountain Pen Bloggers

Pens! Paper! Pencils!
Ian reviews a pen I have had half an eye on for some time. I remember actually asking myself what was so special about a tube you can write with, and why I necessarily wanted it. I didn’t really come up with the answer, however Ian’s review does confirm my initial thoughts:

It is all about being a tube with a nib.

Perhaps the draw for me is somehow tied to the Kaweco nib at the end of said tube:
Kaweco Liliput fountain pen review

The Pen Addict
Speaking of the Liliput, this one, the Fireblue has a very interesting back story. Brad explains, with the help of a great video from JetPens, whom incidentally are the exclusive carriers of the Fireblue. A great looking pen at a price to match — that is, if you were quick enough to get one:
Kaweco Liliput Fireblue Fountain Pen Review

Alt. Haven
A great review of one of my favourite pens, the Pelikan M205. The words notwithstanding, what really struck me in this post was how great this pen looks in white — a thing of beauty:
Review: Pelikan M205

Third Wave Wichteln
According to the site, Wichteln is the German word for secret Santa, and this global Christmas coffee exchange initiative is now in its third year and going strong. This is my first time participating, and I was lucky enough to receive a superbly roasted Kenya Sukari from RoastInc in Germany.

I highly recommend this as a fantastic way of sharing your love for coffee, and a way to sample roasters from around the world. It really is as simple as registering, buying coffee and sending it to your allocated recipient. Although 2014 is now closed, there is always next year:
Third Wave Wichteln

CRS Coffeelands Blog
Although the best of/year-end lists are out and about as usual, there are some that are certainly worth having a look at. For an interesting take on various aspects of the coffee industry, Michael Sheridan’s posts throughout the year usually don’t disappoint:
The best of Coffeelands: 2014 in review

Shawn Blanc
It may not necessarily be my favourite brewer, however there is no denying the good old AeroPress, for its ease of use, portability, and versatility:
What’s So Special About the AeroPress

Tech Distortion
Speaking of year-end lists, this one by John Chidgey is one of my favourites so far, and will take some toppling. Why? This as a lead in for starters:

Rub your finger-tips gently on the sides of your temple and picture in your mind where you’d like to be…you can have anything you want…be anyone you want…

Now snap out of it. Instead, try these more useful ideas.

The second to last bullet point being my favourite. Resolve, to go and see for yourself:
Johns Different Year In Review for 2014

The Finer Point
Whether you are a daily journal keeper or not, the Day One app just adds that little something extra to encourage those entries you may not otherwise bother to make. This post highlights those very features. My favourite feature is the random photos I get to see each day in the iOS Today view widget — mostly of family snaps during holidays or other happy times:
Journaling with Day One

European Coffee Trip
Partnering with 2009 World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies, the European Coffee Trip plan to release a series of 6 videos demonstrating a few tips and tricks in the preparation of coffee, from a man who certainly knows what he is talking about. It looks geared towards the espresso machine user, and I have already subscribed. Have a look at the video on this introductory page to see if it interests you:
Get Rid of Basic Barista Mistakes

This post will be the last you will hear from me for 2014. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank each and every reader who has stopped by over the past 12 months, and I look forward to having you along again in 2015. I hope the New Year treats you well.

A Guest Post for On Fountain Pens

/ Pete Denison / 2 Comments

One of my favourite pen blogs, On Fountain Pens is currently running a 12 Days of Christmas series of guest posts. The topic? You guessed it, fountain pens.

Maybelline describes the endeavour here:

Before the first day of Christmas, my fountain pen came to me: 12 bloggers on OFP.

…one fountain pen blogger a day, guest posting here on topics related to fountain pens and writing.

Although my pen experience pales a little compared to the other contributors, I was lucky enough, and feel quite honoured to have been able to contribute. My post is now up on OFP as Day 5 in the series of twelve, and with a title perhaps a little unusual for a lover of fountain pens, the full post will make things a little clearer.

Head over to On Fountain Pens to read the post, and while you’re there, check out the rest of the series, and everything else on this fantastic fountain pen blog:

Day 5: I’m glad you didn’t buy me a fountain pen for Christmas

What’s Brewing – Fifty K Christmas Blend

/ Pete Denison / 1 Comment

With another year having come and very almost gone, it was time to create the annual Christmas Festive Roast Blend for distribution to family and friends. Mind you, with things getting a little hectic towards the end of the year, the creation of this years blend was completed just a little close to the line.

Although not helped by a last-minute change to the composition of the specific coffees I’ve put together for this year, it was preferable to wait a little longer and produce something, which I feel, is a little more well-rounded and nicer in the cup. So without further ado, the details.

The Name

The finished product heading out the door.

The finished product heading out the door.

“What on earth is the Fifty-K reference in the name?” you would be well within your rights to ask. Although only the third time I have done this, the idea of putting together a festive Christmas blend with a specific name is based on two things.

First and foremost, given my own interest in roasting and brewing coffee, it is nice to give something to family and friends who take that little bit more care in how they brew theirs, whether through a home espresso machine, french press, Aeropress or other manual brewing methods.

Secondly, coming up with a name for the blend which reflects either the year I’ve had, other events of interest, or something which has perhaps captured my thoughts in the previous 12 months.

This year, as regular readers (and without a doubt my immediate, and very understanding family) will be well aware, November was a big month, swallowed up entirely by my participation in National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. Managing to meet the 50,000 word deadline by the end of November certainly wasn’t easy, however I was pleased to get there, and finished with a small novel of just over 55,000 words by months end, along with the inspiration to name this years blend in honour of that very challenge.

So, without further ado, what makes up this years festive roast, and how does Fifty-K Blend taste in the cup?

The Coffee

As usual, the green beans were sourced from Ministry Grounds, with the plan to put together a blend worthy of the season, with berry, stone and dried fruits, along with nuts and honey the key components of this year’s tasting notes list.

IMG_3294

Green bean selection

IMG_3300

Roasted bean blend testing

Finalised on December 21 - just made it!

Finalised on December 21 – just made it!

Searching through the many single origin coffees on the Ministry Grounds site, after a false start with the Guatemala Las Illusiones (a fine coffee in its own right, however wasn’t quite right in the blend), the individual coffees below made the final cut, and make up Fifty-K Blend in equal one-third portions.

Ethiopia Sidamo Bulga

  • Region: Oromiya – Southern Bale Mountains
  • Area: Bulga
  • Variety: Various heirloom cultivars
  • Processing: Fully Washed

Rwanda Nyarusiza

  • Region: Nyamagabe district, Southern Province
  • City: Between Butare and Cyangugu
  • Altitude: 1,935 metres above sea level
  • Variety: Red Bourbon
  • Processing: Fully washed, sun-dried on African raised beds

El Salvador San Cayetano

  • Region: Ahuachapán, Apaneca Ilamatepec Mountain Range
  • Altitude: 1,500 metres above sea level
  • Variety: Bourbon
  • Processing: Honey processed and greenhouse dried

The Rwanda Nyarusiza returns, having been part of last year’s Keeper’s Blend, however the above combination is a departure from the red berry dominance of the 2013 blend.

Individual tasting notes and further background can be found on the Ministry Grounds website by clicking on the above links, however as far as the blend itself tastes, below is what I have found.

The Taste

A standout - the AeroPress

A standout – the AeroPress

When combined with milk in a flat white or latte, it is a lovely rich and creamy drink, with the dried fruits and honey at the forefront, and a mild, nutty aftertaste. Overall, the honey really carries through when consumed with milk. Perhaps it may have gained something from a little more “fruitiness”, however overall I think it works well to kick things off in a morning latte.

A little surprising to me was how well the blend suited the AeroPress, and had I not been running dangerously low on filters, would have consumed a lot more through this type of brew method. Whilst remaining rich and creamy with a lovely mouthfeel, the AeroPress really brings out the stone fruit and black tea flavours which hide a little in the milk based drinks. A pleasantly robust blend, which holds up really well in this form of brewing.

Upon brewing through the Hario V60 filter, the taste profile is similar in nature to that described above with the Aeropress, however I would not necessarily say it was any better, which is not what I usually find when comparing the two. As espresso (think green apple, a little honey again), well, you can’t please everyone, and let’s just say when consuming the Fifty-K black, a longer form of brewing is probably the best option, as it is probably a little too bright to be considered a really good espresso.

In Conclusion

With another year and another festive roast blend all but complete, perhaps it is time to reflect on the year gone by, and what might lay ahead for you in 2015. Or, as is the case with me, simply enjoying a few days off with family, the cricket and a some new toys to play with, courtesy of some thoughtful gift givers.

Thankfully, no one gave me a fountain pen for Christmas. As someone who does love a good fountain pen, why would I be thankful for this? Well, there are a few reasons, and tomorrow (29 December), you can read about what those are in a guest post I wrote for one of my favourite pen blogs, On Fountain Pens. The article is one in a series of 12, which began on Christmas Day, and I’d encourage you to head over and read them – it’s a great series of posts (and yes… if I do say so myself!).

I do hope you have had a Merry Christmas, thanks for stopping by, and best wishes for the coming year.

Wiser Web Wednesday

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

Wiser Web Wednesday – a regular link to posts of interest from around the web by those far wiser than myself:

Modern Stationer
Another great review from Doug, this time on something I have been meaning to get my hands on – Doane Paper notebooks. With the minimum international shipping on the Doane site being $100.00, Jet Pens is the place for the international shopper. Now I’m just waiting for this particular set to appear on the site:
Doane Paper Small Utility Notebook

Ed Jelley
The gift guides are coming thick and fast – which reminds me, I must get onto mine. A masterstroke here being the section “I know they like pens but I’m afraid to pick” list of accessories. Often a safer bet when buying for the fussy pen lover:
Winter 2014 Holiday Gift Guide for the Fountain Pen Lover

Medium
An interesting take on using popular digital storage app Evernote from Thomas Honeyman. After recently rebooting my Omnifocus efforts, I am planning to do the same with Evernote. Some interesting thoughts on tagging rather than creating notebooks:
Using Evernote (the right way)

Ink on Hand
On the Zeller Writing Company blog, a call has gone out to budding writers to submit short stories for a planned regular feature titled Short Story Sunday. I’ll certainly be checking in to see what turns up:
Looking For Submissions

Poynter
From the book Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, a bullet list of handy tips from Roy Peter Clark, among them:

Cut big, then small; prune the big limbs, then shake out the dead leaves.

Limit self-criticism in early drafts; turn it loose during revision.

There is something here for anyone who writes:
Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List

Just Pelikans
I’m sure there are many of us for whom the Blue-Black spectrum of inks are a staple for a good portion of our fountain pen usage, particularly in a corporate office environment. One thing in particular which struck me about this post from David of Just Pelikans (in addition to the great sample of inks of course), was the year he bought his first fountain pen, 1997. Not only was this same year I bought the first of mine, it was purchased from the very same shop David bought some of the new the inks featured in his post.

As any regular reader or follower of Just Pelikans will know, the fact I did not buy another fountain pen until 2012, would be where any similarity abruptly ends. In any event, check out the post and a great array of blue-black inks:
Blue-Black, Bleu-Noir, Blau-Schwartz…

That One Pen
As Nock Co. continues to expand, new products are also periodically emerging. Further into the notebook and paper space now comes the DotDash pocket notebook. A nice review covering everything we need to know from Todd at That One Pen. What is a unique (top bound) and colourful fountain pen friendly notebook cannot be anything other than a winner.

As the courier is flat out delivering everything else I’ve purchased in the lead up to Christmas, a set of these will most likely be a new year purchase:
Nock Co. DotDash Pocket Notebook

One discussion on speciality coffee

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

Having recently linked to an article by James Hoffmann (What message do I want to send?), and a subsequent response written in reply by Tim Williams (Mayfielder), I was keen to read the next chapter in the discussion, a follow-up post, again by Hoffmann.

Selling speciality coffee

Hoffman’s original topic? What it means to try to educate consumers, and “sell” for want of a better term, speciality coffee, the assumption being that such coffee is indeed, superior to what many consumers currently purchase and drink. For example:

The problem with selling what we have as “better” is that it requires the consumer accepting that what they are currently buying, drinking and enjoying is an inferior product.

The overall tone of the article was aimed squarely at the end consumer. The customer who buys, brews and drinks…, well, whatever they currently drink, which in many cases, would not be considered speciality coffee. As all final thoughts probably should do, Hoffmann’s closing sums things up pretty well:

What those of us in speciality coffee offer isn’t necessarily unilaterally better coffee, but amongst our offerings are lots of coffee someone will probably enjoy more than what they’re drinking now.

As I mentioned in my previous link, the response from Williams, I thought, probably interpreted Hoffmann’s words a little differently. Writing a response in disagreement, whilst conceding it is critical for speciality coffee purveyors to acknowledge consumers entry points to such coffee, also stated:

There is a difference between good coffee and bad. There is a point at which people who have chosen to position and market themselves and their products as elevated in quality, price, taste, experience must deliver on the promises they make to those consumers.

Williams continues, explaining how, in many cases, sub-standard coffee is being marketed in exactly the same way as vastly superior speciality coffee.

In further follow-up, another post by Hoffmann (Quality and customers), seeks (and probably achieves) to clarify his position, highlighting again there are probably two facets to his original.

Some thoughts

Myself? I tend to agree with both points of view, simply because in my experience (note here reader, a decidedly non industry viewpoint), I see examples of both, and further, I think there is also scope for improvement in both points of view in this discussion.

As far as quality within the industry is concerned, well, that is for the industry, and I have never put forward the notion that I, as a consumer (an enthusiastic home roasting and brewing consumer mind you), would (or should) have anything to offer experts within that very industry.

From a customer perspective however, things are different. As I have alluded to in previous posts, if we accept certain cafés are third wave or serving speciality coffee in any city, these continue to be far outnumbered by those which are not.

Every day, fellow colleagues walk into my office with takeaway cups ranging from 7-Eleven, McDonalds, Starbucks, varying juice bars, and any of the local cafés which by any definition, are not serving what I would call speciality coffee.

These people are intelligent enough, so why are they drinking what they are drinking? For some, I’m sure the price has an allure. For others, I believe they simply don’t care that much, and are quite happy with whatever is closest and the “I like that one better than this one” approach. Seeing an A-Frame touting the latest Guatemalan on offer with its cocoa, brown sugar and plum tasting notes does nothing for so, so many people.

Visiting a speciality coffee establishment with anyone who is yet to experience one, invariably leads to comments about how nice the coffee is, often to the point of “that’s the nicest coffee I’ve ever had” or similar. The next day, that same person is yet again walking in with their takeaway cup bearing the golden arches logo. Why? Because to them, it still does not matter enough to pay a little more for their coffee or walk a little further to get it.

Then there are those of us looking to further our knowledge, understanding, and palates in relation to the world of speciality coffee. As time goes on, this group becomes a little bigger.

I believe Hoffmann’s original post was referring to the entry point for members of this group, who, with a warm welcome and a little guidance rather than judgement, will realise themselves just how much better speciality coffee is, and be willing to walk an extra half-block with a little more money to enjoy the experience.