Coffee

The World Atlas of Coffee – James Hoffmann

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

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For such a globally loved beverage, the number of high quality books on the subject of coffee remains disproportionately low. The World Atlas of Coffee by 2007 World Barista Champion James Hoffmann aims to assist in changing that.

Published in 2014 and well promoted through many of the coffee websites I follow, I had yet to pick up a copy due to the assumption my purchase would naturally be an online one and involve considerable shipping costs on top.

Having received a gift voucher last Christmas for Australian bookstore Dymocks, I decided to order a copy through them. Ironically, as me of little faith turned up at the counter of the Brisbane CBD store to simply place an order, I was told two copies were actually on the shelves — so alas I had to return the following day with the actual voucher (a copy kindly placed on hold by the Dymocks staff).

I must admit I do have a few other coffee related books on my to-buy list:

In addition, a recent post on FWx reports on 4 Books Every Aspiring Coffee Nerd Should Read, which includes two of the above, and a couple of others.

So why The World Atlas of Coffee first? One of the main reasons being I gain considerable enjoyment from reading Hoffmann’s blog jimseven, one of the first coffee related blogs fed into my RSS reader after I began consuming more online content with the purchase of my first iPad a few years ago.

Although many posts on jimseven are aimed at those working in the industry, I find it to be one of the most objective, yet also thought-provoking blogs I read. For example, from a post by Hoffmann last September about lessons learned while writing the book:

As a species we like to demonstrate a complete failure to learn the lessons of our history. I confess that I had been in coffee a surprisingly long time before I really dug into its history. It was revelatory, saddening and also inspiring. I’d like to do better, for us all to do better — and I am more driven to that end than I have ever been.

The Book

The World Atlas of Coffee is a visually stunning, hardcover publication bound with an external covering identical to a hessian coffee sack, and is a joy to hold. The internal layout and photography are of an equally high standard.

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Divided into three sections: Introduction to Coffee; From Bean to Cup; and Coffee Origins, The World Atlas remains readable enough, yet informative enough, to provide a broad background on how coffee is grown, processed and brewed, with a large proportion of the book devoted to the various growing regions around the world.

As I have found with my “What’s Brewing” posts, the more you read about the various coffee producing regions, the more you wish to know, and I will certainly be turning to this book for more on that very topic in future.

Part One: Introduction to Coffee

Where the foundations and background are addressed, such as a description and key differences of the terms many of us commonly hear, Arabica and Robusta. There is also an explanation on the often misused terms “varieties and varietals”.

A little on harvesting methods follows, then it is onto processing, where you will finally understand what it actually means when your bag of coffee reads natural, honey, or semi washed — amongst other terms. Sizing and grading, with a little on trading rounds out this section.

Part Two: From Bean to Cup

IMG_4004Topics as you’d expect here — but no less interesting, from roasting, to grinding, brewing and tasting. Home roasting even gets a mention — which, as regular readers will know, is clearly a passion of mine.

There are some nice touches, including a guide on tasting coffees at home, a little on the history of espresso, and how to both assess the results and modify the quality of your next extraction1.

Finally, an espresso-based drinks menu, including why Italian tradition virtually mandates a one cappuccino a day rule (many more espressos then follow of course), and maintaining neutrality on the topic of whether the Flat White was invented in Australia or New Zealand – describing it as “undeniably from Australasia”.

Everything is covered to either get you started with these processes or techniques at home, or allow you to learn and understand a lot more about what is in your cup when next at your favourite cafe.

Part Three: Coffee Origins

Although one-third by division of sections in The World Atlas, Coffee Origins accounts for 50% of the book — and for good reason. The diversity of methods and ultimately taste profiles of different regions around the world is absolutely astounding at times.

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Although we’ll forgive the author for omitting Australia in this section, it certainly deserves a thorough read if you wish to enrich your knowledge about what is behind the flavours you enjoy so much in your African or Central American single origin.

Conclusion

IMG_3996Obviously I have only scratched the surface here, however The World Atlas of Coffee is a superb publication. It is informative and entertaining, and deserves to be widely read by anyone with a desire to learn more about their favourite daily drink.

Arguably a contender for the best coffee table book out there, and one which I have no hesitation in highly recommending.

There remains a lone copy at the Brisbane Dymocks store, or of course it is also available on Amazon or direct from Square Mile Coffee Roasters – of which the author is a co-owner.

  1. A description of espresso brew ratio is explained here – something I have been experimenting with a little more over the past month or so – I’m sure I will post about this at some point in the future. ↩

What’s Brewing: Indonesia Bunisora Honey Processed

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

Two of the more common taste characteristics I find with Indonesian coffee are those of floral and spice, and their cousins, earthy and herby. What was I expecting with the Bunisora? Much of the same I guess, which I have to say was pretty much spot on.

Whilst I am not suggesting this as a negative necessarily, at times the overall flavour profile was perhaps just a touch underwhelming in the cup.

The Region

Firstly, a little on coffee in Indonesia (from Wikipedia):

Indonesia is the worlds fourth largest producer of coffee, with the island origins micro climate well suited to growth and production. Just over half the production is consumed domestically.

In general, Indonesia’s arabica coffees have low acidity and strong body, which makes them ideal for blending with higher acidity coffees from Central America and East Africa.

The islands of The Sunda Region are divided up between four countries: Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with much of the territory Indonesian.

 

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Image courtesy Wikipedia

 

A great article on Sprudge about Indonesian Coffee would be well worth reading for a little more understanding about the region and its coffee production and processing. From “Always An Exception”: Inside The Rising Tide of Indonesian Coffee:

Since Indonesia consists mostly of smallholder farms, change is bound to be gradual; but this isn’t stopping some producers from stepping up, changing quality, and differentiating themselves. With their continuing effort, we can expect to see more and more exciting coffees coming out of Indonesia.

The Coffee

Information courtesy of Ministry Grounds:

  • Region: Sunda
  • Producer: Small Holding Farmers
  • Varietals: Typica and Bourbon
  • Processing: Honey processed
  • Altitude: 1400m
  • Tasting notes: floral bouquets and sweet spices

This particular coffee from small holding farmers in the region of Sunda is named after an ancient Indonesian ruler Prabu Bunisora.

The Brew

The coffee was roasted as two separate batches, one for filter and one for espresso in my trusty backyard roasting setup.

The espresso roast came out pretty well, a lovely even roast if I do say so myself – I had high hopes for this one. The filter roast? That one got away from me just a little, and therefore ended up somewhat darker than intended. Never mind, it was never likely to go to waste.

With milk in my morning latte, the Bunisora produced a nice full-bodied cup, with notes of spice, cocoa and a hint of honey to the profile. As espresso, again, similar spices, however the floral notes were more pronounced with perhaps a hint of jasmine here? With milk or without, this coffee was big on body, which probably blunted the subtle flavours just a little.

Brewed using the V60 or Aeropress was perhaps a little surprising, as to be honest, some Indonesian coffees I have brewed in the past were more reminiscent of “earthy” as in “forest floor”. Here though, I had written in my notes: black tea (perhaps a little jasmine), floral, and to a lesser extent, earthy with a little chocolate (more so than the espresso roast).

I must admit however, during the couple of weeks I have been sampling this coffee, I began running my filter grind through a fine sieve prior to brewing. To say it transformed the brew is an understatement, however that is a post for another day.

The Finish

As any regular reader of these What’s Brewing posts will know, rarely do I complain about what I have consumed – and I am not about to start now.

The Indonesia Bunisora is a very enjoyable coffee, and what it perhaps lacks in subtlety, makes up for in body, and would also therefore make a solid blending partner with perhaps a fruitier Kenyan or Guatemalan single origin.

Overall, a very enjoyable coffee, and currently available at Ministry Grounds for $AU16.78 per kilogram.

 

What’s Brewing: Guatemala Las Illusiones

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

It’s been a little while between What’s Brewing posts, with the last one profiling my Fifty K Christmas Blend. Despite this, it certainly hasn’t been more than a few hours between drinks — of coffee friends — of coffee.

The Region

Looking back through my previous posts, coffees from Guatemala have always been kind to me, both roasting well and tasting even better. This offering from the Las Illusiones farm is no different.

I must admit, part of my enjoyment in putting together these posts is also in learning a little more about the geographical and cultural aspects of the regions in which these farms reside.

I’ve previously written a little on the Huehuetenango (of course I cannot pronounce that) municipality in a post on the Guatemala Don Antonio last September, so this time I’m zooming out, and from Wikipedia, a little on this Central American country itself:

Image courtesy Wikipedia

Image courtesy Wikipedia

  • Officially the Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de Guatemala);
  • Bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, Honduras to the east and El Salvador to the southeast;
  • Area of 108,890 square km (42,043 square miles);
  • Estimated population of 15,806,675, making it the most populous state in Central America;
  • The capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as Guatemala City.

The Coffee

Information courtesy Melbourne Coffee Merchants:

  • Country: GUATEMALA
  • Region: Huehuetenango
  • Town: El Pajal, San Antonio Huista
  • Altitude: 1,200 – 1,500 metres above sea level
  • Variety: Bourbon and Caturra
  • Processing: Fully Washed and sun-dried on patio
  • Owner: Emma del Carmen Munoz and daughters
  • Tasting Notes: Juicy and sweet, with stone fruit, orange and chocolate

Green beans purchased from Ministry Grounds – $AU20.50 per kilogram

The Brew

As time has passed and my palate has somewhat improved, I have drifted away from the one size fits all roast from my humble beginnings, and now roast specifically for either my espresso machine or filter based brew methods (V60, Aeropress).

The Las Illusiones was aimed squarely at the espresso machine, and roasted to suit. Given my roasting is often done in the late afternoon, upon opening the bag a few days later to use, I noticed (in the fuller light) the roast was probably a fraction lighter than what I was aiming for.

As a latte or flat white, the coffee definitely had a subtle choc-orange taste when used with milk. Fruity? Not so much. A medium to full body pushed the finish along nicely as well. Certainly a pleasant way to start the morning.

On its own as espresso, a lovely mix of honey and cocoa was apparent. Less perceptible was the orange, though a hint of stone fruit peeked through at times. A very nice mouthful, natural sweetness and a nice long finish completed the picture. Very pleasant.

A future post will look at a new app for tracking coffees and their origins – Press. For now, a couple of sample images after putting in the Las Illusiones as the first record:

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The Finish

My expectations with most coffees from Guatemala are generally met with results pretty close to the mark, and the Las Illusiones was no different.

For a single origin which works well as espresso or mixed with milk, you could certainly do a lot worse – a very enjoyable coffee.

ChefSteps Coffee Class

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

I created a ChefSteps login a little while ago, on the assumption I would find some coffee related goodness along the way. This just released offering, the ChefSteps Coffee Class, with world-renowned experts James Hoffmann (former World Barista Champion and founder of Square Mile Coffee) and Ben Kaminsky (US Cup Tasters Champion) looks the business.

For a very reasonable $US14.00, you can avail yourself of:

  • Unlimited Access
  • 12 HD Videos
  • Step-by-step techniques for the best French Press, Chemex, Aeropress, and Cold Brew coffee ever
  • Amazing tricks for smoother coffee
  • 4 recipes for cooking with coffee

Alternatively, you might like to start with the free Espresso Course (12 HD videos).

Either way, get watching – and thereafter – brewing!

Bulletproof Coffee – the butter or the beans?

/ Pete Denison / Leave a comment

Firstly, let’s be clear, I do not drink, nor have I ever tried Bulletproof Coffee®. Am I ever likely to? Probably not, though who knows, one day I may be curious.

A recent article on Gizmodo debunking the claims made by the inventor of the beverage, The Bulletproof Executive Dave Asprey, highlights the main problem with these types of products. Namely, the dreaded brand lines which aim to monetise what is essentially a simple idea, which in itself may indeed have some merit. Yet another way to make money from the placebo effect1.

Whether blending butter from grass-fed cows and MCT oil into your daily brew has any positive effect on your body or level of functioning is another matter entirely (and I tend to fall on the side that it probably does). The issue I have here is the contention that somehow, the processing methods used in standard coffee production are inferior to those used to create the “Upgraded®” beans in the revenue-producing component of the Bulletproof version. As you will see from the video embedded in the Gizmodo article, Asprey so helpfully advises:

The Bulletproof process makes beans without the toxins that rob performance from you every single time you drink most coffee.

No, of course we don’t hear what the toxins are, how your performance is robbed, or what performance we are talking about. There are also numerous references to cognitive function, mental and physical performance, lab testing, and the curious statement that the Bulletproof beans will give you a different “mental feeling”.

Are we talking thoughts? Feelings? Performance again? I’m not sure – and this is most likely the aim. Don’t think about it too much viewers, just take my word for it, click “buy” and you will never look back.

Those who do begin their Bulletproof journey with Asprey’s beans will unfortunately never know they could achieve exactly the same outcome and pay half the price using well sourced specialty roasted coffee. Sure, they might feel better – but is it placebo, the butter or the “Upgraded®” beans? If you need me to answer that then stop reading now.

From the Bulletproof website:

I learned about the power of butter at 18,000 feet of elevation near Mt. Kailash in Tibet. I staggered into a guest house from the -10 degree weather and was literally rejuvenated by a creamy cup of yak butter tea.

So, is it the butter – or is it the beans? Clearly the Tibetans must have been using “Upgraded®” tea leaves or this wouldn’t work would it? Yet it did according to Asprey. Now I’m confused. So I don’t have to buy the special “Upgraded®” beans, because it was the butter in the tea. What’s that? I do? Oh okay then – they’re a bit expensive but if you say so.

For a little more analysis, check out the article on Gizmodo.

The biggest disappointment for me in all of this, and the many products like it, are the completely baseless and unsubstantiated claims which typically accompany a product, dragging down efforts by proponents of certain lifestyle philosophies (think Paleo, as Bulletproof coffee is often associated with this movement), which may genuinely be attempting to build a body of research in support of their claims.

Actually on second thought, the biggest disappointment is that people still put down good money for this. Remember – any positive effects only occur due to the “Upgraded®” beans – use anything else, and you’ll be drinking the same old “performance robbing” demon you always did.

So I guess for those who believe it is all about the beans, need to remember it’s also all about your credit card number.

  1. I am not ignorant to the fact that the placebo effect also enhances the effects of well scientifically researched mainstream medications, but remember these also have well documented, proven physical therapeutic effects. ↩