Today's Cup of Coffee 6-4-2013

This morning's review is a bit different. As I mentioned yesterday, we baristas in training have been asked to brew coffee in various methods. This morning I took some of Bee Coffee Roasters Ethiopian, and brewed in the Chemex. 

To let you know, I don't have a scale, so weighing the amount of beans to brew isn't an option. I did this by sight. I wanted to be sure I had enough coffee for Mark and me, but not to cause any issues in the brewing process. In the end, I still think I ground too much, be that as it may. 

I also don't have a kettle or pouring kettle. I have a pot and a stove. I made sure not to boil the coffee. My sight gauge was based on what I had seen in the kettle at work. Tiny bubbles, but not boiling bubbles. You assume around 185-200 degrees. 

Once I had everything set in the Chemex, I slowly added the water, first creating the dome, then as the process continued, making sure all the grounds were in water. I did a small stir to make sure the grounds were all getting wet. It takes about 4 minutes to do this process properly. 

Typically I drink my coffee with Splenda and Soy Milk, but in an effort to duplicate what we will ask customers to do soon, I drank the first few sips just black. Ethiopian coffee is a lighter roast. Typically this is a mellower coffee. So no face slapping here.

What did I notice as I sipped? This coffee tastes like a darker, but mellow black tea. I don't find sweetness to it. Mark thought there was a hint of cocoa in it. I would see it would be a more bitter cocoa, than a chocolate flavor. 

I prefer this coffee while it is hotter, rather than cooler. This is pretty much in line with how I feel when I drink tea. I think the initial flavors vanish as the coffee cools. 

At some point I would like to try this in a French Press. For now I think the Chemex adds to the tea like quality of this coffee. If you get this coffee from Bee Coffee Roaster, I recommend a Chemex method over a drip method. With drip, you tend to let the coffee sit for a while. As I finish this cup, as I mentioned, I think the flavors change, and in a pot, sitting on the counter, oils separate, and the makeup of what makes that coffee good evolves. With some coffees, they go bitter the longer they sit. This one isn't bitter. It just tastes different.

Will be working on other coffees this week.

Charlie