Coffee Chronicles 003

"Official" tasting notes and background information.

Brewing Method AeroPress

I am following James Hoffman's "The Ultimate AeroPress Technique". 11 grams of coffee and 200 grams of water. Steep 2 minutes, then swirl and let settle for 30 seconds before fully pressing it through.

A first whiff of the beans when opening the package gives only a slight hint of coffee, it's a very subdued experience.

This continues with the first sip, a very light, airy roast. The beans themselves are also small, compared to the previous too. Which makes me think, without having looked at the official tasting notes yet, that this is coffee grown at higher and / or drier altitudes.

The tasting notes speak of melon but I have a hard time actually getting it. I do get a hint of sweetness, which I find more subdued than in yesterday's batch. Overall it is a nice, light combination but not something that is wowing me.

Rating: 2.5/5

Brewing Method French Press

For the second taste test I prepare it in a French Press. At a ratio of 1:17 coffee to water and a 3 minute steep.

First thing I noticed when pouring it is how much redder it is than the AeroPress version. As it cools down the hue starts changing more towards orange.

Much like with the AeroPress there is not a whole lot of aroma coming off of it. Best way to describe it is: "It smells like coffee".

That pretty much continues with the actual tasting. It's more bold than in the AeroPress, with roughly the same amount of sweetness but a more punchy bitterness that wasn't there with the AeroPress.

Rating: 2.5/5