Full Moon

Happy Independence Day Trinidad and Tobago!

I’m on to the 5th and final of the Dean’s Beans coffee blends. It most certainly is time to order a new batch of beans. Anyway, the Full Moon is a South American blend made up of light and dark roasted beans. Another full-bodied blend. Smooth finish. Fruity tones. Chocolaty/ Nutty notes. The poor thing is being tasted immediately post Esmeralda so it really wouldn’t be fair to compare! However, it’s not a bad brew at all and made for a lovely afternoon pick me up on this fabulous public holiday!

Esmeralda Shared

monday.30.august.2010

Being the good daughter that I am (parents roll their eyes here), I gave a small jar of the Esmeralda to my folks to try out. I also left Father Dearest with explicit instructions on how the beans should be ground and brewed to release the optimal flavour. I don’t know if he followed my instructions but I did get phone calls from both Mother and Father to discuss how great and different the coffee was.

Mother-in-Law had her cup yesterday and was also quite pleased with the Esmeralda. Brother-in-Law #4 (Sister-in-Law #4’s husband) had his Esmeralda to go but thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a hit…. No surprise there. Just a few cups left to be enjoyed.

Esmeralda Tasted

The long awaited first taste of the Esmeralda... Was it everything that was promised?  Did it take me to new heights of coffee nirvana?  Was it worth all the effort? Oh yes, yes and yes!
I spoke about the delightful smell of the coffee yesterday (and that was just from opening the can).  When I opened the bag that actually held the beans, it was like taking a deep breath from the depths of a floral bouquet, with some coffee in the background.   What a sweet aroma for a coffee bean.  The sweet mustiness of Jasmine and honey bounced off the delectably discreet notes of lavender and intermingled with hints of cardamom.  Absolutely divine and unlike anything I've ever smelt in coffee before.
I couldn't bear for the taste of this coffee to be ruined.  Extreme caution was needed to proceed.  I purged the Gaggia's burrs with a few of the Esmeralda beans and then I ground just enough coffee for two cups.  I set the stopwatch on my phone and timed the vital 'cooling' minute after the kettle switched off.  I had my measuring cup at the ready and carefully checked the appropriate amount of water.  I poured the water over the grounds in the French Press, gave it all a quick stir and covered.  With my stopwatch set for three minutes, I watched and waited.
At the very moment the stopwatch beeped I carefully lowered the filter of the French Press, separating the now spent Esmeralda grinds from the liquid gold.  I poured out two servings, held my cup and took a moment to enjoy the aroma.  Every scent that had emanated from the beans was now magnified tenfold.
The moment of truth had arrived.  Time for a taste.  "Fragrant" and "light" were the first two words to enter my mind as the Esmeralda tickled my taste buds. "Sweet" and "full-bodied" was the next pair of adjectives.  I never thought I'd think of a coffee as light and full-bodied in the same sip.  But there it was, the richness and aroma of coffee with the lightness and fragrance of a tea.  Surreal and utterly delicious.  I treasured each and every sip of my Esmeralda, surprised each time by the absolute lack of bitterness.   The Esmeralda was unlike anything I've ever tasted before on my coffee journey.  The hype is justified. 

Nestled in the travel box

Esmeralda chilling by the Silvia

Waiting... 

My first cup! Yaay!

It's Here

It's here! It's here! It's here! I touched it! I smelt it too!

The Esmeralda has arrived.  In fact, Husband collected the box from the couriers this morning.  He had just dropped me off at my office and was heading to his, when the couriers called to say they were on their way to make the delivery.  He cut them off en route, got my package and swung back to my office to show off the goods.  It was well worth the drama. 

The scent that wafted out as I opened the box was simply enchanting.  There was none of the usual overpowering heavy chocolate and coffee aroma.  The fragrance was gentle- a light and teasing mix of coffee and flowers.  Nestled in a corner, inside the box, was a cute little coffee can, with the Hacienda Esmeralda Special Microlot label.  I will post pictures later.

After spending a few minutes in silence with the Esmeralda, I re-packed the box and left the treasure in Husband's capable hands.  See you this evening Esmeralda. There'll be a cuppa you with my name on it!

Milk Wars

I've been using some fresh cow's milk from a local farm over the last few days.  It tastes pretty good but there are no markings on the bottle to indicate whether the milk is full cream, skimmed or semi-skimmed.  I'm thinking it's probably full cream. I also can't tell if the milk is pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized.  What I can tell is that it hasn't been providing me with good micro-foam for my cappuccinos! Even the long-life boxed milk provided a better starting point for velvety foam. Ah well, the espresso still tastes pretty good, even if I've been having to settle for lattes instead of cappuccinos.
           
Esmeralda update: The coffee has arrived in Miami and is being processed for shipment to Trinidad!

Italian Espresso Roast

Of the 6 bags of Dean's Beans that I ordered, one was an espresso blend.  The Italian Espresso Roast was the star of this evening's cappuccinos.  Chocolate was most definitely the strongest flavour note present in this very darkly roasted  blend.  Not a bad espresso at all, but I must admit that I still  prefer the People's Daily from Social.
As we're on the last bag of espresso, replacements should really be ordered soon.  I'll probably try out Caffe Fresco (from Pennsylvania).  I hear their Brazilian Dattera is quite a winner!

Esmeralda update:  The bag is on its way out of North Carolina, heading south towards Florida.

Roasted and Shipped

Got an email from Counter Culture this morning. The Esmeralda has been roasted and is now in transit to yours truly. I haven’t been able to pull up the coffee’s exact location as yet but that info should be available shortly. Keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll have the beans in my kitchen by Friday afternoon.
Check out this New York Times Blog on the Esmeralda: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/ristretto-hacienda-la-esmeralda/