Siesta!

To all my blog followers!! I took quite a long respite to come up with more exciting material to blog about!! But I’m back and will be posting new posts with the next few days!!

Real Coffee!!

On New Year’s Eve I took my my baby sister, Sala ( she’s 22 yrs old) to my favorite place in downtown Waco, Texas( our hometown) called Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits. I wanted to treat her to her first official latte and real cup of coffee that has ever had.  Small back story, My family is full of “mud” coffee drinkers and their ideal of “good coffee” was either instant coffee or Folgers that has set in the factory or grocery for months/years past it’s freshness date. When my sister sipped on her first real latte( not the swill they pass off as a latte at Starbucks)!! A tear flowed down my cheek when she started tasting flavor profiles/nuances that the coffee had to offer!! My sister is now a padawan( Jedi-in training) and has joined the ranks of coffee nerds/geeks like me. My sister also tried her first cup of craft coffee black with no cream, milk, syrups or sweeteners to mask the true flavors of the coffee. In my words her following experience is like”Trying artisan crafted gelato in Italy or homegrown heirloom vegetables for the first time after previously eating Dreyer’s ice cream and canned vegetables”. #Once you go “black”( flavorful black craft coffee, that is) you will never go back!! I predict that my sister will get a Yama cold brew tower or syphon vacuum pot in the future, JK!

#”Rosetta” Stone “Tablet” brought to you by my boys @ Dichotomy!!(pun)

How to brew coffee using the Hario V60 pour over(manual drip)

I’ve decided to post a video to give you a good foundation on making better cups of coffee. The guy in this video is Ryan Knapp the co-founder of Madcap Coffee roaster/cafe in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the winner of the North Central Regional Barista Competition in 2011 and 2012. He  also took third place in the  2011 US Barista Competition. I could on an on about this guy and tell you that he is seriously passionate about coffee and brewing it properly. This video is easy to follow, self-explanatory and really demystifies the Hario V60 setup with attention to every detail on how to make amazing cups of coffee.

 

Tweed Ethiopian Kochere Natural coffee(brewed by Hario V60 pourover) tasting review

Let me start out by telling you about the roaster(Tweed) of this particular coffee and why  every cup of coffee brewed with their beans is GOOD DRINKS!!!( Alton Brown says” Good Eats”well I’m saying”Good Drinks”). This particular roaster is a new staple in my pantry because they are turning  concepts of what particular single origin coffees taste like on it’s head. Mostly through how the particular beans( ex: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe) are being processed(washed, dried and roasted) like how beans from Kenya are processed to create unorthodox nuances and flavors  in the batches of roasted coffee they put out. Also this roaster is from Fort Worth, Texas( my backyard). I had a cup of this coffee today at Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits in Waco, Texas and I was amazed but honestly I knew is was going to a good cup of coffee! From the coffee freshly brewed I got the fragrance of vanilla and then blackberries. My first sips after I smelled the coffee was reminiscent of a tart blackberry jam which then left hints of sweetness on the tip of my tongue. As the coffee cooled the next mouthfuls I took in were filled with loud nuances of blueberry( berries are common nuances for Ethiopian coffees) that was almost syrupy sweet. This sweetness then developed into an aftertaste of light turbinado/demerara sugar, Madagascar bourbon vanilla, lingering blueberries paired with the mild citrus-like acidity. This coffee is like a dessert for me reminding of macerated mixed berries topped with lemon curd. Since it was brewed utilizing the Hario V60 pour over(manual drip) it was definitely a clean, but flavorful cup of brew! The beans used were roasted 5-6 days prior to being used at ! I drink good cups of coffee black so that no cream or sugar will mask the real flavors of the coffee. Salud!! WACOTOWN!!

Rahr & Sons Blonde Munich-Style Helles Lager tasting review

I have been raving over beer, especially craft brewed beer that is flowing from the taps around the US over the last few years. But now I’m going to pay homage to the brews being made in my own backyard( Fort Worth, Texas). I first tried this beer at a place called Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits in my hometown Waco, Texas. This particular place is doing it right when it comes to well-crafted coffee, cocktails and beer. The fragrance of this beer is very lively and inviting with its initial aromas of banana and freshly grated citrus(orange peel). This beer is remarkably forgiving because it retains a good head even when poured improperly. Now mind you, I’m using a thick-walled glass called a chalice which is more suited for porters and certain types of stouts. While tasting this elixir my tongue was being hit left and right with notes of banana, mangoes and freshly baked bread. The bitterness of the hops(Magnum/Sterling) is restrained by the light malty sweetness in this beer. And since this is a Munich-style lager is has authentic Munich malt in it. If this beer was cologne I would have no qualms with wearing it if I don’t drink it up first. Prost Y’all!!!