Tuesday, November 05, 2002


mystery blend identified!

and richard donnelly removed my fog of ignorance today about the coffee he sent: it's the world-famous graffeo from san francisco. i'd long wanted to try it and never had. so once again, donnelly does me a huge favor.

i was somewhat relieved to have guessed correctly that it was a 3-bean blend, and not made for milk drinking. however, i was aghast to have mistaken the costa rica component for an african coffee. my bad! their website says it is a blend of new guinea, colombian, and costa rica.

it's a slightly different style than the italian-type coffee i usually seek out. in italy, generally, the espresso blend is based in brazil, with an indonesian for body and an african for brightness, the term i think makes more sense than the more-common acid.

(brightness means that feeling-taste you get in your mouth when you drink really fresh orange juice. it feels almost fizzy, right? it hits the roof of your mouth. . .you know. . .and tastes kinda, well, like sunshine. bright! orange juice is the pinnacle of brightness. coffee should have some of this feeling, but obviously not as much as o.j.)

in a vain rationalization in my own defense, the graffeo website also says that they roast in a fluid-bed roaster, which some people feel is a method that enhances a coffee's brightness. so perhaps i mistook that for an african kinda brightness? nah -- the truth is i need to work harder on my coffee-tasting skills.

fire up the silvia! i need to practice drinking more coffee. or at least drink the coffee i currently do more mindfully. . .

posted by fortune | 5:09 PM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments