Monday, January 24, 2005


a new york exclusive: stockfleth's arrives

and but what came in the mail today -- from norway -- but barista champion tim wendelboe's stockfleth espresso? i nearly fainted with joy and gratitude.

thank you thank you thank you, tim! you rule. globally! did i say thank you enough yet?

what amazed everyone in my office is how aromatic this coffee is: even through the wrapping the delicious scent of roasted candied hazelnuts hovered about the box.

o-mi-god. i wish i could describe to you how fantastic this smells just peeling back the cardboard to reveal the bag. . .which by the way appears to be decorated with the logo of long-time bccy pal trygve k., former scae prez and the reigning coffee emperor of scandinavia, from solberg-hansen.

i believe i am one of the first, if not the first, in new york city to have this world-quality espresso. after all, this is the coffee that helped propel tim to the championship.

tim informs me that he prefers this coffee at 9-10 days after roasting, which is why he kindly sent it to me via a slow mule through patagonia. as he wrote me, he thought this coffee would peak "at its optimum flavour at the 26th to 27th of january," because this age "really gets the smoky flavours out and relieves the bright, fruity acidity."

and of course, the blend is based in a superpremium brazil natural. so in a sense we are continuing the brazil theme that's been going on ever since andrew's ecco espresso.

tim offered some fairly precise brewing instructions. he said he personally brewed this espresso as a not-quite-2-oz. (but not a ristretto, apparently!) double shot at 92-93 degrees c. (about 197-199 degrees f.) in 19-23 seconds.

i also have to note here that tim roasted these beans himself on a 1950s-era vintage probat ug22. he roasts 'em, then makes world's best espresso with 'em: what a guy!

watch this space: i will open this bag wed. or thurs. per tim's instructions. . .i hope the extreme weather didn't harm them in shipping.

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