Hello again, coffee lovers and non-lovers!
Shoutout to the people who commented on my last Coffee Post. I won't spam tag you here but you know who you are. I'll special mention 
Choose Your Coffee! | Brewing the Coffee Bean Samplers from The Good Cup Coffee
I described each of the beans in terms of their origins, processing, and flavor profiles. I also described how I brewed the first beans from Mount Apo Philippines. I made a mistake with the amount of water but the brew still tasted really well.
SIDAMO NATURAL
My next brew happened during breakfast. We were eagerly waiting for our floating breakfast to be served. While waiting, I did a short and strong yoga class in front of the pool. Finally, when our food arrived, I brought out my brewing kit. I had my French press and manual coffee grinder with me.
The second beans I was going to brew were from Ethiopia and had the name, Sidamo Natural. The beans were obviously from Sidamo, Ethiopia. Sidamo is a province in southern Ethiopia and the country's largest coffee producer.
Ethiopian coffee beans are known for their complexity, and floral and fruity flavors. The packaging of the beans said that the flavor profile of the beans was Bergamont, Peach, Mangosteen, and Cacao Nibs. I didn't know what to expect. I don't think I've ever had Bergamont before.
Per standard procedure, I pre-heated my French press with hot water. I took out the beans and put it in my small cup. The color of the beans was a beautiful shade of brown. The beans were filter roast meaning that the roasting was done at a lower temperature and a shorter amount of time. This brings out the subtle and unique flavors of the beans.
After grinding the beans, I put the grounds in my French press. Learning from my previous mistake, I made sure not to add too much water into my grounds. Based on my 1:14 ratio, I had to add about 280 mL of water. I used the small cup to measure the water. After I poured the water in, I found out how big the French press was. It was funny to see only a small amount of my coffee at the bottom of the press. I didn't even have to lift the plunger that much.
I started my four-minute timer and waited. The resort staff was laying out our floating breakfast and the food looked really inviting. It was one of the selling attractions of the place. I will definitely showcase that beautiful breakfast in another post.
My alarm went off and I pushed the plunger down. It didn't moved that much though. I poured the coffee into the small cup and tasted it as it is. My first taste of the coffee was confusing. I didn't understand the flavors in my mouth. It was so complex. I took another sip and I slowly picked up tastes of fruits and surprisingly, floral tea. The coffee had an acidity to it and it wasn't as strong. I usually like my morning coffee quite strong.
I added a teaspon of sugar to elevate the sweetness. I tasted it again and I still couldn't put the right words to explain the taste. It was that complex. The coffee was such an experience. I can imagine myself brewing the beans and spending time just sipping it and savoring the different flavors that come up. It would be a waste to gulp it down and blaze through my busy day. It's the kind of coffee you enjoy sip by sip.
KAMWANGI AA #41
On to the last beans! After spending a few days at Moalboal with my friends (that's where I brewed the first two beans), I visited my girlfriend in her hometown. Their house is surrounded by plants and foliage, and the surroundings were yet another good backdrop for my brewing.
The last beans were called Kamwangi AA #41 from Kenya. Kamwangi is a place in Kenya north of Nairobi. It's right along the bottom of the equator. The AA apparently stands for the size of the beans, which is large. True enough, opening the packaging revealed large beans with a darker color to them. The flavor profile said Candy, Cranberry, Dried Fruits, and Hibiscus.
I've had "fruity" coffee beans before so I thought I knew what to expect. I pulled out my coffee grinder and started grinding. I thought I should have adjusted the grind size because I saw large grounds on the bottom container.
I poured the grounds into the ridiculously large French press and added water. Admittedly, I made the same error again of adding too much water. I'm not used to using this large press and I don't know where the water level should be for a 20 g brew.
Nevertheless, I still timed my brew and waited for four minutes. I poured the coffee into a large mug and I couldn't get a decent shot of it because the mug was so big. Or maybe my photography skills are just terrible?
This was probably my least favorite of the beans. The mouthfeel was just too creamy for me. There's nothing wrong with a creamy mouthfeel but I prefer it when it's accompanied by a heavy-bodied taste. The coffee was too light (which was technically my fault because of the dilution) but even adding sugar didn't save it. Honestly, I just gulped it down without dwelling too much about the other flavors. I will have to try the beans again to make up my mind about it.
That is it! I haven't been quite active lately although I still perform my curation duties for OCD. I had to prioritize other things in my life and fend off sources of distraction. I hope to be able to squeeze in more of my time for blogging in the next few weeks.
I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm not an expert coffee taster. I'm just using my experience and knowledge in reviewing the beans. My favorite among the three is Mount Apo. I still have a few stashes of coffee at home and my girlfriend just gave me a bag of coffee grounds but I know I'll be buying the Mount Apo beans next time. I think it's the right morning coffee for me with its heavy-body and chocolate notes. I also want to support beans that are sourced locally.
How about you? Do you enjoy single-origin coffee? From which part of the world are you getting it?
That is all for now. See you in my next post. Cheers! ☕☕☕
