What other people think

With the permission of the author we publish verbatim today's feedback:

    From:     R.J. Vriesendorp <r.j.vriesendorp@planet.nl>

    Subject:     Costa Rica from Londinium Espresso

    Date:     27 April 2010 11:40:44 GMT+01:00

    To:     lespresso <lespresso@mac.com>

Dear Reiss,

Thank you very much for sending the samples of your coffees.

When we opened the box, two samples stood out as more than a little

interesting. the Monsooned Malabar, and the one we're currently cupping,

the Costa Rica SHB. I was a bit anxious to try the latter as espresso,

expecting it to be something like biting a lemon.

To be honest, I'm pleasantly surprised. Obviously, it's roasted a bit

into 2nd click, but it's far from starbucked; only a few visible patches

of oil. Still, it actually has a decent body, it's not the thin brew I

expected. It has a good flavour too; caramel, toasted bread, floral

notes, and something like sultanas (maybe tamarind) underneath. Brewed

at 94.0 C, it's all very nicely balanced, and a good single bean

espresso with a long aftertaste. At lower temps, the acidity is more

pronounced, and the roast notes come out a bit more than I care for.

What puzzles us, however, are the beans themselves. Most Costa Rican

coffees are well screened, and uniform in size. This coffee is very

uneven in size, and it contains a relatively high percentage peaberries,

about 15% by weight, post-roast. Peaberries are rare in the usual Costa

Rican varieties (Typica, Caturra, and Catuai). The flavour profile

doesn't really match those varieties either. So, we're very curious.

What's the story here? From which area is this coffee, and how is it

processed? Is it a blend of coffees from various estates in a that area?

Or is it a single estate coffee, maybe a Bourbon "Miel"?

It wouldn't change our final verdict on the coffee though. We feel it's

a well chosen, and expertly roasted coffee. It has a lot of terroir in

the cup, while still making a great single origin espresso. It's not a

coffee for the large milky brews, but it makes an excellent espresso.

For a Costa Rican, that is impressive.

We're looking forward to tasting the other samples.

Kind regards,

Robert J. Vriesendorp

Editor - Food & beverages, CaffeZine

Mariaplaats 32-B

3511 LL Utrecht

The Netherlands

• Reiss Gunson
• 2010 Apr