Bespoke Coffee Roasters

LONDINIUM BLOG

  • Papua New Guinea coffee, Sigri Estate

    As you probably know, the root stock for the coffee plantations of Papua New Guinea was taken from the Jamaican Blue Mountains, but none of the coffees in Papua New Guinea that we have tried would ever be confused in a blind tasting with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.  This isn't to say the Papua New Guinea coffees are poor, indeed some are very good, and I personally like the taste of Papua New Guinea coffee a lot.  The coffee from the Sigri Estate is instantly recognisable from standard Papua New Guinean coffees even before you roast it as the grading is so much higher.  You don't have to be a 'coffee expert' to detect that.  The beans are larger, exhibit a high degree of uniformity in size and shape, are greener (fresher), and have fewer markings and defects (black spots, typically moisture damage) on the beans.

    Sigri Estate coffee, as with most estate coffee to be fair, is brighter and cleaner than the standard (Y1) grade Papua New Guinean coffee.  That said it is not as sweet, nor as complex or balanced as genuine Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.  It really is the balance of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee that sets it apart.  As we have remarked before, a lot of the expensive coffees have now gained a bad reputation as people invariably by them from vendors whose coffee is not fresh.  Whatever coffee you are buying it must be fresh.  You've seen me write about this often enough in the past to know what is coming next; buying ground coffee is a waste of money, buying expensive exotic ground coffee is a colossal waste of money, regardless of how 'fancy' the retailer.

    Once you have put yourself in a position to buy coffee beans you then need to determine when the coffee was roasted.  Many roasters are a little oblique about this as life is a lot easier to roast in large batches and leave it lying around until customers arrive to buy it.  They will often say that coffee isn't best immediately after roasting anyway, which is true, but why not disclose the roast date so the customer can decide for themselves when they consider the optimum date after roasting to be for their palate.  Personally I think it is around the 7 day mark for most coffees, but those that express their acidity very brightly can benefit from up to 3 weeks resting after roasting if you are using it for espresso, and those with less acidity can be deployed a little sooner, perhaps as little as 2 days after roasting for something like our Columbian Supremo.  Still, some of our customers like to drink it before the beans have barely cooled; each to their own.  In clearly stamping the roast date at the top of each bag Londinium Espresso provide you with the information to decide on your own optimum number of days after roasting to consume any given coffee.

    Papua New Guinea Sigri Estate now available.

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 Jun
    • 0 comments

  • What biscuit goes well with espresso?

    Well biscotti obviously work, but I've found these in the local supermarket & their unobtrusive simplicity complements espresso extremely well.  They are basically sugar, butter & flour and wafer thin so they do not overshadow the delicate elements in your espresso.  You could also try short bread, although one that has been baked in thin pieces, not the great flag stone sized variety.

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 Jun
    • 0 comments

  • New release: Rwandan Nyamyumba, typica bourbon, fully washed

    This week we released our Rwandan bourbon for sale.  Something that has worked well for this coffee is storing it for a few months before roasting.  Is it possible for green coffee to be too fresh, too green, if you like?  Yes, especially if you are roasting as a single origin for espresso use and you need tone down the acidity a little.  This coffee gives you a classic Italian espresso style, in that no extreme flavours are present, however the taste has a nice weight to it with a very pleasant after taste.  This espresso doesn't display any extreme elements, yet it isn't flimsy or non-descript.  We can whole-heartedly recommend it.

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 May
    • 0 comments

  • What other people think No.2

     From:     Kees van der Westen <info@keesvanderwesten.com>
        Subject:     good coffee
        Date:     4 May 2010 15:06:56 GMT+01:00
        To:     Reiss Gunson <reissgunson@btinternet.com>

     

    Hello Reiss,
     
    Just wanted to thank you very much for the great samples of coffee you sent.
     
    These are exquisite!
     
    My best,
     
    kees
     





    Kees van der Westen
    Espressonistic Works b.v.


    van Elderenlaan 6
    5581 WJ Waalre
    The Netherlands

    Productie +31 (0)40 222 34 33

    info@keesvanderwesten.com
    http://www.keesvanderwesten.com

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 May
    • 0 comments

  • Tilbury green

    That is to say, a small fraction of the green coffee stacked up at one of the many warehouses on the Tilbury docks.

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 May
    • 0 comments

  • Quattro Maximatic

     

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 May
    • 0 comments

  • 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
    • 0 comments

  • This is why Olympia espresso machines are the perfect choice for London living

     These images will provide you with all the ammunition you need to convince your non coffee drinking partner that an Olympia setup will easily fit into your London kitchen, no matter how tight space is.  We think it looks terrific in white too.  Most of the machines we sell are in anthracite (the colour of the base of the machine and grinder shown on the right).  We are ashamed to admit our Olympia workhorses seldom look anything like the showroom condition of this pampered pair.


    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 Apr
    • 0 comments

  • Shipping rates added for Cyprus

    Over the weekend a customer asked us for specific shipping rates for Cyprus so we've added them


    Wherever you are you can enjoy Londinium coffee


    If we don't have a specific shipping rate for your country please ask and we will obtain and add to our website

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 Apr
    • 0 comments

  • Kopi Luwak - our thoughts

    At almost GBP55 a bag is Londinium’s Kopi Luwak coffee 11 times better than one of our other roasts? No, we couldn't truthfully say that it is 11 times better.  The point is if you are going to drink Kopi Luwak we would strongly suggest you try Londinium's expression of this most exclusive coffee.

    With significant time, effort and money expended on test roasting, and indeed buying Kopi Luwak at some of London's most prestigious retailers, we have no hesitation in asserting that ours is considerably superior.  This is achieved with craftsmanship and freshness (not roasting your Kopi Luwak coffee until we receive your order).

    As an espresso, or indeed with a moderate amount of milk, Londinium Kopi Luwak presents itself as a rich caramel, yet with an underlying complexity that has proved to be highly additive as we found ourselves preparing cup after cup.  It needs a good 10 days after roasting (bag unopened) to open out fully as there is an awful lot going on in this coffee, and we have no hesitation in putting our reputation on the line and describing Londinium Kopi Luwak as exceptional.

    Londinium also offer three distinct editions (espresso, filter/vacuum, and latte/cappuccino) to take your enjoyment of this coffee to the absolute pinnacle. This is bespoke coffee roasting. Take care to choose the correct edition for your method of preparation as a mismatch will significantly detract from your enjoyment of this coffee.

    At Londinium we ensure you receive value for your money, even when you pay almost GBP55 a bag. That’s why Londinium customers return & represent our most significant sales channel by way of referral.

    If you are ordering your coffee from an establishment where it is lying around in display cabinets there is a good chance it isn’t fresh, although we do acknowledge that it looks appealing with its olde world charm.

    Start treating your coffee in the manner that you treat your fruit and vegetables; become obsessed with freshness. When you are paying this much for your coffee habit you might like the reassurance that you have acquired the finest example available.

    • Reiss Gunson
    • 2010 Apr
    • 0 comments