Wednesday, July 27th
Started off the morning right with a cup of Four Barrel Coffee that I brewed at home.
Bag purchased:
Washing Station: Karisimbi
Variety: Bourbon
Grown in: Rwanda
Flavors: Bronx grade, rainier cherry, ripe yellow peach, lychee, chrysanthemum, black tea
I really enjoyed my Four Barrel Coffee but before I get into the taste, let's start from the beginning...
I usually get my beans from my local go-to coffee shop called Bliss Coffee (more about Bliss to come in later posts) or from other coffee shops around the Bay...basically, I don't like having the same bag of coffee over and over again; I appreciate coffee more when I try a variety of coffee beans from various vendors.
I started off grinding the beans in my burr grinder; Note: fresh coffee is freshly ground...it totally affects taste!) and then I poured it into my drip coffee maker. NOTE: it's best to storecoffee away from anything that has a strong smell. I store mine in an air tight coffee container that I got from Crate & Barrel and I love it. Every time I open up the container, I can smell the beautiful aroma of my coffee beans. Speaking of aroma, these beans smelled great! There are some lighter notes of fruit and some earthier notes. The aromas aren't as strong with this bag but the flavor is fantastic.
When I use my drip coffee maker, I usually use boiled water that has been cooled down; filtered water is great, too and yes, the water can affect the taste of the coffee as well. I drink my coffee black with some sugar. When I finally tasted my cup of coffee, everything really came together on my palette. I tasted a good balance of fruit but the chrysanthemum and lychee notes definitely added something better to the coffee. NOTE: I love fruitier coffees and I usually go for medium-body.
Overall, it was a splendid morning and I am excited to enjoy my morning cup of Four Barrel coffee for the next couple weeks. I highly recommend going to Four Barrel or a local distributor of Four Barrel Coffee because their beans and espresso rock!