Minimum Elements

Kenya Kamunyaka Iriani Nyeri AA TASTING NOTES Overall: Very fruity and underlying cereal flavor and has a wonderful sweet sugary aroma Acidity:  quite a bit of acidity but still very pleasant drink Body: Light and crisp Flavor: Profile on the label describe it Tropical fruits / Pink grapefruit and I think so, too. And it has a bit of cereal flavor (or maybe even herbal) Very little to no oil found on beans MY THOUGHTS Firstly, these beans require your extra attention in terms of water temperature and fineness of ground coffee as its taste can be rather unpleasantly sour. So you need to grind as fine as possible and keep the water temperature slight higher than 90°C. Once you get the recipe right, you will have wonderfully crisp and flavorful coffee. In addition, coffee has amazing aroma and it is nice to fill the whole room with sweet coffee smell. I notice that roasting was done with very little amount of oil as you see virtually no oil residue on beans. ...

NOC Graham St. - Cozy Little Cafe in Sheung Wan  NOC Coffee Co. currently runs 6 shops all in Hong Kong island and this one is quietly tucked in Sheung Wan. Overall, the design language of the shop is very minimalistic which is also reflected by its official website. Staff were very nice and serving was quick. Inside you will find Espresso station and 3-4 tables far end of the shop. This shop is really meant to be for Take-out as these tables are the tiniest table I ever seen. Facing the Espresso station, customers wait for their coffee sitting in a small bench against the wall. Yes, they do sell coffee beans and the brand is co-founded by 2011 Hong Kong Barista Champion so their branded coffee beans mean business. The packaging has some interesting details as shown in the pictures. It's free standing vacuum bag with a taste profile / recipe bound to the bag. I tried No. 18 House Blend as it seems to be their main staple. I sense nutty flavor wi...

Specialty Gold Blend - Plum Plum Apple TASTING NOTES Overall: Strong honey sweet aroma and floral flavor characterize this coffee Acidity:  Strong tang is noticed from the beginning of your sip but it is not overly lingering Body: Delicate Flavor: Plum, very light ginger, herbal, grapefruit MY THOUGHTS This one is a bit of perplexing. The coffee has a delicate body tasting multiple layers of flavors yet overall taste profile was rather tamed and brewing might need your extra attention to achieve its full flavor. Regarding the flavor, this one is the most fruity among CRA coffees so far. Supple apple flavor will greet your nose and mouse followed by a hint of plum with a brown sugar flavor. And there is an underlying bitter taste. Lastly, when under-brewed, coffee will reveal very different flavor. Acidity and bitterness are very apparent which masks all other flavors and taste becomes very dull and flat.  Yes, brewing is finicky but fruity flavor...

  Premium Blue Blend - A Twist With  Sweet & Tang TASTING NOTES Coffee has very interesting twist. You taste a sweet and smooth overall taste followed by light tang at the very end of a sip. In addition, it has a very intense sweet aroma which will fill your whole kitchen in the morning.  Along with sweet and smooth taste, you can taste fruity & floral flavor with a very light touch of caramel. MY THOUGHTS Besides Classic Black Blend, this would be one of my top pick among Coffee Roasters Asia. Compared to Classic Black Blend, Premium Blue has tad more crisp taste. If you like Classic Black Blend, this one would be a good addition to your coffee stocks. Lastly, this is pretty hard beans and it require quite a bit effort to hand grind them. BACKGROUND Medium Roast whole beans (200g bag) Origin: Guatemala, Ethiopia, Others Hand ground by Hario Mini Mill Water Temp- 92°C (197.6°F) Kalita Wave Glass Dripper Ratio - 12g beans : 240g w...

Guatemala Quetzal Huehuetenango with  Smooth Silky Textu re TASTING NOTES Overall: Very smooth texture with slight bitterness Acidity: yes, citric taste is noticeable Body: Light (CRA website describes it as 'Creamy' though) Flavor: Nutty, cherry and a hint of herbal aroma (or slight hint of coriander) MY THOUGHTS This is a middle of the road kind coffee offering a very smooth silky texture. Sweet aroma is moderate to low. A combination of nutty and berries flavors can be quite fun to try. BACKGROUND Light Medium Roast whole beans (200g bag) Hand ground by Hario Mini Mill Water Temp- 90°C (194°F) Kalita Wave Glass Dripper Ratio - 12g beans : 240g water

TSUBAME & Kalita Copper Plated Measuring Scoop  BACKGROUND Tsubame was traditionally known for its copper ware and the area continues to carry on its legacy   for tableware and cutlery productions. MY THOUGHTS It is pricey but looks undeniably gorgeous The scoop costs JPY 1,619 (USD 15) at the time of purchase at Amazon Japan (Feb. 2019) It is made of 18/8 stainless steel with copper plating (Note: not dish-washable) and measures 10g per scoop. All surfaces and edges are polished smoothly. Copper plating shows absolutely no flaws and gives a very pleasant tactile feeling. 15 bucks for a scoop is rather pricey but if you appreciate a fine quality of anything, this one will suit your taste.

Kobe Blend Full of Sweet Brown Sugar Flavor TASTING NOTES Overall: Very rich aroma of brown sugar/ caramel, you will notice it immediately Acidity:  just a pinch of acidity Body: Light to medium (more close to light body) Flavor: Caramel, brown sugar (Note: not much vanilla and tangerine described on their website) MY THOUGHTS I wouldn't necessarily describe it very smooth for its rather bright note but it is still enjoyable. If you dig a very sweet aroma, this one is for you. Little dash of milk would be good as it has a bit of lingering bitterness at the end of each sip. It's not like overpowering bitter taste that would ruin your cup. Lastly, beans are pretty hard for a hand grinder.  BACKGROUND Medium Roast whole beans (200g bag) Blend origins: Brazil, Ethiopia and others Hand ground by Hario Mini Mill Water Temp- 90°C (194°F) Kalita Wave Glass Dripper Ratio - 12g beans : 240g water

Locally Roasted Whole Bean Coffee Ready in 2 Days INTRO  Started in 2014, Coffee Roasters Asia is a Hong Kong based specialty coffee roaster which a sister company to Coffee Roasters Australia based in Gold Coast, Australia.  MY THOUGHTS I recommend Coffee Roaster Asia for quality beans and great service. Ordering was breezy. Delivery was fast and coffee was very fresh.  COFFEE QUALITY I found the beans very fresh. Coffee Roaster Asia dispatches the beans no less than 3 days after roasting in my case. Each bag is labelled with a date. When brewing coffee, a nice blooming is clearly visible. ORDERING The web site has a online chat for queries. Surprisingly, the representatives were available each time I tried for a quick question. Once you place an order, you will receive a confirmation email first and order order update notice when shipping out. SHIPPING & HANDLING The package is robust and professionally prepared. Delive...

Indonesia Gayo Mountain Coffee  from Coffee Roaster Asia  TASTING NOTES Overall: Very sweet aroma Acidity: Light to medium (more lean toward light side) and it's a very pleasant note even for those who won't like an acidic taste Body: Light ( the store website describes it as Syrupy full body, though) Flavor: Caramel, cinnamon and vanilla MY THOUGHTS I recommend to those who typically drink full body dark roasting but want a safe choice to try lighter roasting beans. BACKGROUN D Light Medium Roast (2 roasting options available) Hand ground by Hario Mini Mill Water Temp- 90°C (194°F) Kalita Wave Glass Dripper Ratio - 12g beans : 240g water