Crema and coconut creme

[fiend]

This morning I had what I think is the best espresso shot I have made since returning to New Zealand. The beans were wild grown Bonga Forest beans roasted to about 15 seconds into the second crack the day before yesterday.

I slightly overfilled the filter basket with around 15.1g of coffee ground at the fifth notch from the arrow on the grinder. At first I wasn't sure if I had filled the group properly and did a quick second raise, which is usually a very marginal technique, but one that I fortunately got away with. During the pull, the stream of coffee formed a thick tail that bubbled, hooked and swung as it came down, with a very promising viscosity. The tiger striping alternated between a dark brown, and a brownish terracotta.

In the cup it took around a minute for the crema to settle to a steady state and form a head. It had a silky texture, and the firm persistance of a slightly warmed marshmellow. The flavour was pure and rich, with the mellow, vanilla sweetness that makes this bean one of my favourites, without even the slightest hint of bitterness. There was a deep, rich, chocolate-type flavour that was consistent right through to the aftertaste.

Clearly there was no question of brushing my teeth after a coffee like that, and even by the time I got to the viaduct there was a pleasant remnant of the aftertaste.

Having overindulged a little with the cookie jar at work, I've decided to cut back on my consumption. However I had to delay lunch today, and a couple of chocolate covered coconut creme biscuits seemed to be a good way to bridge the gap. They also seemed a good idea for the gap between lunch and afternoon tea, but I can't imagine there will be much justification for them later in the day.

[zapty]

Reading this my mouth is watering, quick, I need a double espresso...

[BazBean]

Make that 2........

i actually can taste espresso while i read...... how weird is that ?

[Joris]

a double to go please