Robert's Coffee land in and opened their first cafe in Fukuoka, Japan.
Originated in Finland, it is quoted as "Finland's the most popular coffee shop" which I am not confident since I am not familiar with Finish coffee industry.
Besides Moomin Characters, there are some about Scandinavian: coffee flavor and cinnamon rolls.
A cup of espresso does not make coffee flavor Scandinavian roast, but espresso drink did. It was early morning, right after cafe opened, so coffee did not "reduced" yet even on the coffee machine. So call "Scandinavian style roasting" flavor in the states always accompanied by "greener" and "immature" feeling, but Robert's Japan cup tasted "old good American", while a espresso had green, minty feeling added.
The cafe is located in the middle of the city center, Tenjin, so if you are tired with "at every corner cafe" such as Starbucks and Seattle's best, maybe this was a good hidden place to spend a moment. Although it was very clouded, as I read, when this cafe opened, now is no line to grab a cup to dine in.
Beans: Cameroon Mifi Java
Roaster: Home roasting
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Bafoussam,
Mifi department, the West Region, Cameroon
Grade: Type A
Screen: 14up
Defect: Not slenderized, but none
Altitude: 1,300 - 1,800m
Variety: Arabica, Java
Process: Fully Washed, 100% sun dried
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 2
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Light, woody, medium tone, caramel, amber maple, a touch of cardamon, flowery, silver birch, soothing aroma, lightly milky, medium light body, extremely clean mouth feel, juicy, fully matured white grape, slightly citric, orange peel, lemon and lime juice, sugar cane, brown sugar, well balanced sweetness and acidity, chestnuts, roasted walnuts, mellow as whipped butter, a touch of goose berry syrup, thin layer of walnuts skin like tangy-ness, sweetness and brief orange note as a aftertaste.
【Note】
The Arabica variety was brought to Cameroon in 1913, which origin can be traced back to "blue mountain" of Java and Jamaica. While 85% of coffee cultivation is Robusta, lest Arabica shipped exclusively to France and Germany, the people who once colonized and brought Arabica to this country. It is said that Cameroonian farmers recover from the bottom, after a sharp decline from late 80's to early 90's.
This coffee beans was from Societe Cooperative Agricole des Planteurs de la Mifi, CAPLAMI, at Bafoussam village in the Mifi area. The cooperative was founded in 1958 under the name CPCAB and changed its name in 1978.
Beans: Las Moras Farm
Roaster: The Roastery
Roasting Degree: Mdium
Origin/Area: Pozo Negro,
Municipality of Masaguara, Intibucá, Honduras
Grade: N/A
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,750m
Variety: Catual
Process: Fully washed
※Winner of COE Honduras Program 2014
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 3
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 4
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Bold, lightly smokey, deep, acidic, bright vinegar like, immature apple, green, slight note of boysenberry, fresh lime juice, grind cacao, dates sugar, muscovado, rich, milky mouth-feel, creamy, smooth, a touch of spice, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, paprika hidden, dark chocolate, Valrhona MANJARI and Callebaut semi-sweet, bright bitterness over rich sweetness, well balanced, plum, delicate acidity, pomegranate, a drop of cranberry juice, tangy sweetness, slight impression of dark caramel, black cherry, deep and rich sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
Crop of Discovery...as it says. This was delivered just for Nozy coffee, the Roastery, then roasted and sold JPY 2,500/200g. Drip tool is on your choice, but my recommendation is either paper or Nel Drip. Mesh coffee filter, French Press and AeroPress add too much oil into a cup to confuse, to dim, detail of flavor with their roasting.
Glad to pay a visit to one of the most popular and growing Japanese specialty coffee roaster: Nozy Coffee, the Roastery in Shibuya, Tokyo.
This roaster was somewhat popular as so called Japanese third waver and it was my very first visit to there. It was nearly 17:00 and cafe was packed, filled with people. It was a drizzling evening, getting darker and darker, but the weather had not much to do with the cloud inside. To be honest, it was awkward moment to stand in front of this cafe, even to step inside the cafe. If you are familiar with San Francisco and Los Angeles rosteries, we may share the feelings: The exterior resembles Intelligentsia Coffee @ Venice, and the interior architecture/accessory mixture of Four Barrel and Sightglass in SF.
The cafe space is narrow and deep, the island style coffee bar, espresso bar, is surrounded by the counter at near the entrance;then, a roasting machine and a pourover bar is at the end. As usual, the espresso machine is LA MARZOCCO and a roster is Probat.
As they define themselves, there are series of single origins displayed. Small but neatly displayed beans even have a bean aroma samples for each. For pourover, they use "Cores Gold Filter", a metal filter plated with pure gold, with 18g:250g of beans/water ratio, medium/coarse grind.
Though a cup of espresso drink seems more charming, the first choice was "pourover" to check the roasting and brewing skills with "Gahahe/Burundi", Winner of COE Burundi program 2014, and "Las Moras/Honduras", COE Honduras program 2014.
【Profile of Gahahe/Washed】
Region: Kayanza, Burundi
Farmer: Webcor
Varietal: Bourbon
Altitude: 1,800m
Cup Comment: mandarin orange, passion fruit, sweet long aftertaste, honey, syrup, round mouth-feel.
The flavor was weak and the all of "cup comment" was too sheer to enjoy details in the cup there. Coffee flavor, as all we know, also depends on a barista, so the choice was to bring a bag of beans and to check the flavor. The choice was "Las Moras/Honduras". The conclusion is it is better to check a Barista first before asking a pourover at Nozy Coffee, or buy a bag to make a cup at home.
Beans: Finca El Injerto Natural
Roaster: Namamame Hompo
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area:
Huehuetenango, Nicaragua
Grade: SHB
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,580m
Variety: African Gesha
Process: Natural
※2015 Competition lot
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 5
Sweetness: 5
Acidity: 3
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Light to medium dark, fruity, orange, yellow peach, young banana, dutch cocoa, a touch of cardamon, slightly syrupy, dark maple, medium body, matured, clean, light texture, juicy, lightly creamy at the end, well balanced bitterness and sweetness, mellow tangy-ness, walnuts skin, clean citric acidity, orange, high tone of lemon, lime, brown sugar, cacao nib, cocoa powder, coffee caramel, whole almond butter, dark chocolate, citric light acidity and slight caramel like creamy sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
Retail price of this beans is USD26.00 per 100g, roasted. Amazing, isn't it?
Making the story sorter, this is the one to try just for "a topic" or your own experience how the coffee can be "vintage" or "premium" like wines. This is certainly not for every cup not because the price but flavor;yet, still this is entertaining.
Finca El Injerto is not only 3yrs winner, the Champion!!, in COE Guatemalan programs but also the regular for series of other coffee competitions. The honorable estate, the queen of Queen, decided to hols their own auctions finally with the species quite new for everyone: African Gesha. As a green bean buyer, this was very first time to hear "African Gesha, or Geisha" as a name of coffee varietals. There was heirloom Geisha introduced in WBC, World Barista Championship, 2015 by Ishan Natalie, TriBeCa Coffee Company, but they did not refer "African Gesha" at that time. Since Gesha is originated Southeast Ethiopia, Africa, it is strange to hear "African" here again on the head of Gesha varietal name...Anyway, this was the very first time to find "African Gesha" even as a green bean buyer. To be honest, it is difficult to tell the difference between this and hairloom Gesha. As a presentation, Finca El Injerto has succeeded to present their "gesha" even higher "premium" with processing Natural. The Gesha is already well known, so the estate maybe decided to surprise the buyers in auction in their own way, which ended totally successful. Whoever bought this "green beans" are obligated to find nice roaster, someone trusting, skill-full, experienced. The flavor varies depends on rosters, for sure. This law speaks louder than ever on this auction lot.
Beans: Costa Rica Jaguar ～Honey processed
Roaster: Namamame Hompo
Roasting Degree: High
Origin/Area: Tarrazu, Tres Ríos Region, Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,400 - 1,700m
Variety: unknown
Process: Honey, sun-dried
※2015 Competition lot
【Impression】
Medium, clover honey, maple syrup, roasted oats, sweet aroma, freshly baked oatmeal cookies, caramel, nougat, milk chocolate, a touch of orange zest, medium body, light, fruity, clean, soothing, well balanced sweetness, bitterness and acidity, tropical fruits sweetness, papaya, mango, star apple, slight lemon acidity, dark chocolate acidity, cacao nib, bright acidity grows, pomelo, tangerine, white grapefruits, lime, yuko, high tone citric acidity as brief, round and juicy sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
Beans: Costa Rica Jaguar ～Honey processed
Roaster: Namamame Hompo
Roasting Degree: City
Origin/Area: Tarrazu, Tres Ríos Region, Costa Rica
Grade: SHB
Screen: N/A
Defect: N/A
Altitude: 1,400 - 1,700m
Variety: unknown
Process: Honey, sun-dried
※2015 Competition lot
【Flavor scale】
Aroma: 4
Sweetness: 4
Acidity: 4
Bitterness: 3
Richness: 3
※Grade 1 to 5
【Impression】
Medium high, mellow, prune, lightly citric, orange peel,freshly squeezed yuzu, coconut sugar, dark cacao beans, dates sugar, sheer smokiness, hickory, red wine as a top note, medium body, well balanced sweetness and shallow bitterness, creamy, rich sweetness of honey, linden, clover, chestnuts, lightly fruity on top, blood orange, a touch of grapefruits, roasted walnuts, pecans, oak barrel, a touch of tobacco, Russian kale, horse-chestnuts, cacao nib, dark chocolate like gravity, morasses, layers of woody and nutty sweetness as a long lasting aftertaste.
【Note】
The name "Jaguar" is given to the top grading beans of three, categorized and graded beans from over 100 small farmers. The beans are dried for 6 to 8 hrs, parched at 55% moisture level, and sun-dried for 3 to 4 days. Flavor of the beans greatly varies by the depth of roasting: medium adds highly citric flavor, high mix of citrus and honey, city fruity honey, and full-city dark chocolaty and Colombian bitterness.
