Anyways, let's talk about coffee. I'm no coffee expert but I usually can tell the difference between good and bad coffee.
Good coffee:
1. Smells like coffee (gotta know what you're drinking there!) No, I mean seriously, coffee that smells strong like it means business usually is good coffee. Why? It's because high quality coffee beans contain more fragrant oils than the meh ones.
2. Flavourful. I know this doesn't seem helpful but if you drink amazing, full bodied coffee from a good coffee shop and then drink for example, instant coffee, there is a difference. HQ coffee has higher acidity giving it its flavours whereas LQ coffee tastes of nothing because it lacks acidity.
Crema- the thick, dense red brown foam layer you find on your espresso- does NOT tell you if the coffee will taste good or not. It just tells you how fully extracted your coffee is i.e the darker it is, the more solubles there are in the cup.
You can read more about crema here.
I only actually started drinking coffee only because housemate #1 drinks coffee on a daily basis and I thought why not?
Now, I wouldn't say I'm addicted or anything, but I'd say I'll enjoy a cuppa if given the choice. When I visited Mr Bombastic in Edinburgh,who knew I appreciate good coffee, brought me to the Black Medicine and The Brew Lab on two separate occasions.
My V6 coffee from The Brew Lab. Tasted quite light and fruity. Yum~
Mr. Bombastic's Mocha
This is actually my hot chocolate from Black Medicine HA.
I love the both of them. I went to Black Medicine alone a few times because I had the time to kill and I love love love LOVE the atmosphere and the interior of the shop. It has this tiki feel to the decorations and somehow always make me feel like I'm in a secret forest and can people watch in peace. LOL no, I'm not creepy at all. I've tried their iced Mocha before and that was good. The Mocha had a good balance of coffee and chocolate taste to it. Not those kind of Mocha that is diabetes inducing. Also, the hot chocolate is amazing. I'm not sure if they made it using cocoa and brown sugar or with chocolate but it was delicious, creamy and made me feel so cosy. I remember the day I tried it, it was raining and I brought a book with me (Girl with a Dragon Tattoo?). Life could not have been better.
The Brew Lab has a similar feel to the black medicine but interior-wise it made me feel like I was in an underground coffee shop. It is quite nice and the staff were really helpful. The Brew Lab brews 2 different blends of coffee everyday and uses quite unconventional brewing techniques. I have only been there once and my V6 came without milk, which was fine because I drink black coffee most of the time anyways. At first, the coffee tasted sour to me and I was like "Huh?" then the taste sort of blossomed into a fresh fruity note and the texture of the coffee was quite smooth. All in all, I enjoyed the coffee and it seemed like a great place to just chill out with your friends in. Tip: Try the brownies. They are ORGASMIC.
Oooohh one more thing. I make my coffee in a cafetiere i.e a French press. Not as fancy as it sounds, housemate #4 had one with her so housemate #1 and I borrow it from time to time. I found a brewing guide. It seems pretty solid. Link is right here if you wanna try it out or wonder why your cafetiere brewed coffee tastes sour/bitter/tasteless. I had no idea there was a technique to it! I'm am not wise in the ways of coffee. =(
xoxo
Angel
No comments:
Post a Comment