This weeks House Blend

We buy
Brazil 18+ Maxim €4,50 (yes, it's way cheaper now, but that was a deal from half a year a go)
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe gr 2 € 4,89
Rwanda Gisenyi 87 € 4,95
Panam Palmyeri Estate € 6,70
Indonesia Pre-Anger Estate € 6,05
Costa Rica Monte Cadet Estate € 7,70

We sell, blended at € 13,68

The Monte Cadet, Pre Anger and Palmyeri were just ends of lots we had in last summer.
New in the blend from next week on :
Ethiopia Limu
Indonesia Java Kayumas

Antwerpen@work 9 december 2012

Antwerpen@work 9 december 2012

Yirgacheffe Filter Roast (nog altijd aan de top)

ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE GRADE 2 (BAGERSH) : ROAST DECEMBER 5th

Op mijn rondreis door het koffieheiligdom Ethiopië 4 jaar geleden leerde ik Abdullah Bagersh kennen. Hij was in die tijd de meest befaamde Specialty Coffee 'verlader' van Ethiopië-en meteen de hele wereld zeg maar.
Intussen wordt zijn leven niet makkelijker gemaakt om al die beauty's het land uit te krijgen, maar de klassieke 'gegroepte' koffie's komen nog elk jaar veilig toe.

Abdullahs passie om altijd en overal een correct product voor een correcte prijs te garanderen is werkelijk onovertroffen. En van zijn 'klassieke' Grade 2 Yirgacheffe kopen wij elk jaar minstens een 3000 kilo.
Deze is niet traceable en ook niet biologisch, maar wel nog altijd bij het beste wat de markt te bieden heeft. ZEKER voor deze prijs.
We hebben dit jaar 3 verschillende lots van hem binnen gekregen. De eerste was heel goed, de tweede gewoon goed, maar deze 3de is de beste. Een beetje raar eigenlijk want meestal is de eerste de slechtste (een beetje overhaasting en veel onrijpe besjes), de tweede de beste en de derde middelmatig (laatste pluk gebeurt meestal iets minder goede klimatologische omstandigheden).

Waarschijnlijk de laatste Ethiopische filterkoffie van het seizoen, maar wel eentje om in te kaderen.
Verwacht je maar aan een vrij klassieke Yirg, met mooie 'florals', maar ook een aanzet van citroen, hibiscus, schitterende mouthfeel, subtle en clean.

How to Judge a/your Specialty Coffee Bar?

These days we see a lot of lists and competitions for best espresso bar.
 I actually wanted to write this article long ago and not after winning the Allegra award for best bar in the Benelux.
 I know it's all relative, but this list is maybe a help for people who want to start or upgrade their Specialty Coffee Bar or for others who want to judge a bar. Let's be your own judge and see how you score on a scale of 60.
I always said that quality is only half the ride. In this scoring sheet it counts for half the points. The other points are for 'all' the rest. Of course sometimes you can't separate one from the other, so we have to stay flexible.

Espresso Taste /10 points
Cappuccino Taste /10 points
Filter/Press Coffee Taste /10 points

General Atmosphere /7 points
Design Interior /7 points (I know these 2 things come together very often)

Service (order and/or delivery at the table) /1 point
Pour in (like latte art or slow brews) at the table /1 point
+1 choice for espresso /1 point
Possibility to buy beans (whole or ground-on demand) /1 point
7/7 opening /1 point
The offer of 1 or more 'Signature Drinks' /1 point
Outside Sitting /1 point
Acceptable Price Setting (say maximum €3 for a 6oz cap) /1 point
Offer of more then one 'milk' variety (Soy or rice or non fat or...) /1 point
Offer of Decaf based drinks /1 point
Free Wifi /1 point
Airco /1 point
More than one news paper for clients /1 point
Bathroom facilities /1 point
Acceptable Speed of service(difficult to judge, I admit) /1 point
High quality take away cups (with anti heat sleeves) and trays /1 point

Of course it's impossible to judge a bar with 1 score and of course we can keep on discussing all these things and I also think we have to do that. Don't forget : Always in a friendly atmosphere and with the final intention to create a better coffee world.

To avoid all mis understandings : I'm not saying Caffenation scores 60 on 60. Not at all! I'm my own worst judge ever, believe me. But every day again we try harder and don't forget; it's in the details you make the difference! It's with marginal gains Bradley Wiggings won the Tour de France and it's with the same mentality your bar may win the next award for best 'coffee bar'. 

(Unfortunately I can't allow any more comments on this blog - because of spam reasons, but hopefully we meet very soon, or mail me with all kinds of comments or questions or stuff I've forgotten to mention).

Koko Amsterdam

Karlijn & Carolien, ofte KoKo, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 145 1012 DG Amsterdam

Postal Membership : This Week Malawi AAA

Malawi Pamwamba AAA :

This coffee is grown near the town of Namadzi in the southern Highlands of Malawi, an area better known for producing world class teas. Coffee has been grown here only since the early 1980′s, but with increasing sophistication. The coffee trees, consisting mainly of Catimor and to a lesser extent SL 28 varietals, grow in clay loam at between 3400 to 3800 feet above sea level. The coffee farms all maintain programs to subsidize the cost of housing, health care and education for workers and their families.
Planting coffee is also a soil conservation measure in these areas, where erosion is a widespread problem, as the bushes are planted in contour lines therefore controlling run-off and reducing soil loss. Coffee is mainly planted by smallholders, so it is often inter-cropped with other species in order to supply food to the household. Recently some farmers have started to plant macadamia trees, which can constitute another lucrative income source.
Cherries are harvested at dawn and brought to pulperies before early afternoon. Careful washing and grading is carried out on the same day before the wet parchment settles into separate fermenting tanks. Interesting to note that this Coffee (as with most coffee from Malwi) is transported through Mozambique for shipment from Port of Beira on the Indian Ocean.


What do we taste : Typical Eastern African Touch, Swedish Cinnamon Rolls, Little hint of Lemon Grass and Pine Nuts.

A vibrant and smooth bodied cup.

Rocking in the free Village World Utrecht