We've sampled five different exotic coffees thus far...
Coffee Prototypers was launched in July 2024 and was featured in Good Food in the Sydney Morning Herald/Age. It's a once-per-month exploration of fascinating coffees often using cutting edge processing techniques to maximise and/or highlight specific coffee flavours.
Thus far we've tasted the following coffees:
27 July 2024 - Colombia Peach Infusion
31 August 2024 - Colombia Coconut/Caramel Infusion
28 September 2024 - Colombia Hacienda La Esperanza Double Carbonic Maceration
26 October 2024 - Colombian Whisky Barrel Aged
30 November 2024 - Nicaragua El Arbol Pacas Carbonic Maceration Natural
The two infusion coffees (peach and coconut/caramel) were really interesting and clients had quite polarised views on them with everyone letting me know that the coffees were really interesting. The peach infused coffee was quite intensely peachy in a way which I didn't think worked that well with coffee flavour characters whereas the coconut/caramel infused coffee won over many people. I think that the coconut/caramel combination is very sympathetic to espresso flavour profiles as well as coffee made with milk.
The next coffee we tried was a Colombian Double Carbonic Maceration. This to me has been the standout Prototyper. It had the most wonderful citric brightness with yellow fruits, caramels, and brown sugar notes.
The whisky barrel aged Colombian was universally lauded as a wonderful coffee... ironically the whisky influence was quite muted!
And finally the Nicaraguan Carbonic Maceration was to me, again, a lovely coffee. The carbonic maceration process just seems to perform some minor miracles for coffee (just as it can for winemaking).
The next Prototyper will be roasted soon (just waiting for the beans to be delivered) and it will be the COLOMBIA - LA RIVIERA - APRIL CULTURE. This is a coffee cultured using tropical fruits and the tasting notes from the green bean producer are "Floral aromas of tropical fruits. Flavour of Rooibos Tea with ripe mango and papaya. Juicy citric acidity with a round body." I'm excited for this one.
Access Coffee Prototypers here.
To read about coffee memories click here
To hear recommendations on espresso equipment click here
To read about our roasting competition medal haul click here