Lien Saigon - Vietnamese Weasel Coffee

 I received this coffee as a gift following a mission trip. After doing some research I found some interesting facts about this Vietnamese coffee.  Apparently the story goes that this Vietnamese coffee is similar to the Kopi Luwak process instead of being digested by a civet, it is digested by weasel. This process is said to reduce bitterness and create a smooth brew. However Vietnamese companies also claim to have replicated the digestive process with an enzyme. 

     We prepare this coffee with Hario v60 pour-over and a clever coffee dripper. The first thing to notice was the beans were roasted extremely dark very similar to a French roast and the surface of the beans were covered in oil. While the aroma was intensely smoky it did have an uncharacteristically very sweet buttery caramel aroma. I was very hesitant to make this coffee as it appeared that it had been soaked in a fragrant oil.  With the first sip, the coffee was extremely smooth with very little aftertaste. If it was true this coffee passed through a digestive process, it really diminished the palate cleansing acidity for this cup.  Both batches of coffee produced a very slick oily surface even with using an able cone filter with the pour-over, and a #4 filter with the coffee dripper.  Instinctively the coffee paired well with a soft Caramel sauce that included butter and vanilla bean in the ingredients. 

    When the coffee cooled I finally figured out what it reminded me of: Burnt kettle corn. While I enjoy tasting this coffee for broad exposure, it affirmed to me the importance of tasting wide varieties of food to get an accurate experience on the palate.

Torrefazione Perugia Blend

 

Once upon a time standing tall in the Seattle coffee scene, Torrefazione Italia cafés existed with sharply dressed staff members between 1986 and 2005. Originally used as the espresso in Torrefazione cafés, Perugia Blend is said to have been a tribute to their founders (Umberto Bizzari) hometown many years ago. Perugia is a well-known cultural centre of Italy famous for chocolate and even hosts a chocolate festival every October.  

During the brew process Perugia blend had an intense smoky aroma that connects it with the coffees in Southern Italy which are primarily dark roast. The body of these Latin American coffee beans were rich with subdued acidity. Ultimately I hoped this blend would be dynamic with more depth of flavor. As it cooled this blend was more like a one-man band than a three-piece jazz ensemble.                                                     Experimenting with some food pairings we tried it with Mini Peanut butter cups. The chocolate upfront interacted well with the sweetness of the brew, however it did not finish well. Perugia blend paired with La Boulange caramel sauce really gave this coffee a chance to shine.  The true test will come soon as we run this blend through its paces as a shot of espresso. Currently you can still buy the Torrefazione line-up of whole bean and ground coffee online or in stores

3 Region Blend

I remember this blend from 2011 with Beans from Guatemala that highlighted the Bourbon Species Chocolatey characteristics. Coffee from Tanzania provided Floral and lemony components. Lastly the palate pleasing Papua New Guinea adding Depth as well as herbal notes and acidity on the finish.  In years past 3 Region Blend was also classified as a bold coffee not primarily for taste but for the amount of depth and skill of the roaster.  I appreciate this roast when you understand it is a pre roast blend profile that takes in radiant heat, convective heat, and conductive heat for the right amount of time.

We prepared this years batch with a French Press, 10 tablespoons Coarse grind and 30 oz of water.

The Aroma definitely resembles the new artwork on the bag taking advantage of this blends fresh springtime qualities. Often the aroma can smell like a window basket with flowers in the distance or walking through a botanical garden. The body does not linger long however the acidity is vibrant with citrus qualities. As the coffee cools the new Guinea components begin to show with herbal finish very similar to Sulawesi coffee or Indian coffee.

We tried this coffee with Lemon loaf and cheesecake brownie.  The tasters had their "Ahh Ha" moment with the lemon loaf. One person said It reminded them of "Fruit Loops." This could be from the stone fruit like qualities of certain East African coffees.  The cheesecake brownie allowed 3 Region Blend to express its Medium sweet Viscosity and drive home the Bourbon Coffee in this blend.