I have always had an affinity for tea. So much so that when I was learning to do my teaching qualification (PTLLS) I conducted my micro-teaching session on brewing tea. Fast forward 5/6 years and I have, like most of the world, become engrossed in coffee. The little black beans that produces an equally black nectar.
With this in mind my wife bought me me a coffee grinder for Xmas (2014). I can simply say it has opened me up to a whole new world of brewing and beverages. Like tea it has become a ritual to brew my coffee. I still very much enjoy my tea, however, I now have to different rituals or routines I can do depending on how I feel.
Now that I have embarked on a new beverage or at least found that there was more than just Starbucks and Costa, I find myself sipping coffee in a different way. So I decided I would start buying small quantities of coffee beans to establish which I like the most. I started this journey by going to a local shop called ‘Trickling Tap’. They have many rare alcoholic beverages, but also supply tea and coffee. I chose the Honduras Fair-trade, an arabica bean medium roast coffee. A well balanced and interesting coffee but still quite plain, good for me as a first time coffee grinder and brewer.
Now let us move forward to the coffee this post is entitled “Sumatran Tiger Mountain”. I go this a little trip to Lincoln with my wife and daughter. We went into Imperial Teas on Steep Hill, and spoke with the proprietor about the different coffees. After much discussion I settles on two coffees, Sumatran Tiger Mountain and Treasure of the Peru Treasure of the Andes, one a medium roast and the other a fuller roast.
Below are the descriptions from Imperial Teas website:
Sumatran Tiger Mountain
Sumatra is primarily sold from 2 regions, Aceh and North Sumatra. Aceh is known for its Mandhelings. Aceh has 68,000 Hectares and 65,000 farmers. It is made up of many small community growers, each averaging one Hectare. The co-op name is Permata Gayo Highland. It has a full chocolatey body, sweet aroma, low acidity, nice apricot, cherry notes, sweet, clean and pleasant aftertaste. Our buyers have one policy in mind when buying, that we will pay premium prices for first refusal on the very finest selections by cup and preparation.
Peru Treasure of the Andes
A slightly fuller roast gives this light bodied, naturally grown coffee a creamy liquor with a sweet taste and aroma. Much can be said of its ethical credentials, of which more can be read on the product page, but it is most prized by our customers for it’s complex, unique flavour.
This is the start of my new adventure into coffee, grinding and brewing. I am on a search for a bean that I can get my wife to drink and enjoy fresh ground coffee. To say the least she didn’t and still doesn’t like fresh ground coffee, and prefers instant! Instant is nice but to make your own coffee is a delight and I hope I can find a bean and roast my wife will like.
Next time I will look at a full tasting of the coffee. It’ll be in three parts; Grinding notes, Brewing notes and Tasting notes.
