A Coffee Journey Chronicle

Smok (Polish for “dragon”) is a new roaster. I decided to give them a go, even though this coffee is roasted on the darker end of my tolerance (as I prefer light roasts). The bag design seems to combine three things: op art, pixel art (scans don’t do them justice, as they are primarily on the sides and at the bottom of the bag), and swing tags. The latter are an interesting idea, admittedly aesthetically pleasing, but not really functional - they make opening the bag needlessly difficult. ...

It is always a pleasure to visit a café which also roasts its own beans. In those cases, baristas are usually well-trained to get the most out of the material at their disposal. Honey processing is a rare occurrence, therefore it’s hard to get the hang of what makes it special. In this case, the first sips were very heavy and intense, but it grew more pleasant as it went, and we finished it before it even got lukewarm. ...

Bought impulsively after tasting an exceptionally clear and fruity batch brew in a corner cafe. Even though the brew I made at home didn’t taste quite as good, it left a very pleasant, lingering fruity aftertaste after every sip.

Sadly, another Geisha disappointment. You try an incredible coffee at a local coffee fair, and then can’t get the brew quite right to recreate the tasting experience you had from the roaster. Lesson learned: no point paying a premium for a coffee which will probably not taste so good at home.

Whatever the roaster means by “Special edition”, it probably deserves this term, as the taste was truly unique. The comparison to PEZ candy (as seen on the bag) is an interesting one, although personally I’d call it a mint flavor with a touch of something green and vegetal, like celery — but in a very good way. It was so strong that it persisted even when sipped right after eating a sweet dessert. Usually, when your taste buds are overwhelmed by sugar, even the most intensely flavored coffee tastes almost like water. ...

A typical Lacava all-rounder, perfectly suitable for work.

Normally I steer away from overly fruity coffees like this during winter months, but this one was so good that I emptied the bag in a mere two weeks. It seems that regardless of our seasonal preferences, a good roast will always find its way to the cup very quickly.

Specialty coffee is usually a reliable indicator of quality. Owners who care about their beans tend to care about everything else: the food, the pastries, the tea. Once again, we spent our holidays on an island without expecting too much from the local coffee scene, but were happy to discover that La Escala delivers on all fronts. Before you order anything, you’re offered free water, and a range of options, including coffee beans they roast themselves. Notice kombucha, which was very good. A playfully written menu, albeit containing only a subset of their offering. La Escala has it all - a wide range of espresso-based drinks as well as pour-over, lunch offering, various tea offerings, sandwiches, and pastries. Over multiple visits, we worked our way through the offerings and weren’t disappointed once. ...

I find it incredible that even on an island with not even a million residents (but probably a lot more tourists) there’s enough market demand that warrants a specialty coffee roastery. In my brew, “naranja” was hard to find, but the umbrella term “frutos rojos” actually captured the taste profile well, as raspberries and redcurrant were noticeable.

Hardly ever does a cup in a café dazzle you on the first sip. That was the case with White Lotus. The rich floral taste was so impeccable, it stopped me mid-thought and made me savor it for a while. I decided to order a bag before I even finished my cup. Sadly, I wasn’t able to replicate that taste at home. The key learning is that it’s not only the grind and brewing method that count. Serious specialty cafés also invest in equipment that ensures their water has the right mineral content. ...