A Coffee Journey Chronicle

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 have yet to dislike a coffee that came in a stylish box. I wish more roasters invested in the experience like that. DAK managed to produce a roast and name it in a way that perfectly encompasses the taste. “Ice Tease” tasted exactly like it sounds — like a cup of black iced tea with lemon. During a traditional blind cupping with friends, this one was identified immediately after the first slurp. ...

A rare occurrence when the flavor description on the label is 100% accurate. The flavor was white tea, which I found particularly pleasant. Normally it takes 3-4 weeks to empty a coffee bag in my place. With this one, it took a mere two weeks.

A complex taste profile that required dedicated time to appreciate. Drinking it mindlessly while doing something else felt wasteful. A reminder that high-quality coffee deserves dedicated attention.

The Swiss Water decaffeination method promises a lot in terms of maintaining the original taste of the coffee. I couldn’t tell if the coffee itself was low quality (succinct info on the bag would suggest so), or if the process actually took its toll. Anyway, my usual AeroPress and pour-over recipes yielded poor results. I had to drink it with a splash of milk. A reasonable choice if you suddenly find yourself in need of an evening cappuccino.

The first coffee with thermal shock processing I’ve tried. The fruity flavor was so incredible it’s hard to believe it wasn’t infused with actual fruits. I’ve had the opportunity to try other thermal shock processed coffees since then, and must say that the fruity bomb taste is quite distinct and hard to confuse with anything else. A smaller 200g bag instead of the standard 250g seems to be the trademark of Lacava’s premium offerings. ...

After a recent rather disappointing experience with coffee from Belarus, I kept my expectations low. This one, however, turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. I rarely can taste all of the notes the roaster lists on the packaging. This time I could distinctly taste all four: orange, caramel, chocolate, and blueberry. Peruvian coffees definitely deserve more attention.

Looking at the bag, a thought immediately sprang to my mind: “This totally looks like M&M’s”. This definitely influenced my experience, as after opening it, the smell reminded me of a bag of sweet chocolates. The tasting experience was similar: this coffee was as sweet as actual M&M’s. A perfect brew to lift your spirits during long workdays.

The roaster used to run the most orthodox café I’ve ever been to. Even though it’s no longer in operation, their passion and absolute dedication to quality shine through in the beans they roast. Yemeni coffee is hard to come by. This one offered a very distinct flavor of rubus blackberries, which is a very rare occurrence. In addition, the coffee is packed in a playfully designed box that’s a pure joy to interact with. ...

A gift from abroad. While it doesn’t match the quality of the rest of the lineup here, it served as a great drink for multitasking. For instance, while working or attending online business calls. P.S. I rarely get a chance to try their coffee, but they seem to change the design of their bags every time. Interestingly, judging by the sticker on the bottom of the bag, Belarus levies excise tax on specialty coffee. ...