Crema De La Crema – An Espresso Coffee Blog in Singapore

The 45 second ristretto makes a comeback with 3rd day Brazil Moreninha Formosa. I’m in seventh heaven. This is my GODSHOT! I can’t remember a finer shot than my previous one a long time ago with eCafe Sidamo. Pronounced DARK Chocolate notes, caramel creamy goodness, long aftertaste I wish could last forever.

While many would balk “45 seconds? Ristretto (restricted espresso)? That’s almost twice 25 seconds – the standard timing for a shot of espresso.” I was well aware of this, taking quick looks at Eric’s e-61 thermometer to ensure the temperature doesn’t drop below 198 degrees Fahrenheit while watching the pour to cut at first blonding. The resulting pour:

The details of the pour are:

Roast: Brazil Moreninha Formosa
Degree: Full City +
Machine: Quickmill Anita
Brew Pressure: 9.5 bars
Boiler Pressure 1.5 bars
Dose: 18 grams
Grind: Ultra Fine
Tamp: 30 pounds (Espro Clicker Tamper)
Eric’s e61 Thermometer: Flushed to 187, Start pour at 198. End pour at 198.

Here’s  the sequence of my 3rd cup today. Same variables as above shot with
Eric’s e61 Thermometer: Flushed to 187. Start pour at 200. End pour at 203.5
which resulted in a slight bitter shot, but still very pleasurable. Slight bitter dark chocolate.

Roasted on I-Roast 2 Rec 2, stopped with 2 minutes remaining.
Full City to Full City +

2nd day: espresso, slow drip, 45 second ristretto, gorgeous naked flow. Extremely creamy, long aftertaste. Hint of spice, chocolate notes. I think taste will be more pronounced when it peaks later. Will be better tomorrow or day after. Needs more rest. Fantastic RISTRETTO roast. I’m in love! What have I been doing blending this with Zambia? This Brazil is great on its own. KS, take note, I know you have some left, don’t waste blending it.

This next article certainly won’t be a contender for WBC’s signature drink but would make for a livelier drink of choice for our next group meeting.

The article shows using espresso made from a Bialetti moka pot, but use a better alternative to making the espresso if you have it. Thankfully, my days of drinking Bialetti “espresso” are over.

How to make delicious coffee liqueur – More DIY How To Projects

I was introduced to Idido Misty Valley when I had coffee at fellow coffeegeek Kai Seng’s place last year. It struck me as a cup full of floral notes. At the time, Kai Seng had blended it with several other beans. I had wanted to buy it straightaway but Idido Misty Valley is a bean that doesn’t stay long on the shelves. I’ve read of some coffeegeeks who keep their lists of Idido Misty Valley sources secret from their spouses, much less their peers. When I caught first sight of the 2008 crop, I grabbed them and was quite lucky as I took the last batch my source had to offer. So, here are my cupping notes.

Ethiopia Yrgacheffe Idido Misty Valley

Crop: 2008

Roasted to Full City +.

Day One

I did only one double shot. I separated half as espresso, the other half as americano. The naked pour had tremendous dark chocolate crema, very good tiger-striping. In the cup, the crema was speckled. For aroma, I detected notes of chocolate, fruit, heavy on florals,  As espresso, it was like drinking unadulterated perfume which was very difficult at my stage to discern the different tastes.  As an americano, which I diluted to a 4:1 water espresso ratio, it was winey, slight chocolate, slight lemon fragrance towards the end, fruity. A coffee that comes to mind when I drink the IMV is Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda, the finish is unlike coffee but closer to tea. I am so tempted to make a second shot. This coffee still tastes very fresh and I think it deserves a rest of at least 2 more days. I just hope it will last that long.

Day 2

Aroma has more milk chocolate and floral notes. The naked pour is more intense today.  Heavy chocolate crema with speckling.  Despite making my grind half a notch coarser on the Compak, the pour is slower today. I flushed the group to a cooler temperature of 198 than yesterday’s 202. This coffee is extremely forgiving. a huge contrast to Square Mile’s Winter Espresso.  Pronounced chocolate and winey notes.  More fruit towards the end. Mild bodied.

What I thought was the best signature drink from WBC 2009 Day One goes to Akihiro Okada from Japan.

Akihiro Okada's signature drink preparation

Akihiro paints the insides of martini glasses

He used a paintbrush to paint the insides of the martini glasses, his paint being the cherry syrup (someone, pls correct me.)  Then again, aesthetics may prove misleading, as many a dark chocolate like naked pour have proven lemony beyond all recognition.

Coupled with the bad internet connection, I could only catch every other frame during John’s routine. The emcee is James Hoffmann, WBC 2007 Champion, now at  Square Mile Roasters.  Anyway, here are whatever pictures I could take during the event. As John says in his routine, “Please enjoy…”

John pours latte art in front of judges.

The familiar “tap tap tap”, dosing coffee grounds into the portafilter

John pours water for the technical judges.

John explains his signature drink, “Summer Blossom”.

John calls “Time,” signaling the end of his performance and is being
interviewed by James Hoffmann.

John thanks everyone for their support, especially the ones cooped
up in Singapore, watching his performance at an ungodly hour.

James Hoffmann.

World Barista Championship 2009 (WBC) is held at Atlanta, Georgia, USA this year. The venue is at the Georgia World Congress Center, Expo Hall A3. It will be from 15 April 2009 to 19 April 2009, with the actual competition starting on 16th April.

A total of 52 countries are taking part in this event. Singapore will be represented by John Ting from Oriole Cafe. He will be assisted by Oriole Cafe owner, Keith Loh, who came in 2nd place in this year’s Singapore National Barista Championship (SNBC). According to the WBC article on Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) website, John Ting’s performance will be the 10th of 19 competitors on the first day, 16th April. The top 6 finalists will be announced on Day Three, Saturday, 18th April 2009, and these 6 will compete in the Final Round on Sunday, 19th April 2009.

To follow up on WBC 2009, you can click on the following links:

World Barista Championship Official Site
This is the official site for WBC and you can find the live video feeds and news updates.  Live video feeds will begin on 16th April.

SCAA’s WBC article
The schedule of events and the timetables can be downloaded here.

WBC 2009 Official Blog by Barista Magazine (Click here for RSS Feed)

WBC 2009 on Twitter (Click here for RSS Feed)

Georgia World Congress Center

GWCC Google Map