Preview: Strangers’ Reunion

Posted in barista, Cafe, championship, coffee, competition, espresso, Reviews, singapore, taste on March 28th, 2012 by Colin Loh
1door

Synonymous with winning the Singapore National Barista Championships in each of the 2 years he competed in – 2011 and 2012, as well as coming in Third Place in the World Latte Art Championships in 2011, Ryan Kieran Tan fulfills another one of his dreams by opening his own cafe in just half a year of planning for it.

At 37 Kampong Bahru Road… Continue reading

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Oriole Mac Yellowbird Blend

Posted in coffee, cupping, espresso, john, Notes, oriole, oriole-coffee-roasters, Pulls, Rant, Roasts, taste, ting on December 27th, 2011 by Colin Loh

Oriole Coffee just announced their new Yellowbird seasonal espresso blend this Christmas week. Previous iterations of Yellowbird have been a duo-origin blend, Brazilian and Ethiopian, and this new YB follows in its ancestral footsteps. Made up of 20% Ethiopian Sidama, and 80% of a semi-washed Brazilian bean from Fazenda Machado, this YB proves to be another winner in… Continue reading

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A Day in the Life of a Barista Trainee at Oriole Coffee

Posted in barista, Cafe, championship, espresso, oriole, oriole-coffee-roasters, singapore on May 23rd, 2011 by Colin Loh

I was formerly a barista trainer at The Line Restaurant at Shangri-la Hotel. I quit rather than having to compromise on quality issues. Now, I’m a barista trainee at Oriole Coffee. Does this bother me? Let me elaborate ….

My work day starts at 7.00 am. I open up the Republic Plaza outlet of Oriole Coffee Espresso and Brew Bar together with my colleagues. I get to calibrate coffee that is… Continue reading

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Factors to Look Out For When Buying Freshly Roasted Coffee

Posted in Notes on November 21st, 2009 by Colin Loh

I’ve wanted to broach on this subject for a long time now, ever since some friends and I have experienced disappointments from roasters in Singapore. What typically happens is that we’re assured by the MBTC (Men Behind The Counter) that the beans we’ve bought are freshly roasted the week before or so, and then we get home only to find out the beans are stale beyond consumption. Before I go… Continue reading

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Espresso Sans Crema Test

Posted in Notes, Pulls, taste on July 8th, 2009 by Colin Loh

After reading James Hoffmann’s 1st video blog (well done, James!), I was prompted to do an espresso tasting session at 1 am, and I’ve done enough to give myself a caffeine high at this point. His last words were a shocker. I won’t give any spoilers. You have to watch the video.

The message is that he was also prompted to do… Continue reading

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Brazil Moreninha Formosa – Full City +

Posted in Pulls, Roasts, taste on July 6th, 2009 by Colin Loh

I apologize for the multiple posts of Brazil Moreninha Formosa, but I just can’t seem to get enough of it. This roast was done at a lower average temperature and for a shorter period.

From Eric’s Thermometer, the pour was started at 200 degrees and ended at 203 degrees. The temperatures are a bit on the hot side as the pour had a slight… Continue reading

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Brazil Moreninha Formosa

Posted in Meetups, Notes, Roasts, taste on June 25th, 2009 by Colin Loh

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… Continue reading

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Colombian El Descanso / Brazil Moreninha

Posted in Pulls on November 15th, 2008 by Colin Loh

I’ve had enough of the i-Roast 2 presets. I programmed into PROG 3 the following:

Temp/Time      Period
380F/3:00       12:00 – 9:00
450F/4:00       9:00 – 5:00
480F/4:00       5:00 – 1:00
400F/1:00       1:00 – 0:00

I roasted 90 grams of Colombian Cup of Excellence El Descanso and 60 grams of Brazil Moreninha Formosa. 1st crack was at -6:00 and 2nd crack was at -1:30. I was extremely pleased with the… Continue reading

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i-Roast 2

Posted in Tools on November 15th, 2008 by Colin Loh

I finally bought a coffee roaster. I’ve been using a popcorn roaster to roast coffee for the longest time. Melvin alerted me to someone selling the i-Roast 2 because he had received the US model. Knowing that I had a good collection of power transformers, Melvin emailed me and the deal was sealed.

DSCF2116.jpg

Enter the… Continue reading

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I Spy With My I

Posted in iPhone, Rant, Roasts, singapore on November 10th, 2008 by Colin Loh

On a lighter note, I caught this with my iPhone as I passed by Starbucks (branch at Shaw Tower) one day:

“To be a Starbucks Roaster,
You need skill, artistry and
a really good watch.”

“We’ve been proudly roasting since 1971.”… Continue reading

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