To celebrate my birthday earlier this month, I decided it would only be right to drink copious quantities of exceptionally good coffee. So I grabbed a few good friends and headed for two of my favourite places.
First stop was The Source, and some seriously tasty pour-over Kenya French Mission (so HOT right now), as well as some very delicious shots of their Lucky 7 house blend.
The food there is pretty darn yummy as well; I had a fig and prosciutto salad that was quite excellent. And their muffins are the best!
We had to restrain ourselves from drinking too much coffee, given the next step in our adventure …
Cupping @ Hazel’s. Oh yeah.
Hazel had very kindly agreed to let us swamp the Cauldron for the afternoon. It was an absolute blast!
First up we were treated to a delightful brew of cold, filtered Sidamo Dale.
The to the cupping table, where our spoons were greeted with the Sidamo Dale, Kenya French Mission, Costa Rica something-or-other (Hazel?), and Brasil Rondomuñho.
All four were quite excellent, I personally can’t go past the Dale or the French Mish, they’re awesome. It’s pushing my memory, but the Dale was citrus and berries and floral, the French Mish, deeper, roast tomatoes, sweet … Hmm, the memories have faded sadly … The Costa Rica, I recall, was clean and nice, and got more interesting as it cooled … And the Rondo - peanut butter sandwiches, unhulled peanuts …
Espresso was the next course, beginning with … a tin of Illy. Just out of curiosity really. It was rank: chemically, dark, bitter, acrid and incredibly unpleasant. After that we needed some sweet, sweet espressi, and Adam (I tell you what, that guy has a wicked stockfleth’s happening) and Hazel obliged, pulling us some Brasil Cachoeira, and the Dale. Mmm Dale … so HOT right now. (Incidently, I have been drinking a bag of Cachoeira this week, and it is great, very interesting. Full of orange peel, nice acidity, bright but not overly so. In milk, the oranges were more like those orange cream biscuits).
We then traipsed back home for a few drinks (and a particularly lovely, minerally 2004 Cave Historique, Hospices de Strasbourg Alsace Grand Cru Riesling), with a few more friends. Quite a lovely birthday really. I’m a lucky girl.
Immense thanks to everyone who made it such a brilliant day 
I should have posted on this earlier so that I remembered more details. Oh well.
I also should have taken my camera on the day. I know Jess took some snaps, so I’m sure some will appear here soon-ish.
Some sweet coffee had that day fo’ sho’. That French Mishoes was unreal at both Source and the cupping table at Hazel’s. As it cooled at the cupping table it went uber-amazing, and heaps different from hot. It was delish. The Rondo from memory was peanut brittle to me. I got the orange peel in the Cachoeira too. It’s got a surprising acidity too. Quite pleasant. One of the better single origin ’spro’s I’ve had in a while.
What is this french mission thing? Is that the pre-Scott Labs bourbon derivative?
Luca, honestly, no clue - but I think it does refer to the plant, not the place.
Did a quick google, and yes, I think you are right: http://www.crf.co.ke/coffee_cultivation.htm
Either way, both Hazel and Russell were serving up really great brews with it
I’m stepping up to cop the slack for this posting coming so much later after the actual event - you’ve prolly been waiting for pics to help your recall and purty up the post - AND I FORGOT TO GOVE THEM TO YA WHEN YOU WERE OVER! D’OH!!! stupid stupid stupid…but i think we were both pretty brain-dead that Saturday.
Re the Sat referred to in THIS post - great eye-opener for me and mark! …and lots of fun with a stella cast.
‘Brain-dead’ was probably an under-statement!
I’ll get those pics off you eventually Jess