We have been making many changes to The Coffeevine over the past few weeks and months and still have a long way to go before we’re even close to where we want to be, but today we’re happy to share another installment of one of our new initiatives: The barista diaries.
Previously, we published a summary brew guide for each coffee box edition that we shipped using the recipes provided by the roasters. From now on, in addition to the recipes provided by the roasters, we will take our monthly selection of coffees to three different baristas every month and ask them to brew the coffees for us. The result will be a fresh take on each one of our delicious coffees from people who have a deep understanding and love for coffee.
Today, we are introducing our guest barista Nolo Botana from Misión Café and Hola Coffee in Madrid who got his hands semi-dirty with the exquisite Colombia, Aponte Village from Onyx Coffee Lab from our recently shipped [2/18] coffee box.
Basic setup:
As in any good kitchen or bar, you want to be sure to have a few key items at your disposal that will aid you in preparing a delicious cup of coffee.
These include:
- Scales (with or without timer)
- A good quality burr grinder such as the Commandante Grinder
- Your favourite brew method (Kalita Wave, V60, Aeropress etc)
- A clean vessel for brewing and decanting
- A timer (can be in your phone)
- Filtered water
- A pouring kettle but a regular kettle will also do, however it requires more precision
When working with whole beans, it’s crucial to make sure to always freshly grind your coffee just before preparation because it quickly loses its aroma and old coffee ends up tasting stale and hollow.
Now, ready? Let’s brew!
Nolo took a good look at the bag and said: “Ha! We also had this same coffee a little while ago. It was one of my favourites. I wonder how it will taste coming from these guys.” Nolo and his friend and business partner Pablo Caballero had recently opened their brand new café ‘Misión’ in Malasaña in the heart of one of Madrid’s coolest neighbourhoods, equipped with the only Modbar in town.
It’s always really cool seeing fancy equipment being put to use and this was no exception. He hid under the counter just for a brief moment and then reemerged ready to get the brew on. His first feedback after grinding 22g of coffee was: “Hmm. It’s a bit darker roasted than ours. I’m curious.”
The Modbar dispensed 66g of water at 94°C and after 45 seconds it continued pouring water in regular bursts until it reached 350g. Nolo gave the Kalita a quick tap to make sure all the grounds were being extracted evenly and then waited for it to drain.
Once he was done, he served the coffee inside a lovely little cup and waited for it to cool for a bit before taking his first sip and swiveling the coffee around in his mouth for a bit before exclaiming: “I am getting caramel and panela with a super nice acidity. It’s a damn good coffee!”
Nolo’s recipe for filter:
Kalita Wave: 22g of freshly ground coffee (medium). Bloom with 66g of filtered water at 94° for 45 seconds, then pour in continuous bursts until you reach 350g. Total brew time: 3:10 minutes.
Onyx’s recipe for filter:
Kalita Wave: 25g of coffee ground medium. Bloom with 40g of water at 94° for 30 seconds, then add 80g. At 40 seconds pour up to 200g, wait, then at 60 seconds add 60g, wait, then at 80 seconds add another 60g and at 100 seconds add the final 60g.
Onyx’s recipe for espresso:
20g of coffee ground fine. Extraction time: 25 seconds. Yield: 60g.
Did you also receive this coffee from our box? Add your recipe below and let others know how you like to prepare this stunning coffee from Onyx Coffee Lab.
