I’m not sure about you, but I sometimes love a simply delicious cup of coffee.
The hallmarks for me are usually a clean cup with a little acidity. If you were going to summarise what a good washed coffee is, this is it.
This is the coffee that the Castro family is least known for producing, as they famously produce many wild and wonderful microlots, winning international competitions every year. We have more lots to follow.
Although we have called this espresso roast, this also works if you like to put a little milk or cream in your coffee. Before you judge me, think about how many people will add milk to espresso…in Northern Europe, it is probably something like 90%.
Farmer: Alejo Castro
Farm: Volcan Azul
Área: Alajuela, Costa Rica.
Established: 1850, 5th-generation farm.
Size: 55 hectares
Altitude: 1540-1720 Meters above sea level
Varietal: Caturra
Process: Fully Washed
Volcan Azul is a 5th-generation farm, producing many different single varietals and processes.
The long game is the aim of quality, which we especially like at James Gourmet. The whole process is controlled by the farm, and the operation is relatively small.
These are all things that work for us. Coffee on a human scale with a history. Echo, echo, echo!
Espresso recipe:
I still stand by (nearly always) a longer shot often brings more sweetness. Even if it is an extra 10-15ml.
17-18g of coffee into 45-50g of espresso liquid. 28-35 seconds. 94C
Baked Apple, brown sugar and a cocoa finish.
Recipe (Milk-based)
The shot element here is a pretty straightforward one. 17-18g of ground coffee, into 34-36g of espresso liquid; extracted in 25- 30 seconds. Whole milk will help cover up slightly over-extracted shots if you go much over this.
Brew Temp: 94 °C and above
9oz Milk-Based drink- caramel, simple, delicious chocolate and caramel.
6oz Milk-based drink-dark chocolate, brown sugar
