Following on from Gary Berry’s introduction to coffee houses in Soho, we thought we’d pick out five flavoursome coffee brands to help you wake up on those dreary Monday mornings back in the office.
Coffee has an interesting history. Now commonly associated with the New World, it was originally cultivated in Yemen and Ethiopia from as early as the 13th Century. From Ethiopia and Yemen, the drink spread to Egypt, the Middle East, Asia Minor and northern Africa. The name itself is thought to come from the Arabic qahhwat al-bun (‘wine of the bean’).
Early Arab mystics drunk coffee to help them communicate with god and maintain focus, and at one point the spread of the beverage was seen as such a terrible social ill the drink was considered as bad as alcohol (hence the name ‘wine of the bean’). Coffee houses were seen as places where rebellious ideas began. While coffee houses now might occasionally be jittery places, they’re probably much tamer affairs than in the dark and middle ages.
With this in mind we thought we’d add a bit of mystique and danger to your coffee drinking habits, with our brief round-up of some of the most exciting coffee brands out there.
Marley Coffee
Anecdote has it that Bob Marley wanted to return to a simpler life of farming at some point in his life. His grandmother apparently dried her own coffee beans in the sun each morning, before making herself a strong cup of the black stuff. Now Rohan Marley, and his friend Shane Whittle, have selected their own beans from Ethiopia, Central America and the Blue Mountains in Jamaica. Marley Coffee has a rich but smooth flavour, and a strong aroma.
Marley Coffee‘s One Love Organic Coffee is an organic medium roast with blueberry, cocoa and spicy notes, with an aftertaste of cherry. The Lively Up! espresso blend again has cocoa hints, but this time with the tastes of sweet caramel and candied fruits. Meanwhile the Buffalo Soldier blend is a dark, sweet roast with an earthy flavour.
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee
Like the Marley brand, Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee hails from the Chepstowe area of Jamaica. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee is mostly Arabica Typica and is wet processed. The Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica inspects exports to make sure that the quality is top notch. Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee has a mild flavour, lacking the bitterness of some blends, and as such is one of the world’s favourites.
Cluwak
Sumatra Island in Indonesia is the home of the world’s most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak. Cluwak is one of the key brands for this type of coffee.
‘Kopi’ means coffee in the local tongue, while the ‘Luwak’ is an animal that eats coffee beans. The Luwaks, although keen to eat the beans, can’t digest them. So when they come out the other end, the inner beans pass through, having fermented, and are gathered to make this coffee. Prices can reach almost £500 per pound for this scatalogical luxury. Vietnamese weasel coffee (a specific type) goes for up to £1,000 per pound. The Specialty Coffee Association of America, however, claims the coffee tastes bad, and there is an assumption it is bought for prestige (and for the story) rather than for taste.
Woolloomooloo Blend
Toby’s Estate’s Woolloomooloo Blend is the perfect coffee for milk lovers. Based on a monsooned Indian bean, the flavour is bold, rich and earthy. The blend is named for the estate’s first roastery and cafe on Cathedral Street, and means ‘place of plenty’ in the indigenous language. The full taste of this bean means it isn’t drowned out by the milk.
Gloria Jean’s Coffees White Russian
Another blend for the milk-lovers, this full-bodied coffee has a gentle boozy edge. The liqueur flavour is perfect for those with a taste of alcohol after a heavy weekend, but is also smooth on the palate. This smooth blend is decadent and still packs a kick.
source: http://www.sosogay.co.uk / Home> Food & Drink / by Adam Love / April 22nd, 2013
