What is “Balance”?

Tags

Espresso, tasting, wine

My Guelph exploits are on hold with reading week around the corner and midterms almost finished. I’m learning the hard way that balancing school and espresso is trickier than I thought. If I haven’t posted in a while, you can be sure I’m at home, cursing the homework Gods!

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My entire, albeit short, espresso career has left me pondering what a “balanced” espresso really is. My mom hates espresso, but loves coffee, and therefore provides an interesting and valuable perspective. I’ve tasted shots that I thought were well balanced only to have her take a sip and dump them down the sink with a polite smile. (Don’t even ask me about the KIM CRAWFORD Sauvignon Blanc incident!). It seems that no matter how well balanced I find a shot, it is still a shock to the uninitiated’s palate.

During my Wine & Oenology class, my Prof brought in a guest speaker: Will Predhomme, the sommelier at Oliver & Bonacini’s CANOE in Toronto. After class I came to him with my dilemna. We had tasted a Pinot Noir (Norman Hardy 2009) that was described as acidic yet balanced. I have trouble with this. Isn’t balance a equal measure of (in the case of wine) acid/sweetness/tannin? How can a wine be both acidic and balanced? I asked Will, and he described balance in the context of the varietal (type of grape). It’s balanced for a Pinot Noir (which tend to be more acidic), whereas another wine from a different grape may be may be less acidic and more sweet, but still considered balanced for that grape.

How does this transfer to espresso? The most obvious connection is with single origin (SO) espresso. Basically, SO coffee is from a specific region that is not blended, and therefore doesn’t have as full or round a taste profile as other coffee blends. It is intrinsically less balanced than an espresso blend, yet some declare select SO coffees “balanced”. Perhaps these are balanced “in the context of the bean”?

To be honest, I’m still confused. The only solution: drink more coffee.

Keep your stick on the ice.

What’s the hold up, Partner?

It seems, once again, that life has gotten in between espresso and I. Such a travesty. I’ve been fighting valiantly, but powers of evil have been conspiring against me! The final reviews won’t be up by the original end of February deadline, but they will be up. I can hardly bear the suspense.

Until next time!

 

Heavyweight Showdown: Preview

Tags

Coffee, Espresso, Guelph

In the bluuuue corner, with three Guelph locations, certified organic & fair trade coffee and their very own roast master: PLANET BEAN COFFEE.

And in the reeeed corner, with two Guelph locations, a liquor license and rotating featured artists: THE RED BRICK CAFE.

Folks, this is the showdown of a lifetime. Forget Foreman v. Ali, Tyson v. Holyfield, this is Guelph’s own Rumble in the Jungle. The winner of this month-long competition will be awarded the Speed River Cup for Guelph‘s best espresso experience.

An early rendering of the Cup

Timeline of events:

Each cafe will be reviewed and the highest score wins. If both cafes score the same, a final round showdown will determine the true champion. Depending on how ruthless my classes are and whether a final round is necessary we should have our winner by late February.

Decided by coin toss, the first cafe to be reviewed is PLANET BEAN COFFEE. 

*NOTE: Due to scheduling conflicts, the Artisinale review has been put on hold

Caffeine: Espresso vs. Brewed Coffee

Tags

Caffeine, Coffee, Espresso

Tim Hortons is at it again; this time they’ve introduced new cup sizes. The old small is now an extra small (8oz) and new to the game is a 24oz extra large. With 240mg (or more) of caffeine in the new XL, you’re within spitting distance of Health Canada’s daily recommended maximum intake of 400mg. Speaking of caffeine, where does espresso fit into all of this? Well, I’m glad you asked.

*the old small is now an extra-small (not discontinued as this image suggests)

As with most things espresso-related, confusion abounds. Does espresso have more caffeine than regular coffee? Less? The answer is a little complicated, but one thing is for sure: per ounce, espresso has more caffeine than drip/brewed coffee. Have a look at this table I made:

These numbers suggest that the caffeine in a 2oz espresso and an 8oz coffee are comparable. Be careful, this can be misleading! How often do you order an extra-small coffee at Tim Hortons? Even if you order a Starbucks Tall (14oz – 260mg caffeine), that’s almost double the caffeine of an average 2oz espresso! As you can see, this comparison is extremely dependent on the size of coffee ordered. Espresso serving size is mostly constant–2oz is the standard, with the occasional single or a rare triple.

As the table (above) shows, caffeine content can vary quite a bit. Below are some of the variables that play a role in this fluctuation. For example, Tim Hortons has claimed their new 24oz XL contains between 200-340 mg of caffeine depending on where you find your numbers.

Factors Affecting Caffeine Content:

• Brewing Method (ie. exposure time to ground coffee; 25sec for espresso, 2-4min for French Press. More time = more caffeine)
• Arabica vs. Robusta blend (Robusta beans have more caffeine)
• Roast Level (darker roasted coffee has less caffeine, because the roasting process reduces the bean’s caffeine content) (Hečimović et al. 2011)
• Water Temperature (increased heat = increased rate of reaction = more caffeine extracted)
  
• Cup and Dose/Basket Size (ie. the bigger the cup of coffee or the higher the dose of ground coffee used, the more caffeine)

SOURCES:

• Tim Hortons (1, 2)
• Health Canada (1, 2)
• Dieticians of Canada (1)
• Starbucks (espresso, brewed coffee)
• University of Waterloo (1)
• MAYO Clinic (1)
• Nutrition Data.com (espresso, brewed coffee)
• Hečimović, Belščak-Cvitanović, Horžić, Komes, Comparative study of polyphenols and caffeine in different coffee varieties affected by the degree of roasting, Food Chemistry, Volume 129, Issue 3, 1 December 2011, Pages 991-1000,

*Technical Assistance: Jack the Engineer

Developing your Palate

Santa left me a copy of TORONTO LIFE’s 2012 Eating and Drinking Guide, which included a selection of the LCBO’s 500 best wines. The author tasted something like a thousand wines in a month to prepare the article. That’s over 30 wines a day. Wow. Wouldn’t they all taste the same after a while?

This is where an important distinction should be made between short- and long-term tasting. These terms illustrate the difference between palate fatigue (a side-effect of short-term tasting) and palate development (long-term). These principles apply to wine, but also espresso, scotch, beer, food… anything you’re passionate about.

Tasting 30 wines in an hour will get you nowhere. Palate fatigue sets in, and you wouldn’t be able to tell the tenth wine from the last. Apparently, research has suggested that it’s not actually your mouth that is fatigued at this point, but your brain! The key to keeping your palate fresh is to take breaks between tastings. Take a short walk, find your happy place and take your mind off of whatever you’re tasting.

Long-term tasting happens over weeks, months and years. Tasting as often as you can (a different espresso or wine a week) is an important step in developing your palate. One thousand wines in a month seems a little ambitious, but maybe you and I will be there someday.

If you can’t afford a new wine or espresso every week, another great way to improve your tasting is to sniff your way through a local grocery store. This builds a memory bank of smells that will help you identify aromas in different espressos, wines, etc. Poking around the Bulk Barn nut aisle will help you smell the difference between hazelnuts and walnuts, for example.

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Stay tuned for more details about February’s Planet Bean vs. Red Brick showdown, the Speed River Cup and an upcoming review of Artisinale Cafe.

The Review That Never Was

Tags

Toronto

It’s been an anti-climactic week. After reviewing Manic I set my sights on Sam James Coffee Bar, which came highly recommended by fellow Toronto blogger Coffeestork, by Planet Bean‘s head barista and by various local coffee drinkers. I visited the Harbord St. location twice and while preparing for my third and final visit I was asked to refrain from publishing a review.

So, here I am, with no review to publish! What a shame. I will say that I enjoyed the espresso at Sam James very much. It is currently one of my favourites in Toronto. Maybe the folks at SJCB will change their mind in the future and I’ll provide a more detailed description. In the meantime, I’ll share this short video/preview:

My lawyer has informed me that I have a right to publish my opinion without fear of prosecution. “The truth is not actionable”. (EDIT: My lawyer has also advised me to purchase a dictionary). I’ll keep this in mind for any crazed cafe owners in the future, but in fairness SJCB requested a refrain from publishing rather than demand it.

My experience in the hospitality industry has shown me that it’s a small community, that you never know who you’ll be working with or relying on tomorrow. The folks at SJCB seem nice and if they don’t want a review, I won’t publish one. If this turns into a regular request though, I might have to rethink my position!

*****

Slowly waking from its winter slumber, the unbridled pandemonium that is university life has brought me back to Guelph. February will be ESPRESSO HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN MONTH: GUELPH EDITION, with a Planet Bean vs. Red Brick Cafe match-up. That is, if I’m not drowning in a sea of schoolwork. I’ll also publish another Guelph review before the February clash of titans.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Review: Manic Coffee

Tags

4+ stars, Toronto

MANIC COFFEE

Location: 426 College St., Toronto (just east of Bathurst)
(website)

Seasons greetings. By popular demand, MANIC COFFEE is next up on the chopping block. Manic is practically around the corner from THE SLOW ROOM, but offers a very different experience. Both cater to the College St. city slickers, but that’s where the similarities end. Manic is long and narrow, with 10-15 tables that are usually full during the day. Tasty pastries are offered as well as paninis and a selection of gelato. The ham and swiss croissant is worth every gram of saturated fat.

The white walls are interspersed with varied photographs, art on consignment and handsome brick. Pine benches, table tops and chairs are a nice touch. Manic imports coffee beans from two reputable roasteries: Social Coffee (Richmond Hill) and Intelligentsia (Chicago) that are also sold separately in 1/2 and 1lb bags. The espresso rotates between Intelligentsia’s Black Cat and a “Manic Blend” made by Social, though I’ve always been served Black Cat.

At times, Manic has the frenzied air of a downtown Starbucks. It’s a busy spot with a vibrant crowd, young and old. In my four or five visits the service was mostly friendly, though not without rough patches. Worth noting is Manic’s “doubles only” policy, ie. shots are 2oz. End of story. Asking for a single Americano gets you a blank stare, little empathy and a “can we just do it the way we do it?”. On a positive note, every drink features lovely latte art and really, who drinks singles anyways?

picture courtesy of www.tysonwilliams.com

I’m told that the trend in espresso is towards brightness and acidity, more liveliness in the cup. The Black Cat at Manic is along these lines with plenty of acidity and sweetness. When it was pulled right, the two worked well together complimented by a velvety, rich texture, full body and a beautiful, heaping crema. Nutty with flavours of dark chocolate/cocoa and a nuanced, slightly bitter finish. When the shot was out of sync the sweetness and acidity were precariously balanced at best. My most recent shot featured an overpowering tartness while others flirted with a sickly sweet, somewhat bland profile.

Conclusion: Consistency is the name of the game. If the barista is having a good day and you can find a table, you’re in for a treat.

Final Score: ★★★★☆

Additional Links: An alternate review, Black Cat Espresso, Social Coffee “Manic Blend”

A Few Changes

A few changes have been made with longevity in mind.

I’m now aiming for a review every 2 weeks. A general knowledge article, espresso tidbit or caffeine-related musing will also be up once every 2 weeks or so.

The ratings have been changed to a 5 star system ( ★★★★★ ). I’ve gone back and adjusted the ratings of previous reviews. I think a 10-point system sounds too much like a professional critic or expert, which I am not. A 5-star system is more representative of my skills.

Check back tomorrow for my review of Manic Coffee. In the meantime, enjoy some Peggy Lee.

Holiday Break: back in action Dec. 31

I have decided to take this week off for an extended look at Manic Coffee (College+Bathurst), to tinker around with my new coffee grinder, and to cheer on those boys in red and white. Exciting times in the Big Smoke.

Also, I’m considering changing the format of the blog to a review every 2 weeks and only occasional “espresso info” posts. I’ll keep you posted.

Merry Christmas from the King Sisters and I.

Introduction to Tasting

An espresso is the essence of a coffee bean, showcasing the skill and attention that each establishment pours into their craft. If you’re interested in examining the character of the bean and/or the coffeehouse, order an espresso.

Drink it how you like it — Italians regularly add sugar to theirs, while many still prefer it straight. If you don’t smell the “woody and citrus” notes that the experts do, don’t worry. Here’s a short video clip that might make you think twice about listening to an experts’ opinion (in this case, a wine expert). That’s not to say that these woody and citrus notes don’t exist or that experts don’t know anything. It’s food for thought.

Espresso gets a bad rap as being too bitter, too strong. In a good espresso the bitterness should be balanced with sweetness and acidity. No one taste or sensation should assail your mouth with a tire iron. Instead, the different tastes and aromas should work in harmony to form a subtly balanced beverage.

You can shoot your espresso in one gulp (the Italian’s preferred method) or savour it in a few sips. Consider what the shot feels like in your mouth. Is it thin and runny or thick and honey-like? Note the different flavours and sensation; naming them is tricky, so don’t stress too much. Pause for a moment after you’ve swallowed to appreciate the finish. A good shot will linger for upwards of ten minutes; new flavours may even develop. Was the shot balanced? Balance is the one constant in all great shots of espresso, even those that aren’t to your particular taste.

Here’s what I take with me to every espresso tasting. It’s a bit intimidating and I can barely pick out a quarter of the terms on the wheel, but it helps me identify general characteristics and provides some context.

courtesy of the Specialty Coffee Association of America

A final thought: the best time to taste a cafe’s espresso is right after the morning rush, when all the machines are warm and firing on all cylinders. The first espresso of the day is usually the worst.

Happy hunting.