This week in the lab we are deconstructing our leftist blend by pulling single origin shots of its components. The spectrum of flavors in the coffees pulled by themselves as shots was amazing. Boy did we find some gems! The
Kenya Gatomboya was by far the favorite!
If you are looking for a mellow, rich espresso to build milk drinks, than shots of Kenya are probably not for you..... If you are looking for an exciting burst of flavor that challenges what you think coffee tastes like, then pick up a bag and give this a try. These shots were a party in our mouths! Juicy! Sweeter than Sweet! Bright fruit notes of pineapple, orange and the crispness of an apple! The body was thin compared to the leftist blend. That didn't matter, the zing of the top of the mouth taste made us forget all about body. These shots were like candy...
Our favorite shots were pulled with a 19 gram dose, 5 second preinfusion time, and 20 second total shot run time. Water temp was 198.5 degrees. The shots we tried that were updosed or that ran slower because of a finer grind ventured into the dreaded vegetal territory. The apple crispness was perceived more as celery soup! So, run them light and fast, and be prepared for juicy clean shots. Party on!
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Carlos Aug 25, 2009 – 3:14 PM
could you tell me the volume of the shot after the 20 seconds? it's hard to see the markings on the glass. thanks
devorah_freudiger Aug 25, 2009 – 3:48 PM
Sure thing, sorry I initially overlooked that important parameter! The shots were a full 1.5 oz of light yellowish fluffy crema that settled out to about one oz by the time we drank them. They were pulled with a naked portafilter (as you can see) and the beans were four days out of the roaster, both of which might have played into the fluffiness. Have fun!!
Jeremy W. Sep 10, 2009 – 6:46 PM
A whole is some of the parts.