A Shot of 'Floral Shining Citrus' Kurimi

My quest for the God shot, as a fellow Wordpress blogger put it, continues. I didn't get down to Porto Rico Importing Co. on Bleecker Street again yet, so it's back to my regular supplier in Chelsea. I bought some more Heartbreaker, and decided to try this bag of beans from Ethiopia too. Name: Kurimi

Description: Direct trade. "Floral Shining Citrus." Indigenous grown at 1700-1900 meters in Ethiopia.

Source: Café Grumpy, 224 W. 20th St., between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

Geographic origin: Yirgacheffe region, Ethiopia.

Date Roasted: Nov. 18, 2008 by Intelligentsia.

Date Purchased: Nov. 24, 2008.

The Pour: "What's that? Smells good," said my wife from across the room. She does not drink anything but decaf, and that, rarely. The flavor is mellow, not overpowering, not bitter or sour, either. I'm not sure I am a fan of coffee that calls to mind fruit flavors, but this one does and pulls it off. It's subdued.

Intelligentsia says, "Charming the palate with its citrus fruit acidity, the Kurimi sparkles and shines as it brings forth flavors of orange, lime and lemongrass. Notes of jasmine and honeysuckle carry a delicate sweetness that gives the cup a juicy, refreshing character. A subtle and clean finish leaves notes of sweet spice and cocoa. Truly an elegant cup."

I caught the hint of orange, missed the notes of jasmine and honeysuckle, and did get a whiff of cocoa when the shot of espresso was brewing. I think I prefer something deeper and richer in a coffee, but this bean was a unique experience.

Effects: My first shot was made mild, in the early evening Wednesday, and I was still drowsing an hour later. That was probably a sign of my exhaustion from cramming a week's worth of work into three days before the holiday. I eventually perked up and roughed out this post while catching up on some podcasts and following the dire news from Mumbai. I didn't dare try another shot, or I would have been up all night.

This morning, I made a strong shot to wake up for the holiday. Feeling like a bit of a sluggard. Jane is cooking vegetarian stuffing in the kitchen to take down to our communal Thanksgiving feast with friends. CNN is chattering in the other room. The crowd are trapping us at home for a while. Our daughter is upstairs with Indian neighbors, who are watching the Macy's parade out their window a block away, big balloons passing through buildings on Broadway in the distance. I'll have to go up and get their take on the news. This shot of Kurimi was a brief moment for reflection. Does it shine? Maybe it does. We shall see how the rest of the day goes. I may need a third.

Peace.

A Mug of Flor Azul Coffee

O.K., I ground the "Heartbreaker" and drank it all up, so I decided to try something different in my quest for the perfect cup of home-brewed coffee. Now I am blogging about this so I will remember the next time. Why are you reading it? That is your business. Oh, Internet. You're such a mix of exhibitionism, voyeurism, the trivial and the ineffable. Name: Flor Azul Description: Direct trade. "Creamy approachable melon." Caturra, Catui grown at 1200-1550 meters (above sea level). Source: Café Grumpy, 224 W. 20th St., between 7th and 8th Avenues. Geographic origin: Las Brumas Cooperative in the Jinotega, Matagalapa region of Nicaragua. Packaging: Sealed in thick plastic bag. By the way, is that a rotten iPhone photo of the bag, or what? Sorry, I was in a rush, and my wife doesn't want this trash lying around. Better shot by coffeeruas on Flickr. Coffee porn! Coffeeruas says: "Nice mouthfeel, smooth, apple, nutty.... very mild." Date Roasted: Nov. 4, 2008 by Intelligentsia. Date Purchased: Nov. 12, 2008. The Pour: I fired up the Jura-Capresso Impressa F9 Espresso Machine that I bought (refurbished) when I felt richer and tried this first as espresso for much of the week. But it's not an espresso bean. It seemed a little sour and bitter at the same time, without any milk. Not apple or nutty either. Thick crema. Certainly "approachable" (!) and mild. Maybe I am just not a good taster. I also have a cold, and there's been a woody taste in our building's water since the new tank was installed on the roof. Yada, yada. I decided to try a regular mug of coffee on Saturday morning, brewed strong. Still kind of sour. Less bitter. It was indeed a little creamy. Huh. Still better than average coffee and fine with soy milk. Effects: It's coffee. It does the job. I will have another mug right now. Yes, it definitely grows on you. I am waking up, shaking off the cold a little, breathing a little better. For espresso, I think I still prefer Heartbreaker. I will probably widen my search for beans to the wide selection at Porto Rico Importing Co. on Bleecker Street, which comes highly recommended by some friends who are transplanted West Coast coffee snob. It always seems too damn crowded when I'm in that neighborhood, though. Suggestions always welcome.

A Shot of 'Heartbreaker' Coffee

Maybe it's the fault of my small-town redneck-hick upbringing, but I have a hard time taking any sort of connoisseurship seriously. I have always laughed at fancy descriptions of wines, and it seems even sillier for coffee. Coffee's coffee, isn't it? What kind of dope pays more than 75 cents for a cup of joe? My parents fancied themselves gourmets, but when it came to coffee we were still a Maxwell House family. Freeze dried! I had never even heard of espresso until I met an Italian kid in the dorm with his own stove-top macchinetta. It was a revelation. In the 20-plus years that followed, high-end coffee connoisseurship took off in this country, and I have been its willing victim. Here's my latest effort to figure out if this expensive habit is worthwhile or frivolous.

Name: Heartbreaker Description: "A Café Grumpy Espresso Integration. Rich fruit, chocolate, very balanced with an Amaretto finish." Roasted by Novo. Source: Café Grumpy, 224 W. 20th St., between 7th and 8th Avenues. Country of Origin: Not listed, but apparently a blend of Colombian varieties. Packaging: Sealed in foil bag. Date Roasted: Oct. 27, 2008 Date Purchased: Nov. 5, 2008. The Pour: Single shot of espresso, ground and made fresh. Let's stipulate that I probably don't have the nose for this sort of thing. Deep, rich flavor, but I'm not getting the chocolate, or the Amaretto aftertaste. The aftertaste is pleasant enough, not annoying. That said, this alternative description of Heartbreaker ("a smooth, fruity shot with a great creamy finish and silky mouthfeel" etc.) seems more on point. The flavor is not nearly as bitter as the canned Danesi from Zibetto I bought last week, which wore on me after a few days. It might be a freshness issue. My hands-down all-time favorite remains Honey Bean, which Grumpy did not have in stock. I may have to buy a truckload of it the next time they have some. (Many of these links are to the store's old blog; the new one is here.) Effects: I am now on my third shot of Heartbreaker. It's sublime. This has been a long and tiring week at work, and I still have a sleep deficit. But for now I am focused and clearheaded, and feel as though I can conquer the weekend and go join some friends, who are brewing beer today. But I better stop with the coffee before I get jittery and punch a hole in my Mac keyboard.