Chapeau Square Mile & NTP

I didn't have my camera with me today but I just had to Blip about the amazing coffee I had at North Tea Power so I used my phone to take this rubbish image!

Anyway, most people don't understand why I get so excited about coffee...maybe another evening I'll write in depth why I do. A quick synopsis will do: taste is a sensory experience in which receptors send signals to the brain for interpretation, often resulting in an emotional experience, triggering memories and an additional chemical/hormonal response related to the active ingredients of the drink. Good coffee simply makes me happy!

Gotta say I'm not the happiest monkey this week, but my visit to North Tea Power gave me adequate respite. I was going to have my first aeropress as I'm thinking of getting one for the office but Wayne wasn't in and although the baristas were happy to make me one, they weren't confident that it would be good enough. I opted for a pour over instead and wow....I'm pleased that I did.

On the menu was Square Mile's Kilimanjaro Washed. One of my biggest worries is that if I ever get my own cafe that staff care as much about quality as I do, but Wayne and Jane should be happy on their day off! The chap, who's name escapes me, served up a wonderfully exciting cup; of course, the quality of the bean is of primary importance but the barista's skill comes a close second!

Initially, I tasted sweet liquorice with a hint of pastis but then the barista mentioned Neopolitan ice-cream with the strawberry bit dominating. I got it...wow yeah! As the temperature decreased, demerara sugar sweetness arrived....sherry....just like the fine Amontillado I have in the house. I am excited just writing it.

I often give coffee a % mark and this one gets an 88%,why the 12% loss though? Well first of all it's called Kilimanjaro but it's from El Salvador....I think maybe because the varietal (Kenia, Bourbon) originates from Kenya but I'll have to check this. That's only worth a 3% deduction because it confused me. The remaining 9% is down to the fact that although it's a very exciting taste it's not actually wholly to my taste. A tad too sweet and faux strawberry. Still, my scale is an arbitrary one as I don't know how to cup coffee properly yet!