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Beans: Le Mistral – 60% Kenya Gaturiri AB/ 40% Ethiopia Hunda Oli, washed process, Nyeri Kenya and Limu Ethiopia.
Shop: Belleville Brulerie, Paris, France.
Belleville Brulerie Paris: Le Mistral – Background information.
The Le Mistral is considered the flagship of Belleville Brulerie Paris and it consist out of two coffees: 60% Kenyan Gaturiri AB and 40% Ethiopian Hunda Oli. The purpose of this coffee is to capture the summer in a cup and Belleville Brulerie Paris has tested numerous origins and used numerous proportions to come up with this recipe: Le Mistral. Le Mistral is a blend that, according to Belleville Brulerie Paris, can compete with single origins when it comes to flavors and aromas. Let’s find out if they can live up to that proclamation.
Belleville Brulerie Paris: Le Mistral – Opening the package.
The package of Le Mistral is beautiful. It is everything you would expect from a French company when it comes to the art. There is a chalkboard kind of art with a happy sun, some flowers and a cheerful inscription that states the name of the coffee. It also states Cafe Rayonnant which means Radiant Coffee. The package has a degassing valve and a ziplock to keep the coffee fresh. When opening the coffee I immediately smell the sweet and tea like aromas from the Kenyan and Ethiopian beans. I take two beans and eat them in turn; a short sourness, fruits and tea like flavors come forth while chewing on the the beans. It is exactly the aromas of black tea and Earl Grey tea that come forth as I grind the coffee. Let’s brew this coffee!
Belleville Brulerie Paris: Le Mistral – The Tasting.
I brewed this coffee on the Hario V60, Aeropress and Siphon. I will make side notes to flavors and aromas that I noticed on the Siphon and Aeropress. The recipe I used the most on the Hario was a 20gr/280gr with 90 degrees.
I pour the brew into a cup and inhale the aromas slowly. Sweet honeyed tea is what comes to mind at first. In the background there is also a mix of floral notes carrying the honey. I take a sip of the coffee and slurp oxygen inside my mouth at the same time. Immediately my tasting buds open up and a myriad of flavors come forth. First there is a short spike of Earl Grey but then the fun starts! I get a clear honey flavour that is accompanied with a soft jasmine. There are citric flavors also lurking in the background and they complement the citric acidity of the coffee. At times the acidity reminds me of green apples but it also has a bright aspect to it. The mouthfeel is smooth and feels light in my mouth while there is still some body to experience. I am reluctant to swallow this coffee because of the flavors, but when I do another surprise is waiting around the corner. A nutella chocolate (definitely the Kenyan beans) well up in the back of my mouth. It lasts for a while before the honey makes its comeback. This is great; the honey comes forth again and this time it just lingers and lingers. Wow!
On the Siphon these flavors were more intense and sweet, especially the honey came out great. The chocolate flavor pushed the honey away in the aftertaste but that was not disappointing in any way at all.
On the Aeropress I brewed the coffee with my own recipe.
I used a 50gr bloom for 50 seconds with 4 degrees water. I then poured 94 degrees water till I reached 240gr and stirred 4 times. Waited till the clock hit 1:50mins and started to press. The most amazing thing was that after pressing I got a super sweet banana aroma. There was no banana flavor in the coffee, but the aroma was definitely there.
Belleville Brulerie Paris: Le Mistral – The Verdict.
Belleville Brulerie Paris wanted to create a blend that could rival a single origin, and they succeeded. This blend, consisting out of 60% Gaturiri and 40% Hunda Oli, has everything a African coffee lover could wish for. Floral notes, honey, chocolate and a subtle Earl Grey aspect. Everything is in balance and this coffee just keeps surprising you till the end. Most notable for me was the honey kick after the chocolate aftertaste. What a treat to drink this coffee.
I want to thank Lacy Audry from Belleville Brulerie Paris for providing me with this coffee. I met Audrey on the World of Coffee in Amsterdam where we played a sensory game by Coffee Mind. While playing the game we introduced ourselves and it was then that I found out I was playing a Q grader. We had fun and after the game, she provided me with this bag of Le Mistral to review. I had so much fun, Thanks!