Hits: 11
Beans: Tommy Espresso, Catimor, Washed, Yunnan, Pu’Er, China. Lintong, Sumatra, Indonesia.
Shop: Mimosa, Malaysia.
Tommy Espresso: Background information.
I got the Tommy Espresso blend from a friend in Malaysia, Nora Kua, who told me she had an interesting blend on the that they roasted. It turned out to be a blend that consists out of coffee from Lintong on Sumatra and coffee from Yunnan, China. This immediately peaked my interest since I have never tasted a coffee from China before. Alongside this blend, Nora send me a sample of the filter version of the Yunnan beans and it was really good coffee.
The Yunnan coffee is grown at an altitude between 1200 and 1400 meters above sea level and is of the Catimor variety that has undergone a washed process. The coffee comes from Pu’Er city in Yunnan. The Indonesian coffee is from the island Sumatra and comes out of the Lintong area.
Tommy Espresso: Opening the package.
The Tommy Espresso blend from mimosa comes in a white bag with a degassing valve. The package that was sent to me, did not have a ziplock but that might be different when buying the coffee from the store or web shop. When opening the package there is a sweet chocolate but also nutty scent that comes forth. As I take a bean from each variety, I notice a bitterness and soft sourness to the coffee whereas the beans are crispy. There is a brewing instruction on the package that I will follow at first to see how things go. I start grinding the coffee and notice the aromas that come off of the coffee. Its a stronger version of the scent that came off the beans and fills up the room nicely.
Tommy Espresso: The tasting.
I tried the instructions on the package but instead of 18.5gr, I prefer 19.5 grams of coffee for my espresso. When the brewing starts I see the beige coloured syrup flow into my cup. The aromas of nuts, caramel and cedar come off of the brew and the crema looks nice and thick. I take a sip and notice the buttery and supple mouthfeel of this coffee. There is a clear nutty flavor that takes me to walnuts and also a soft cedar note. As I slurp oxygen inside my mouth the flavor of pistachio appears in the back and on the sides of my tongue. There is a faint dryness developing underneath my tongue and around my gums. As the espresso cools down, the flavors are slowly creeping towards caramel and chocolate as well as pistachio. After swallowing this combination of flavors weaken and an aftertaste of walnut, dark chocolate and cedar comes forth that mingles and lingers for quite a while. During all this, a faint white pepper sensation takes hold on the roof of my mouth, giving it a spicy note alongside a orange peel acidity.
Tommy Espresso: The verdict.
This Tommy Espresso blend of beans from Yunnan and Lintong is a surprisingly pleasant blend. It is my first Chinese coffee (although in a blend with a Sumatra coffee) that I have tasted and I am impressed. This blend brings a nice combination of notes of the colour brown: nuts, wood, chocolate and caramel. The coffee develops while drinking it and the nicest part was the flavor of pistachio that appeared. This was not your overwhelming pistachio flavor, but a subtle note that brought something to the table.
This coffee is thick, buttery and supple. The acidity is of medium strength and comes with a orange peel sensation. Drinking it is a pleasure to the senses. This blend was made out of a commercial grade coffee and specialty coffee, making it all the more impressive to present these notes. Kudos to the roaster.