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Beans: Leopresso Koffie Antigua, Bourbon/Typica, wet process, Antigua, Guatemala.
Shop: Leopresso Koffie, webshop, Alkmaar, The Netherlands.
Leopresso Koffie – Antigua: Background Information.
Guatemala has about eight regions where coffee is grown. Antigua is probably the most famous region, well known for its high quality of coffee with sweet and fruity flavors. Antigua is situated between three big volcano’s: Fuego, Agua and Acatenango. The fertile volcanic soil and the altitude of the farms, are ideal for growing high quality coffee. Antigua has a local micro climate that is being created by these volcanoes and it produces a constant 65% humidity throughout the seasons.
The Leopresso Koffie Antigua is a blend of Bourbon and Typica coffee that has been produced by 500 smallholders. The coffee is grown between an altitude of 1500m and 1600m above sea level and has undergone a fully washed process.
Leopresso Koffie – Antigua: Opening the package.
The Leopresso Koffie Antigua comes in a white bag with a zip lock and degassing valve to keep the coffee fresh. On the label you will see the name, a short coffee description and a referral to the website of Leopresso Koffie. When opening the package a soft sweet nutty flavor appears. The scent is pleasant to the nose and, when looking inside, you will see a evenly roasted blend. The beans a crispy and have a light nutty and soft bitter taste to them. When I next grind the coffee the scent is powerful and fills up the room. The aroma’s that are released are that of hazelnut carried by a fruitiness and a hint of candy like sweetness. It is time to brew!
Leopresso Koffie – Antigua: The Tasting.
I brew this coffee with 18 grams exact and pulled my best shot with 27 seconds on 30 grams out. This gave me a better balance between the nutty flavors and the fruity flavors. This might be totally different on your machine and grinder, but the main thing is that you want to extract a little more bitter to perfectly counter the fruitiness of this blend.
The coffee looks like a perfect blend of beige and brown while it flows out of my machine into the cup. The aroma’s that come off of the brew are that of nuts, chocolate and a candy like sugar note. When sipping the coffee I immediately notice a sourness that diminishes quickly into Salmiak/licorice for a short while. This sensation only lasts for a second or two before the notes change again, this time the hazelnut and chocolate take over. As I swallow the coffee, the coffee softens and adds a sweetness that makes drinking it easy and pleasant and I can even detect a fruitiness in the brew that reminds me of sugared cherry and a little orange. This flavor is not overly present and should be looked for in the background on the pallet. The acidity is somewhere between medium and high and after two or three cups will give off the sensation of a full stomach. Thankfully the aftertaste lingers on and when you’re a fan of hazelnut and cocoa in your coffee, you will not be disappointed at all.
Leopresso Koffie – Antigua: The verdict.
The Leopresso Koffie Antigua is a pleasant flavorful coffee as you might expect from a Guatemala Antigua. Hazelnut, cocoa, a fruity note and a candy like sweetness can all be found in your cup. I loved how this coffee kept surprising the pallet with the changes in sensations and flavors. There was this sourness that changed into Salmiak in the beginning. The candy sugar sweetness that suddenly appeared and supported the hazelnut and chocolate in the end of the sip. There was also that aftertaste that lingered on and completed the experience. The aftertaste is especially nice if you like the mouthfeel of dry cocoa underneath your tongue. The medium to high acidity in combination with the full body, makes this coffee feel heavy on the stomach after two/three cups. This is not your ‘all day, every day coffee’, but rather a coffee that you should enjoy once or twice a day.