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Beans: Stooker Specialty Coffee, Kurume, Heirloom, Washed, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia.
Shop: Stooker Specialty Coffee, Web shop, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Stooker Specialty Coffee – Reko: Background information.
For this Review, I will talk about the Stooker Specialty Coffee Reko. This coffee comes from the Yirgacheffe province in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is world famous not only for the history of coffee, but also for the high quality fruity coffee this country produces. As I said, this coffee comes from Yirgacheffe, near the Reko-Berg. The Reko-Berg is a mountain that is located in the Kochere area and it is there that Masreshu Sima and Faysel A. Yonis operate this washing station. The coffee is grown at an altitude between 1850m and 2100m above sea level. At the washing station, the Reko coffee has undergone a washed process.
Stooker Specialty Coffee – Reko: Opening the package.
The clean, modern and chique look of the package of Stooker Specialty Coffee instantly makes you want to brew their coffee. The blue and white colours, the clearly visible information on the label and the sturdy feel of the package all contribute to that. A degassing valve and zip lock always make me happy when I receive a package of coffee. This ensures that the coffee is kept as fresh as possible.
When I open the package a fresh soft and fruity scent comes out and the beans all look evenly roasted. I try one of the beans and its crispy with a hint of honey on the bean before it gets a tea-like flavour. There is no bitterness or sourness to the bean. After grinding I smell the ground coffee and detect hints of fruit and flowers already. I am getting more and more excited about this coffee by the minute. Lets brew!
Stooker Specialty Coffee – Reko: The Tasting.
As I was testing the grind size and best extraction time, I found that the general rule (24 to 30 seconds of brewing to get 30 grams out) does not apply to this fruity coffee. Although the coffee tasted great with this rule of thumb, I extracted this coffee a bit longer. This, of course, is a personal preference.
The moment that the coffee flows into my porcelain cup, the aroma’s of the Reko appear full on. It is a clear peach scent that is carried by a mix of floral notes. The crema has a light beige colour and doesn’t appear to be very thick. When I take a sip, the crema mixes easily with the coffee and the texture has a bit of a rough edge to it. This sounds a little ‘off’ but the coffee has tannin’s that immediately affect the mouthfeel. This gives the coffee a nice edge to it. On the tip of my tongue I get a hint of lime right from the start and it lasts only for a short while. I feel that this is the point where the coffee really explodes in your mouth. I slurp oxygen inside through the coffee and a full blown flavour of peach appears in my mouth. This flavour is accompanied by floral notes that remind me of Bergamot and hints of roses. It is like drinking a bouquet of flowers with a peach aroma and flavour.
What I like about this coffee is that the aftertaste is actually a continuation of the flavours in your mouth, but the lime comes back as well. The medium high acidity is citric and mildly vibrant in your mouth.
Stooker Specialty Coffee – Reko: The verdict.
Just as with the Karani filter coffee from Stooker, I am truly impressed with the quality of the Reko. There is no need to ‘search’ for the tasting notes that are written on the package, it is all right there in your cup. I love how the fruity notes of lime and peach gradually flow into each other. When the flavours of Bergamot and roses come forth as well, the experience is complete and all you have to do it enjoy the coffee. The mouthfeel is something you want to think about! Generally speaking a coffee develops and tannin’s appear gradually in your mouth. With the Reko the tannin’s are right there and create a mouthfeel that is a little rough in your mouth. I found this very pleasant and it did not bother me at all. This coffee is a great coffee to start the day with…but my guess is that you will drink it all day long as well. Great job Stooker!
Below is a direct link to this coffee on the web shop page of Stooker. This is a link that I am not getting paid for, but one that I place here so you all can enjoy this coffee as well.
PS: I haven’t tested the filter roast, but I think it will be just as awesome as the espresso roast.
Click here to go visit the Reko page of Stooker Specialty Coffee.