Hits: 87
Beans: Connoisseurs Choice, Tres Barras Brazil, Kinini Rwanda, Carmen Panama.
Shop: Manhattan Coffee roasters, Webshop, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Manhattan Coffee Roasters – Connoisseurs Choice: Background information.
Manhattan Coffee Roasters is already a big name in The Netherlands. This comes as no surprise since Latte Art Champions Esther Maasdam and Ben Morrow are the creative minds behind this roastery. Just talking to them on the phone about their coffees is a learning experience in itself and was a great way for me to get to know the coffees.
The Connoisseurs Choice was created by Esther Maasdam specifically for her company: The Coffee Connoisseur. Esther wanted to create an espresso blend that she would serve to the public when on location with her company. The blend was created at the roastery together with Ben Morrow and is a pre-blended roast. This means that all the varieties were roasted together. Nowadays you can buy this blend yourself or drink it at Rumba Vintage and Beans in Rotterdam.
The blend consists out of the Tres Barras yellow Bourbon. This coffee comes from the farm of former COE winner Jose Wagner straight out of Brazil. The second coffee is the Kinini, a coffee that consists out of a red Bourbon/Muguyaza and Kent. These coffees come from the Kinini washing station in Rwanda. The third part of the blend is a yellow and red Caturra from the famous Carmen farm in Boquete Panama.
Manhattan Coffee Roasters – Connoisseurs Choice: Opening the package.
The package of Manhattan Coffee Roasters is nothing short of modern, clean and chique. The logo is arty and depicts the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam. The information on the logo tells you about the Origin of the coffee, the tasting notes and processing. The roasting date can be found on the underside of the package. Obviously the package comes with a ziplock and degassing valve.
When opening the package a sweet chocolate and honey aroma comes forth. The roast looks even and there are no defects in the coffee at all. The beans are crispy and give a short chocolate flavour before changing into a fruity sourness. Grinding this coffee reveals a lot about what to expect when brewing and it’s the aroma of the chocolate and cherry that peak my interest. Lets brew!
Manhattan Coffee Roasters – Connoisseurs Choice: The tasting.
I reviewed this coffee on my Fiorenzato F64 Evo and Rocket Giotto Evoluzione R.
I take a sip and slurp oxygen inside my mouth. Immediately a soft sour red fruit can be detected on the brew. The acidity of the coffee feels a little sparkly on the tip of my tongue but when I swirl the coffee through my mouth I feel a bright sensation appearing in the back of my mouth. I let the espresso cool down a little and notice that the fruity note changed into a beautiful mix of cherry jam and honey. After I swallowed the coffee and took another sip, the flavour changed into chocolate and dry cocoa. The full body of this coffee, together with a buttery mouthfeel, is lovely and makes you want to drink another one again and again.
This coffee also does a great job in a latte based drink. I brewed a couple of cappuccinos on this coffee and loved how the coffee blended with a milk. Its the flavour of cherry and cocoa that makes it wonderful as a cappuccino.
Connoisseurs Choice: The verdict.
Esther and Ben created a wonderful blend that is, in my opinion, a real summer coffee. It is also a blend that is suitable for everyone around. The flavours are easily detected and clearly stick around in a latte based drink as well. The fruity notes of red fruit and cherry are delicious and go very well with the dry cocoa and chocolate flavour. And don’t forget to savour the bright sensation in the back of your mouth when drinking this coffee! Way to go Manhattan Coffee Roasters.
If you want to try this coffee for yourself, click on this link.
PS: I don’t get paid to place this link.