We’ve all heard of Kopi Luwak coffee. It is as (in)famous as Jamaican Blue Mountain but still regarded by some as a novelty.

I had tried the high street version in the past and was less than impressed, but now understand the reasons why this was the case. Like anything in life, you get out what you put in to it, and in this case it was likely to have been roasted without too much care and attention, as it was being packaged and distributed commercially in fairly sizeable quantities, with the end consumer being more amused than judging of the coffee itself.

Fast forward a few years and an opportunity arises to taste this coffee again, but this time I understand more about coffee, the roasting process and this particular roaster’s products, as well as having tasted many other coffees from the region of the world the beans originate from.

Sumatran coffees that I have had in the past have been fairly acidic, heavy and moody in nature, kind of like a grumpy old man, with a bit of a kick to them. But these beans were different, a wee bit subdued, but more complex, with good sharpness, intriguing lively mid-tones and a long finish.

As an espresso this was quite drinkable enjoyable but also worked well in small quantities of milk (I have enjoyed this as a base for a Piccolo and Flat White so far). I’m not sure that drowning this in milk for a latte or cappuccino would do anything for the taste and at a shade over £53 per 250g bag wouldn’t represent value for money.

For each of the shots so far I have found that a fairly fine grind is required. On each occasion I used roughly 18g for a double shot (in the mypressi TWIST^TM , a Gaggia Classic, and an Alex Duetto) and a firm but not hard tamp

I’m glad I have tasted well roasted ‘cat poo coffee’ *¹ as it has now given me another reference point when tasting. I will even miss the taste when the bag runs out, but will be sharing this with a few coffee lovers over the next few days so that they can taste something they may not otherwise get the chance to experience.

Tasting Notes: Earthy, forest floor (decay), nutty, intrigue, spice (sandalwood), toasted cereal

Roaster: Londinium Espresso

 *¹  the ripest coffee cherries have gone right through an Asian Palm Civet Cat who has enjoyed the fleshy mucilage and left a deposit which has been washed, processed, shipped and roasted, before ending up in my cup

2010 has got off to a roaring start and our diary has been pretty full so far, and there is still a lot to look forward to.

Since the New Year we have conducted a number of training sessions for new cafes and home baristas, giving them an insight into the exacting processes of making a coffee and introducing them to tastes, sounds and smells that might otherwise have been overlooked.

It’s always rewarding to see the beaming smiles of those who have made their first espresso based drink, that they are proud to put their name to. In some cases we have helped a home barista master the art of stretching milk, correct tamping faults and most importantly of all, keep their machine clean.

We’re itching to find the time to vist a newly opened cafe in Oxfordshire whose team were eager to learn to make a coffee using a semi-automatic machine, and thoroughly enjoyed making their first Mochas within an hour of being shown how to turn on the machine and setup the grinder.

Although the mid-week coffee tasting events have tailed off there is still a hive of activity, with baristas preparing for the UKBC South East Heat on Feb 19 and 20, all with their sights set on gaining a timeslot for the UKBC Finals on 28th Feb/1st March at Hotelympia.

To gain FREE spectator entry to the UKBC Finals, pre-registration is required at Hotelympia.com

As we have done our weekend cafe crawls we have been fortunate enough to bump into a number of UKBC competitiors getting in practice ‘on the job’ and have attended special workshops and run-throughs at Kaffeine.

This year the baristas seem to be so much more organised, with sensory scoring sheets being filled in and feedback being sought from all levels of spectator, from enthusiasts to industry peers.

The signature drinks (which to some are a contentious issue) have been really well thought through, and I hope that some of them make it onto the menus for the cafe the competitiors work at, although some are quite time consuming to create, but could complement some of the cafe’s food offerings.

We have been inundated with good coffee lately, with new season crops arriving at a number of roasters. Our postie has been remarking on how nice his delivery van is smelling and today we treated him to a coffee-to-go.

Inspired by a James Hoffman tweet in late December, we have embraced Daytum and created a site to chart our coffee consumption for 2010. Results will be shared in a future blog entry but the results to date are quite intriguing.

Our Flat White consumption figures are ‘up’ at the moment due to checking out the ‘new drink’  that Starbucks and Costa Coffee have embraced and released into the UK market. I feel like I grew up drinking Flat Whites as they were on every cafe’s menu when I lived in New Zealand, replacing the double shot latte as the drink of choice for the masses in the mid 90′s.

To find out what we are up to in between blog entries make sure you follow 5M Coffee on twitter @5mcoffee or @getnoticed

Yesterday I spent the day drinking Piccolos, Cortados, Flat Whites and Espressos in the East End of London.

Starting my day at Gwilym’s cart in Whitecross Street, I spent an enjoyable hour and a bit chatting to Gwilym and Jenni. My first coffee was a flat white with a beautifully poured Rosetta, accompanied by a delicious chocolate croissant.

From my vantage point I could see people approaching the cart and it was a great place to see how peoples mood changed when they realised that they were only a few steps away from a great coffee. Their moods transformed, lifted, and you could sense the excitement and expectation as they approached, smiles forming and ready to place their order and banter with the baristas.

A trend I have noticed is that passionate cafe / cart / shop owners seem to effortlessly impart enthusiasm for their product onto the consumer, and Gwilym’s clients were no different. They asked questions about the coffee, the milk, the rosettas or tulips and even about the machine, eager to learn what made them want to return time and time again.

After a lovely creamy Piccolo it was time to head to Spitalfields market to meet up with Photographer and Podcaster, and ex-Barista, Brian Jones (starbarista).

Brian introduced me to Taylor Street Baristas, at 1A New St, London, EC2M 4TP, opposite the entrance to Liverpool St station, where I was treated to a lovely Piccolo (image here).  Taylor Street had a good vibe about it and made good use of space. Taylor St uses a bespoke blend from Union Coffee Roasters. You have to try it!

Our next stop was Present on Shoreditch High Street where we ogled the stunning Victoria Arduino lever machine, expertly operated by Mattias Björklund, the current Swedish Barista Champion, and enjoyed a finely crafted Cortado.

I waved goodbye to Brian at the top end of Brick Lane and made my way to Nude Espresso, for a bite to eat and to try their new East blend, being formally launched to their clients. This was my first visit to Nude and I was surprised at how big the cafe was, bucking the trend of ‘micro-cafes’ that we have come to know and love. With plenty of seating, ranging from 2 person spots to communal tables and wi-fi, there is a space to suit everyone here.

There were a number of well known industry figures in attendance and I got the opportunity to meet Instaurator, the author of Espresso Quest as well as Jeremy from Union Coffee Roasters, whose blend I had enjoyed earlier at Taylor St Baristas.

My final coffees of the day were a Piccolo and and Espresso before heading into Covent Garden to meet a friend for dinner.

I can thoroughly recommend a walk in the East End and will be sure to return the these cafes in the very near future.

Recently we’ve noticed that Flat White’s have been appearing on the menus at independent cafes we visit. Most are surprisingly good although on occasion they could be considered more like a cappuccino than a true Flat White.

In New Zealand and Australia the Flat White is the norm and outsells both Cappuccino’s and Lattes.

How to prepare a Flat White

1/3 espresso | 2/3 steamed milk – folded into the espresso base, creating an evenly textured milk/espresso drink

Do you serve Flat White’s at your cafe? If so, get in touch, we’d love to review it.

We’re about to embark on a trip ‘home’* and will be sampling numerous coffee offerings in New Zealand.

New Zealand Cafe’s have an ambiance that is very hard to replicate. Kiwi’s (the name for the locals) have a penchant for coffee and use the cafe as a meeting place, an office, for family time together and as a place to be seen.

New Zealand Cafe’s serve Flat Whites, a drink not often found in other parts of the world, but cleverly replicated in London by Cam and his team at Flat White.

There is an amazing range of local coffee roasters, with coffee sourced from all over the world. Each roaster operates to a different taste profile and green beans given to 2 or more roasters can be sent back with wildly varying characteristics.

Locally produced food features highly and almost all cafe’s serve a range of hot and cold food to accompany their beverages.

Having trained as a barista in New Zealand in 2001 I am keen to see how the coffee industry has evolved over the past few years and I am sure to pick up new techniques to apply here in the UK as well.

* home for the first 25 and a bit years of my life – but now the UK is home