The Little Coffee Diary

This view right here (sans the Philippine flag) was only in my imagination few years ago back when Valen was still open. I remember inquiring about a vacancy then trying to picture the kind of cafe I would love having someday somewhere here.

To experience it for a day is worth the wait already.

When you are asked to do what you are called for, do it, always with a grateful heart. Thank you, CAMI (Capampangan in Media, Inc.), for having me brew you coffee this morning. News and coffee will always be my kind of coffee pairing. It’s like a perfect kind of love affair, don’t you think? ☕️🤍

Dear coffee diary,
I was cupping alone again the other day. I had to do it even if all i have with me are my books and my (now quite outdated) coffee flavor wheel to guide me.

Cupping is when you try to analyze the aroma and flavor of the coffee. Is it nutty, fruity, sweet, fermented, grassy, earthy, ashy... As it goes down to the very specific notes I’m suppose to get like hazelnut, berries, caramel, muscovado, cocoa... Confusing and tricky isn’t it?

I sniff like a bunny to get the aroma, slurp and spit to get the flavor. Or should i swallow? Char. Spit. Brew for swallow.

But most of the time, i have no idea which fruit was it or what nuttiness does it give, and so on and so forth.

Defining the very specific notes and profiles are really difficult sometimes i just don’t want to do it anymore as no one can validate it with me. I can’t just say it’s good when brewed, can i?

Coffee is very, very extensive and complex. It is not just bitter. There is so much to learn, so much to know that i cannot just simply base it from the books that i read (and reread again and again, and again) or check on my old notes from the training and the workshops i have attended. It requires experience - a lot of it. It also requires coffee - a lot of it too. A LOT OF IT.

Cupping is suppose to tell me more of what i need to know in the coffee i roasted or in the roasting process in itself. What went wrong, which areas i need to improve on, where and how to get the right roast profile - light, medium, dark or those tricky in betweens.

I guess today’s cupping was a little of a challenge. It had me wonder why did i get a winey, syrupy finish or why did it taste so much like a completely different coffee variety. Did i just waste a whole batch of roasted coffee? I had to ask few friends about it too hoping i wont waste the next one. I might need a little more heat and well, basically a longer cooking time to finish. We’ll see then. Ok, bye.

An interesting pair to match my Monday mood for coffee - berry vanilla cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting by .bakeryyy. Playing with my palate is just as interesting as this combo i have today. Sent over here all the way from Baguio. Haha.

All the best, Nina. Have fun learning. Go, toss some of that powdered sugar up in the air. 😉🙃

Chemex coffee and some sticky Filipino rice cake delicacy to pair with - suman cassava and suman bulagta with coconut curds and caramel dip accompanying me on my midweek hustle.

I tried the suman with creamier, sweeter coffee if it will pair well together — and it did. Also, this pairing is perfect with a full-bodied coffee.