I had the great fortune of discovering my first ever coffee lecture & tasting at the hip Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn yesterday while perusing Scene mag and Vogue. It was presented by George Howell of George Howell Coffee company. I wasn't sure if this would be worthwhile or just advertising for a coffee product I had no idea about, but I woke up today with a good feeling about it and considering it was only $15, I had not much to lose!
I started my morning at Blue Bottle Coffee company and ordered an Ethiopia Sidama Homacho Waeno au lait style. First thing I noticed was there was no station with stirrers or sugar packets, so I did without. I noticed this coffee had a smoothness to it that exposed its higher quality, but it lacked intensity and character. I wasn't sure what was so interesting about this coffee until I hit the seminar later in the morning.
George spoke for 3 hours, guided by a highly detailed slideshow about coffee regions, production, roasting, etc. The team presented coffee from 6 different regions, as well as washed vs. natural beans, ripe vs. unripe and new, stale and old. What I noticed the most was that the stale coffee had a corn like aroma, where the old had a distinct flavor of pretzels. I didn't mind either really. Which made me realize that I (and probably most people) are used to darker roasts from lower quality beans. The concept of the bean being complex all on its own is brand new to me. To really embrace that truth, I feel these coffees should be drank black and not maimed by the addition of sugar or milk. But i'm not sure that i'd go for a black aromatic coffee over a refreshing cup of tea, with much more potent characteristics. George at one point quoted, "How many times are you served stellar food in a restaurant, but are then served sludge at the end?" as well as "How many times do food critics comment on the decor of the bathroom before the coffee? That is outrageous and needs to change."
From a sommelier point of view, I am not sure that introducing more complex options towards the dessert course or after would be interesting for the guest or overkill. It would definitely compete with my dessert/after dinner drink sales and possibly tire my guests out if I am to recite yet another list of pretentious facts.
George also mentioned that its our choice as a society to consider coffee as a noble beverage, or not. Obviously elevating the image of fair trade coffee and sourcing sustainable single origin beans would help support the farmers and would be beneficial to the entire industry. It does seem to me that every other beverage we consume regularly wants to be on the pedestal wine is (coffee, beer, mineral waters). But is it really necessary?
I'm not sure about the clean cut, overly scientific image of Blue Bottle Co. vs. a classic cafe where one orders a doppio, bunkers down and enjoys a good book. I'm not sure about making coffee which is such a ritualistic part of our day as Americans into a complex tour of aromatics and countries. Should it be so overcomplicated? Many of us see it as a morning refresher (aka caffeine). Most of us are not awake enough before it to make serious decisions, especially not on beverages.
There is much to think about considering the world of coffee is becoming more and more refined and complex. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar! It was an amazing value and practically a generous donation by the George Howell Coffee company to host such an educational lecture/tasting for only $15. We all received a free bag of Colombian coffee to go home with as a bonus. Also… baristas have this tasting technique that sounds like a serious throat sucking noise. I will admit, I was curious about it but did not take part. Maybe next time. ;)
For anyone who took the time to read this, what are your thoughts? What coffees do you enjoy and why? What is it about the coffee experience that you like? How should we market and represent coffee in this country and is their room for more than one image? Your input is greatly appreciated!!
My favorite was the El Salvador… had more of the darker, complex flavors i'm used to in coffee. The others were interesting but had higher acidity and floral/fruity notes.
