2017年4月25日 星期二

Only memory can back me up

Dear stranger
How do I find someone who's name I can't even remember?
We met at the anniversary party of good life coffee,( happy birthday GLC)she wore a slick black dress. We danced, talked and had occasionally awkward silence. On our way back to Rautatientori we walked pass a heart shape pond on the pavement. She told me a story from a Finnish short novel about the tragic love between a mentally disable aged man and a young girl. At the end, the man killed the girl without realizing it because of his mental illness. Somehow this small conversation stuck in my head for couple days now. If God or whoever/whatever up there allowed us to meet again, I want to hear more stories from her. All I got is my memory to back me up and we all know how fragile this is.

Maybe i will meet her again and more possibly i will never meet her again. What this incident struck me the most was that the more i think about it, the more blurry it became. At one point, i started to realize that if I only have memory to show this is true and not some cliche story. It felt just as unconvincing as a dream i had last night.

It also made me reflect on Westworld that I just started to watch, in the show we can clearly see so many classic science fictions' influence, the matrix, ghost in the shell just to name a few. The hosts were so perfect that the only flaw they had was they were design in the image of human beings. We as human beings were imperfect, we will die, forget, making mistakes. It is a blessing and curse at the same time. If we have perfect memories like the hosts we would probably kill ourselves just for the weight of our memories and not to mention the fact that we will die at one point this reality makes us the way we are right now.  We die and we forget that's what make us human.

Boldly speaking, what if a sentient being will never die and has perfect memory, how does this "perfect" condition will affect its consciousness? Can we imagine this happen to us human? And how does this ultimate change affect our civilization? Maybe we will start to give more serious consideration about global warming which we still believe is something of the future and the current need not to worry about. Maybe this is why i have a hard time believing the so called AI domination scenario because it is still perceiving AI in human logic.

2017年1月21日 星期六

Taiwanese Roastery's cupping event

Last time, I brought about 11 bags of coffee beans roasted by Nordic roastery  like Coffee Collective of Denmark, Kaffa Roastery of Finland, Good Life Coffee of Finland.

This time I will be cupping coffee beans roasted in Taiwan with my friends in Helsinki below is my list of coffee beans.

Brief introduction to the coffee scene in Taiwan. (Disclaimer: I am by no means authority in this so I am just sharing my understanding.)

1. The third wave or specialty coffee scene started roughly around 2002 when Taiwan entered WTO(World Trade Organization) which came with good things and bad things and one of the good things were the lowered tax on imported professional espresso machine and roasters, thus, gave birth to third wave coffee trend in big cities of Taiwan, for example, in Taipei with population around 4 millions, there are at least 20 to 30 self roasting coffee shops. (It also gave me some troubles to decide which beans to bring since I have to rely on my experience and preference to decide. )

2. One big characteristics of Taiwan coffee scene is that it is very diverse and individual. There are big chains selling commercial volume coffee and smaller volume specialty coffee at the same time, however, majority of the third wave coffee market still dominated by independent roastery which means the owners of the coffee shop might consist only two to three people, roaster, barista and sometimes they are the same person. 

3. I do believe that the culinary taste or culture would also reflect on the roasting preference. For example, the culinary culture is quite similar to Chinese cooking and South East Asian style (We have substantial immigrants from Vietnam and Thailand.) In terms of coffee, the roaster tend to develop a bit further to give a thicker or heavier taste in coffee. When in comparison to Nordic approach it might be a good point to keep in mind. 

Further reading: 

A. The Taiwanese Coffee Scene (It has good categorization of development of coffee in Taiwan though I disagree a bit on espresso part.)



1. Wolong Coffee Studio Panama Esmeralda Special 2016 ES-W-6 Roasted
Washed 100 g  (From Kaohsiung city) Roasted January 6th
The roaster just won a roasting competition in Taiwan who is a young and talented woman.

https://www.facebook.com/wolongcoffee/

http://www.coffeereview.com/all-reviews/?roaster=Wolong+Coffee+Studio


 2. Ethiopia Guji #36 Gidde station Natural Roasted 2017/Jan/5  226 g Cafe Lulu from Taichung city

One of the biggest coffee roastery in Taiwan with experience in roasting and green beans business for many years.

http://www.cafelulu.com.tw/products/guji



3. Geisha Village #4 Natural Ethiopia Bench-Maji Roasted Jan 4 2017 100g By Group 19 Taipei city
4. Miguel Moreno Washed Santa Barbara Honduras Catuai Roasted Jan 8th 200g By Group 19 Taipei city
Group 19 is an independent roaster with previous experience in Sweden and now back in Taiwan aiming to bring Nordic style into Taiwanese market.

http://group19coffee.wixsite.com/group19coffee




5.Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Biloya Washed G1 Jan 01 by ho soo tsai cafe at Kaohsiung city

6. Kenya AA Nyeri Washed roasted Jan 2 by ho soo tsai cafe at Kaohsiung city


A small coffee place in southern most city in Taiwan, barista and roaster is a good friend of mine and very talented and eager to share his passion for coffee with people around him.

https://www.facebook.com/hstcoffee/


7. Panama Elida Washewd 2017 Jan 9 by Dao Nan Guan 120g  Tainan city

https://www.facebook.com/daonanguan/?fref=ts


some pictures from other blogger.

Small place in the oldest city of Tainan, the owner was Aeropress champion of Taiwan few years ago and in this shop there is no espresso machine. There is only specialty coffee made with Aeropress or siphon. This is where i sucked into the wonderful labyrinth of third wave coffee and it also has great audio system! 

8. Ethiopia Sidamo Bonbe Natural roasted Jan 3rd Pharos Coffee Taipei

Pharos Coffee 引路咖啡

Beautiful interior design and they roast their own coffee beans as well. 















9. Burundi Long Miles Roasted 13 Jan Coffee sweet Taipei


https://www.beanhunter.com/taipei/coffee-sweet/reviews

Weirdly enough it does not has its own website but has substantial customers and fame that keeps it running. It is a small coffee place and they roast their own coffee, if you enter this place the first line on the menu would say we only serve light roasted coffee if you cant take it please go some where else.

10.Ethiopia Bebeka Estate Roasted Jan 11  Coffee Whispering at Tainan city







All eleven coffee beans and i am going to have the first cupping at Andante coffee shop at Helsinki. Let's see what will comes out of it.

2016年12月23日 星期五

北歐單品杯測

將近一年半之後,2016年底終於要回台灣了,出去這麼久才知道台灣在心裡的位置

這次回去台灣希望能在北中南各地,跟各位咖啡好友分享這裡的咖啡,

預計將帶回九種咖啡,主要以芬蘭赫爾辛基的小型自烘店為主,以下逐一介紹。

首先簡短的歷史,芬蘭不同於其他北歐國家,在單品咖啡的風潮上慢了其他人許多,

聽這裡的朋友跟我說大致上是2003至2005年左右才起步的,在這之前幾乎都是傳統即溶式

咖啡粉為主,這裡主要大廠為Paulig,專營超市開架式咖啡粉,另外Robert's Coffee則是赫爾

辛基及北歐其他大城常見的咖啡連鎖店,跟星巴克的差距類似台北的Cama Coffee吧,大

體上來說這裡的豆子都偏淺,甚至有些濃縮喝起來是沒熟的,當然這有好有壞,好處是對

喜歡果酸味的朋友們這裡選擇非常多,相比之下,則沒有辦法像在台北各家烘培的方式深淺

有別也是另一番特長。

以下介紹這次帶來的豆子。

0. Johan and Nystrom Colombia San Fermin 250g 
Roasted Dec 01 2016
來自瑞典的斯德哥爾摩的烘豆廠,產量相對其它幾家都大的單品咖啡烘豆商,在赫爾辛基也有分店,這次也帶給大家試試看,詳見底下連結

http://johanochnystrom.se/kaffe-san-fermin




1.Good Life Coffee Guji Sidamo Ethiopia Washed Roasted Dec. 16 2016 250g

這家是赫爾辛基相當知名的自烘店,小小的店面大概只能坐10人上下,但是喝過好幾次咖啡
都算是表現不俗,幾乎都是淺烘培,喜不喜歡就請各位喝過之後跟我分享分享了。

http://goodlifecoffee.fi/category/4/shop



正在吧檯試驗的自動填壓器Tamping

2. Kaffa Roastery 250g Burundi Mudusi Roasted Dec 20 2016 Washed

赫爾辛基自烘店裡面產量相當大的一間,也有在超市上賣開架咖啡豆,同時也做相當精緻的少量咖啡,這次買回來台灣之前,吧檯手很親切地讓我試喝了兩支豆子,店面也比較大,工廠改建而成推薦給嗜好咖啡的朋友。

https://www.kaffaroastery.fi/shop/products/burundi-mudusi?taxon_id=45








3.Caffi Panama Esmeralda Gehisha Roasted Dec 11 60g 2016
Ethiopia Natural Kayon Mountain 100g Dec 5 2016

芬蘭今年送去愛爾蘭參加咖啡師比賽的代表目前工作的地方,在他的推薦之下帶了兩支由他烘培的豆子,也是小小的店面聖誕期間非常忙,希望大家喜歡。

http://www.caffi.fi/






4. Turun Kahvi Paahtimo El Salvador Usulatan  Los Pirineos 250g Roasted Nov 30 2016 

這支是來自Turku(類似像芬蘭台南的古城)的自烘店,沒機會在這裡給大家看店家的照片,請見官網,本來是希望盡可能找年輕的豆子,這樣帶回台灣則剛好成熟,但這家的只有這支比較晚烘,希望還是一樣好喝。

http://www.turunkahvipaahtimo.fi/product/109/los-pirineos

5.Helsingin Kahvipaahtimo 250g Christmas Coffee Rwanda Shade 1 and Costa Rica Terrazu blend Roasted Dec 21 2016

聖誕節咖啡,雖然是兩種咖啡豆下去調的,但喝起來卻是相當有淺陪的風格,酸甜風味,店面也是由老屋改建而成,值得一來,尤其是附近現代風格的建築形成強烈的對比。

http://www.helsinginkahvipaahtimo.com/









6.Coffee collective Kenya Kieni250g Roasted Nov 28 2016 Denmark

丹麥coffee collective工作的芬蘭代表Mikaela Wallgren,在愛爾蘭舉辦的沖煮大賽使用這支豆子拿下第二名,正巧Good life coffee有在賣順手帶回來台灣給大家試試看。
詳見
https://coffeecollective.dk/2016/06/mikaela-wins-silver-world-brewers-cup/


7. Koppi from Sweden Costa Rica Santa Rosa 1900 Roasted Nov 29 2016 38 g 

這是朋友熱心送我的試喝豆,希望這次在北中南杯測夠用。


http://koppi.bigcartel.com/products

8.La Cabra (西班牙文山羊) Costa Rica Santa Teresa  Natural and Honey 180g 2 bags Roasted Dec 12 2016

也是來自丹麥的烘豆店,這次的豆子特別的地方在於,這是直接跟長期合作的農莊拿得微批次咖啡豆,理論上應該會相當有趣,一次可以喝到兩種處理法。

https://www.lacabra.dk/products/santa-teresa-bonner-250g

網站也做得蠻好看的。



2016年9月12日 星期一

Coffee trip in Germany.

九月一開始去德國待了大概九天,造訪了法蘭克福、紐倫堡、柏林這三個城市,除了有其他的行程之外,咖啡也是必不可少的,三個城市總共去了六間,每一間都點一杯濃縮咖啡(single espresso),對我來說這是最方便比較各家店品質的判准,同時也能夠最快了解這家店用的豆子水準到哪個程度。
以下便從法蘭克福開始介紹,不用說全部都是我的主觀感受。

1.Kaffeewerk Espressionist
Europa Allee 29, 60327 Frankfurt, Germany
http://www.kaffeewerk-espressionist.de/

Single Espresso 2.1

V60 3.3
 這是一間開在商業中心及新建住宅旁邊的小店,真的很小吧檯只有一人咖啡之外兼賣豆子,可惜忘記拍店家全貌,但主要的客人都是穿著剪裁合適西裝的帥帥上班族,深藍色或亞麻的西裝搭上好看的皮鞋真是難尋,尤其是在皮帶附近坐下或站都不會有多餘布料皺褶的西裝更是少見。
話說回來,濃縮的簡單味覺筆記如下
Single origin
Smell:washed, raw, dark, not much character.
Taste: strong, thick, dark chocolate with a hint of acidity, long after taste. Border-lining charcoal.
相比之下V60手沖的部分沒有給我那麼大的印象,這裡先不談,就濃縮本身來說是偏深培,雖然是單一產區豆,但並不是走到幾乎碳化的可怕程度,可以理解為適合上班族口味的咖啡店,當然這裡也賣不少德國烘培廠的豆子,是個可以再訪的點。

2.The Holy Cross Brewing Society
Fahrgasse 7, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
House Blend Single Espresso 2.3

V60 from Norway 4.2





 

感謝第一家吧台手的推薦來到這家,當天人潮非常多正好在法蘭克福大教堂附近,個人認為造訪法蘭克福是相當值得來喝的咖啡店,以下是濃縮的味覺筆記。
Single espresso
1. Smell: washed, vegetable
2.taste: solid but not oily taste. Start with a hint of acidity then strong dark chocolate like taste and nut like finish.Lingering finish with nutty taste not charcoal which is a good thing in my opinion. 
在河岸的橋旁,隔壁鄰居是這種單品咖啡店一定會出現的精釀啤酒店或是潮潮的拉麵店,濃縮味道不會過深,算均衡但如果淺酸的表現再突出一些會更好。



3. Machhorndl Kaffee
Obere Kieselbergstraße 13, 90429 Nürnberg, Germany
https://www.machhoerndl-kaffee.de/shop/wilde-ziege/
很可能是喝到的這六家裡面,濃縮咖啡表現最好的,自烘店位於小城紐倫堡,位在不是很好找的小巷子,但是內裝什麼的別有洞天,有個露天中庭如果有更多時間值得多留。

Single Origin Espresso

Cascara plus Aricha coffee beans 11.3


Single Espresso 1.8

Computer monitored Probat. 
 單品濃縮
1.Smell: Fermented, Floral. 
2.Taste: thick, palate embraced by coffee thoroughly, balanced between acidity and sweetness. 
以我自己來說,如果一杯濃縮咖啡能夠做到酸甜平衡,也就是果酸能夠在前面出現,並且在後韻上保留堅果類的味道,這便是我認為好喝的味覺表現,而這家店有達到。

4.Westberlin bar&shop

Friedrichstrasse 215, 10969 Berlin
Front door

Front door

bar

back door

design books guess what they have monocle as well.

single espresso 2.2

Nordic Design Chair I guess
 一間也是人潮不絕的柏林咖啡店,位在查理檢查站附近,濃縮咖啡的豆子使用瑞典drop coffee,
設計感非常強的店,好幾張椅子我之前好像都有在芬蘭設計博物館看過,典型的木腳設計,不是很意外的成堆設計相關的雜誌及書,以下是味覺筆記。
Single origin drop coffee el salvador
1.smell: fermentation, sesame, soy sauce.
2.taste: acidity that rose up to back the of your cheeks turns into orange or green apple after you swallow it. Aftertaste is quite close to dark chocolate.
講白了是印象不是很深的咖啡店,不是說咖啡不好喝,濃縮的表現真的不差,一方面大概也是豆子有基本水準,問題是太多這種主打設計作為室內裝潢的咖啡店,給我一種這跟貴一點的IKEA型錄差在哪裡的感覺,很難會讓我想要再次造訪。不過廁所的裝潢倒是相當特別,可能還比外面全白牆面有意思多了。
5.Bonanza Coffee Heroes
 Oderberger Str. 35, 10435 Berlin, Germany
http://www.bonanzacoffee.de/

雖然不是第一次來柏林,但倒是在認真喝咖啡後第一次到柏林,當然Bonanza大概是無法避免的店家之一,尤其這次正好住在其中一間分店隔壁,早上十點店才開,九點五十就有三四組客人排隊,這附近是個相當值得逛的區域,大概也跟世界上其他後工業化的大城市一班,有單品咖啡店出現的區域十之八九正在縉紳化,但也因此還能夠看到沒有被連鎖店齊一化的豐富街景,以下圖多。
Front door

How does one tell good coffee from bad by looking at stickers?

Part of the charm of Berlin is disorganize.

water filtering.



Single Espresso from left one.


bar



Single Espresso 2.3

Bench outside of front door.

Bonanza畢竟是相當有知名度的店,坐沒一個小時客人不斷的進來,如果怕排隊的話倒是要考慮一下甚麼時候來比較好,我個人覺得單品濃縮的表現沒有他的名氣所說得那麼特別,當然這只是我的看法,以下是味覺筆記。

Smell: floral, distinctive like spice.
Taste: sweet, acid in the first taste. Reminds me of plum.
Thin body not much aftertaste. I would say it's too thin and dull in aftertaste not balanced.
喝到一半有位大叔跑進來說他的拿鐵太酸太難喝,我猜大概是主流口味習慣了吧,但不得不說濃縮加冰塊的測試倒是 算高分通過,沒喝到什麼雜味,另外音樂倒是挺主流的選擇了Miles Davis. 是也沒什麼不好只是一直聽到很熟的音樂但想不起來是什麼覺得很討厭。
走沒幾個街口就會看到反對AFD的標語

是棟一樓有賣班雅明跟共產主義書籍的有趣大樓

在Bonanza附近


6. THE BARN ROASTERY
Schönhauser Allee 8, 10119 Berlin, Germany
http://barn.bigcartel.com/the-roastery
最後一家,沒來過前聽了不少正面評價,想當然也必定會出現在European Coffee Trip的名單上,但說實在我不得不說我蠻失望的,人潮是很多沒錯,店內裝潢也還可以,大概就是精品咖啡店會走的幾種典型裝潢,器材也是用了業界頂級,但喝起來真的就是沒那麼特別。以下圖多。
 
Bar


Beans


Yes, i think its part of interior design.

EK43

They actually use Kalita wave dripper not Chemax.










Single espresso 2.6 

5 € Kalita



味覺筆記
Single espresso at barn roaster
1. Smell: strong spice, fermented.
2.taste: sharp acidity, mild sweet, feels like under roast, like eating raw vegetable. Unpleasant aftertaste that is grape seeds and earthy. Not recommend. Hand brew easily out performed espresso.
沒熟,周邊產品倒是賣的不少,跟bonanza比起來差很多,大概是這幾家裡面espresso表現最差的。
Kalita
1. Smell: orange, floral
2. Taste: nice body, balanced taste, mild acidity nice and pleasant chocolate like aftertaste. Lingering. Citrus, apple.


以我這幾間喝下來的心得,其實台灣幾個大城市裡面的咖啡店,都沒有輸人家太多,甚至有時候在實驗性上還更有巧思,當然這只是我有限資料中的判斷,或許我再次造訪柏林便會有完全不同的體會。另一方面,單品咖啡發展至今似乎有逐漸學習紅酒或白蘭地等精緻農產品分級制,以消費者來說單品咖啡豆背後的資訊是消費的一環,同時也是訂價的因素之一,如同紅酒一般,以我自己來說我會好奇的是,咖啡分級這件事情,如何影響交易?又如何影響生產者? 單品咖啡除了追求精緻及口感豐富的咖啡豆之外,同時常見的宣傳是藉由高品質高回報的正面循環,咖啡農不再只是咖啡交易的受害者,但我好奇的是咖啡如同其他的精緻化農產品,必須要投入技術、金錢、人力、設備、處理法等等充分條件,才有可能採收一磅100美元的精緻咖啡,但誰能夠負擔這種投資呢?或是咖啡如同紅酒也逐漸晉升為一種表現文化資本的物質基礎?