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| Rwanda specialty coffee by Grower´s Cup |
This particularly coffee bag from Grower´s Cup is containing a 100% organic arabica bean from Rwanda. The bean is a Bourbon Mayaguez from the geographical area Rabavu and Rutsiro district in Rwanda. Bourbon coffees are named for the island in the Indian Ocean where the French colonists grew it. The coffee is grown in 1500-1900 m. height above sea level, and the disposable French press contains 24 gr. of ground coffee. If the 24 gr. of coffee is compared to the SCAE Gold Cup, its a little low on the amount of ground coffee. SCAE suggest that in use of one liter of fresh water brewed at 92-96 degrees, should equal 50-65 gr. of freshly ground coffee. Im am therefore a bit exiting to have a test on this chosen coffee, cause its a little low on the amount of ground coffee and also how are they able to preserve the freshness of the ground coffee, when this bag was produced in November, 2010. Surely the low volume of the coffee can be justified cause of the brewing method of the press pot function, that its announced to have.
The coffee should have some fine shades because of the volcanic soil and rainfall, therefore it should contain flavors of sweet fruit and intense flower, which is completed with a rich and pleasant aftertaste of chocolate. This specific coffee has been rated by the SCAE, where it has achieved a rating of 90,5 points out of 100 possible point.
Interestingly the coffee ground started a CO2 reaction when I poured the temperated water on top, it expanded quite heavily. Normally this is a good indicator of fresh coffee because the more fresh the coffee is, the more captured CO2 is waiting to be released when pouring water onto it. Also a good thing to keep in mind when brewing for press pot or using a Siphon brewer, you will have to stir it a bit to release some of the gasses. In this case I didn't, I just followed the instructions at the back side of the brewing bag.
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| Rwanda coffee from Grower´s Cup |
Grower´s Cup suggest that you brew the coffee for a minimum period of 4-5 min, if you would like a mild and pleasant taste. If you would prefer a more strong and assertive taste, is should be brewed 8-9 min. Therefore I went with a brewing time of 6 min., because I prefer a medium cup with a mixture of some fine mild and strong notes.
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| Close up result |
My thoughts about this fair-trade coffee with a brilliant rating from the SCAE was a little beside the description at the back of the brewing bag. I found it very pleasant and very drinkable but I actually got more hints of lemon and orange blossom with floral notes rather then fruity notes. BUT more importantly I didn't at a single time get a touch of bitterness or what I had predicted a plastic taste from the brewing bag, but instead got a hints of caramel in the aftertaste. Actually I find it very sweet, also with notes of cinnamon and somehow a possible full bodied silky cup. Strangely I'm stunned by the result, cause I thought that it wouldn't have such a fresh taste. Surely I think you could have even more flavors extracted if the coffee was freshly ground, but I'm absolutely blow away about the fact that Grower´s Cup are able to maintain so many flavors intact almost 1,5 years after it has been ground.
The final statement about this on-the-road solution is that its maybe the best way to enjoy fresh brewed coffee on the road, if you aren't allow to take all your equipment along with you. I would definitely recommend this solution to anybody in the need of this, because its easy and have a great taste compared to other solutions, like instant coffees. Also I would not lose face by putting this disposable french press on the table in front of friends, cause they also would be amazed be the rich flavors of this coffee. On the negative sides, there is a price issue, because I think paying 25 DKK ($4,5) for three cups of coffee is a little high, but then again I would every single time buy this solution instead of having an instant cup of coffee. Also there were some excess coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup, which is normally for a french press, but I actually thought that it wouldn't have a suitable filter to collect these. This could maybe be caused by an inconsistent grinder or the grind setting is a little to fine, I will try to get an opinion on this from Grower´s Cup.
So if you aren't afraid of spending 25 DKK on three cups of quality coffee, this is the only way to go, when hitting the road.
The next article regarding Grower´s Cup will hopefully be published this weekend.
// Hendrup
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