Lunchtime at L’Atitude

Lunchtime at L’Atitude

Enjoyed a light lunch with a difference at L’Atitude 51, the newish Wine Cafe opposite the City Hall (1, Union Quay). The choice, see photo of board, is not huge but the quality is excellent.

There is an even bigger board, much bigger, where you can see the huge wine list; must be over fifty choices. In many cases, you can buy by the small taster glass (75ml), a full glass (150ml) and also by the pichet (250ml).

While waiting, I decided to try one of the taster glasses and picked the 2008 Cat Amongst the Pigeons, Cabernet Sauvignon, from Australia’s McLaren Vale. Later, with the meal, I enjoyed the 2008 Massaya Classic (Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah) from the Lebanon. Both come under the Fruity with Attitude heading on the list and each was excellent.

They also have a range of beers here, including some local craft brews. Indeed, you may try 8 Degrees Brewing HowlingGale here straight from the tap and it was great to meet up with Scott from the new Mitchelstown company who was making a call.

Coffee too comes from a local Cork company, Badger and Dodo. They know their stuff and so do the servers so you’ll enjoy the best here; I did, but before I got to that stage there was some eating to be done!

Emma Lagrande, who runs the wine cafe along with Beverly Matthews, recommended I try the Haddock Chowder. Very good and excellent value at €4.50. I had seen some of the sandwiches being served and they looked tempting but I opted for the Spiced Vegetable Pie, a tasty dish at a bargain price of €6.50 and served with a well dressed salad.

Service was friendly, low key and top notch, just the way I like it. My only regret was that I was I couldn't make it back for dinner that evening. Would have liked to have tried the Frogs’ Legs on the menu! Vive la différence.

Enjoying Great Coffees in 2012

MY BUSY CAFETIERE

It has been a bright start to 2012 on the coffee front with some brilliant stuff passing through the Cafetiere, including top cups from Sumatra, Guatemala and Ecuador.

The long established Dublin company Robert Roberts  are my regular supplier, via their Coffee Connoisseur Club, and I started the year with their Sumatra Wahana. The Wahana Estate sits between 1300 and 1500 metres above sea level, higher than Carrantuohill, and Roberts say it is ideal for this type of coffee.

You get a decent amount of technical info from Roberts including the fact that this is known as a “parchment” coffee. Part of the process is carried out with the green seed with the parchment shell attached. In any event, it is an excellent drink, bold and fruity. Gareth Scully recommended it with milk. I tried it but preferred it black, as always!

Fermoy roasters Badger and Dodo  have been making waves in the coffee world in recent months and you’ll find their products at some markets (including Douglas on Saturdays) and also in Curious Wines (Kinsale Road) and at Bradley’s in North Main Street,

I picked up a pack of their beans in Bradley’s and there was a tempting aroma in the kitchen as I ground down the Guatemala Finca La Perla. They source from quality single origin estates and the website is worth a visit, not just for the coffees but also for the equipment.

Must say, I was really impressed with the La Perla, a very clean cup with a delicate but satisfying mouthfeel. A tempting introduction to the range that I will explore further.

The high standard continued with the latest delivery from Robert Roberts: Ecuadorian Las Tolas, a light and sweet variety. Gareth Scully says that Ecuadorian coffees are not the most complex in the world “but they have that Central American classic cup taste profile – medium bodied with a hint of sweetness and a light floral background note”.

Must say I don’t pick of half the hints of this and notes of that that the coffee blenders talk about but I’ll also say that I am thoroughly enjoying this one. And looking forward to the next one.

Perhaps Badger and Dodo have a point that the equipment you use may help you appreciate more the finer points.

THE COFFEE CLUB

THE COFFEE CLUB

Just rejoined the club. No. Not the Sports Club!

My first renewal for 2012 is the Robert Roberts Connoisseur Club. Cost has gone up a bit to €59.00 but it is still very competitive. I’ve seen another one being pushed on the net for close to double the price.

Delighted with the way Robert Roberts, a long established Irish company, ran the club last year and delighted with the selection of excellent coffees. Master Blender Gareth Scully took us on a world trip: from Brazil to Malawi to India to Columbia.

Not a bad choice among the 12. The really strong ones wouldn’t have been among the favourites but they weren’t too many. Indeed, one of the strongest ones I came across was outside the club: a summer sample from Roberts called New York Roast #6.

This was strong, like a yellow cab engine powering away from the kerb. Come tumbling down in the morning, mumbling and grumbling and this one would growl back at you: get up, get out and get on with it, wimp!

My favourites? Well, the current one, a Honduran Pacamara from the family owned Finca Santa Maria, is going down very well indeed. I also liked the co-op coffee called Malawi Mzuzu AAA, the organic Ethiopian Yiracheffe was another favourite, as was the Organic Peruvian Cecovesa (another co-op, Fair-trade, organic and Rainforest approved!),

The Bastilla Farm in Nicaragua has been certified by the Rainforest Alliance and supplied the August offering, the well liked Finca la Bastilla. Guatemala’s Los Volcanes was a bit stronger but excellent and I also liked the full bodied Kenyan AA Mwiega Estate offering.

All in all, it was a very good performance by the Coffee Club and I’m sure Gareth and company will be doing the same for us in 2012. Looking forward to it already.

A WORLD OF COFFEE

A WORLD OF COFFEE

Joined the Robert Roberts Connoisseur Coffee Club at the start of the year and have enjoyed the experience so far. A new pack arrives every month and the cost, paid upfront, works out at about four euro a pack.

A high standard was set by the first one in January, a medium strong Brazilian Bruzzi and the packs that followed, which came from all over the coffee producing world, maintained the high standard.

Next came the unusual Monsoon Malabar  from India followed by the more delicate Sigri A  from Papua New Guinea.

April saw the arrival of the Columbian Paraiso followed by a purple patch as far as I was concerned starting with the Malawi Mzuzu AAA.

The June edition featured another African, a good strong Organic Yirgacheffe from Ethiopia, and then followed two more of my favourites: Organic Peruvian Cecovesa and August’s Finca La Bastilla from Nicaragua. Just finished the September pack of Guatemala’s Los Volcanes, again good and strong.

That means an opening later on today of the October pack which comes from Kenya and is named the AA Mweiga Estate. Gareth Scully, the Master Blender at Roberts , is very happy with this very aromatic full bodied cup and he hasn’t let us down yet! Looking forward to that!

CLASSY DECAF FROM CAFE de CUBA

CLASSY DECAF FROM CAFÉ de CUBA

“Good coffee needn’t be comprised by decaffeination.” That is the opening statement in a leaflet from Café de Cuba. And the accompanying pack proved it to me in uncertain fashion.

Their Decaf is not the most muscular of coffees you’ll come across but that may be its strength. It is very user friendly in the mouth as the palate is covered by the smooth, almost chocolate, liquid. But it is not overly sweet as the acidity helps provide a good balance and there is quite a pleasant lingering finish.

Hard to believe that this is a Decaf. By the way, I drank it without milk, without sugar, comme d’habitude.

The other pack in the sample was their Really Good Organic Coffee, all the way from small farms in Peru. This too is easy drinking, with hints of chocolate and vanilla, is smooth and well balanced and a welcome cuppa at any time of the day.

Aside from these two, Café de Cuba imports quite a range of coffees from Cuba itself, exotic names such as Montecristo and Serrano among them. Check out the fascinating site here and find out about the coffee plantation that is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Santiago blend that was launched in Harrods a few years back.

Café de Cuba are also the exclusive distributors of Cha Teas in the UL and Ireland and you can see our recent review of a selection of these here.

TIME FOR A CUP OF CHA

TIME FOR A CUP OF CHA

Cha teas, handpicked and sourced from single estates at the foothills of the Himalayas, are being introduced to Ireland and the UK by Dublin based Cafe de Cuba. I’ve been sampling the newcomers, which are all organic.

I like my blacks so I started with the Pure Black. This is a fine strong smooth cup of tea to start the day with. The addition of a little milk didn't spoil the flavour (I prefer it black but someone else doesn’t!).

The classic Earl Grey was next up. This is indeed very pleasant and I loved both the gorgeous aroma (bergamot and vanilla) and that terrific taste.

Then I began to get to the ones that I thought I mightn’t like, starting with the Golden Mango. But I needn’t have worried. It doesn’t have quite the same heft as the first two but is nonetheless a very pleasant drink. They say it can be enjoyed hot or cold. I had it hot but must try it cold sometime.

 

In the 80s when Jack Charlton brought the Republic of Ireland to play Munster in a warm-up game in hot conditions, tea was supplied to the internationals to cool them down in the old dressing rooms at Turner’s Cross.

Don't think they had the Cha Spring Mint in which is a cooling blend and may be enjoyed hot or cold. Again I had it hot and found it pleasantly aromatic with a moderately strong flavour (the mint is not at all overpowering) but it is one that I will try cold.

Then on to Pure Green. No big aroma and a moderate , rather dry taste with no bitter after taste found in some other green teas. Perhaps it is what goes on in the background is the important thing to note as it is rich in anti-oxidants, relaxing and calming.

There is another tea in the range that I didn't get to try and that is the Very Berry, “a green tea with naturally extracted flavours of strawberry, raspberry and cherry. Very refreshing tea that can be enjoyed either hot or cold”.

Quite a choice and you can take it that my favourites are the black and the grey but I’d have no problem whatsoever with sipping a cup of any of the others at any time.

Cafe de Cuba, as you might expect, also sell coffees and I’ll be taking a look at their range soon. If you can’t wait, why not check out the site.

Tea and scone for €2.50 in Crosshaven

CAFE AT FORT CAMDEN

A couple of weeks back, I paid €5.15 for a cuppa and a scone in the city. Last Saturday, a quaility cup of tea and a delicious scone cost me just €2.50, at the cafe in Fort Camden. The Fort is a  terrific attraction and the cafe has a selection of cakes and scones

The cafe, now on the parade ground, may well move to a more scenic position, with a great view out over the harbour, towards Cobh and Fort Carlisle, next season. For a full review of the visit click here.

COFFEES and TEAS from AFRICA and ASIA

COFFEES and TEAS from AFRICA and ASIA

Been falling behind on my coffees (mainly due to the long holiday – didn’t take any of my specials with me).

These specials are coming to me monthly, thanks to my membership of the Robert Roberts Connoisseur Club.  I’m not the connoisseur, by the way, but I sure am enjoying these offerings.

They changed continents in May, moving from South America to Africa, to Malawi in particular. And Roberts came up with a gem here: Malawi Mzuzu AAA. The co-op produces some cracking examples of Arabica coffee.

This had a substantial body, well balanced from start to finish and one that you won't be leaving behind you until you finish it off.

The June offering also came from Africa, from somewhat further north. It is Organic Ethiopian Yiracheffe. This is aromatic and quite rich, darker than the Malawian because Master blender Gareth Scully wanted to “ensure those wind and earthy citrus flavours are there with a good spicy aroma and a full syrupy aftertaste”.

Must admit I’d find it difficult to discern all the scents and flavours mentioned by Gareth but it is certainly one good cup of coffee.

It is back cross the Atlantic for the July pack: Organic Peruvian Cecovesa. I haven’t opened that yet but better get a move on before the August offering arrives.

On the tea front, I’ve been enjoying recent purchases from Little Buddha  in McCurtain Street, particularly the plain Shu Pu Erh, a four year old from the Menghai district in the Yunnan province of China.

The other loose tea I have at present is Pu Erh Pomegranate and Nettle (also includes orange peel and thistle flowers). This flavoured mix (79% black Pu Erh) has quite a sweet smell in the bag but that doesn’t mean the tea in the cup smells of seeds and flowers. 

It does have a flowery scent for sure and that is transferred, in  a very moderate way, to the cup, which I find, somewhat to my surprise, quite tasty indeed. A nice change from the straight Pu Erh.

Howling Gale, Shu Pu Erh and Country Loaf

FOOD PATROL

Got a good nose for that those strange things the experts find when they sniff a sample of wine? No wine in Little Buddha’s in McCurtain Street but you could certainly give your sniffing "muscles" a workout in this treasure trove of teas and coffees from around the world.

Black tea

Called in there today, after a longish absence, on the lookout for some Pu-erh, the black Chinese tea. They had at least six on the packed table (must have been about 100 types altogether). 

Lifted the lids on the big jars and sniffed. Some were very flowery (you could see the petals  and stems) and in the end I settled for some Shu Pu Erh and some Pu Erh Pomegranate and Nettle.

The first is a four year old loose black tea, from the Menghai district in Yunnan province, the second is 79% tea to which have been added nettle leaves (7.2%) and pomegranate seeds (1.3%).

I let slip that I had been drinking branded varieties of Pu Erh. The lady was rather shocked. “Oh, those are very weak.”  She warned. “These are much stronger. For the morning, not for the evening.”

They also have a big selection of flavoured coffees and lots of accessories. If you can't get into town (to give those sniffers a test), then the next best thing to view the website.

North Main Street proved fruitful. Called into Michael in Bradley’s  for some Howling Gale made by the Eight Degree Brewery  in Mitchelstown.

Man does not live by beer alone so next stop was Daily Bread, just a few doors up, where I bought a lovely Country Loaf. The young lady behind the counter while plying me with a sample of their breads along with some tasty Spanish ham told me they had recently taken over the shop and would have some publicity material available shortly. I’ll let you know.

O’Brien Chop House are well known for their Curry Nights but there are some big differences on July  22^nd as the event is being held in Ballyvolane House and is in aid of charity. Get the details here. 

COFFEE PARADISE

COLUMBIAN PARAISO COFFEE

Gareth Scully, Master Blender at Robert Roberts, tells us that the Columbian Paraiso Coffee is a mid morning one. No problem with that; mid-morning is my favourite coffee time and this one is just perfect.

Indeed, it is the fourth in 2011 Robert Roberts Connoisseur Club and keeps up the high standard set by Brazilian Bruzzi (Jan), Monsoon Malabar (Feb), Sigri A (Mar).

Scully: “Columbia produces some of the most complex coffees in the world and this little gem is no exception.”  He felt a lighter roast was best to make this coffee “really deliver” and it was roasted for 11 minutes @191 degrees and released 30 seconds after the first crack.

 

The name Paraiso is taken from the village at the centre of the local co-op and I really enjoyed this one from the first sip. Tasty and well balanced, the flavour is complex and it has a long aftertaste, a classic coffee. Gareth suggested trying it both black and with milk saying the addition of milk and its cooling down effect give a little extra length to its body. Not too keen on the milk. Maybe I’ ll get someone else to try it.

FANCY A CUP OF SIGRI A?

SIGRI A

No. Not a mis-spelling of Sangria. Not alcoholic at all, in fact.

Sigri A is the latest coffee I’ve received as a fully paid up member of the Robert Roberts Coffee Connoisseur Club and it comes all the way from the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea (pictured).

Was it worth the journey? Had my doubts when I read it was a fine and delicate coffee and also noticed the colour, which was quite light compared to most of the coffees I’ve known.

Gareth Scully, the Master Blender at Roberts, suggests it is ideal in the morning - when your palate “is a bit more open to taste”. He has a point. If you yourself are feeling a little “delicate” in the morning, then this is the one for you.

I have drunk it at other times also and have grown to like it, even though it is certainly no way near as strong as the Monsoon Malabar, last month’s selection.  Gareth suggests using milk but I never do. The Sigri is a really nice subtle coffee, well balanced and a fine finish indeed. No need for supports or disguises.

The artisan producers apparently take a little more time over the beans and Roberts went for a lighter roast here, 11 minutes at 189 degrees with the beans released 50 seconds after the first crack is heard. Nice choice Gareth and well handled.

This is the third in series. The first was a Brazilian Bruzzi. From where in their world will Mr Scully pull the next gem from?

MONSOON MALABAR

MONSOON MALABAR

Last summer, I saw some old tobacco sheds in the Dordogne, sheds where they can open the sides to allow in the sun and the drying wind. But, on the south west coast of India, they have sheds that are opened during the monsoon to allow the moist winds circulate around the coffee beans laid out on the floor.

The process, which includes raking and turning, goes on for 3 or 4 months and ,at the end ,the beans have swollen to twice their original size and have turned a pale golden colour. This is the coffee that Gareth Scully, Master Blender at long standing award winning Irish company Robert Roberts, has chosen for us, the members of their Coffee Connoisseur Club, for the month of February.

“To achieve the strong strength we felt would best suit the Monsoon Malabar, the beans were roasted for 11 minutes at 205 degrees, and  released one minute after the second crack is heard.”

As a result, the coffee is strong with a full body, a good deal stronger than the Bruzzi (the January choice). It is full of flavour, not really sweet but not too acidic either.

Important here, and indeed with most coffees, is to use water that has just gone off the boil. If you use boiling water, you’ll end up with a bitter taste. Patience, like that used by the Indian producers and the Dublin roasters, is required! To find out more, click here 

SAMBA ON A COLD MONDAY MORNING

COFFEE: BRAZILIAN BRUZZI 

Now it’s official: I am a