Gringo Nordic Coffee Roasters – Kenya AA Slopes of 8

This will be the second time I review Gringo Nordic Coffee Roasters. Last time I tried their Geisha coffee, it left me very satisfied with the roast and choice of coffee beans.

I’ve always had a soft spot for their design and I really like the squiggly background together with the simple logo. The coffee smells amazing and that might be because the coffee from Slopes of 8 always delivers, it’s one the better quality coffees from Kenya that I’ve tried.

First I’ll cup the coffee which means that I’ll try to find different flavors in the coffee. Just to give you as a reader a hint of understanding of what I go through. I’ll also write how to do a cupping. You can read that below:

When I do a cupping I do the following:

1) Grind 11 g coffee in a medium-coarse grind, I’ll remember the coffee’s fragrances now when it is dry to compare with the let grounds later.
2) Pour 180 g of water at a temperature of 93 degrees Celsius.
3) Let it sit for 4 minutes.
4) Stir 3 times and try to find as many scents.
5) Remove all foam that’s formed on the top.
6) Wait for 6 minutes so the coffee cools down and to let the coffee grounds fall down to the bottom, then I’ll take my first slurp with a deep spoon. The idea is that you will spray the coffee inside your mouth. That way you will be able to easily recognize the tones contained in the coffee.
7) Wait for 6 minutes and do the same procedure, the reason behind step 7 is that it’s the most optimal time for tasting coffee. If the coffee is still good after 12-15 minutes, then it is a high-quality coffee!

Cupping notes:
Sweet, lemony, not high in acidity and gives a very kind finish.

Information and recipe for the coffee:

Origin: Kenya
Variety: SL28, Ruiru 11, SL-34, Baitan
Producer: Slopes of 8
Region:  Kirinyaga
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1 700 – 1 950 masl.

Pour Over: 

20g coffee coarse grind
300g of filtered water
60g bloom 45 seconds
92 degrees Celsius

1) Pour 60g water for blooming for 45 seconds.
2) 45 seconds in, begin your second pour of 60g of water.
3) 1 minute and 30 seconds in,  begin your third pour of 60g of water.
4) 2 minutes and 15 seconds in,  begin your fourth pour of 60g of water.
5) 3 minutes in,  begin your fifth pour of 60g of water.
6) Stop the dripper at 3 minutes and 30 seconds

*Always rinse the paper filter with filtered hot water, don’t forget to wash the coffee server with clean water afterward, because the taste of the paper might linger.

Review:
The first impression is that this coffee is very mild, it’s nothing negative at all it’s just that I prefer much more acidic coffee when it’s from Kenya. You could adjust the brewing recipe to a higher amount of water in the first pour. But it’s not enough for me, I prefer a natural acidic coffee.

However, it might not be that acidic, but you can actually get it more acidic in a more natural taste by brewing it as a cold brew.

A solid cup of coffee from Gringo Nordic Coffee Roasters!

Rating: 6.5/10

The rating is only based on taste and quality and is not based on price.