The Coffeevine April 18 Box – Machhörndl

Part 1 for The Coffeevine April 18 box, in this post I’ll only write about the coffee from Machhörndl. In the previous post, you’ve been able to read about the coffee and also what I expect from the coffee. In this part, I’ll share my recipe for an awesome pour-over and Espro travel press as usual.

As I was cupping Machhörndl – Kenya Ngurueri AA, I felt that the description of the bag matched my opinion. The coffee has fresh tones that can be described as notes of apple and black- redcurrant, such as Machhörndl themselves noted. It definitely has a berry tone, I’m not so sure I agree with the tones of currant, I would probably be bold and say it’s rather blackberries than black- redcurrant.

I would also like to know how good this coffee would be with “fika”. I tried it with dark chocolate with sea salt. I understand that this can be a weird thing to try out, as almost all coffees are well matched with chocolate. But there are those who really don’t, and that may mean they are only preferred enjoyed on their own. For example: Do you like green tea with chocolate? I certainly do not. In this case, it was surprisingly good!

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, as shown in the picture below.
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:
Apple with notes of juicy blackberries.

Information and recipe for the coffee:

Origin: Kenya
Variety:  SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11, Batian
Farm: Smallholder Farmers
Region: Embu
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1 760 meters above sea level.

Pour Over:

17 g coffee (grind setting 21E at Baratza Sette 270, medium-coarse)
225 g filtered water
40 g blooming 30 seconds
91 degrees Celsius

1) 40g blooming for 30 seconds, stir with a bamboo stirrer to get all of the coffee wet.
2) 110 g of water in a circular flow (this including 40 g of water blooming). This including 30 seconds of blooming should be on in 1 minute and 40 seconds
3) 115 g of water in a circular route that ends with a flow (approx. 10-15 g) on edge. The total brewing time of 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

Espro Travel Press:

19g coffee (grind setting on 26B Baratza Sette 270)
284g of filtered water
94 degrees Celsius

1) After pouring both the coffee and the water, stir the coffee 10 times. I suggest you use a bamboo stirrer. Avoid sharp objects.
2) Screw the press and let steep for 4 minutes
3) Press slowly, if the press gets stuck, just lift the press and try again. It is normal.
4) Serve or seal the lid.

Review: In Monday’s post I wrote that my expectation was the following:
“First of all, it smells amazing! As for Kenyan coffee, this is the right taste profile for me. More acidity and freshness than deeper with more body. This is exciting to review!”

It easily belonged to the other side of the Kenyan coffee that I prefer. Very fresh and really good. The roast looks very even and the coffee can be brewed with more coffee beans to create a stronger cup without any side effects. The coffee is so acidic that when you take a glass of cold water afterward it will be a nice balanced taste. It sounds strange, but it makes the water really good and thirst cleansing.

The coffee is good, you can have it together with “fika” and/or breakfast. You can also make the coffee more aromatic by brewing it with your pour-over. An Espro-press gives you a downright good cup for all situations when you want coffee (breakfast/”fika”).

If you have an Espro and a Pour-Over … What should you choose to brew with? As I wrote above, you get a more balanced cup with the Espro, you also get a great result every time as it’s impossible to make mistakes. Do you want your cup to show a bit of aromatics, brew with a Hario V60 etc. It becomes more spicy, aromatic and nicer on its own. Machhörndl is definitely great at their job and I’m looking forward to trying something new from them.

The chocolate I ate was dark chocolate with sea salt.

Rating: 6.5/10

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