Thursday, September 29, 2011

Bin 35 - Incredibly complex

It's been a while, so I thought I'd treat myself to a different blend, drumroll please .... Bin 35 Mountain Top Estate, and wow, talk about complex. This is an amazing bean and an amazing roast. Usually I set the grinder to super fine, then flex my guns to pack the powder down, but the Bin 35 would have none of those shenanigans. It took me a while to work out how best to treat it, but once I worked it out, I found a beauty not experienced before. I had to wind the grind back a full two stops (which isn't much really, but it felt like a holiday away), then gently using just the weight of the tamper to bring the powder to a smooth finish. No more. No less. The reward is a striking display of colour from a honeyed stream of the good stuff. It coats the cup like it coats your mouth, in a layer of joy. Bin 35 is not for those who just want to bang out a couple of coffees. It is subtle and smooth, and required delicate and precise handling to extract the best from the beans. This is going on my regular list from now on. 4 out of 5 stars. ****