Intelligentsia Agua Preta, Brazil

The Korean postman who rang my doorbell was probably wondering why I was so happy. If only he knew; it was because, among other things from the states, my sister sent me some coffee from Agua Preta, Brazil roasted by Intelligentsia. Nothing beats getting coffee from artisan roasteries back home. Even if it’s two weeks old by the time it gets here, it still tastes more interesting than most of the coffees I’ve tried here in Korea. I’m not sure if that’s because of better sourcing & access to the best coffees around the world, more subtle roasting expertise, or both?

Thanks to a suggestion from Intelligentisa barista Tyler M., I tried this as a single origin espresso today at Ecclesia cafe and it makes for a well rounded cup with nice body, chocolatey sweetness and pleasant acidity. I didn’t want to waste it–good coffee is precious here–so I didn’t have time to really fine tune the grind, but the several good shots I got reminded me a lot of the espresso flavor at Paul Basset’s cafe. Brewed in a pour-over filter, the taste was smooth milk chocolate, with an interesting floral note. I wish it was easier, and cheaper, to source good coffee here; it’d be fun to try different blends and single origin shots…

That reminds me, I need to write up the cafe next to my apartment that has ~8 dedicated espresso grinders and only serves single origin shots. That’s unique.