Although I prefer coffees from Latin America to African ones, I would not hesitate for a second to acknowledge the great tradition of African producers. Besides, according to the legend, it all began there, when a herder, Khalid, realised that his goats that had been snacking on the leaves of the coffee tree, would get through the night with barely any sleep.
The story is mentioned by William H. Ukers in his 1922 book «All about coffee», but though it sounds charming (as narrative fallacy always does) it’s most likely made up. Nevertheless, real or imaginary, Khalid left a lasting mark on modern coffee culture, judging by the number of cafés around the world that have been named after him (Kaldi is a common westernized version of the name). Even if Khalid did not ever exist by that or any other name, we would have to invent him, as we probably did, to avoid the grim prospect of coming to terms with drinking tea.
But I digress. What makes me a bit apprehensive with African coffees is that they generally have a particular kind of acidity, a bit too exotic, with an emphasis on the tropical fruit side of the spectrum. It’s not that I find it unpleasant, but I feel it overpowers the more earthy, chocolatey flavors, that I expect to find in the foreground. Of course, this is a personal, highly subjective impression, based in a relatively small sample of coffees. It’s enough to create a personal bias, though. But personal bias has its limits. So, in my last visit at the coffee roaster’s, I left Brazilian and Colombian favourites on the shelf and reached for a bag of Ugandan beans. After all, the dark chocolate and caramel flavors promised by the label, somehow dampened my fear of having to dump these beans, or use them to make a tiramisu.
The coffee
Umusale Chesogi comes from the Nakasongola district, that is better known for the beheading of 4 people that made the rounds in the world media last year. It’s a blend of two cultivars, SL28 and SL34. Both were developed in Kenya in the 1930s by the Scott Laboratories using selective breeding. That was a time when many countries were trying to develop more trees that would be more productive and at the same time resistant to diseases. Both of these cultivars were quite successful, and have been quite popular among African producers ever since. Note that although it’s a blend, it’s still a single origin coffee as the coffee trees which bore the fruit are cultivated in a single region.
The coffee beans have been dried using the wash process. This is the most commonly used method in Africa. In contrast to the natural process, the wash process involves separating the bean from the skin of the coffee cherry and rinsing it with water before leaving it to dry. The drying process impacts the taste profile of coffee in a number of ways, but above all else, it shapes its acidity. Actually it is said that the wash process is the best at bringing out the real character of the bean. Most important of all, it helps with consistency, which means reduced variation in the taste profile, all other things being equal.
Dialing in an espresso
I kept the dose constant at 21g. I realise that, by avoiding messing around with the dose I can take out a factor out of the extraction equation, but I also have a more controlled and clean extraction process. If I go over 21g, I end up with coffee grounds stuck in the shower. If I go under 21g, the puck after extraction becomes a soupy mess. In both cases cleaning the basket requires a lot more effort than a couple of taps on the knock-box, and a little rinse.
Weighing the beans before grinding them.
The coffee unraveled its virtues with little effort. This is important to note, as arriving to a recipe that works without wasting a good 1/3 of the beans, is definitely something to rejoice over. Tastewise, the sweetness and acidity were very balanced, and the burn of the fresh coffee at the back of the palate was there, with a bright intensity but pleasant. The finish was vibrant and transparent, fading out into a clean and light aftertaste.
First shot was just pulled.
| Grind setting (degrees) | 60 |
| Net weight of ground coffee (g) | 21 |
| Net weight of extracted liquid (g) | 27 |
| Brew temp (°C) | 93 |
| Brew time (s) | ~27 |
| Notes | A pleasant surprise. Sweetness and acidity in a great counterpoint; bright, clean finish |
In the subsequent experiments, I tried to reduce the flow by adjusting the grind size, hoping to bring out the taste profile of the coffee even more. However, the grind setting had a smaller effect on the flow than I expected. The coffee appeared to be quite insensitive to the grind adjustement compared to others. I found that I could reduce the flow by using the NSEW tamping technique but that barely benefited the quality of the extraction. I ended up with coffee being sprayed around, and an overextracted, more opaque espresso in the cup.
| Grind setting (degrees) | ~55 |
| Net weight of ground coffee (g) | 21 |
| Net weight of extracted liquid (g) | 27 |
| Brew temp (°C) | 93 |
| Brew time (s) | ~39 |
| Impression | Overextracted; apparently helping build up more resistance in the puck through compression created more problems than it solved. |
Spraying was the least of the problems here, but the only one that’s evident in the picture.
It is a well known fact that coffee beans are very sensitive to oxygen and they go stale quickly. Oxidisation is a gradual process, meaning that there is no point in time at which coffee goes from fresh to stale. Some coffees are more sensitive to oxidization than others, and require tuning the recipe on a daily basis, making the grind adjustment drift finer. This coffee is no exception. I had to adjust the grind setting every morning to keep the taste relatively constant. The grind adjustment thus drifted by about 3-5 degrees in a period of 4 days. The coffee still tasted great on the last day. The last shot I pulled was just as enjoyable as the first, no noticeable difference save the grind setting, and a rather uneven extraction due to a sloppily tamped puck. As soon as I noticed the unevenness, I started considering pouring the espresso into the sink or just throwing some ice to dampen the defect, but my plan B was abandoned as soon as took the first sip. The coffee still tasted great; it forgave my sloppy tamping and definitely gave me a reason to love it even more.
On the rocks
An iced coffee doesn’t and could never compete with a hot coffee. Low temperature makes it all but impossible to bring out the gamut of flavors of the raw material. You can’t really tell if a coffee is great if you’ve had it on ice. It’s like marvelling at a piece of art while observing it in the dark. Low temperatures are for the senses of olfaction and taste what low light conditions are for vision.
Unavoidably, for an iced coffee a big part of the flavor has to be sacrificed for the refreshing sensation that an iced drink brings about. That’s not to say that this sensation is necessarily inferior to flavor. It’s a great refuge for the hot days of the summer, and something to look forward to as days get longer and temperature rises. There’s nothing wrong about iced coffee, save that it makes bad coffee harder to distinguish, easier to drink, and thus, more profitable.
To make an iced espresso, I kept the settings from the previous extractions constant, only difference being that I paid more attention to the tamping in order to create an even, flat surface on the top of the puck. I also stopped the extraction at 30g of liquid, so that the drink lasts a bit longer. It’s still in ristetto territory, which most of the people would find too short. I personally detest the taste of watery coffee, so I’d rather sacrifice a couple of sips in order to get as much of the flavor as I can. After all, iced espresso should be exactly that, not espresso-flavored iced water.
| Grind setting (degrees) | 55 |
| Net weight of ground coffee (g) | 21 |
| Net weight of extracted liquid (g) | 30 |
| Brew temp (°C) | 93 |
| Brew time (s) | ~39 |
| Notes | Goes well with ice; the burn is still there and gives way to a pleasant acidity |
To summarize, Umusale Chsogi has been one of my best recent discoveries and makes me revise my slight bias in favour of american coffees. I start to miss it despite I have a bag of Sweet Blue (from Mina Gerais, Brazil) waiting for me.
Equipment used:
| Espresso machine | QM Alexia Evo |
| Grinder | Eureka Spezialita |
| Basket | VST ridgeless 22g |
| Tamper | Flat |
| Distributor | Belogia |
I bought the coffee at Handpickers’ roastery in Tavros, Athens.