Flat White - Starbucks Ireland

I've mentioned previously how I'm fond of the style of coffee served in Australia/New Zealand called the flat white. So when I heard a rumour that Starbucks in Ireland now serve a flattie I made a mental note to give it a try. I don't think I've been back to a Starbucks since I finished my coffee odyssey. (I never did write that one up...) Today though I managed to stop by. After buying a magazine - a title I've never read before - I went for a coffee.

The sign describes the drink as something like a dark and creamy coffee that is hand crafted especially for me. I also noticed that it is more expensive than a regular latte at €3.30. And smaller. But not in a mug.

I was served by a lovely young lady who, after hand crafting my drink, gave a small exclamation of delight when she saw the pattern that she had poured. Apparently she hadn't got that result before. I was pleased for here.

Taking my coffee to a comfy chair I sat down to enjoy this moment and browse through the magazine.

What a waste of money. It was absolute rubbish and I couldn't face finishing it. I'm talking about the magazine - Philosophy Now; I was intrigued by its front cover article relating to New Atheism, but it was nothing new.

Unfortunately after a couple of sips of the coffee I had exactly the same reaction to the drink. What a shame.

Coffee keeps me up at night

I've never had a problem with coffee keeping me awake at night. I guess I'm not one of those people who, like my wife, blame the cup of coffee they had at 2pm on the fact that they are so restless going to bed. No doubt that over the years I've probably built up some level of caffeine tolerance.

However, I have found that over the last few months coffee has been causing me to go to bed far too late - virtual coffee that is. I've really enjoyed discovering some great websites that are highlights in the world of coffee. One such site is the English coffee roaster Has Bean.

I've been receiving a few bags of coffee from Has Bean recently which are always a pleasure to get and an education to drink. (They'll ship to anywhere in the world). But one of the best features of the site is owner Steve Leighton's vlog, In My Mug. In it he describes a different coffee each week which is available to buy. The enthusiasm that Steve puts into his coffee is immense and very entertaining. So here's a taster of one of his vlogs as he describes a speciality coffee from Kenya....which I have just ordered.





By sheer coincidence I'm sure, you may have noticed the competition at the end of this video...I'll let you know if I win!

If you've never ordered freshly roasted coffee before then why not give Has Bean a try. It will take your coffee experience to a new level and may even sway the competition result ;-)


By the way, if you are "one of those people" Has Bean also roasts decaf. I just don't like to talk about that sort of thing very much.

Birthday Treat

I finished off work early today - well, it is my birthday - and my wife told me I had to go out for the afternoon while as she and the kids were going to make a "surprise" cake. I happily obliged and headed off to the Bald Barista.

I was hoping to catch up with Buzz and have a coffee with him. We were planning on brewing up some espresso beans he had just received which he described, in what I presume are professional terms, as *%&*!* amazing! Unfortunately he wasn't around so, following a quick double espresso, I headed off to my other favourite coffee location to see Colin at 3fe.

What I've been really liking about 3fe is that if a customer simply wants a cappuccino to go, that's fine. If another wants to stick around longer and talk coffee there's time for that too. Also, despite the name of the cafe (third floor espresso) they serve filter coffee as well. Only, this isn't filter coffee that is already sitting in a flask waiting for you to order it, this is filter coffee that is ground and brewed by the single cup. There are always a couple of coffees to choose from and they are never run-of-the-mill standard beans. Today I had the time (and excuse) to stay a while and have a few cups.

I had a Brazil coffee that had hints of hazelnut and chocolate and an incredible Ethiopian coffee with clearly palatable fruity notes of orange, red grape, and a very floral scent. I know this all sounds a bit poncey to anyone who thinks that coffee just tastes like coffee, but it really is amazing that you can discover these flavours in the cup. I've been enjoying it anyway.

But what was most fascinating was a coffee-type drink called Kilimanjaro Cascara. This is basically an infusion of dried coffee cherries, brewed much like you would a fruit tea. The coffee cherry is the usually discarded fruit that is wrapped around the seed which we have come to know and love as the coffee bean. Anyway, once brewed it makes for a deliciously syrupy-sweet, fruity drink...that also tastes like a mild coffee! It could also be served cold like an iced tea, but I'm not so sure about that. I don't like iced tea, though I'm told I haven't really had it served to me the proper way.

My coffee excursion ended with a double shot of Colin's seasonal espresso and I was off home (slightly shaking) to see what the family had been up to. I arrived to discover a cake from a single estate origin run by a young family in Dublin. On the nose there was a warm, pleasing aroma and I was looking forward to tasting this unique blend of flour, sugar and eggs. It had a soft mouthfeel with a sweet, decadent chocolate taste which was dominant on the plate. I definitely detected high notes of syrup and icing with a hint of sugar strands. I also discovered custardy tones running throughout. Superlative!