For four decades I heated water to draw out coffee’s flavors. I varied the use of hot water through drip machines, espresso machines, pod machines, v60 cones, French presses and an AeroPress. I also varied the coffee, sampled from around the world. Nine days into an experiment, I have simplified. No more heat. No more machines. Only coffees from Costa Rica. This week I have moved to a third variety of coffee, and it is living up to its 87 cupping score. Tested against the Tarrazu and the House, both high quality blends of specialty coffee from two of the best growing regions in Costa Rica, the Reserve tastes like what its name implies.

While everyone must come to their own conclusion, for me the slow brew draws out that taste as well as any hot brew method. We have more blends, an espresso roast, and three single estates yet to be tested with the slow brew method, and I enjoy variation so I look forward to testing.  But once the Reserve stood out as the best of the first three, it got me thinking about how to use the remaining portions of the first two slow brew blends. And I took a path that will horrify purists, but I am happy to report on the result.

The recipe for this will follow soon, because I have been varying it slightly each of the last few days, but as you can see there is a head on it, and there is a golden hue.