Jam
November 20th, 2008
We love it.
Neglection
November 4th, 2008
I know I havn’t been updating the blog as much as I used too, and I think that some people see that as a sign that I’m losing interest. That’s really not the case and I’m enjoying coffee and blogging as much as ever! I’ll admit that I havn’t been playing around as much lately and I’m not sure what the reasons are for this. But I assure you that in time you’ll be amazed by something that I do.
In light of the situation…
November 4th, 2008
…too much pressure leads to finer grinds and inaccurate taste.
Fancy that.
Matt
Toronto Coffee Exposure
October 28th, 2008
I have to start off by showing our review from City Bites this week. Of course I’m very happy with what was said about us, but….. I’ll discuss what I think afterwards.
Actually I’ll have to re-write this later as my friends are here and we are going for Breakfast.
I know reviewers are entitled to their own opinion, but Manic, Mercury and Dark Horse are awesome Cafes and their reviews in this magazine were ridiculous. Toronto media should be getting behind the independent cafes, not bashing them.
Matthew
Unexpected update and not your cup of coffee?
October 20th, 2008
I’m not sure if people realise this, but everything on this site is of my own opinion and something that I write in my own time and of my own free will. This blog is unofficially officially linked to Crema Coffee through the means of me working there and helps keep people updated through a web presence about the ongoing events at Crema. The official crema website is www.cremacoffee.ca and I have no idea what Geoff plans to do with that, but until I get bored of doing this, I’ll keep updating this when I want to.
So, with that clear and people possibly acknowledging the fact that this is me and not us, then I feel more free to state what I want and all feedback is referred back to me and my opinions and not the company.
I guess everything can be seen from many perspectives and thus judged based on ones own experiences. I hate gossip, but respect peoples opinions/criticisms/praises when they are thought out with some form of solid base. I personally feel that character adds to atmosphere and isn’t something that should be judged as a bad aspect of something. People may not be able to associate with that character/atmosphere and thus would indicate that maybe somewhere isn’t where one would wish to spend their time or money. Pretentious, smarmy, snotty, snarky are all indications of ones own judgement on somebodies character, outlook or maybe even social status, maybe. Are they also opinions expressed as a whole on the setting, rather than an individual? (I’m going to see how many times I can go off on a tangent here and still hold some relevance to a topic that has no body.) I guess my mind works different than other peoples and that would indicate that my outlook on everything is also different. I like the word “pretentious” (making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction, intended to attract notice and impress others), it’s a word that has no foundation in my way of life and makes my smile when the word is used about myself. Maybe people come across as being pretentious to people that are from a different social background? I’m from a working class family and way of life. I see anybody that thinks they are bigger, better and happier than myself, just because they earn more money or come from a higher social class than myself, as being pretentious. Is that not a perfect description of what pretentious is (making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction, intended to attract notice and impress others)? So, a universe where not everything is equal but still has an opposite, do people that have a higher social rank see me as being pretentious because I won’t bow down before them, show them that “deserved” respect, and thus give the impression of unjustified personal importance and stature?
I guess after reading this, you’d expect me to give some story or scenario of where I’ve be called something or other by somebody or something. But now after reading that sentence, you should know not to expect anything.
I work in a job that some people see as being a working’esque class (in this social era) job. I enjoy my job a lot and work my ass off to make myself as good at it as I can be. I’ve unexpectedly found myself in a world that I understand and can spin the world how I want because I control the variables. I’m a fantasy nerd and can happily refer to myself as a High Alchemist of the Red robed order, bringer of balance with unbiased outlook on good and bad, (coffee is a totally chemistry based world).
It’s who, not whom…. Different story for a different time.
The Canadian National Barista Championships is held this week on Tuesday and Wednesday in Montreal. I’ll be there in spirit and no doubt watching through Ustream. Here’s a list of whos competing:
Joel May
Chad Moss
Anthony Benda
Laura Perry
Tiffany Malley
Luke Spicer
Alex Tran
Kate Fraser
George Giannakos
JF Leduc
Jimmy Oneschuk
Sammy Piccolo
Spencer Viehweger
Phil Robertson
Jordan Myall
You may notice Sam James and Colter Jones missing from the list, they won’t be competing this year for their own reasons, hopefully they’ll be present again next year.
Lots of people keep asking if I’ll be competing next year and i can honestly say that i don’t know. I don’t really have a desire to stand in a room with all eyes and cameras on me, while I prepare drinks for a panel of judges and make small talk about whats going on. Infact, the whole scenario gives me the goosebumps. I have my comfort zones, and that’s certainly way way way out of it.
Another topic… El Salvador Miralvalle COE#24, yummy? Also new in is the Guatemala Oriente Tzampetey and samples of the Kenya Wahenya Estate Limited AA Auction Lot #1565 and Kenya Nyanja Estate AA Auction Lot #480, both from the Nairobi Coffee Exchange program.
I see 49th are all over the COE’s from El Salvador this year and I can’t wait to get the COE#1 La Ilusion in and the COE#3 El Porvenir. I wonder if 49th will be in for any of the other auctions this year, only Columbia (30th Oct auction) and Boliva (Nov 14th auction) to go with the Brazilian auction in january. The bolivia Chicaloma from 2007 was one of my favourites, so we will have to wait and see.
So thats enough of my ramblings and i hope people have read any of the relevant points on this entry, maybe I should have split it up into 2 entries?
Matthew
Bounce coffee coffee Bounce.
October 15th, 2008
Kenya Nyanja AA Estate. Auction lot #480
Kenya Wahenya Estate AA. Auction Lot #1565
Kenyan coffees from limited Nairobi Coffee Exchange.
Guatemala Oriente Tzampetey
El Salvador COE#24 Miralvalle
New coffees! I’ll let you know what I think when I crack them open and run them through the Clover or an Aeropress.
Matt
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