Coffee.
Having had a stressful start to the day, and being Downtown, I decided to treat myself to some delicious coffee, and some food for my otherwise empty tummy. I headed straight to 21st St coffee shop, and got a vegan blueberry muffin and two double shots of espresso. First up, hurrah for them having a vegan option! I would say that my muffins are far superior, but still, it wasn't bad at all, and it's so nice to be catered for. Initially, I was only planning on having one shot of espresso, but I decided that whilst I was there I should make the most of the chance to taste some new things, and try to learn a bit more about coffee by talking to real people who know their stuff, rather than just reading about it.
First up was Intelligentsia's house blend, called Black Cat, and then once I'd expressed interest in delving a little deeper than just getting a hit of caffeine, it was suggested that I tried the single origin: Finca la Soledad, from Guatemala. I haven't quite figured out how to describe what I was tasting, but I definitely noticed that each shot gave me different sensations on different areas of my tongue. It was really nice to try them one after the other so as to better compare them and notice the differences, even though I can't quite articulate it.
I had a nice informative chat with the baristi, who suggested that in order to try and teach myself how to taste properly, I might try tasting various fruits and nuts in their purest forms (ie: unroasted, unsalted cashews, hazelnuts, etc), and making notes. They also suggested I take a look at a coffee flavour wheel. So, here it is:
Hopefully this will explain a little more why I'm developing an interest in coffee; it doesn't have to be a bitter drink made palatable with lots of milk, sugar and other flavourings!