29 June, 2017
Coaltown Coffee
A few weeks back I spent a fascinating few hours on a Basic Barista Course at Coaltown Coffee Roasters in Llandybie. Coaltown is a family run, award winning, small batch, speciality coffee roasters that is currently run from the family home. There are plans afoot for a purpose built live roastery to open in Ammanford in 2018. Here they will also conduct courses through the Coaltown Academy, take on apprentice Baristas and hold special events.
Roastmaster Gordon James took us through the first part of the course. This gave us an insight into the history and distribution of coffee. It covered all aspects of coffee production, from the farming and harvesting, to the different processing methods. We got an opportunity to see the roasting machinery and the roasting process was described to us. I found all of this completely fascinating – it definitely appealed to the Science Teacher in me! Although I have an interest in speciality coffee, I definitely learned a lot during this session. I was particularly interested to hear about the science of the roast process and how the flavour profiles of the beans vary by country. Gordon’s delivery was very informative and his passion for creating top quality coffee was apparent.
I have tried Coaltown coffee at the Ginhaus Deli in Llandeilo and The Little Man Coffee Co in Cardiff and can recommend both the coffee and these venues if you fancy trying it for yourself.
Coaltown’s first signature espresso blend is called Black Gold 3 which is a blend of Brazilian, Colombian and El Salvadorian Arabica beans. It has a rich chocolate and biscuit base, making it a firm favourite amongst customers. It even won 2 gold stars at the UK Great Taste 2014.
Another of their espresso blends is Pit Prop No 1. This is a blend of Nicaraguan, Guatemalan and Sumatran Arabica coffee. It has deep flavours of dark chocolate with a hint of tangy orange. This blend was developed for people who enjoy exploring new and unique flavours in coffee and was recommended to me for use with my home espresso machine.
They also sell a range of single origin coffees and current stock includes coffee from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda and Sumatra.
For more information and to purchase visit www.coaltowncoffee.co.uk
The farming, processing and roasting of the coffee beans is however not the full story. The intended flavour profiles are only achieved by an effective extraction or brew method and rely on the coffee beans being ground to the correct consistency. A skilled Barista will achieve this and these methods require a certain level of skill. Having recently purchased an Espresso machine myself, I can confirm that it is not as easy as it looks!!!
Gordon’s son Scott, who’s role at Coaltown is Sales and Marketing, took us through the theory and practice of the various brew methods. Firstly we looked at how to pull shots of espresso using an espresso machine. Espresso is prepared by pushing hot water through a layer of compacted ground coffee. Pulling a shot of espresso requires training and knowledge! I can vouch for that! I was able to pick Scott’s brains about steaming and texturing milk and how to produce latte art.
We then looked at ‘Pour Over’ methods, focussing on the use of Chemex. This is a slow and steady approach to coffee brewing and involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds. It is an example of brewing by percolation. As the water passes through the bed of coffee, flavour is extracted along the way.
Next up was the Aeropress. Something I had heard a lot about but never seen in action. This is a manual coffee making device. The method involves a few minutes of steeping, followed by pushing the brew through coffee grounds under pressure. The Aeropress is a cheap, durable and portable brewer which I fully intend to pack in my suitcase or Camper Van for use on future holidays! I will never have to suffer instant coffee on trips away again!!!
Following the course I have invested in a Chemex and an Aeropress and look forward to exploring these brew methods. I also intend to use my newly found knowledge to practice my latte art skills! Watch this space!
Thank you to Gordon and Scott for expanding my knowledge of speciality coffee! I look forward to the opening of the Coaltown Coffee Roastery in Ammanford next year and will definitely be visiting!
One thought on : 1
A very interesting and informative article. Your passion for coffee is infectious! Can’t wait for my next flat white!!