First Pour-Over @Tougo Coffee: Kuma Esmerelda Geisha

After a solid few days of drinking cappuccinos and really starting to enjoy them (the capp I had at Tougo a couple days ago with Handsome Dandy espresso was so good I almost high-fived the barista), I decided today was the day I'd try pour-over.  One, because I felt like I had sufficiently acquired a taste for coffee, and two because as much as I like cappuccinos, my goal has always been to appreciate coffee in its purest state.  So, I marched myself back to Tougo—which has kind of become my go-to spot, due to its friendly staff, mellow/inviting atmosphere, and the fact that I've liked the coffee there better than Stumptown, Victrola, or Caffe Vita so far—and decided to throw myself on the mercy of the barista for my first pour-over.

There were three single-origin brew-to-order coffees on offer today, and the one that was recommended was Kuma's Esmeralda Geisha, a light-roasted bean from Panama that is apparently very rare due to the variety's low yield and finickiness about growing conditions.  At $6 a cup, it was almost twice as expensive as the other offerings, but the barista offered me a "satisfaction or your money back" guarantee.  I figured I might as well splurge anyway, since it's my first time drinking something other than espresso.

Lighter than my usual tea!

The brewing process seemed elaborate and time-consuming, compared to espresso.  Tougo apparently uses the Clever Coffee Dripper for their pour-over, which is a device that combines infusion-style brewing with the standard cone-filter design, presumably offering the best of both worlds?  In any case, it took probably around 8 to 10 minutes for the barista to rinse the filter, grind the coffee, bloom the grounds, infuse, and then drip.  He had me smell the coffee at various stages, and it was very unlike any other coffee I've ever smelled before--the fresh grounds were light, bready, and reminiscent of Froot Loops cereal.  Not heavy and roasty and dark like I was expecting...so this is light-roast coffee!

For comparison: this is puerh as I make it

Indeed, the resulting cup resembled a black tea more than a typical cup of coffee—it was a translucent reddish-brown, significantly lighter than my usual puerh tea.  The aroma in the cup was nearly identical to the smell of the sweet wort of a dark homebrewed beer in the kettle (i.e. the beer before hops are added and before it is fermented).  I was kind of surprised by this, because it really did NOT smell like what I was expecting...it was instantly appealing to me, and annihilated the last traces of nervousness I had about trying it.

So, what did I think of the taste?  Frankly, I enjoyed the heck out of it.  I'd describe it as somewhere between a dry brown ale, a glass of merlot, and a Yunnan black tea.  It was extremely smooth, there was no trace of bitterness at all and only a very mild roast flavor, without any excessive acidity, but still with a clean grape-like sweetness that was well balanced by a mild citric brightness and some tannic woody structure reminiscent of tea.  The body was very light and tea-like.  As it cooled, a slightly tangy wine-like acidity became more prominent.  All in all it was delightfully complex, and reminiscent of many other taste experiences I typically enjoy.

However, I probably would have been happy with a smaller quantity; the carafe I was served filled my cup three times, and by the time I walked out of the shop I felt like I had just done a line of cocaine.  I mean I was seriously high, to the point where I felt like driving might have been a bad idea (thankfully I was on foot)!  It was more intense even than the double macchiato mentioned previously on this blog.  Even after a hearty lunch of Mexican food I was pretty blitzed.  So, note to self: when it comes to pour-over, 6 ounces is probably enough!

In any case, I found the flavor very enjoyable without any milk or sugar.  I reckon this coffee represents the exact opposite extreme of the spectrum from straight espresso.  I tried a sip of a fellow patron's Ritual (forget the exact name/source) and it had a slightly more pronounced bitterness but also a round pear-like sweetness that I quite liked as well, a little closer to what I imagined coffee to taste like but nevertheless very pleasant.  I am quite confident that if brewed the right way with the right beans and roast, black unsweetened coffee is something I can quite enjoy, provided I don't drink too much!  After sampling a few more varieties/roasts and brewing methods, I think I'll start brewing my own (although to be honest, the "coffee shop experience" is a big part of the appeal—I had a nice conversation with the barista and fellow patrons today, which was a nice plus).