The craft that fits in a cup

I don’t see coffee as just something to drink. It is a living agricultural product, and what I look for in the cup is the reflection of long months of patience — the work of people whose hands meet the soil on high slopes at the far end of the world.

That respect for farm labour is what this tasting journal rests on. When I hunt for the right water temperature, move the grinder a click at a time, or change brewing method halfway through a bag, the aim is always the same: to show the character of the land as transparently as the cup allows, without wasting what the farmer packed into the bean.

It is also why I keep away from flavours that have become ordinary and go after coffees that earn their keep — beans that do justice to their fermentation, to a carefully chosen variety, and to a roast that lets both come through.