Fazenda Santa Inês (Monmouth Coffee Company)
Here's a story of my journey with Fazenda Santa Inês. It taught me a valuable lesson. We started on the wrong foot. All my fault, but I didn't know it at the time. I had to learn the hard way. Once I did, I understood what a gem Fazenda Santa Inês is. Let me explain.
Fazenda Santa Inês was the fourth coffee I tried after getting a new espresso machine. The first three did not wow me. Quite the opposite. I hoped that this one would taste better. It did not and finishing the 100g bag of it was a struggle. I was convinced that there was something wrong with it and bought another bag of different coffee from a different roaster. Much to my surprise that other coffee tasted awful. But why?
The espresso machine was brand new, the water was filtered, and the coffee was freshly ground and bought online from reputable roasters, Monmouth Coffee Company and Whittard's of Chelsea. I watched the scales, I tamped with passion, but coffee would not extract 1:2 inside the expected 25s-30s window. Pre-infusion didn't seem to help.
Those of you who had similar experiences in the past may now be staring disapprovingly at what I wrote above. I made the obvious beginner's mistake of not grinding my own coffee. It was not the roasters’ fault that they did not know what espresso machine I have. It was not the coffees' fault they under extracted. And it was nobody's fault they did not know what I was expecting. The fault was mine and only mine. I did not listen to good advice and thought I could skip the grinder step and just order ground coffee online. The problem is that the roasters have no idea what espresso machine I have, what basket I’m using, or what I expect. They err of the side of caution and grind coarser to be on the safe side.
In my defence I thought I could use coffee ground by somebody else, because I used to brew really good Aeropress coffee with coffee ground by the roaster. Espresso is different. Once I understood that simple truth, I bought a burr grinder capable of producing grinds fine enough to make espresso.
It has taken me a couple of weeks to return to Fazenda Santa Inês, but when I did it was a much better experience. I started with an 18g dose, ground at 3. The main note of caramel was definitely present from the first sip. If you like caramel, you will like this smooth, delicate first stage. If you do not care for it, you will not be offended, because over time, as you get closer to the finish caramel disappears and cocoa takes the stage. It is a special treat that you will want more of, especially after you realise how long it can linger in your mouth. It is good cocoa that you want to come back to. The good news is that you can have another cup sooner than you may have been expecting, because it doesn't hit you with a caffeine punch like traditional dark espressos often do. It is one of those few coffees that I can drink after 4:00pm.
Monmouth describe roast level as ‘dark’, but it is not the dark as night. It is all relative of course and if you approach Fazenda Santa Inês after you had a delicate light roast before your experience may differ.
If you want more of this coffee’s delicate cocoa flavour try 20g, grind size 2, very light tamping, and ratio of 1:2. While 18g will usually extract 36g of espresso in 30s (including 6s pre-infusion), 20g will take around 34s-36s to extract 40g of espresso, even with extremely light tamping.
MIXING WITH MILK
Milk is a tricky one. When this coffee reveals its cocoa flavour it makes for a delightful flat white or cappuccino. When the caramel takes centre stage, it seems to agree with milk less.
The lesson here is that specialty coffees can be fickle. If you treat them like any old coffee they will not respect you and you will not like them. Give them the attention they deserve and they will reward you in ways you did not expect.
Where to Buy
Fazenda Santa Inês comes from Brazil. I bought mine from the Monmouth Coffee Company's shop in Monmouth Street in London. You can order it online or buy from one of their shops.
Equipment
Coffee grinder: Sage (Breville) Smart Grinder Pro
Espresso machine: Sage (Breville) Bambino Plus