What I’m Brewing: El Salvador Finca Sandoca by Specialty Batch Coffee Roasters
El Salvador Finca Sandoca by Specialty Batch Coffee Roasters
Origin: El Salvador
Farm: Finca Sandoca
Process: 48H Anaerobic Natural
Altitude: 1,600 masl
Varietal: Orange Bourbon
Taste notes: Juicy Green Apple, Sweet Peach Tea & Lemonade with finishing notes of dried prune and maple glazed pralines.
My very first cup of specialty coffee was from Specialty Batch Coffee Roasters. The coffee definitely left a lasting impression. That’s why, many years later, I’m still on the specialty band wagon. Not that I’m complaining, it’s the best thing to ever happen to me.
Founded by Ryan Godinho in 2013, he is a man that plays many roles in this coffee business. He is the head roaster, green coffee buyer, barista trainer, and also handles quality control. See what I mean. Goals.
Their current roastery is in Al Quoz and you can only buy beans from here for now. They are opening doors to their new space at Port Rashid soon, and it’s going to be huge.
On World Espresso Day, I headed to Stomping Grounds to indulge on this delicious Piccolo. When my caffeine fix was sorted, I proceeded to the Specialty Batch Roastery to grab a bag of this El Salvador.
Some of you might know this, I have a mantra when I buy coffee i.e. Try before buy. Since I couldn’t try, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed either because the taste notes of Green Apple and caramel were reminiscent of an El Salvador I had some time back at The Lodge.
I couldn’t wait and since it was fresh out of the roast, I still attempted to brew it. Big mistake. Strong roasty notes, so I had to let the beans rest for a few more days. Truly makes a big difference. Expect primary notes of green apple and peach tea with some dry fruits like raisins added to the mix.
Ryan recommended I brew not too hot, he prefers using 88-90 degrees C. I went with a standard bloom of 60g for the first pour. Followed by only one slow continuous pour, all the way up to 300g targeting a total brew time of just under three minutes. The coffee bed weighs 20g and I have used 1:15 ratio.
