After my little rant in the previous newsletter about not reading, I took it upon myself to read every moment I got, every free time I had, especially every time I pulled out my phone to browse social media. It was a mindful approach to tackle this addiction of mindless scrolling but what really helped was this article by Rob Henderson.

Here are two Substacks I have read this week that got my attention:

Below Zero Beans

Do you know what the “Doomsday” Vault is?

It is where more than 900,000 varieties of food crops and their seeds are stored and kept safe in the event of a global catastrophe. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway serves as a backup storage unit for every unique seed that exists in the world.

There is a similar concept brewing in the freezers of Al Quoz, Dubai. While the vault focuses on the greater good of mankind, Below Zero Beans by Blacksmith Coffee Company aims to preserve some of the finest coffees that have undergone unique innovative processing from award-winning farms.

If that was not a mouthful, every brew out of the dozing chamber will definitely leave you with a mouth full of exceptional flavors and aromatics guaranteed. The benefits of freezing coffee at sub-zero temperatures is well researched; this form of preservation method slows down the aging process keeping those notes intact as if they were roasted days ago.

I really don’t need to express in words what Frederick Ruben brings to the table when it comes to brewing coffee, he was after all one the finalist in the 2023 UAE National Brewers Cup Championship. He brewed this beautiful Geisha from Mikava Coffee, and quite frankly I still can’t stop thinking about it. I am going to take a page out of Blacksmith’s playbook and employ freezing coffee at home. Especially now since I am all stocked up for a few months to come.

A Flavorful Symphony

Towards the end of last year, I had the ultimate coffee + pastry pairing experience at Blacksmith Coffee Company. I had covered three pairings — each coffee brewed differently and paired with a dessert that does not overshadow each other.

Until very recently, when I casually head to the roastery again and I try something new entirely.

Upcoming events

Let’s get the events out of the way, shall we? This is going to be a packed week but the theme is going to be the same — coffee tasting and cupping.

Auction Cupping in Dubai | M-Cultivo & Victoria Arduino

I believe this is the first of its kind in the UAE where 3 top producers from 3 origins are going to featured: Los Pirineos from El Salvador, La Hermosa from Guatemala and Gesha Village from Ethiopia. The event is open to the public and ideally should be attended by roasters who want to take advantage of sourcing some of the top lots from these producers.

Date: Wednesday, 3rd July 2024

Time: 5.30 PM - 7.30 PM

Venue: Victoria Arduino Experience Lab

Exploring Flavor Wheel Workshop | Irina Sharipova

Ever wondered how coffee professionals and Q Graders effectively assess flavors in a cup of coffee?

This is your chance to fine-tune your palate, explore flavors you haven’t experienced before, broaden your sensory vocabulary and much more. A truly value-packed event for coffee professionals of all skill levels. Join one of the largest flavor calibration events, hosted by Irina Sharipova.

Date: Saturday, 6th July 2024

Time: 12 PM - 3 PM

Fee: AED 180

Venue: Victoria Arduino Experience Lab

Message Irina to register for the event.

Coffee Journey | S3 Cafe & Kranti Coffee

Kranti Coffee is bringing an array of irresistibly delicious coffee at S3 Cafe later in the evening after Irina’s workshop. This is my agenda for Saturday. A deep dive of understanding flavors, tasting notes, exploring coffees from different origins and networking with the coffee community.

Date: Saturday, 6th July 2024

Time: 4 PM - 6 PM

Venue: S3 Cafe, RAK Creative Hub

What I am Brewing

Joy Ride by Cafe Tracer

After GoBrew, the ultimate portable pour over coffee solution, the folks at Ramble Beans released the Joy Ride in collaboration with Cafe Tracer. Coffees like this really hit the mark. You have an expectation and it delivers. A smooth sailor, a daily driver, call it what you want, you won’t able to fault it.

Cafe Tracer has done two things quite remarkable with Joy Ride:

One — a collaboration with Three Coffee I didn’t expect.

Two — this is a damn good coffee.

Now, I don’t ride motorcycles but I know the thrill of joyriding. Whether you are doing it solo to clear your mind or with your buddies to share the excitement, it leaves you content and you look forward to doing it again. I am not going to bore you with the tasting notes because it is more much than that. I love supporting new projects like this where a lot of thought has gone into building the brand and the products they are selling. You should too.

Ps. You can use the code — "TNFC_10" — at checkout to avail a 10% discount.

Kerehaklu Estate by Blue Tokai

Being an Indian, I have absolutely no idea about the specialty coffee scene in my own country. Without a doubt, Blue Tokai is one of the biggest names and also the fastest-growing most loved specialty coffee brand to come out of India.

The last time I had some of their coffee was during the World of Coffee Dubai 2022. It was an Anaerobic Natural processed Riverdale Estate Florals. I wasn’t accustomed to the kind of tasting notes coming out of India.

When the Cafficianados got me this little gem, I was more than excited. Two reasons. The first being similar choices when it comes to drinking coffee. Second being the Kerehaklu Estate. Both reasons are interchangeable depending on how you look at it.

For me, this washed coffee something you would want to reach for amongst other origins. It’s clean, forgiving on days when you have a sloppy pouring technique and quite simply a great cup of coffee. A coffee that I would probably purchase a couple of times without getting bored of it and that to me is the greatest compliment any cup of coffee will get.

India’s specialty coffee industry is becoming a force to be reckoned with. Specialty coffee roasteries and cafes are on the rise, UAE based baristas such as Sonam Sherpa are now using Indian Geishas to compete and quite frankly I can’t wait to head to India later this year to experience it for myself.

I’m excited for the coming week. Received The Coffeevine coffees for the month of June and the newest edition of Standart just came in. Looking forward to taste new coffees and do some fresh reading. I’ll report back on my Instagram, until then, take it easy.