I am a self appointed coffee tester ...

But my testing is limited to once or twice a day, (three times on a sociable day,) and is void of any skills. Although I was once a Food Technologist.

After a run of really bad Soya flat whites (Yes I used to drink coffee diluted with Soya milk, until one day I became frustrated by being considered as 'special needs' - which was true because I was very particular about all of the aspects of that coffee) brought on by having to have coffee elsewhere because of  the Christmas closure of The Lyttelton Coffee Company.  I decided to revert to the coffee of the Europeans.  The Espresso - so intense but colourful - a true test for a coffee maker as there is nothing to hide behind. There is no fluffy frothy cocoa covered mousse of a cappuccino, no trim, light, skinny, half, or low fat. There are no diluents. It is the pure extraction of the essence of coffee from  roasted beans.

Where s the enjoyment in almost just a sniff of coffee in the bottom of a cup?

Yes, but what a wonderful sniff it is. It has the scent of darkness. there is a whiff of the promise of a kick, and then the sweet brown smell of roasted beans.

It is in the purity and simplicity. It is in the intensity. It is not some crazy cocktail. It is Coffee!

What is my testing procedure? It is incredibly unscientific.

I drink it slowly and thoughtfully just as I would an aged scotch.

What am I testing for? I am testing for the need for another.

Coffee is not an addiction!

A Wedding

A couple of images from the wedding of Travis and Julie in Christchurch.

Travis and Julie

Julie

Travis and Julie

The wedding was at the Provincial Chambers in Christchurch on the 10th of January