If you are a coffee lover, then you can’t miss the number one coffee of 2014, the Ironman Camilina Geisha. The beans are grown in western Panama, and roasted by Klatch Coffee in Los Angeles. But that isn’t what makes it great. What makes it great is that it is “beautifully structured and almost impossibly intricate in flavor and aroma. The fruit sensation is so deep and so complex that one could find almost any note in it…Rich, lyric acidity; syrupy but buoyant mouthfeel.” What makes it not-so-great is the price per cup: a mere $49.95 will get you an 8-ounce pour of this delectable Geisha!
Although not many can afford (or even want) to drop that much money on a cup of coffee, no matter how sublime, research studies show that coffee consumption in America is on the rise. Coffee is the beverage of choice, over soda and teas, for many Americans—in fact, over 60% of adults in the United States report drinking coffee daily. And it doesn’t appear that this will change any time soon, as interest in other energy-inducing beverages is waning with reports of their adverse health repercussions. So how can coffee aficionados get a great cup of coffee without spending a fortune? One way is to embrace the up-and-coming “flat white” coffee, an Australian invention that has finally made its way to America.
The flat white is, generally speaking, a coffee beverage consisting of coffee, milk, and foam. What separates this drink from the others with the same ingredients (think cappuccino, latte, cortado) is the method of preparation. The flat white is a smaller beverage with a higher proportion of coffee to milk than other traditional drinks. The milk is steamed to a cooler temperature, allowing it to retain the fats and proteins and thus retaining a sweeter flavor than what one would normally find in customary coffee-house offerings. The froth, a velvety “microfoam” with a silky texture, is then carefully folded into the espresso. The result (besides the signature white dot in the cup) is an artistically crafted, smooth, decadent cup of coffee, richer and tastier than a cappuccino or latte, and for a fraction of the price of a cup of the elitist Geisha from Panama.
I’ve tried a flat white coffee and found it to be worth the hype that surrounds it. Have you tried it yet?
