Introduction to Speciality Coffee for 1, Edinburgh

• Learn exactly what coffee is, where it comes from and how it goes from fruit seed to cup!
• Discover why speciality coffee is different
• Taste 6 different coffees during this 1 hour experience

Myself and my colleague Fiona were invited to this tasting experience, which we both gladly accepted as we are both highly addicted to coffee, but surprisingly know very little about it…

Upon arrival at the coffee shop we were warmly welcomed by the staff who showed us to the custom built Barista training room, where the atmosphere smelt of delicious roasted coffee. Our instructor for this experience was, rather impressively, a semi finalist in the Coffee Barista Championships and she clearly knew her trade exceptionally well!

She began by first giving us a brief insight into the world of Coffee; teaching us the difference between ‘Robusta’ and ‘Arabica’, the origins of different blends and production/ growing of coffee which gave us a better understanding for the experience ahead.

So then it was time for the tasting itself… We were handed two perfectly made black coffees which had originated from different parts of the world, upon tasting it was very apparent that both coffees couldn’t have been more different, one tasting like raspberry and chocolate with mellow and sweet notes whilst the other was woody, smoky and thick. I couldn’t believe that two coffees could taste so unlike each other!

After the first tasting, we were provided something very unusual, ‘coffee tea’ – which is created from the non-bean parts of the coffee plant, known as the ‘coffee cherry’. This tasted like nothing we’d had before and certainly nothing like coffee but was more like a watery, sweet, fragrant tea. It would be ideal for those with long days ahead of them as it actually holds more caffeine than the coffee itself! The different coffees kept arriving, with our Barista explaining everything you needed to know about that certain bean/ blend and brewing these masterpieces before your very eyes. We went back and forth from a coffee chart that had a huge selection of tastes and smells, with anything from flower blossom through to caramel. It was fascinating!

This experience was amazing and as well as giving us a great insight into the world of coffee, it was conducted in warm, informal and friendly manner, with extremely knowledgeable staff. It’s perfect for those wishing to extend their knowledge on coffee or for those who are interested in finding out more!