8 Rounds of Coffee @Boxwerk Munich

8 Rounds of Coffee -  Each with its own coffee theme.

Round 01 belonged to a question that is rarely discussed seriously in the specialty coffee world: Does milk ruin a good coffee? The answer we expected would have been a clear yes. The answer the evening produced was more nuanced.

A well-extracted espresso with whole milk is not a worse coffee. It is a different coffee. The milk does not simply mask flavors; it alters the texture, rounds off the acidity, and brings a sweetness into play that the coffee alone does not always possess. Whether that is desirable depends on the coffee. With a fruity, floral Ethiopian, you lose a lot. With a chocolaty Brazilian, you lose little and potentially gain something. The round ended without a winner. Just how this debate always ends.

Brewing methods, extraction, origin.

Round five was origin sparring: a naturally processed Brazilian with chocolate and nuts against an Ethiopian from the Guji zone, fruity, with a berry profile and big body. Both good. Both clearly viable. But hardly interchangeable. A Brazilian is an argument for the familiar, rich, and reliable. An Ethiopian is an argument for the complex, unexpected, and vibrant. The audience split. In equal parts.

Rounds six to eight dealt with extraction—with what happens when you pull the same bean for too short or too long, or grind it too coarse or too fine. This is the work behind every shot we serve in the café, which is invisible in the cup when it's done right. When it's not right, it's the only thing you taste.