STORY

RED POISON COFFEE ROASTERS Tomomichi Morifuji roaster x barista Takayuki Ishitani “Esmeralda Special” cupping conversation!

 
This is a truly special project in which a micro-lot of Esmeralda Farm, which is synonymous with Panama Geisha , and its pinnacle brand "Esmeralda Special" will be roasted by one of Japan's leading roasters participating in CROWD ROASTER . This was achieved with CROWD ROASTER .

The third part of this project, "Esmeralda Special Geisha Natural Montaña 1SN", was roasted by Tomomichi Morifuji of RED POISON COFFEE ROASTERS , who pursues the finest cup of clear, fruity red and sweet. Mr. is.
 
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In order to tell you about this special Geisha and the charm of roasting by Mr. Morifuji , who operates the roasting machine he designed himself, we had a conversation with barista Takayuki Ishitani, a Japanese champion barista who serves as an advisor for CROWD ROASTER , and Mr. Tomomichi Morifuji will deliver.

We had a chat while cupping roasted coffee at RED POISON COFFEE ROASTERS .
 
Interviewer: CROWD ROASTER Hiroto Usukura

Impressions on cupping

 
 
 
 
Usukura : What is your impression of this "Esmeralda Special Geisha Natural Montaña 1SN"?

Morifuji : I think about what my customers think when they taste it, and I think this coffee would be recommended to everyone. It's easy to drink and sweet, with an apricot-like sweetness and a jasmine-like aftertaste.

Ishitani: I don't think it has that much of a grape flavor yet, it's more like a peach. First of all, it's thick and there's Shin Geisha . As time passes, the surrounding fruit scent slowly fades away, but Geisha remains in the core and continues for a long time.

I think this length is characteristic. It's interesting because it's not often that it's this long, and I think it probably depends on how you apply the fire.
 
 
Usukura : How has your impression changed since it cooled down?

Morifuji : I think the citrus flavor came out better.

Ishitani: That's right. The citrus flavor comes out, and this constant flavor is present even when it's warm, so it's also a strange feeling. It's thick, but it's still there when it's warm... Normally, I think it becomes quite thick and the flavor comes out after it cools down.

Morifuji : I think that the change in flavor due to temperature changes has a lot to do with how you drain the water. To make it consistently delicious, try to make it as uniform as possible. This is just a matter of imagination, but imagine that the center and outer part of the coffee bean are roasted to the same degree and drained at the same rate. I feel like the impression doesn't diminish even if it gets cold.

Ishitani: Other than that, it's easy to drink. It gives the impression of being completely wrapped up and soft, which I think is amazing.

Morifuji : That might be typical of our roasting process. We are thinking about our customers, so we want as many people as possible to say that our food is delicious. I'm starting to like how roasted it is and how easy it is to drink.

There are still some customers who don't like sour taste, but if we offer Geisha this time and say, ``Even though it's sour, it's a sweet, fruity, ripe sourness,'' I think their image of sourness will completely change. Masu.
 
 

Delicious roast to the last drop made possible by our original roaster

Usukura : As Ishitani-san mentioned, were you conscious of the long aftertaste with this roast?

Morifuji : Yes. I set the temperature to 206°C instead of the normal temperature of 208°C. Since it's natural, it's easy to create a fragrant flavor, but I thought about stopping the roasting early to maintain the citrus flavor and balance it out. Due to the citrus flavor, the combination of sweetness and citrus flavor continues until the aftertaste.

Usukura : Were there any parts that were difficult?

Morifuji : At first, I didn't know when to stop roasting.

Panama Geisha is hard and has a high water content, so if you don't drain it properly at the beginning, the water may not come out easily and the flavor may not develop. However, if you remove too much water, all the ingredients will be removed and the taste will become bland, so it is difficult to judge. That's why I feel that the characteristics of a restaurant can be found in the way the water is drained.

Ultimately, I want to make coffee that has a good texture, and I like coffee that is silky, smooth, and viscous.

I think the texture changes a lot by removing the water. Extract only the necessary parts at the necessary timing. I can't see everything numerically, so I'm just imagining it.
 
 
Usukura : Other roasters said that it was difficult to do this without changing their usual roasting methods.

Morifuji : That's right, I understand.

Our roaster has a low heat storage capacity. Roasting machines with higher heat storage properties will result in more stable roasting. But on the other hand, that means it's difficult to change things midway through. After all, I don't know what's best for each bean at all, so I thought it would be nice to have a roaster that would allow me to make corrections even if something went wrong during the process.

In that sense, when it comes to beans that are difficult to drain, such as when roasting for the first time, if you use a roaster with a high heat storage capacity, the initial heat will determine what happens. With this roaster, you can easily drop or raise the roaster if you think you've filled it too much, so it's easy to handle new beans.

Ishitani: Morifuji 's roasting machine is custom made, right?

Morifuji : This is my original. I roast 2 kg each time, but the maximum firepower is about 5 kg, so the maximum firepower is about twice the capacity, and the displacement is about that much. However, the heat can be made very small, and the exhaust can be subtly controlled, so you can create various flavors.

Usukura : I think the roasting method is different in winter and summer, but is there anything you should be careful about in summer?

Morifuji : Surprisingly, my roasting doesn't change that much even in the summer. I feel like I'm conscious of keeping the bottom temperature to a certain extent. However, there was a time when I had a hard time in the summer, and it was difficult to get rid of unnecessary water, so I couldn't drain it properly.

That's why I wanted a roaster that could be used regardless of spring, summer, fall, or winter. For example, to go to extremes, you can't tell a customer that it's not very tasty because it's summer (lol). In order to achieve the desired taste in any season, we have expanded the controllability of the roaster.
 

What is your impression of Esmeralda Special?

Usukura : What kind of image did you have of Esmeralda Farm?

Morifuji : For me, Esmeralda Farm's Geisha is also the standard for Panama Geisha . At Panama Geisha , we currently have Abu Coffee (farm)'s Most Anaerobic in our lineup.

Ishitani: I went to Abu in April, and I could really feel the color of the farmer.

Morifuji : Well, you went!

Usukura : I think all of Panama is wonderful, but do you have a favorite farm?

Ishitani: I can't decide on just one thing (lol). However, each farm owner has their own ideas when it comes to growing their fields, so it was great to be able to hear and see them.
 
 
Usukura : Is Panama more advanced than other countries?

Ishitani: Rather than implying progress, I get the impression that they are growing while coexisting well with the environment. Companies like Columbia are actively working on processing technology and research. Panamanian farm owners have made Geisha deeply rooted in their terroir, so I got the impression that they value that.

Usukura : Was there any difference between Geisha at Esmeralda Farm and the regular Geisha ?

Morifuji : I think it's naturally sweet and full-bodied, so I decided to stop roasting it earlier this time because I thought it would be nice to bring out a little bit of citrus. He was the type of player who didn't mind short development. I tend to think that washed hair is short and natural hair should be worn depending on the situation, but this time I was surprised that it was short even though it was natural.

Usukura : I guess this is just a guess, but why was it good that it was short?

Morifuji : At Panama Geisha , we felt that we had to drain the water properly, and it seemed like the water was draining surprisingly quickly. Development: The taste is complete even if you don't add much. The sooner you drain the water, the more development will begin before the first goby arrives. I think that's why I finished it early.

Morifuji 's goal is to create a coffee that many people will find delicious.

Usukura : Mr. Ishitani, you have also tasted other roasters' Esmeralda specials for this project, but what was impressive about this one?

Ishitani: It gives the impression that the texture is smooth. There are citrus fruits all around, but there is Geisha inside Shin . Also, it's like syrup. However, it's not very heavy, so it has a strange texture. Even people who don't like sour tastes can drink it, and even people who like bitter taste can enjoy it. It's refreshing, but the aftertaste is long, giving it a satisfying feel, so you can feel like you've just drunk coffee.

What you said earlier, ``Many people think it's delicious,'' is what makes this coffee so appealing. It's rich but easy to drink, beautiful but solid... That's why I'm so busy in my head (lol).
 
 
Morifuji : What Mr. Ishitani said is also what I'm aiming for, and I want everyone to enjoy something wonderful as much as possible, and to think that coffee is delicious.

Since it's summer, I wanted to have a citrus flavor, but also a strong sweetness, so I thought about how to balance that as I proceeded. I also have various desires within myself, such as wanting people who are drinking light roast for the first time to find it delicious.

Usukura : That kind of thinking is important, isn't it?

Morifuji : Our roasting methods have changed a lot since we opened this shop five years ago. However, the taste we are aiming for is the same. After all, I'm wondering what kind of approach is best for achieving the greedy ideals I just mentioned.
 
 
Usukura : Was there anything that led you to aim for the ideal taste, such as a melty texture?

Morifuji : Basically, I'm not good at communication, but I subconsciously aim to create coffee that can be communicated even if I don't have to say anything. Because I have unusual tastes, people sometimes shun me, so even more so, I want to be a kind person (lol).

I originally worked in design, but this is the first shop I created 100% based on my hobbies. However, there are some people who see things on Instagram and are scared to come, so I want to tell them over coffee that it's not like that (lol).

Usukura : That's a nice gap (lol).
 

What is the recommended extraction method?

Morifuji : I think it will be easy to drink and delicious no matter how you brew it. Originally, since we only sold by mail order, we aimed to make sure that no matter how you brewed it, it would have the same flavor.

Ishitani: My impression is that it will be delicious no matter how you brew it. After all, the texture is really good and no matter how you brew it, it's still sticky, so I think the flavor that comes out will vary a little, but I think it'll be delicious.

When extracting, I also place the most importance on the texture when preparing the base, and I think that today's flavor is fine after creating the texture. Coffee with a good texture is easy to brew, and it's also worth brewing. From the first sip today, I thought this was easy to extract.
 
 
Morifuji : When we serve it at the store, we use an immersion-type dripper called a clever dripper, but in order to ensure that you can enjoy the pure default taste, we intentionally use an extraction method that follows the cupping protocol. I don't make flavors.

It's a shame that if you force it to be brewed this way, the ways you can enjoy it are limited, and in some cases, it won't taste as good if you don't brew it that way. No matter how you brew it, you want it to taste as good as it is, and whether it's with a filter, French press, or espresso, I think it's easier to brew if the beans are properly prepared.

I want to roast my own coffee beans

Usukura : Are there any brands or farms you would like to try baking in the future?

Morifuji : This may be an extreme thing, but what I want to bake the most is coffee that I grew myself.
Putting aside the question of whether the beans are delicious or not, I harvest them myself at the farm, select them myself, and bake the green beans myself. It has become possible to make coffee domestically, and I hope to be able to do so in the future.
 
 
Usukura : What made you want to make everything yourself?

Morifuji : I've always loved making things, from architecture to small things like jewelry, but it was when I went to art school that I chose jewelry. There was a part of me that wanted to experience making one thing by myself from 1 to 10.

Usukura : I think there are many people who want to try it but can't take action.

Morifuji : I believe that you can only learn from failure, and I like failing a lot. What I thought was a failure turned out to be the seeds of success, and that's how I got hooked on coffee. I am also self-taught in roasting, so I failed many times.

Usukura : It's trial and error.

Morifuji : You won't know until you try it. I think you just have to try it and experience it for yourself.

Ishitani: There are many aspects of extraction that you won't understand until you try it. I will also do my best through trial and error (lol)
 

Ishitani: Today I was able to hear about Morifuji 's philosophy on roasting and what he wanted to convey to customers, and he seemed to have a very soft personality, which was reflected in the cup. It might be a little scary if you don't know anything about it (lol), but I really sympathized with their desire to deliver delicious food to customers. It was a good experience.
 

 
Morifuji roasted this "Esmeralda Special Geisha Natural Montaña 1SN" to find the ideal texture. This is a coffee that you can enjoy with the sweetness unique to Esmeralda Geisha Natural, a flavor reminiscent of jasmine, and a silky texture to the last drop.

If you are talking about Geisha , you should try this gem of Esmeralda Geisha at least once. Experience the scent and taste that will change your life.