August 02, 2022
We’re keeping this Criteria Coffee party going this month by featuring two amazing roasts by up-and-coming Criteria roaster, Aleksandra (“Alex”) Karyczak, who’s originally from Poland – but now lives in Melbourne and roasting with the best of the best!
Before taking her interest in coffee further, Alex studied Environmental Engineering and enjoyed travelling and spending time in nature. She stumbled upon her love for coffee while exploring the world back in 2014. It was then that Alex came across a list entitled, 25 Coffee Shops Around the World You Have to See Before You Die that became a mythical sort of tour guide, perhaps a little like a Yellow Brick Road of the coffee world. Almost a decade after coming across ‘The List’, Alex has already visited half of those world famous coffee shops, and plans on taking on the rest soon.
When she finished up with her travels Alex decided to take a leap of faith and go after what she truly wanted, a career in the coffee industry and to become a roaster. She set down roots in Melbourne and joined the team over at Criteria Coffee this year. Alex has been roasting under Criteria’s founder and industry expert, Craig Simon, ever since, and hasn’t looked back.
The science involved with roasting coffee is one of the intricacies Alex is most interested in. How something so simple can simultaneously be so complex. Alex believes that roasting is the pinnacle of where science and coffee meet – giving the roaster the ability to unlock the true flavour profiles of the coffee.
"We should appreciate each cup of coffee! It’s travelled a long way to get to us with a whole bunch of people working hard to create this beautiful product."
– Aleksandra Karyczak, Roaster at Criteria Coffee
She is also amazed by the process of getting the coffee from where it’s grown to the bag. From farming, to producing, to roasting and finally brewing – the journey your coffee goes through before ending up in your cup is quite unbelievable. Alex is inspired by the coffee farmers who kick-off this process which in turn motivates her to handle green coffee with the utmost respect and care.
Enjoy this month’s featured roasts by a truly talented young-gun roaster for our friends over at Criteria Coffee. We can’t wait to see what Alex gets up to next!
Nyamugari Red Bourbon Fully Washed
FILTER COFFEE
Often overshadowed by coffee from their neighbour, Ethiopia, Burundi may be one of the lesser known coffee producing countries, but what it lacks in exposure it makes up for with exceptional quality and achieving high specialty coffee ratings. This month’s featured filter roast is an ode to the tiny country of Burundi. Enjoy sweet, juicy mouth feels packed with flavours such as butterscotch, apricot and raisins.
Coffee Origin:
Burundi
Tasting Notes:
Notes of butterscotch, apricot and raisins
Suggested Recipe for Filter
15g of coffee to 250g of water
50g bloom for 30 seconds
Slowly top up another 200g for 2:00-2:30 minutes
Espresso Blend
ESPRESSO COFFEE
Fully washed Nyamugari Red Bourbon coffee from Burundi blended with a Brazilian pulped natural, peaberry. Two distinct coffee regions come together for this month’s glorious blend. The richness of the chocolate paired with notes of apricot and raisins makes this go-to coffee perfect for pairing with milk or as a straight up espresso. Filled with comforting flavour notes, this coffee is brilliant for making a hot cup you can curl your hands around on a cold morning.
Coffee Origin:
Burundi and Brazil
Tasting Notes:
Notes of chocolate, apricot and raisins
Suggested Recipe for Espresso
In 22.5g
Out 40g
In 22-28 seconds