April 03, 2020
When it comes to buying, grading and roasting coffee, Lucy Ward has carved out an international reputation as quite the coffee legend, both in the local market and with growers all over the world. Regularly travelling to a wide range of producing countries, she landed from a buying trip just the day before we met up.
Lucy works with the best coffee producers in the world and her talent and respect for the process from step one is apparent by the deep, multi-year, personal connections she has made with growers in the best production regions.
With a drive to connect consumers closer to the coffee they are drinking, she is on a mission to help show the true craft behind making a good cup of coffee. Taking us through the meticulous training process for up and coming coffee professionals, we could see that Lucy’s passion for offering a specialty grade coffee is what has helped build her stellar reputation.
Lucy believes that every coffee has a home, just not necessarily hers… therefore with so many homes to surprise and delight this month, she has chosen a very special coffee, one that she personally carried every step of the way from crop to cup for our 3TT members.
Sensory Lab celebrates global diversity in iconic flavours, conditions and methods. This month’s feature is a wet-processed Ethiopian coffee that has a rich full bodied mouthfeel with a bright, soft finish.
We introduce “The Nardos” - named after the exporting group that owns the most well-established washing stations in the Sidamo region in Ethiopia. The Nardos Coffee Group has been exporting for three generations and has been a key influencer in the region, helping it to become one of the top Ethiopian destinations for speciality grade green supply. The coffee is a beautiful representation of this high-quality area in the fertile highlands of the Rift Valley.
For our filter bean this month, Sensory Lab turned their hand to a light roast that highlights the acidity and stone fruit flavours in the bean, while for the espresso roast, they opted for a medium roast finish which highlights the sugars and brings out notes of caramelised fruit to the final cup.
Lucy's Recommendations
Espresso
- Dose 18-21g
- Yield:42-45g
- Extraction Time: 26-28 seconds
Filter - V60/Drip
- 15g coffee (on the coarser side of a paper filter grind)
- 250g brew
- 50g bloom, allow 30 seconds before pouring in concentric circles from the centre, to the outside of the cone. Try and maintain a constant stream, and ensure that all ‘high and dry’ grounds are washed into the brew bed. Once reaching the desired weight, lift the cone gently from the decanter/mug, and give it a light tap on the rim of the vessel
- Target brew time 3 mins
“We were inspired to use this coffee for 3TT because not only is it an amazing example of Ethiopian coffee, Nardos is a group that reflects the same drive for success and quality as we do - and we have a huge amount of respect for their efforts and well-deserved reputation. This month’s coffee is one of my favourites of the year; sticky like the best kind of caramel, laced with delicate orange blossom and sweet acidity.”
We had the privilege of Lucy taking us through a full cupping experience with The Nardos roasts, and were awed by her pursuit for the perfect coffee. To our 3TT members, we invite you to take some time and appreciate this beautifully balanced coffee brought to you by an incredibly passionate master of coffee - Lucy Ward.
THANK YOU LUCY, THANK YOU SENSORY LAB.
KEEP IN TOUCH:
@sensory_lab
www.sensorylab.com.au
