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Giles' Favourite Teas and Coffees
They say that events in one's early life influence your views and tastes in later life.
I was brought up on a farm, where everything was fresh and very little food arrived pre-packed; milk from our own cows, eggs from the chicken. However the food appreciation revolution, where wider choice is appreciated, had not yet happened for me, so when l met Mr. Dick Whittard in 1976, l had no taste for fine tea and coffee. Good strong English tea was it for me (definitely loose leaf - even then l recognised the 'lack of definition in tea bags'!). I was joining him as his accountant / book-keeper, not a trainee taster, so l wasn't ashamed to admit my philistine tastes!
My love of Darjeeling Tea
Working with someone who has an amazing palate for quality Darjeeling does however quickly begin to affect one's own taste. To be greeted with " try this, it's new season just arrived"; or during a tasting " this is good enough to swallow", soon had me seeking explanations of these new delights. My love for lightly brewed top quality Darjeeling grew from there. During a stressful afternoon, l will take just a pinch of leaves in a rice bowl, and frequently make it last for half an hour, by topping up with boiling water.
My love of Ceylon Tea
Dick Whittard's second favourite was Assam. "you'll need something stronger than Darjeeling for breakfast, try this" No matter how often l tried to get away from strong blends, and onto 'original' Assam, l was never happy. Then one happy autumn, we spent all our tea tasting sessions tasting Ceylon BOP. Oh joy! I found it clean, crisp, fresh tasting, and strong enough to take milk well. It didn't have the thick malty kick that so many people love, and l had been struggling with. Now l couldn't start my day without a medium strong Dimbula. I adore proper Orange Pekoe from Ceylon as well, but only during the afternoons as a change from Darjeeling.
My love of Oolong Tea
Serious Oolong is simply ethereal; it is meant for moments of quiet contemplation, of serious writing, of good conversation. In the 70's and 80's we had brilliant Formosa Peach Blossom - whole tips and bud, still intact having travelled half way round the world. I would have argued that this was absolutely unbeatable, until l discovered that there were a handful of China Oolongs that could surpass even them. So now it's Ti Kuan Ying Monkey Picked, Goddess of Mercy or Peach Blossom. If there was space l would quote Lu T'ung's poem on the seven cups of tea, written in the T'ang dynasty AD620-907. He certainly knew how to enjoy his tea.
My love of Guatemala Elephant Coffee
I learnt coffee roasting about three years after l had started tea tasting. Whittard is one of those rare companies that specialise in both tea and coffee. I still have vivid memories of the rumbling Whitmee roaster, which had a mind of its own, and seemed to sense when your back was turned! The most popular coffee in those days, was Kenya, which l found too bright. Next came Colombian which l certainly found smoothly richer for my morning coffee.
I knew therefore in which Continent my coffee affections lay- Central and South America. Indonesian was at that time too heavy for me. We stocked some excellent Guatemalan in those days, which had a very particular intensity, with amazing hints of black chocolate and honey. Then in the 80's it seemed to disappear, until happily l have rediscovered the taste in the over-sized Maragogype beans. A happy boy again!
My love of Pico Duarte, Dominican Republic Coffee
One is never too old to learn! In fact charging in like an inquisitive child can yield great results. I heard of Eduardo in the mid-90's through a friend visiting the Dominican Republic; his 'Reforestation Café' was regenerating life in the de-forested, low-employment interior hills by planting coffee. He was making serious investment - employing many villagers, rebuilding schools, laying water supply, even using an 'earth-mover' to lay roads.
What would his coffee be like? Would he sell me raw beans, or was he only interested in volume bulked trade coffee? Its simply the best 'island grown' l have tasted, with a magical Caribbean flavour - subtly sweet, gently nutty, and firmly smooth. It benefits from rich volcanic soil, clear mountain air, fresh regular rainfall. The secret 'island-grown' ingredient is the natural cloud cover to shade the bushes from the sun, and drench them daily. I buy the most superb hand-sorted raw bold beans exclusively from Eduardo, and am very happy to pay a good premium for such quality, care and most of all flavour.
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