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Monday, November 12, 2012

Theorem: Decaf Menu (Nov. 8, 2012)!

Hi everybody! Back again with yet another review of my favorite coffee experience Theorem! I am sure you have read the other reviews for my past experiences here so off to just the review. You will find the info regarding the use of electronic devices and how to make reservations below!
I noticed that Theorem has started to post the menu's of both their craft service as well as their open bar. You can find this on the outside of Theorem as well on their instagram page. If you still want to keep it a mystery, please fight the urge to see what's on the menu for that week!

Below is the link to Theorem's Instagram web viewer:
http://web.stagram.com/n/theorempcl/

This time the menu centered around Decaf! I know I know, I was like, "Decaf?" I wasn't sure but as always, I place my faith in Truman! Truman took us through why decaf is usually a pretty lousy cup of coffee.The process requires not only twice as much coffee but is quite expensive to produce. So, most growers do not use their best coffee beans to make decaffeinated coffee with. Hence, the bad cup of coffee.

But moving onward and to our first drink of the evening. It was a GCE, which stands for green coffee extract. Now what is green coffee extract? Well, it is simply unroasted coffee beans. Coffee beans are actually green seeds inside a bright red berry. Roasting them turns the seeds brown and creates the characteristic aroma and flavor coffee lovers crave. Instead they’re soaked and then concentrated to create the extract. Truman said that this first drink is either a hit or a miss. I actually loved it. It reminded me of a mix between green beans and green tea. I found it to be smooth on the palate and actually quite soothing like a nice hot cup of tea.

The second drink was a Clever Dripper names after the device that would be brewing our cup of decaf coffee.  Take a look at the Clever Dripper below. Once again it is another one of those great devices to brew a great cup of coffee!
The Clever Dripper marries the principles of immersion brewing—or steeping like a French Press—with the principles of extraction. By pouring water over the grounds into a conical brewer which suspends the immersion until you release the coffee over a cup. The combination of pourover extraction style and the longer contact of grounds-within-water that the Clever mixes together produces a very well-balanced cup with beautiful body and delicate flavor.

Truman combined both Ethiopian and Kenyan decaf into the Clever Dripper and produced a cup of coffee that I would challenge anyone to tell me that it was decaf. An unbelievably smooth cup of coffee. The Clever Dripper filters all of the silt from the coffee grounds leaving a smooth cup of coffee!

The third drink ws a set of drinks called the 1 & 1. Truman called this one of his favorite drinks. It was a great way to experience the same cup of coffee in two entirely different ways. The first one he made as an Italiano, so basically just coffee and water. It was high in acidity which made it bitter but I liked it. The second was a cappuccino. The milk really cut down the level of acidity leaving a nice smooth taste. So cool to have such a stark contract between the same cup of coffee.

The last drink was the one I have heard so much about and could have this every single day! The long awaited Affogato! This is a combination of vanilla bean ice cream with a shot of hot espresso! What makes this impressive is the way that Truman makes the vanilla bean ice cream! He combines the ice cream ingredients with liquid nitrogen! This not only provides an awesomely smoky show but produces the smoothest ice cream I have ever tasted!

So, thank you to Truman once again for his continued passion to provide people with the finest tasting coffee in the world. I see decaf coffee in a whole new light now!

If you are in the Costa Mesa area and want to experience Theorem for yourself, check out their web site below:
http://www.portolacoffeelab.com/theorem

The craft service experience is only available Wednesday through Sunday. Remember it is reservation only and only seats six. Also please keep in mind that all electronic devices may not be used during the experience.

Portola Coffee Lab
The OC Mart Mix
3313 Hyland Ave

Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(949) 284-0596

2 comments:

  1. It sounds heavenly! Excellent writting once again. I could almost taste that cappuccino. And i love a good cappuccino. May have to splurge and stop by a coffee house soon. Wishing I was in tour neck of the woods so I could try your coffee house.
    Sam James

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Sam! I am a huge coffee fan thanks to Portola Coffee Lab and Theorem!

    ReplyDelete