I bought a bag of Barako beans the last time I was in Manila and I finally had had the time to try this all-Pinoy coffee. The bag describes this coffee as "uniquely powerful, extremely flavorful, and is not an experience to be recommended for the delicate or particularly sensitive individual".
I opened the not-so-vacu-sealed-bag and did my usual first whiff of the roasted beans. Well, it STANK! Nevertheless, I was undaunted by the first challenge by this Barako, I proceeded to grind some beans. OOFFFF, this is not for the sensitive individual indeed! I knew that the most expensive coffee beans are plucked from some furry animal's poo, but this Barako was not that expensive but it sure did smell like it came from some barako animal! mamma mia... the kitchen stank like hell; good thing Chika was not yet home!
Ok,got over the 2nd test, now to brewing. I made sure my water did not reach boiling point like the coffee mavens say, and poured it slowly into my manual drip, and waited.
Finally, my first-ever cup of all-Pinoy coffee! GOOD!
There was this unusual pungent aroma that hovered above the known coffee smell but it was a smooth brew without sourness. An unforgettable first encounter with Barako, indeed!
By the way, the bag also says that every purchase of Barako coffee will contribute to the preservation of this Pinoy coffee tree. SUPPORT THE BARAKO! |
My ref color was a boring gray. 2 summers ago, my partner and I thought of painting it, making it look like a jeepney. The first idea was to use yellow and black then add more colorful details.
That was how it looked like. This summer, it took me and my partner 2 small cans of yellow house paint, white and black gesso, and 1 day to give our ref a makeover. 
