Address: 810 College Street
Neighbourhood: College Street, Little Portugal
(website, @litespressobar)
At LIT Espresso Bar on College there's an opportunity to discover the tastes and aromas of coffee through their informal coffee cupping sessions. Typically used for quality assurance, Alex (barista), was able to run through 4 different types of beans from renowned US-roasters Stumptown. Lit is the only cafe in Toronto to have a partnership with Stumptown, so it's an exclusive deal. A Good thing for sure.
On this day we cupped Hairbender (an espresso blend), Ethopian Yiragachaffe Tumticha, Ethopian Mordecofe organic, and a Guatemala Finca El Injerto Bourbon Varietal. Going from darker to lighter tasting profiles, we gave our taste buds a good workout. Different than when I was at Detour, but still fun to bounce descriptors off of others. The subtle flavours that we experienced when hot, became masked by the stronger acids as we tested during room temperatures. Being able to taste at different time frames allows the tasters to understand the breadth of the bean.We were able to taste earthy tones, citrusy brightness, musky "grandpa's den", balanced apricots, black teas and even light blueberry hints in our coffees. But don't let words inhibit your descriptions, as our taste buds engage all of our senses and memories to allow for a full experience. It's a great exercise to determine what types of coffee are your preference.
Stumptown Bean | Tasting Notes (Hot) | Tasting Notes (Room Temperature) |
Hairbender (secret blend) | chocolate, sweet citrus, caramel | deep earthy tones, chocolate |
Ethopian Yiragachaffe Tumticha | light airy pear, and blueberry/ blackberry | crisp black tea (reminds me on unsweetened ice tea), blueberries and a refreshing aftertaste |
Ethopian Mordecofe organic | mellow earthy-fruit (peach), floral, nutty, balanced | musky, buttery nut (cashew), fruit-like, but refreshing. |
Guatemala Finca El Injerto Bourbon Varietal | chocolate hints, faint lemon (not sour), and floral | light green tea, floral essence and light tea aftertaste |
LIT Espresso (810 College Street) holds a informal coffee cupping every Tuesday afternoon at 3pm.
please check on this video of the coffee cupping session with angle media group.
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