A few weeks ago, we entered an enclave in the 3rd arrondissement (between boulevard Saint-Martin and rue de Turbigo) where the noise of the city fell away, automobile traffic was almost non-existent, and calmness reigned. There, we came upon Café Kitsuné, a handsome coffee shop on rue du Vertbois.
Before proceeding to the counter to order the espresso of the day, I took a photo of the shop’s Probat coffee roaster. From what I have heard, it is considered to be one of the finest coffee roasters made.
Tobias, who hails from Denmark, was at the counter. He was quite friendly and answered my questions about the coffee shop and the coffee.
I had hoped that the coffee shop would be serving a single-origin coffee, but one was not available. The espresso of the day, called Signature Blend, was a blend of 100% Arabica beans from Brazil and Guatemala.
The espresso was quite bitter to my taste. Nonetheless, I purchased a 250-gram bag of whole bean Signature Blend to take home. There were no technical details about the beans on the package, such as region of production, etc. At my request, Tobias indicated tasting notes on the package: chocolate, sweet spices, honey, and yellow peach.
Back home, I brewed espressos using my 9Barista stove-top espresso machine.
Every cup of espresso I brewed was just as bitter as the cup I tasted at the coffee shop. I was unable to detect the aromas and flavors that Tobias indicated on the package.
As my stock of beans ran low, I began to detect a slightly fruity, yet still unidentifiable, flavor in the coffee I brewed. I finally decided that what I was tasting was simply the flavor of coffee itself.
Café Kitsuné – Vertbois
30, rue du Vertbois
75003 Paris
