Well, I haven’t posted much around here in a few weeks, so it’s high time I put something down. First off, PT’s current Ethiopian Sidama is really great. Imagine having a blueberry muffin in your coffee, then take that image and smell it. Then take away the strange cacophonous texture, and drink what’s left over. There you have a pretty amazing bean.
The only thing is, once you have an amazing bean, you have to keep working at making good coffee out of it. Some coffees let you get away with being a little off here or there. A slightly off grind won’t completely spoil the results. Some coffees however, let you know upfront that you can really do better. One whiff and you know that once you really get it right, you might just get frighteningly close to the grail shot.
The grail shot is the one that you will never be able to drink. It just isn’t possible on this side of eternity. It’s the one where the texture is smooth, yet full of body. It’s acidity is held in check by a sweetness that seems to undergird everything. It has a tiny sprinkle of bitterness, but in such a way that it adds savor to the whole shot, brings out its deeper undertones as the flavors progress. Once all that is in perfect harmony, you have a the grail shot.
But like I said, you won’t get it this side of eternity. Instead, you’ll get coffee like PT’s. You’ll smell it, and then you’ll immediately know in the back of your head that this coffee is just waiting for it’s chance to sing. You’ll try your best, but you will have in the back of your head these clearer and clearer images of just what this coffee could be. And the more you try to make of it, the more you’ll know that you’ve only just begun.
But when you do it right, you won’t be discouraged. You’ll keep trying, because, like an artist, you’ll know what lies hidden in the canvass.
But this evokes more questions. How strongly will I pursue the kingdom of God? Will I take the little images I get of it and store them up, treasure them for the time when they will come to pass? Will I keep at the tasks set before me, trying as much as I might to reveal that little bit of the kingdom that I see as possible in my daily life? Will I work to show that beauty to those around me? Will I work to see that in others around me?
Yes.