Innocuous Exterior Hiding Gold
So as I am sure most of you who read my reviews regularly are well aware, (
Hi I'm Ben and) I am a coffee addict! (
Hi Ben). Some might say snob, (
some would even go as far as to say wanker) this doesn't phase me in the slightest. Coffee to me is like wine is to a sommelier, I have worked with coffee for 8 years and have been drinking it for as long. My real fascination with coffee started after I was working as a barista with Morgans Coffee. There I was taught how to properly make (
and drink) coffee. Overnight I went from being a skim flat white with two equals to a double macchiato neat. Needless to say, my coffee experience has left me, well, a snob.
Now enough about my qualifications in coffee-dom, Coffee Alchemy is an innocuous little hole in the wall cafe in Marrickville, that unless someone told you about, you firstly wouldn't be able to find it and secondly, wouldn't give it a second glance. But I will issue a warning before you try out this place -
ONCE YOU HAVE GONE HERE NO OTHER COFFEE WILL BE SATISFYING! (
I'm not joking!)
Address Chairs Piccolo Latte
As you approach the laboratory (
for lack of a better word, cafe doesn't quite cut it!) your senses are assaulted by the sweet smell of coffee roasting and the sounds of sweet cupping. You walk inside and you suddenly feel very calm, the whole interior has a minimalistic design and the staff working there are the epitome of serene (
to quote The Castle "Ah the serenity!"). It is amazing the difference it makes when the staff are doing everything calmly, deliberately and because they love what they are doing. From the barista to the cashier, everyone is calm and happy doing whatever task they specialise in perfectly.
Spirit Single Origin
Now perfect isn't a word that I throw around lightly, firstly because I for one believe that perfection is something that is near impossible to achieve (
i.e. only god is perfect). However, in the case of the coffee at Coffee Alchemy it is 10/10, 100%, perfect coffee. You can literally taste the love of the barista in every cup. I went and had my standard double macchiato of the house blend and it quite literally brought a smile to my face, I was instantly in love with everything and everyone. Since I lost my Alchemy-virginity I have told everyone who will listen just how great the coffee is.
The next time I went with Luca who takes sugar in her coffee (
barista's turn their noses up at this) and Ashley who doesn't really drink coffee (
2 sugars!) and they both had coffee with no sugar and loved it so much we got another round.
I would like to spend time describing each of the blends and single origins but they change every day and so in doing so would only serve as a form of self-flattery by virtue of showing how much I know about coffee.
Anyway, go and try it for yourself, I promise you will not be disappointed. Coffee is standardly priced ($3.50 - $4.00). If there is a lot of people it will take some time to get your coffee, but this again is due to the perfection of all the staff in their tasks, no one rushes anything!
We all know that Australia does some of the best espresso/milk coffee in the world. This is the best in Australia and so therefore possibly the best in the world. I have travelled far and wide and have never experienced coffee like this before!
"Coffee alchemists believe that coffee is the elixir of life and producing the many permutations of this liquid gold is their lifelong obsession.
First they gather the world's most precious Specialty beans to roast using secret profiles, and then the art of blending takes place through the process of cupping."
The Coffee Alchemists' Manifesto p.7
