Etapa 5: Back in Barcelona one more time (there'll be many more one more times' for this city)

La Perfumeria De Cafe, El Poblenou

El Poblenou, meaning New Village in Catalan is an extensive neighbourhood of Barcelona. Wide Streets, colourful houses from different epochs and quietly content atmosphere welcome you as though it’s always a Sunday morning. This area feels a world away from the towering blocks of Eixample and the narrow alleys of Ciutat Vella. This Barri (meaning Village) was once the Industrial epicentre of 19^th century Barcelona, earning the name ‘Manchester of Catalonia’- but today it’s a totally different vibe out there.

Old factories now house design studios, cultural centres, ateliers, film companies, technology firms and coffee shops. You’ll find these creative minds enjoying evening drinks on Rambla del Poblenou, away from touristy city centre. Life moves at a much slower pace here reflecting PURA VIDA: Pure Life.

My friend Fernando invited me for a coffee meeting in El Poblenou & mentioned that he has been passing by an interesting looking place for several weeks but did not enter there before. From the street side, the entire branding and exterior appeared to be more of an elegant Perfume Shop and less of a Coffee Shop. Once you step in you’ll get an idea why it’s named ‘La Perfumeria’ as you can instantly sense the nicest aromas of freshly ground coffees.

La Perfumería:not your regular perfume shop!

La Perfumería was born from the union of tradition and experience in the world of coffee with the idea of making our planet a more ethical, fair and sustainable place. That is why their coffees come directly from farms where it is harvested respecting the environment and the coffee seasons. Great example of ‘Bean to Cup’ in a very stylish and elegant ambience.

Their coffees come from Cafès Delsams that is linked to coffee for more than 70years. The tradition is present in the elaboration of its coffees, but without forgetting the innovation and incorporation of the knowledge of other cultures and different preparation systems.

What sets La Perfumeria apart is their unique roasting system. It’s a slow roasting method and is made only with materials for combustion such as oak wood from Montsec and the shell of the almond from Les Garrigues. 

Mexican Coffee:

Although Colombian coffee is one of the most well-known and much acclaimed coffee, Mexican coffee is surprisingly emerging as one of the best specialty coffees. All this thanks to the ideal climatic conditions for the plant and the cultivation methods.  Most Mexican specialty coffees are produced on small organic farms and the one we tasted comes from Finca Olotla, located in the town of Ixhuatlán. Here four hundred farmers from the Veracruz area work hard to obtain the best coffee cherries from their farms.

Each coffee bean here has been harvested, cleaned and left to soak for six hours, to then pulp a part of its natural cherry, leaving 45% of it in contact with the coffee beans. Next, the coffee is subjected to an aerobic fermentation of six more hours (Red Honey process), to stabilize the best fruit flavours before drying it completely.

• Country of origin: Mexico

• Producer: Finca Olotla

• Region: Ixhuatlán, Sanctuary of Veracruz, Mexico

• Process: Red Honey

• Variety: Red Bourbon

• Altitude : 1450 masl

• SCA score: 89/100

• Roasting point: Medium-Low

• Tasting Notes : Citrus fruits, cane sugar and orange