Arpi wrote:I agree about the degree of the roast. I've had very dark roast right out of the roaster that had tons of 'alcohol' (whiskey nasal flavor) and it was very good. Next day everything was gone and the coffee went boring. On the other hand, light roasted coffee usually needs to rest for about a week to mellow the acidity. So, very fresh coffee can have that special gas (don't know the name) that can make a whole world difference in espresso. My best espresso shots have been with very fresh coffee (0-1 day post roast). On drip, the gas is not noticeable and beans are usually better after at least a 3 day rest.

0-1 day post roast? I've never had a good shot that soon. I get decent ones if I let the grinds sit for awhile before tamping.

I've tried many coffees right out of the roaster (~1 hour post roast) for testing purposes and some of those have been my most "exotic" flavored shots. Those that do very good right away don't do very good after a few days rest. And those that don't do good right away do better after rest. The "exotic" ones are very dynamic (from one day to the next everything changes) and have short life. Usually they are from Panama, Guatemala, and Ethiopia. But again, this is only in espresso.

Cheers

I've heard of some Yemen mohka's not even developing their flavor profile for the first 72 hours after roasting, and then there are some coffees that wither to nothing right out of the roaster... It all comes down to what you want, and your previous experiences with the coffee in question.

I did drink stale beans two years ago, and the shots were kinda tasty. But I wouldn't say they tasted better then the fresh coffee.
Also, lately I was able to get Woseba gourmet blends fresh (like in the beginning of October roasted in October for example, that means a few days post roast) and also not-so-fresh - like a month post roast. These are the kinds of blends that still taste good then, if you know how to handle them. But honestly they're better fresh.
As a side note, I'm amazed to discover them - really comfort blends, not boring, enjoyable, with character.
I like them.
I did taste some Tchibo some year or so ago, which was completely stale and such a dark roast I had to brew it on the lowest possible temp to get some other taste then the roast notes. Then I had blueberries and sweetness. But that's not what I'd recommend at all... I mean, who'd want to drink stuff like that?
With the SO coffees I don't have such experiences, they rather go flat...