Just got the pound of Velton's Bonsai blend which I won in Wish List contest - thanks to Seattle Coffee Gear!

Anyone drink this highly rated blend regularly and/or otherwise have brewing recommendations from prior experience?

Jim, I found Bonsai comes into it's own day 6-7 and onward.
I can't be exact, but my close approximation would be around 200-201, but not overdosed.
In fact, I really enjoy singles, and with the single actually proportionately a bit more grind in the single basket than in the double, if that makes sense.

How do you know when it's on day 6-7? I don't think the bag I got from SCG is dated - are the bags he sounds out directly dated? In any event, my first couple of shots this morning were excellent, so I wonder if I'm already near the sweet spot.

I dropped Velton a note as well and he recommended a few quite different settings to try (which I will repost assuming he says it's ok), but I started, on his recommendation, pulling a full 2 oz. from a level dosed 20g LM triple. First shot was 25 seconds at 200.6, which was mellow and chocolatey with wheat/grassy herbal notes and just a little tang, and the second was 201.2ish for 22 seconds (need to tighten the grind a little I guess), which was a little sweeter and tangier but still quite mellow and creamy - this is truly excellent stuff. The crema is good sipped off, and running the shot into the blonde does not seem to hurt a bit, I think a lot of folks will find this versatile and user friendly.

Yep, I've let a slight bit of blond in as well. I just swirl.
Tight pulls really bring out the red color in the pull.
Try a single.

The single basket required a slightly looser grind than the triple, and the flavor profile seems a bit brighter for the same timing though I haven't done enough for a fair sample. Great either way, and tolerant of short or long pulls - two thumbs up!

Now to try the much higher temp Velton says he's been playing with lately...

JimWright wrote:The single basket required a slightly looser grind than the triple,

Interesting. Usually, my singles require a slighter finer grind. Maybe a grinder thing?
Or tamp pressures. I tamp lightly, about 10-12#'s with my Cremina.

Ah, yes, I go the full 30#, and perhaps it's a different basket style as well - the LM single tapers from the full 58mm to probably half that.

Hot dog! I have a pound of this, too, but no telling when it was roasted. By the outgassing I'm getting I think I opened the bag too soon. I was just so excited to have quality beans in the house, again. Money's been tight, and not much time for roasting my own, either, for several months.

Thanks for the prep notes. Maybe now I'll get it dialed in before the bag runs out.

I just finished off a bag this morning. Great stuff. very nice crema. I would guess the beans were 10-12 days old.

I wish he would stamp a roast date on the bag.

I finished my pound off over the holidays and while I enjoyed the flavor very much, my crema never tightened up even though the coffee had to have been a couple weeks post roast. Of course I never could dial it in just right, either, which is an issue with my equipment (nay, grinder) more than anything.