KScarfeBeckett wrote:Perhaps 'notes of durian' would act as a useful catch-all descriptor?

LOL! (OT)
I must be only only cat this side of the planet who eats Durian.

I tried some durian wafer cookies once, but had to take the package out to the dumpster because the odor was making me feel ill. My youngest was asking about trying durian, I have to admit that I'm curious, but it would have to be in a setting where I could leave it behind me pretty easily.

yakster wrote:This morning she told me that the coffee I brewed yesterday, an old Indonesian Sulawesi Toraja (Celebes Kalossi) roasted to FC on Friday, tasted like dirt and a$$...

Ha! Well, a$$ and you shall receive (with a lighter roast on it), I guess...

The durian again?! I bought it frozen once and was impressed by the difference between how oddly rancid it smelled and how good it tasted. Almost too rich flavorwise. Never was able to sample durian fresh--I'd leap at the chance!

I've tried frozen and fresh.
Man, those seeds are funky.
Nothing worse than artificial durian flavor. Ignore durian candies and cookies - go for the real thing.

Just warn the neighbors first so they don't call 911 for a suspected gas leak....

I had a durian milkshake in Chicago's Chinatown several years ago. i like milkshakes, but not durian. i had to throw it out.

LOL... very funny... quick fyi... durian has the highest protein content in the plant kingdom - thousands of times better for you than protein shakes currently on the market. Controls inflammation (big time), inhibits blood clots, and gives up high doses of tryptophan.
Okay, enough OT from the herb nerd.

That high protein bit makes sense (thanks). Now thinking I should consider changing the thread title to "...when good coffee/fruit fails to impress..."

Good to know about durian's healthy benefits. Though I find eating it in quantity difficult.

It has occurred to me that the smell of ripe papaya has something vomitous about it, too.

Following a recent exchange with a friend I wonder whether it's easier to convey relative quality when comparing similars. I had prepared two stovetops, one with Starbucks dark 'espresso' roast, one with an 8-day-old Colombian medium-dark roast from my domestic oven, and poured them into four mugs. After comparing back and forth, I was told the Colombian was 'much more mellow', 'really nice' and 'less acidic, less burnt-tasting', and was surprised but gratified to see the Starbucks tipped down the drain. Then I was told that was why third-wave coffees really didn't appeal to my friend -- they are too acidic, aggressive.

Next step should be a High-Street chainstore espresso alongside a high-end roaster's comfort blend.

I wonder for how many converts to good coffee the 'conversion' is a long-drawn-out process of learning new flavours, for how many the result of a single taste revelation.

KScarfeBeckett wrote:It has occurred to me that the smell of ripe papaya has something vomitous about it, too.

Know what you mean. I like to cut papaya with lime juice.

Re: your last point, I'm more familiar with the "long, drawn-out process" here at home. Recently we had a minor "setback" in the sense that my wife preferred what I considered an inferior, way-past-peak Guatemala over a better, fresher one in a blind tasting. That's actually fine--more of the good stuff for me!--but I'm always curious about what tastes she'll find unusual enough in coffee to react negatively to.

It's the holidays. Lots of get-togethers with visiting friends and family. Time to revive this thread!

Lately, when making coffee for 3 people, I've been using a 34-oz. press. The coffee's been good but regarded as "too strong" by my wife and mother-in-law despite my downdosing, opening up the grind a little, etc. On a whim this morning I decided to get out my Kalita Style Set instead and just wing it using 40 g. of coffee to 600 g. of water over 3:30 or so. Well, I ended up with a carafe worth of somewhat overextracted coffee, most likely because I didn't coarsen up the grind enough. Boo. My son did brighten the mood by saying the coffee smelled like lemons though! It didn't, but it's the thought (and hint of a budding palate) that counts.

I'm still better at single-cup brewing than "batch" brewing. Need to nail down my Kalita 185 technique, as not everyone wants a metal-filtered cup.