Reunion Island subscription reviews/tips/notes - Page 3

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baldheadracing (original poster)
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#21: Post by baldheadracing (original poster) »

mfogliet wrote:This bag has fantastic aroma of strawberry.

I'm enjoying the first drink made for myself; a long black 19g in to 37g out poured over 150 ml of water. The pull was faster than I was targeting (7s PI + 37s extraction) but the taste is almost prefect with plenty of sticky sweetness and just enough tart acidity to balance and make it interesting.
I haven't any amazing results with this coffee yet; the roast is a bit light/bright for straight pump espresso, yet the pourovers have been a bit underwhelming - just a faint glimmer of that tart acidity. However, Colombia isn't my favourite origin, and I'm not the biggest fan of 'honey' processed coffees either. Something like the long black's brew ratio sounds like it might work well with these beans - hmm, maybe I'll try some Turkish ...

ETA: The Turkish ended up pretty good, so I increased the brew ratio and temperature for pour-over. Today's pour-over was a 13.75:1 brew ratio (24g coffee; 330g water @ 205F). Essentially, this coffee appears to be a little harder to extract than previous months'.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

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redbone
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#22: Post by redbone »

Although I'm physically located close to Reunion I.C. I've signed up for a 3 month subscription. This may give me access to some enticing micro-lots.

I recently finished their Brazilian Boa Vista Valley region coffee. Makes a superb espresso and Americano base for those who like strong caramel tones with low brightness. Oddly this in not listed as an espresso coffee on their site.
Between order and chaos there is espresso.
Semper discens.


Rob
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baldheadracing (original poster)
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#23: Post by baldheadracing (original poster) »

redbone wrote:Although I'm physically located close to Reunion I.C. I've signed up for a 3 month subscription. This may give me access to some enticing micro-lots.
Great to hear - the more people tasting, the better!

One perk of the subscription is each month you get a code for 25% off a second bag that month. That would be great for you as you can pick up the bag and not have to pay shipping.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

chrisbodnarphoto
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#24: Post by chrisbodnarphoto replying to baldheadracing »

The 25% discount can be used for as much of that months coffee as you want within one order! I ordered 5lbs of the Colombian so received free shipping AND 25% off. :)

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baldheadracing (original poster)
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#25: Post by baldheadracing (original poster) »

baldheadracing wrote:April's coffee is Columbia Las Margaritas Red Honey from Reunion's "small lot" series.
- red bourbon;
- 1510-1700 masl, Cauca valley;
- honey process (pulped natural, more or less)
- my bag was roasted April 3.
Las Margaritas is one of the Granja La Esperanza farms; well-known for interesting micro-lots using various varietals and processing methods.

I'll get into this bag Easter weekend; I hope to read other's experiences first! :D

ETA: This is the same farm that produced the Royal Coffee Crown Jewel yellow bourbon that some H-B'ers are currently roasting: Las Margaritas Yellow Bourbon / Roast / Discuss / Enjoy
May's coffee is - the same coffee as last month - but washed instead of honey process. Roast colour looks to be a bit lighter than my memory of last month's, but that could be due to the process. My bag was roasted May 2, received May 4. The fragrance coming from the bag's valve is clean and sweet. I'll probably open the bag on Sunday (May 7).
chrisbodnarphoto wrote:The 25% discount can be used for as much of that months coffee as you want within one order! I ordered 5lbs of the Colombian so received free shipping AND 25% off. :)
Good to know, thanks - and you'll be able to compare the two processes!
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

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redbone
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#26: Post by redbone »

Found this at the door after work.

:D
Between order and chaos there is espresso.
Semper discens.


Rob
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baldheadracing (original poster)
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#27: Post by baldheadracing (original poster) »

So, with the coffee looking lighter, I went with pour-over to start. I've had a bunch of KONO-brewed cups but just switched back to V60 filters. (With the brew time held constant, the V60 takes a slightly finer grind than KONO.) The best KONO cups were those ground fine enough to have quite long brew times and be very close to tasting over-extracted - and perhaps thus with an after-taste of some astringency.

Not sure if I am getting "Mango, Golden Delicious Apple" flavours - perhaps because I've never had a golden delicious apple. (I live close to McIntosh country.) Mango ... nope, but I could taste some apple-like sweet/tartness. Definitely "Clean, Juicy, Delicate." I like this roast/washed process better than last month's honey process, but that is also my preference generally.
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

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#28: Post by baldheadracing (original poster) »

This month, the coffee is 'YirgZ' Ethiopia, again from Reunion's small-lot series:
- hierloom varietals;
- 1900-2100 metres;
- natural process;
- my bag roasted May 30, shipped June 2, received June 5 (because of the weekend).

Given the timing - six days post-roast - I brewed a V60 ROTT (Perger's method). To me, the cup had more of Reunion's description for the Washed ("Black Tea, Peach, Bergamot" - well, not the Peach bit) rather than the Natural (Blueberry, Strawberry). I am guessing that this coffee could be interesting as an espresso from a lower-pressure lever machine.

The Reunion Island description makes reference to "Keffa's Zero Defect sorting process, which takes 3 times longer than other coffees from this region." There is some interesting info on Keffa's website: http://www.keffacoffee.com/

I usually cull natural coffees. In my bag, there were a couple grams of semi-quakers (under-developed beans) and a few over-developed beans/bean fragments that looked like hitchhikers (beans left in the roaster from a previous roast, so roasted twice). (Some quakers/semi-quakers are typical of natural coffees. Whether it is worth the effort to remove such a small amount of them is debatable ...)

General information pdf on Ethiopian coffees written by Willem Boot, courtesy the American taxpayer - thank-you! https://bootcoffee.com/wp-content/uploa ... _Guide.pdf
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

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redbone
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#29: Post by redbone »

Just received. Will report on soon.




Edit: Definitely Bergamot black tea. Strong Blueberry.
I like the complexity and difference vs other coffee as it provides an exercise to the palette from most common coffee.
So far only tried as a drip in the Bonavita. Will try as a espresso soon.

Edit: Pulled as a espresso for me and Americano for wife.
The espresso shot is best described as juicy fruit. Wife did not like as drip but liked as Americano.

* This coffee seems very susceptible to water hardness. Tastes better with slightly harder water (90mg/L) vs soft <30 water.
Between order and chaos there is espresso.
Semper discens.


Rob
LMWDP #549

mfogliet
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#30: Post by mfogliet »

This coffee has been nothing but strawberry for me as Americano, straight espresso (18 i / 35 o) and aeropress.

My wife always tastes the blueberry in Ethiopian natural but I never can.

I had the Yirgz washed at a cafe last week. I'm hoping it will be next month's offering.