I may be ordering again from Cimarron Coffee--the Courthouse. From what I remember, it was syrupy, fruity & darker chocolate once I got the temp. where I liked it. Can anyone tell me if they have tried any other blend on their website they used in cappuccinos/espresso? Thanks.

i don't think i have the taste-to-vocabulary part down yet but i really enjoyed the Peru - Calca Reserve
https://www.cimarronroasters.com/collec ... ucts/calca

While none of the tasting notes really popped, it made a slightly fruity but quite sweet espresso. i typically had it in a 5oz flat white or occasional cortado and found it pretty forgiving of my lower-end setup.

Thanks. I should be getting my order very soon, can't wait to try it.

Would love to hear a follow-up once you've had a chance to try it.

Thanks for posting about this. Just ordered a kg of courthouse to test as espresso.

Anyone have brew tips for this bean?

My machines are being fussy. I opened Courthouse today. From the one time before I ordered it--I realized my temp. can't be higher than 197° or I lose a lot of the depth of flavors. Syrupy, chocolate. I had some grief first day. It is 8 days post roast. I never usually have to futz with my grinder settings, but according to when I tried this many months ago, I had a "recipe" for 197° at 7 day post roast, 17grams, out 25 seconds. This time (maybe the weather making my machines act up), but I count from FIRST drip out of my espresso machine, and at 17g, first drip wasn't until 15 seconds. So next shot, did 16.2g & same thing--first drip--15 sec. Then I loosened the grinder up, made it a little bit coarser, and did 15.2g. It still took 10 seconds before first drip & started to flow to fast for my liking in the middle of the shot. So I tightened the grind back up.
It still ended up tasting good, but have to play with it more tomorrow. I like first drip to come out anywhere between 6-8 seconds and a slow flow (not really slow, but slower).

Finished one of the Courthouse bags. It was fussy (on my setup??). Example, 95% of the blends I order--the setting on my grinder works perfectly, and the grams of beans I use are typically anywhere from 16g to 19g. With Courthouse, it started at 8-day post roast with 15 seconds to the first drip (I have always done 'to the first drip', works for me. Very good at 5-11 seconds to first drip, more seconds than the 11, starts to be bitter, less seconds than the 5, starts to be sour). So at 15 seconds to the first drip and 17g of beans, too bitter. Bottom line is at the end of the bag which lasted me a week (including the 4 doubles shots that I dumped), I was still at 11 seconds to the first drip & at 15g of beans.

I did try loosening the grind, but what happened was it only gave me 9 seconds to the first drip, but ran too fast for my liking & looked a little too light--so I dumped that shot.

I tried their Chimney Rock (a darker roast) today (14 days post roast), 15.3g, coarsened my grind, and first drip was at 12 seconds, but ran a little faster & lighter. I thought....I'm not dumping this shot cuz in the shotglass, it looked darker with a nice amount of crema. Drank as my normal cappuccino with about 5oz. of steamed milk, it had a nice bittersweet choc. flavor. The beans were a tad oily, so don't know if I would order this one again. Don't know if this makes any sense.

A few things to keep in mind... there will always be some variation bag-bag, season-season with any coffee from any roaster. What seemingly worked months ago might be a waste to try replicating now due to changes out of your control (coffee itself, weather, your sense of taste/expectations). Personally wouldn't get too caught up in expecting things to go a certain way with 1st drop out, that sort of thing as that will vary quite often regardless of changes made as some coffees just won't dial in the way you want. Often those extractions that are seemingly 'way out there' can be the most awesome you may ever have, just never know.

Also, it never hurts to try a shot regardless of the way it looks/behaves... call me old school, but I RARELY toss an extraction as I just respect the coffee and what's involved from tree-cup far too much. Even if it's way off our normal we can all learn something from that and helps to make tweaks for the next extraction. Using any batch under any circumstance also gives me feedback on the next batch I roast, but that's another involved topic altogether.

I would say doing the "first drop out" timing has typically worked for me for over 30 years, not that I can't change. I also (especially since my newer setup) rarely throw a shot away. I have gotten to know over all these years just by the color, flow & first drop out if it is going to be too bitter, too sour. Since I only can allow myself one 4 shot cappuccino a day due to what more does to my nervous system, I want to enjoy the one drink a day as best as possible.

I've tried 3 blends so far, Courthouse, my favorite. This is one I will periodically order. Didn't get any fruit in it, but it was syrupy and chocolatey to me, but in a more exciting way than the other "chocolate" ones I've tried from various companies. I realized that (for my setup anyway) I had almost a 9 ounce bag last me 9 days is really great. The most grams I used for a double shot was 15.2g vs other blends of anywhere from 17-almost 20g a double shot. So lasted longer.

The Chimney Rock was not bad, but I am getting further away from dark roasts as they almost always taste smokey to me. This one had some bittersweet chocolate I was detecting but FOR ME a little too dark, as I was getting some smokiness even at 195°. Beans had some oil on them, not much, but some. Averaging 15g per double shot.

The Calca Reserve seemed much lighter where I was noting more sour, but too much for my liking--so ended up with temp at 202° cuz the ones below, too sour. The 202° ended up taking the sour away, but being too bitter. Ended up at 201° & too sour for me. I was told to let lighter blends sit unopened before the medium to dark roasts. The Calca Reserve I didn't open until 28 days post roast. This was 18.8g double shot.