Do I actually like fresh roasted and fresh brewed coffee? - Page 2

Discuss flavors, brew temperatures, blending, and cupping notes.
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EvanOz85
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#11: Post by EvanOz85 »

Keep in mind that it's entirely possible that your friend isn't very good at roasting coffee.

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mkane
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#12: Post by mkane »

French roast/ Cabernet drinker for 40 years.

Can't stand the stuff anymore. Give me a developed medium roast/Pinot and I'm a happy camper. Could be an age thing. I'm 70.

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LBIespresso
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#13: Post by LBIespresso »

the stuff that you prefer, at least it is consistent. Maybe consistently bad to many of us here but if it is consistent and delivers a familiar and comforting experience to you then stick with it. You don't have to like what the "educated palate" people say is good. There are plenty of beer drinkers that hate the hazy IPA's that I have grown to prefer and choose bud and coors lite every time just like there are people who will always choose a cheap california chardonnay with ice in it of a montrachet.

Honestly, if that's what you really prefer, there is no right answer to the question: Are you missing out or are you lucky that you don't have to fuss and never get disappointed.
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trevinschmidt (original poster)
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#14: Post by trevinschmidt (original poster) »

So I feel like I'm getting some direction.

No.1 Change roaster
No.2 Go to a darker roast
No.3 Stick to Central or South American coffees

So my next question. As far as processing what should I go with? Or maybe that doesn't affect the flavor that much?

Trop_de_Cafe
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#15: Post by Trop_de_Cafe »

I would agree.

I got through college drinking almost everything offered by The Coffee Connection, and these days many of those roasts would be considered Full City or darker. Many beverages - coffee, tea, beer/ale, Scotch, etc. tend to be acquired tastes, and perhaps we tend to favor those that first caught our interest? I still think many of those Coffee Connection coffees were the best I've ever had, but I don't think it's just nostalgia.

This discussion has raised a lot of interesting issues - familiarity/comfort, degree of roast, trends/trendiness (the cabernet/pinot wine analogy one poster offers is particularly resonant if you are old enough to remember a certain era of California reds (jam) or Chardonnays (oaked)), the problem of describing one's preferences, and, of course how to get what you asked for!

As this old blog post by an industry veteran highlights, the tendency has been to go lighter and lighter: http://coffeecontrarian.blogspot.com/20 ... roast.html
I have no experience of the early Starbucks and I never found any joy in the Allegro/Whole Foods coffee the author supervised, but a lot of this makes sense and is somewhat analogous to how other agricultural products are managed (or how, say, a restaurant manages its supplies over the course of a week). I tend to agree with the somewhat controversial view (voiced by someone in another thread) that a lot of the newer roasters simply don't yet have the knowledge base or the experience to create great coffees.

It's amusing in that I live around the corner from an outpost of a local third-wave roaster - in the early days, they wouldn't even stock or offer milk or cream - and it seems clear that they have actually been moving to a more medium roast profile as they have learned (and perhaps also adapted to their market). Of course, there is still all the pretense of going to origins, meeting the farmer's burro, etc. etc.

Lately I've been enjoying Vienna roasts from George Howell (Dota, Costa Rica) and Barrington (Marcala, Honduras) -- but also one of Howell's lightly roasted Kenyan coffees (Githaka AA) and Barrington's light roast Sumatra (Ketiara).

My office has a light roast MistoBox subscription and I have enjoyed many of the very bright coffees that have come through and have been brewed up on the office Technivorm, but I'm sure I'd find them undrinkable as espresso. The OP has mentioned the Aeropress. I was given one and used it for a while, but never really found it satisfying. Certainly Keurig is something else altogether (I find it undrinkable). Perhaps the OP should try a simple Melitta pourover or an auto drip like the Bonavita or the Technivorm?

For comparison purposes, roasters worth investigating would include, I think, George Howell, Barrington, Nossa Familia, Paradise, Caffe Lusso, and maybe Batdorf & Bronson, perhaps focusing on coffees from the Americas and trying a range of stated roast levels to try to identify what is most pleasing.

A friend has a great fondness for a blend sold under a local supermarket's label, brewed up in a vintage new old stock General Electric percolator carefully sourced from eBay. I laughed at first, but I've had it, and I have to admit, it's a very smooth cup. Would I enjoy it every day? Probably not, but it clearly gives him great happiness as a daily driver.

Another friend relies exclusively on a blade grinder and a moka pot, used in a simple straightforward Spanish style, with none of the elaborate strategies aimed at mitigating its alleged limitations, and her coffee, served with warm milk, is terrific.

I think this thread has generated a number of useful suggestions for exploring and defining your palate, but I agreed with the sentiment that the the end of the day, find a supplier and a routine that works and drink what makes you happy!
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Jeff
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#16: Post by Jeff »

At medium roast levels, at least as I define them today, the roast flavors and the innate coffee flavors are a mix. Going darker, the roast flavors tend to dominate. Those flavors are a hallmark of good darker blends and roasts. They may be the familiar flavors that you are seeking.

The subtleties of "natural" vs. "washed" probably make less of a difference than the skill in selection and blending. An exception would be "monsooned" coffee that is usually very funky. Robusta coffee in the blend may or may not be a set of flavors you enjoy. A good roaster/blender will often add a little natural processed beans into the mix for some of the fruity notes that many enjoy. The best of the classic Italian espresso blends are about expertise in turning commodity-grade coffee into something exceptional. Picking a good roaster and exploring a variety of their offerings would probably tell you more about your tastes.


PS: I still have treasured Coffee Connection mugs!

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drgary
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#17: Post by drgary »

I found a great old article giving The Coffee Connection background story here:

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2012/11/ ... starbucks/

And don't give up the AeroPress, which is an excellent immersion brewer and one of my frequent go-to devices.
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

Espressofilo
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#18: Post by Espressofilo »

I don't think it is a coincidence that in Italy, the birthplace of Moka and modern espresso, dark roasts and blends with robusta are more in favour than in Northern Europe or US.

It is possible that the espresso method sits better with darker roasts.

You might want to dwell into filter coffee or infusion coffee, find a mild roast blend you like with that method, and then see whether you can find the right recipe for espresso. I would not be surprised if you wouldn't. It's many years the light roast wave has hit the world, but not the Italian café world, there must be a reason.

bored117
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#19: Post by bored117 »

Nothing wrong with that. My friends loves coffee I make them when they swing over. I definitely like more of lighter side of bean that are fruity unless it is milk drink. My wife and some of friends like it when there is no acidity but have maybe more of chocolate note. They do mention coffee taste good but prefers less fruity notes I like. It might have to do with my coffee habit really only started decade ago after 30+ years of more of being tea guy. To each his/her own.

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lassepavoni
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#20: Post by lassepavoni »

I can somewhat relate to your experience, although I got into drinking coffee much later in life and from a different angle. Never really cared about coffee, didn't even like the smell of it, but I did like Tiramisu and coffee-flavoured chocolate :) . Then someday I started out by ''enhancing'' hot chocolate with a shot of espresso; two years later I now own an Europiccola and drink my shots straight.
After grinding through several bags of different roasts and blends and origins, I can state that I definitely prefer the darker roasts and 100% robusta over arabica. My current favorite is a washed indian wayanad. Maybe you're more of a robusta-guy, too? :wink:
Regards, Lasse
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