jpender wrote:I don't drink straight shots very often either. And I get that these two coffees are similar.

But are they identical in the cup? If not, what is different?

I finally got some Saka Gran Bar back in stock (5 weeks post roast) and had some Malabar that is exactly three weeks post-roast, so I was able to have a (relatively short) latte of each 20 minutes apart (close as it gets due to the huge temp difference). There is a discernable difference in the cup. I am still struggling a bit to put that into words.

If I blind taste tested the two, I'm pretty certain I would have picked the Saka. I think the spread may get closer in another week. Despite the Malabar being three weeks post-roast, I got just a hint of that woody-ness in the very first sip. It was only a hint and if I wasn't very familiar with it, I am not sure I would have zeroed in on it. I also think that will be gone in a few more days.

The thing that stood out most to me is the Saka had a more pronounced and lingering chocolate finish whereas the Malabar was a bit more one-note start-to-finish and the one-note was more muted. I would say the Saka was bigger and a bit more "layered" or "complex" flavor-wise. Again, I am not the guy that can describe flavors in all sorts of fancy terms.

Interestingly, the Malabar beans had a much more chocolatey (and generally pleasant) smell to them before grinding, so I was expecting a stronger chocolate flavor from them in the cup relative to the Saka. In hindsight, I do wish I had let each come to room temperature and tried them that way as that can make the underlying flavors more discernable. I may repeat in a week or so and try that.

Both were very enjoyable and I do believe the Malabar will continue to improve a bit over the next week or so. If I didn't have them back-to-back I don't think I would have really zeroed in on the differences.

oops - meant to edit