In My Mug

Systemic

Wonder how many members recall Steve Leighton of Hasbean’s weekly vlogs where he would showcase the latest Hasbean subscription offering. He would talk about the coffee in question - providing lots of interesting information - where the bean was grown, his relationship with the grower and how the bean was processed. The vlogs also included Steve trying the coffee as espresso, flat white and pour over picking out the various tasting notes. Having witnessed at first hand Steve doing a cupping session with ten bean offerings, his skill and ability to pick out the most delicate tasting notes was amazing.

So I wonder if we should have a forum section where we can showcase a bean, describe the brewing method and comment on the result?

Systemic

My current go to is Horsham Don Eli Costa Rica - Geisha Natural. You would never know it’s naturally processed - no hint of boozy notes. Tasting notes suggest peach, lavender and honeysuckle. Took me three attempts to tweak the brew to my preferences - had to go finer to bring up the extraction yield meaning the brew time through the Hario Switch went just passed five minutes. I always brew 500grms to give a couple of cups and dosed 32grms. The resulting brew is very soft and delicate as you’d expect from the above description. Peach predominates but not in your face with a hint of perfumed notes and a lovely sweet finish.

MWJB

I’m enjoying Square Mile, Kenya, Kainamui washed Batian, Riuru 11, SL28. Brewed as pour over with a Hario Switch & Drip Assist (13.8g to 200-210g water), the Switch valve just closed for preheating the brewer. The notes are, ‘blackcurrant, grape, juicy’, which are fair but the overall taste is more like the unsweetened fruit/black grape. Rounded & winey, but with a slightly tart character like a bold/dark hibiscus tea. There is also the slightest hint of black boot polish, which is not as bad as it might sound.

Before trying it, I’d have expected a sweeter coffee, but I’m still finding it very enjoyable.

Systemic

Extract’s Funka espresso blend. Running 18grms at 1:2.5 - in your face lemon but not mouth puckering - sweetness counteracts the acidity.

MWJB

Blossom’s Colombia, Martir la Plata, washed Caturra, Colombia, Castillo & Typica - as filter.

The supplied notes are a tad vague, “Clean, soft & sweet”, and I can’t really expand on that as there’s not really any recogniseable note to compare. Nevertheless, it’s a solid & pleasant coffee (7.3/9.0). The sweetest brew so far came from a 50:750g drip brew from the Smeg auto drip machine, ground at 67.5 on Niche Zero (though I’d like to drop the extraction a tiny tad from the 22.5%EY I got then).

HarveyMushman

Currently traveling and trying this Dark Arts Washed Columbia in the Kalita.

Definitely getting solid stone fruit notes, richer than expected. Somehow a good autumnal coffee.

Also very much like Dark Arts new packaging.

MWJB

Taith Coffee’s Colombia, Wilton Benitez La Macarena, advanced processn pink Bourbon.

Pretty much bang on the notes of pear, passionfruit & candyfloss (though I got more like bubblegum in the aroma when grinding & on the palate). A slight dry, malty, hop like character balancing the rounded acidity. 8/9 so far.

13.8g ground at 34.25 on a Feldgrind v1 (approx 12% at 400Kruve), Hario Switch, med crepe white tabbed paper, Hario drip assist. Valve shut for preheating, then 40g every 40s (each pour taking about 15s), first 2 pours in the middle, last 3 in the ring to 200g total.

MWJB

MWJB Taith Coffee’s Colombia, Wilton Benitez La Macarena, advanced processn pink Bourbon.

Pretty much bang on the notes of pear, passionfruit & candyfloss (though I got more like bubblegum in the aroma when grinding & on the palate). A slight dry, malty, hop like character balancing the rounded acidity. 8/9 so far.

Now finished the bag and over 8 brews, average liking score ended up at 7.4/9.0 (or 80% if easier, with 5/9 being 50%/neutral), which is about average for the coffees I normally drink.

Systemic

Cartwheel Ethiopian Danche natural. Enjoyable but tasting notes don’t project much.

Systemic

Rave Burundi Karambo anoxic natural - very light roast. Delicate hints of floral, strawberry and tart fruit aka fruit pastilles.

Adrianmsmith

Systemic

How do they come up with these “flavours”. What does floral taste like 🤔

☕🫣

Systemic

Adrianmsmith How do they come up with these “flavours”. What does floral taste like 🤔

Always take them with a pinch of salt! Floral, to me, suggests slightly perfumed and heady if that helps. It’s not often I agree with all the tasting notes suggestions but they’re pretty spot on with this Burundi. They are perceptible but subtle. Would I recommend it? Yes I would and will probably get some more if it doesn’t run out.

MWJB

Adrianmsmith How do they come up with these “flavours”. What does floral taste like 🤔

Rose, honeysuckle, Turkish Delight, lavender & jasmine are notes that pop up from time to time (not commonly). Though jasmine particularly always seems to be accompanied by a certain, filmy mouthfeel & strikes me as more of a grind artefact than a ‘flavour’.

Raja123

Adrianmsmith you could try roasting your own if you really want to taste what coffee can offer. The Wadi Al Sail Yemeni beans from Saint Jude will produce a very floral brew if roasted to 10.5% WL over 7 mins (over 11% and becomes spice dominant). And if you can’t taste that, chock it up to small brain, thick tongue, heh. :D

JimmyP

Adrianmsmith Like flowers 🙂👍

LMSC

Systemic Would I recommend it? Yes I would and will probably get some more if it doesn’t run out.

Sold out! 😊

Systemic

Typical

Systemic

On the bright side, Darkwoods have Columbian El Placer Red and Yellow in stock so will be getting some of that shortly if it doesn’t run out in the meantime.

LMSC

Systemic Both are great.

Systemic

Cartwheel. Columbia Paola Trujillo extended fermentation washed. Brewed through Switch. Tasting notes say morello cherry, blackberry and rose syrup. Not sure about the latter but the brew is very sweet and dark berry fruits.

MWJB

Dark Woods, Colombia, Finca Villa Betulia anaerobic natural Maragesha EF2 - Described as ‘1 light roast’ on the website, but visually more llie a ‘3’ to me, it could be an artefact of the process, but no matter - the brews are still bright, vibrant and bang on the notes (sweet, juicy, red wine finish).

All brews as pour over with Switch, V60 & Kalita 185 scoring a subjective 8/9 (88%).

This and the red/yellow/purple fruit process coffees from Dark Woods have been certainly the highlights of this year for me.