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What coffee are you drinking just now?

I'm running a bit low so got an order in this morning - hopefully in time for the hostilities - I settled for 500g of El Salvador El Borbollon from my local supplier.
 
I'm out of mojo generally of late - mostly getting through my big delivery of El Salvador El Borbollon ... and I've gone from the purist old days when I used far too many beans, a coarse grind and a relatively short infusion, to infusing at the ame time as I put the toast in the toaster (I used to use just the spreading of the toast as a timer) and removing the Aeropress plunger mid-press, adding more water and stirring to squeeze every last bit of flavour out for a full mug... :oops:

Yesterday for a change I had some of the "banana El Salvador" and appreciated the extra "brightness" - still not "banana" though ...

Today I had the sadly-neglected anaerobic Bolivian and maybe because it was on my mind, "banana" came quite close ! And although it was a bit lacking generally, I'm going to have another go at blending it with my baseline El Salvador ...

gentlegreen said:
I've left it rather late again so ordered from Hasbean again for coffee that will fit through my letterbox.
A Bolivian. but this one stewed anaerobically in a barrel ... if it turns out to lack chocolate I'll order more from my local roaster.

www.hasbean.co.uk

Bolivia Finca Floripondio Anaerobic Washed Typica

An anaerobic washed processed Typica grown by the Rodriguez Family at Finca Floripondio in Samaipata, Bolivia. This coffee has tasting notes of dark chocolate, berry, pink grapefruit and florals. Hasbean - freshly roasted coffee from our roastery in Staffordshire.
www.hasbean.co.uk www.hasbean.co.uk
Click to expand...

Mogden said:
El Salvador Finca Argentina Washed Portillo from Hasbean. Milk chocolate, caramel and banana. Definitely the case that as it cools you get different flavour profiles. It's at that not cold but only a bit warm now and the caramel is completely obvious. And a bit of the milk chocolate too. It's like I've eaten a Cadbury's Caramel without any of the sugar and the aftertaste is still playing in my mouth. Bugger me that sounds hipster. Accurate though.

What has really helped is properly weighing out my beans and a correct measurement of water. Sounds obvious but it means a nail a decent coffee every time in my filter machine.
Click to expand...
 
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I appear to have bought an all singing and dancing espresso machine! Not coffee shop standard but a pretty good monster for the at home amateur barista. I've not finished purging it yet. I'm excited and nervous. This is where I have to pay proper attention to flow rate, timings and grind size. I really must book that course to give me a bit more feedback than a few James Hoffmann videos.

Also, in a bit of a smart move I bought it from Costco which means that if it turns into an expensive lump that won't work or I want to upgrade I can just swan in with it and get my money back :cool:
 
Mogden said:
I appear to have bought an all singing and dancing espresso machine! Not coffee shop standard but a pretty good monster for the at home amateur barista. I've not finished purging it yet. I'm excited and nervous. This is where I have to pay proper attention to flow rate, timings and grind size. I really must book that course to give me a bit more feedback than a few James Hoffmann videos.

Also, in a bit of a smart move I bought it from Costco which means that if it turns into an expensive lump that won't work or I want to upgrade I can just swan in with it and get my money back :cool:
Click to expand...

Jealous. But also not. This is probably a rabbit hole I don't need to go down. But I do love proper espresso!
 
UnderAnOpenSky said:
Jealous. But also not. This is probably a rabbit hole I don't need to go down. But I do love proper espresso!
Click to expand...
I've put it off for so long and it's the ritual I love as much as the coffee. Also the idea that with each new bag of beans I have to tinker with the settings to get the best out of it. There are worse things I could be hyperfocussed on and caffeinated beverages seems pretty tame and that interest has outweighed most others. I can't remember a time I didn't drink tea. I have also recently found a new tea dealer specialist and been invited to a secret tea club :D:
 
gentlegreen said:
I haven't had Brazillian for a while and apparently liked this one in 2019 ...

www.hasbean.co.uk

Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama Pulped Natural Yellow Bourbon

This coffee is a pulped natural process Yellow Bourbon grown by Lidolpho de Carvalho Dias and family at Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama in São Sebastião da Grama, São Paolo, Brazil. It has tasting notes of Milk chocolate, hazelnut, red apple, toffee.
www.hasbean.co.uk www.hasbean.co.uk
Click to expand...
I'm semi tempted by that. I don't know enough yet about seasonality but at the moment all the coffees seem to smack of fresh fruit in the taste descriptions. I want more nut, chocolate and syrupy flavour profiles.

First go with the espresso machine and I just dialled in what was recommended. Owing to a monstrous amount of James Hoffmann videos I quickly noticed the flow rate was far too quick. I didn't even glance at the bar dial and the resulting puddle in my glass was terrible but I could see and taste why it was bad and how to fix that. Second I ground too fine and it was part way there. Decent crema but the flavour was off. I've got a lovely aftertaste and mouth feel though.

I'm reluctant to put any more through yet. I may buy some cheap ass supermarket beans to play about with first rather than surrendering the good stuff to mucking about.
 
Mogden said:
I'm semi tempted by that. I don't know enough yet about seasonality but at the moment all the coffees seem to smack of fresh fruit in the taste descriptions. I want more nut, chocolate and syrupy flavour profiles.

First go with the espresso machine and I just dialled in what was recommended. Owing to a monstrous amount of James Hoffmann videos I quickly noticed the flow rate was far too quick. I didn't even glance at the bar dial and the resulting puddle in my glass was terrible but I could see and taste why it was bad and how to fix that. Second I ground too fine and it was part way there. Decent crema but the flavour was off. I've got a lovely aftertaste and mouth feel though.

I'm reluctant to put any more through yet. I may buy some cheap ass supermarket beans to play about with first rather than surrendering the good stuff to mucking about.
Click to expand...
You'll surely OD on caffeine ! - unless you have some victims available..
 
gentlegreen said:
You'll surely OD on caffeine ! - unless you have some victims available..
Click to expand...
Caffeine doesn't seem to get me. I could have a double shot as a bedtime drink and still be snoring in minutes. I had a couple of sips of each to get an idea of what's wrong but didn't neck either full shot. My new neighbour has expressed interest in the machine and has offered to help me drink my experiments :D:
 
Since Xmas day I have got into enjoying a coffee at home. Had some Ethiopian from Coffee Link & another that is roasted in Bristol but my current fave is Lavazza Oro which is not a bad price at around £4.50.
 
Mogden said:
I'm semi tempted by that. I don't know enough yet about seasonality but at the moment all the coffees seem to smack of fresh fruit in the taste descriptions. I want more nut, chocolate and syrupy flavour profiles.

First go with the espresso machine and I just dialled in what was recommended. Owing to a monstrous amount of James Hoffmann videos I quickly noticed the flow rate was far too quick. I didn't even glance at the bar dial and the resulting puddle in my glass was terrible but I could see and taste why it was bad and how to fix that. Second I ground too fine and it was part way there. Decent crema but the flavour was off. I've got a lovely aftertaste and mouth feel though.

I'm reluctant to put any more through yet. I may buy some cheap ass supermarket beans to play about with first rather than surrendering the good stuff to mucking about.
Click to expand...
Bear in mind that flow rate need not be the dribble that many think it should be. In blind testing, a slightly faster flow rate than most baristas would use scored higher. I use about 15s for a double and it works out great (also I'm using bean to cup and it will choke and die on something that's over 20s). I think in the tests the absolute highest scores went to the dribblers, but it was impossible to control the quality of them and on average 15-20s scored higher.
 
Chz said:
Bear in mind that flow rate need not be the dribble that many think it should be. In blind testing, a slightly faster flow rate than most baristas would use scored higher. I use about 15s for a double and it works out great (also I'm using bean to cup and it will choke and die on something that's over 20s). I think in the tests the absolute highest scores went to the dribblers, but it was impossible to control the quality of them and on average 15-20s scored higher.
Click to expand...
That first one just pissed through with barely any resistance. This morning effort, mid grind between the two yesterday, was better but still a little sour and a bit pale but I drank it anyway. Better than burnt offerings from a high street chain but not the silky, caramel, syrupy motor oil espresso I'm seeking.

I've got a wicked matcha on the go at the moment so I'm experimenting with coffee, regular tea and green tea throughout the day.
 
gentlegreen said:
I haven't had Brazillian for a while and apparently liked this one in 2019 ...

www.hasbean.co.uk

Brazil Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama Pulped Natural Yellow Bourbon

This coffee is a pulped natural process Yellow Bourbon grown by Lidolpho de Carvalho Dias and family at Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama in São Sebastião da Grama, São Paolo, Brazil. It has tasting notes of Milk chocolate, hazelnut, red apple, toffee.
www.hasbean.co.uk www.hasbean.co.uk
Click to expand...
I only got this yesterday so it's early days yet - I'm not getting chocolate particularly, but there is a nice rounded midrange funk "on the nose" and it's refreshing - without being tongue-curlingly acidic - a nice change from what I've been drinking for months now ...

I may order another bag before they run out :hmm:

My palate is probably up the Suwanee due to my chronic mild sinusitis and it bears remembering that I only drink coffee with my breakfast umami on toast ...
 
After 5 days, the Brazilian has settled down to being a very pleasant and well-balanced coffee - still no overwhelming chocolate - though that's probably down to me. Medium / high notes veering towards the bongwater ..
This is the sort of thing I might have been happy with if I'd blended it myself - I may have to order some more - much as I feel loyalty to my local roaster...
If it wasn't for my low tolerance for caffeine, I would be up for a second half brew today :)
 
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To help me choose, I've ordered a different Brazilian - difficult to resist the description :)

www.hasbean.co.uk

Brazil Carmo Estate

This coffee is a pulped natural Bourbon grown by Túlio Henrique Rennó Junqueira at the Carmo Estate in Heliodora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It has tasting notes of chocolate, roasted hazelnut and almond. Hasbean - freshly roasted coffee from our roastery in Staffordshire.
www.hasbean.co.uk www.hasbean.co.uk
 
The second Brazilian has slightly more chocolate to it straight out of the bag and too close to roasting, but not overwhelmingly so ...

Both coffees are very acceptable.

Hopefully in a few days I will be able to do some more meaningful comparisons.

My palate is all over the place at the moment - possibly connected to my sinuses which appear to be draining at last - or at least things are on the move - maybe I should try standing on my head ... :hmm:
 
Due to post-Christmas delays, I ended up with a bag of Morrison's Brazilian. And it's... not bad. The flavour notes, berry and chocolate are right on. There's just an astringency to it that you wouldn't get in something 3x the price. And coffee is getting to that point where I have to seriously question the amount I'm paying for it. It's not like the Nice Pasta or the Nice Rice, where it may be 3x the price, but it's 3x bugger all so I can easily justify it. It seems to be settling in at ~£30/kg from a lot of places. And that's about 3 weeks' worth for the 2 of us.
 
Chz said:
Due to post-Christmas delays, I ended up with a bag of Morrison's Brazilian. And it's... not bad. The flavour notes, berry and chocolate are right on. There's just an astringency to it that you wouldn't get in something 3x the price. And coffee is getting to that point where I have to seriously question the amount I'm paying for it. It's not like the Nice Pasta or the Nice Rice, where it may be 3x the price, but it's 3x bugger all so I can easily justify it. It seems to be settling in at ~£30/kg from a lot of places. And that's about 3 weeks' worth for the 2 of us.
Click to expand...
I seem to spend about £10 a day for food, but there isn't anything I'm prepared to change - I'm drinking too much wine at the moment so that accounts for nearly £2 a day - so 55p for coffee is a bargain ...
I came across someone the other day who reckon they feed 2 adults and 4 teenagers on £400 a month - pro-rata that's my wine budget ...
 
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gentlegreen said:
Brazil Fazenda Inglaterra Natural Bourbon
"Dark chocolate, walnut, almond, caramel"

The contrast with the funky Ethiopian couldn't be more stark.

I drank this for several months in 2019 - blended with a second Brazilian and would have continued if they hadn't run out.
As per my recollection, this is like super dark cocoa - not quite as "dry" as I perceived before - my finish grind and open metal filter add to the effect.

Some will find this a bit too rich and even cloying and thirst for some acidity and I will almost certainly blend this as I did before - especially since I have some interesting Ethiopian beans with an unusually full upper midrange - who knows, this might be the basis of a 3 way blend with some of my Sumatran beans for the "treble" ...

But I can see myself drinking this by itself sometimes.

I'm relieved I don't have to try to identify "fruit" in this as there isn't any
🙂


I will be buying these for as long as they're available - since the last batch of very similar TwoDay El Borbollon beans weren't as overpoweringly chocolatey as the first.

5/5

www.hasbean.co.uk

Brazil Fazenda Inglaterra Natural Bourbon

This coffee is a naturally processed Bourbon from Fazenda Inglaterra in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It has tasting notes of dark chocolate, walnut, almond and caramel. Hasbean - freshly roasted coffee from our roastery in Staffordshire.
www.hasbean.co.uk www.hasbean.co.uk
Click to expand...
I'm running a bit low and am basically finishing off 4 or 5 very similar coffees.
Since the Brazilians are suiting me well at the moment, I thought I would go for a bit of a wildcard.
I enjoyed the pulped natural bourbon from Fazenda Inglaterra last year, so I've ordered a bag of pulped natural Catuai, Icatu and Acaia ....
If this is a bit too funky, it's probably time to buy a big bag of El Salvador El Borbollon from my local roaster in the hope of getting something super-chocolatey again - I still have a lot of funky Bolivian Finca Floripondio beans to blend with something and they're getting a bit elderly ...

That said, today I went with Brazilian Carmo Estate pulped natural bourbon and it's super yummy by itself ...

www.hasbean.co.uk

Brazil Fazenda Inglaterra Pulped Natural

This coffee is a pulped natural processed mixed lot of Catuai, Icatu and Acaia from Fazenda Inglaterra in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It has tasting notes of cocoa nibs, toffee, brazil nut and dried currants. Hasbean - freshly roasted coffee from our roastery in Staffordshire.
www.hasbean.co.uk www.hasbean.co.uk

EDIT:-
Not remotely scientific, but several weeks on, the Carmo Estate beats the Cachoeira de Grama as a "complete" coffee - the latter has less body.
 
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My new coffee has arrived and smells promising, but I will resist the temptation of a small brew before tomorrow.
Because it's so damn good there's another 250g of the Carmo Estate heading my way by second class post ...
 
gentlegreen said:
I seem to spend about £10 a day for food, but there isn't anything I'm prepared to change - I'm drinking too much wine at the moment so that accounts for nearly £2 a day - so 55p for coffee is a bargain ...
I came across someone the other day who reckon they feed 2 adults and 4 teenagers on £400 a month - pro-rata that's my wine budget ...
Click to expand...

Where the hell can you get “too much wine” for two quid??!

Cut me in on the deal and I’ll happily pay double. :thumbs:
 
I haven't tried it yet, but I have ordered "Russian warship go fuck yourself" from Dark Arts. They are donating 100% of the take (not just profits) to the refugees:
www.darkartscoffee.co.uk

RUSSIAN WARSHIP GO FUCK YOURSELF - Single Origin Coffee - FUNDRAISER

All of the proceeds (not profit, 100% of the sale) will be donated to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine. You can choose to pay between £10, £20, £50 and £100 and will receive in return a 250g box of delicious single-origin, speciality grade coffee. All of the coffees we will be fulfilling...
www.darkartscoffee.co.uk www.darkartscoffee.co.uk
 
gentlegreen said:
www.hasbean.co.uk

Brazil Fazenda Inglaterra Pulped Natural

This coffee is a pulped natural processed mixed lot of Catuai, Icatu and Acaia from Fazenda Inglaterra in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It has tasting notes of cocoa nibs, toffee, brazil nut and dried currants. Hasbean - freshly roasted coffee from our roastery in Staffordshire.
www.hasbean.co.uk www.hasbean.co.uk
Click to expand...
Unscientific as always - and today I had a lovely fresh malty loaf straight out of the machine, but the whole lot got inhaled indecently fast.
It will take a few days to breathe, but first impression was that it had plenty of body and upper-midrange notes.

Brazil is definitely where I am at the moment.
 
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