Indian Monsooned Malabar

Like the fallen leaves on an autumn day, I loved this cup as much as I love the fall smells and colors.

This was the first time that I tried the Monsooned Malabar. I roasted it just until the second-crack began in order to keep more of the original flavor of the bean than infusing the flavor of roast.

What I noticed as I roasted was that the beans smoked pretty good but then the smoke seem to diminish and the chaff was very limited. This Monsooned worked its way through the expected roasting stages without complaint. After about 8 minutes it was finished and I started it to cooling.

I roasted 3oz of the green bean for a 2.5oz yield of roast (16.7% shrinkage). I placed 1oz of whole beans in 750ml glass container, topped off with water, corked the bottle and sat it in the sun for the day. I am attempting to make sun-coffee. I will let the beans soak in the sun day-after-day until all of the beans have sunk to the bottom of the bottle. I'll post again after I have sampled the brew.

Then I brewed a cup of the coffee in a French Press. I ground the beans medium and added a 1/2 ounce (by wieght) to 12 ounces of boiling filtered water. When I added the water to the grounds the grounds frothed with freshness and there I left it to steep for 4 minutes. I then poured 2 - 6oz cups and me and the wife sampled the brew.

As I smelled the aroma I noticed a very cocoa note where my wife said it smelled like a casserole but she could not name the casserole. In any respect, the aroma was different - but in a good way smelling very distinctly of a rich character. As we tasted the coffee my first thought was that it was very smooth to the pallet and she mentioned that it was very mild to the taste. It was both of those with a very homey-type flavor that made me wish that I were in the woods enjoying the songs of birds, the sight of the fallen leaves from trees, and the smells of a damp-autumn and sun-shiny day. All in all this was a very good roast with a great character worthy of being one of God's great creations.

Oh, I almost forgot, I ordered a syphon brewer today - I'm as excited as a young maiden lying in wait for the ball with the prince. I'll post about this in a few days.

Tres Rios La Magnolia - 2

Costa Rica

With this second batch of Magnolia I went light on the roast in order to taste the bean's intrinsic flavoring. What happened was that I did not find it to be as dynamic as I had hoped. My first experience with this bean was wonderful but that was with a dark roasted bean. While I did not dislike the coffee I suspect that this bean needs to be roasted enough to have the sugars in it caramelized in order for the flavors to be exploited.

With that said, I like this bean because it seems to have a wide variety in the flavoring and I am left with much yet to explore. I think the next roast will be a very dark Espresso roast and then made into a cup of espresso. I 'll let you know how it turns out.

Mysore - Nugget (Extra Bold) - 2

India

I roasted these beans to a light City roast - removed from the flame just before the First Crack ended. The beans and the ground smelled exquisite. When brewed this bean releases an aroma that fills the house with anticipation of the first cup.

The Mysore has a definite earthy flavor which suggests a nut tone in its effect. Although it is a very complex taste which some suggest has a chocolate note and spice sensation as well. The flavor was certainly more describable at a lighter roast.

The body was full and rich which assists the buttery flavor that is present. I used 1.75oz of ground to make a 8-cup pot. It was a very good cup and I highly suggest it to all who seek a very good cup of coffee.

This is a very fine bean from India and I am looking forward to more experiences from that part of the world in the not too distant future.

Mogiana - 2

Brazil

I roasted 2oz of this bean (yielding 1.5oz of ground coffee) Full-City+ to make a 12 cup pot of coffee. And what a great pot it was!

This cup was nutty and earthy as before (Search "Mogiana") but much fuller this time. The darker roast works well with this bean as it makes a very rich cup that begs you to have more. I have not been rating coffees on the second time around but with the Mogiana I make an exception and give this roast an 8 when it was once a 5.

Mocca Matari - 2

Yemen

I roasted 2 oz of this bean (yielding 1.75 oz of grounds) to a Full-City+. This is the first bean that I noticed a BIG difference between the lighter City roast and the darker Full-City roast.

Although the aroma was still a pleasing chocolate pudding smell the flavor lost a lot with the darker roast. This bean has lots and lots of character (especially chocolate) but it was not readily apparent with this roast. The coffee was good (as far as plain black coffee goes) but any attempt to quantify the attributes was frustrating because they were not present.

This bean demands the lighter City roast in order to be fully experienced.

Tres Rios La Magnolia

Costa Rica

I roasted this bean to a City to Full-City and the smell of the beans was sweet and syrupy - like caramel corn. The ground beans were a bit less caramelish but it was still possessed a sweet smell that promised a very rich cup - it did not renege.

The aroma of the brew was very aromatic and pleasurable. It smelled sweetly fragrant, almost like milk-weed, and deep like a coffee shop smells.

This Costa Rican was very rich with a fine balance as the sweetness was evident and the complexity kept me guessing at what sort of flavors I was experiencing. Although this cup was not as distinct as the Peaberry it had a distinction that commands an audience of its own. I am looking forward to someday brewing this cup next to some of the other beans and making a side-by-side comparison

From 1 to 10 I rate this coffee a 8.

Mocca Matari

Yemen

This is a great cup of coffee! The Mocca Matari has an exquisite aroma, from its ground City roasted bean to the hot brewed cup. It smells like warm chocolate pudding just like mom used to make which beckons the drinker to eagerly sample the cup.

The flavor is full and complex but most of all chocolaty! There are undertones of spice upon the finish but without doubt the chocolate flavor wins the day. The Yemen, Mocca Matari is a must try for all enthusiasts who want to know what it's like in Yemen.

From 1 to 10 I rate this coffee a 8.

Mysore - Nugget (Extra Bold)

India

"WOW!" That was the very first thing my brain yelled when I first tasted the Mysore (pronounced 'mee,zore) Nugget. The flavor is very deep and rich with this bean but it may be because I roasted and brewed it differently than the others.

First, I roasted it to Full-City and it was just entering the Second Crack by the time that I took it off the flame, second, I ground the beans very fine (Turkish style) where all the others were not ground nearly so much, and third, I used 2 ounces of ground for a 12 cup pot rather than the 1 ounce that I usually use. The coffee this produced was a full bodied and flavored brew that is comparable to any of the large chains' brews.

As far as the attributes of the flavor is concerned I must admit that I could not make any of it out. The rich bold flavor overwhelmed my palette and did not allow me to notice the finer intricacies of the beans' flavor attributes. I was not disappointed by this as I was too busy thinking that I had struck gold. Who needs intricate flavors when the cup is begging for you to drink more? I am very happy with this coffee and I am looking forward to sharing it with guests.

From 1 to 10 I rate this coffee a 8.