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.

Kona Coffee

A friend of ours gave me a new expired bag of Kona coffee from the Gold Coffee Company.

I will not say that I did not like it but it certainly was not as good as some have made it out to be. Of course the problem could have been that it was stale, or it could have been that is just the nature of mass produced coffee, or it could even be that their website said that they were proud of their Full City Roast and so I suspect that that dark of a roast did not let the intrinsic flavors come through. Whatever the deal was I think I will have to roast my own beans to get a true assessment of Kona.

Converting The World To Coffee - One Doubter at a Time

So I had a meeting yesterday and I took my thermos filled with a freshly brewed pot of Mysore Nugget. Usually all that is in the office is a pot of some poorly made 8 O'Clock coffee brewed with regular tap water. My friends know that I am a bit of an enthusiast when it comes to coffee (that's a polite way of saying snob) and when I offered one guy a cup of my brew he asked if he was allowed to put flavored cream in it. My brain screamed "ARE YOU OUT OF YOU MIND?" but I graciously told him he could put anything that he wanted in it.

Well I poured him a cup and much to his credit he at least sampled it before putting anything in it. I was surprised when he stopped me in mid sentence with a "Wow, this is good coffee!" exclamation.

I don't think he added the flavoring.

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.

Mocca Matari - 3

Yemen

Can you say "YUM"?

This is now the third time that I have roasted this bean and I only kept it on the heat until the First Crack was about finished. I did not want to over roast these beans as doing so greatly diminishes the flavor. I once considered the Kimel Peaberry to be my favorite but I really think this one is the finer of the two. I must try them side by side to make a real determination but I will have to wait until I get some more of the Peaberry first. ;-)

Bugisu (100% Organic) - 2

Uganda

I have drank this City Roasted brew now for the second and third pots. Again it was dominated by a woody unsophisticated flavor. After a few cups I found that I looked forward to the next cup but that is (I suspect) due to the fact that I love coffee and not because this coffee is all that special.

In fact, the Bugisu is quite boring in that it does not have any attributes that are worth exploring. The experience of this cup is only a bit slightly better than McDonalds coffee.

Kimel Peaberry - 3

Papua New Guinea

I roasted the last of my Peaberry to give as a gift to friends. Thankfully I had enough to roast myself a pot.

This was City Roast which is going to really impress. It has an outstanding aroma and an exquisite flavor. If you ever get a chance to get some of the PNG Kimel Peaberry don't let it pass you by because it is excellent.

CIAPEC (100% Organic) -2

Bolivia

This round was roasted to firm Espresso. The beans were so oily that they stuck to each other when they dried. It made for a very dark coffee and it lost some of the nuance in flavor that it had before but it did retain its extravagant aroma.

The body was not as deep as I had hoped it would be with this dark of a roast. I am still trying to decide if Body quality is a function of the roast or the ground to water ratio.

All in all, not a bad coffee but not one that I consider great either. The next time I roast this bean I am going to try a lighter City-Roast to examine its more raw qualities.

Sumatra - Mandehling Gr. 1 - 2

Indonesia

The aroma of this Sumatran Mandehling stands out to me just as it did the first time. The smell is earthy and deep. It is comforting and inviting. I wish I could explain it better than this but words allude me as I try to describe it.

I roasted this as a Full-City+ or maybe even Espresso roast which made it seem more like a cup of Tim Horton's coffee though I would not presume to suggest that it was as good.

I am a little concerned with this bean as I suspect that it may be a little defective. The green beans themselves seemed to be a little too dried out, these beans appeared to be slightly what a raisin is to a grape. After I roasted them there was relatively little chaff to blow off which also makes me suspicious. However, I am sure that it is my lack of experience which causes me concern. The coffee itself tasted good.

Palhu Huehuetenango SHB - 2

Guatemala

I roasted this batch of Palhu Huehuetenango to a Full City+ and while I did not dislike I cannot say that I liked it either. With this bean coffee seems to be coffee and there are many other beans that are worth the shipping.