Customer Words of the Colombian 58

I have created a signature coffee roast that I have named Colombian 58 - people really seem to like it.  


My grandma likes it - she told me so this morning - but since grandma's can be biased where their grandsons are concerned (and the fact that she gets FREE coffee) I figured I should add some other non-biased customer reviews of the Colombian 58.


Click on the images to get a larger size so you can read them...

This Colombian is a “58” roasting profile which has taken this coffee to a new level of experience.  It is just raw enough to retain a good amount of the all-natural God given flavor of the bean (as well as the majority of the caffeine) but it is also roasted with enough heat to let you know that you are drinking a very fine coffee.  From the moment the coffee touches your palette you think that you are going to experience the bitter but then you are pleasantly veered to the side as the bitter never materializes.  All you experience is a smooth flavor with an even smoother finish.

2 Huge Truths About Coffee Flavor – And 1 Giant Lie (Part 3 of 3)

2 Huge Truths About Coffee Flavor – And 1 Giant Lie (Part 1 of 3)

2 Huge Truths About Coffee Flavor – And 1 Giant Lie (Part 2 of 3)

If you have been reading all of the posts in this series (see links above) then you know already that coffee shouldn’t taste the same when it’s grown in different areas – it is just not likely.  Coffee from different locations will necessarily taste different because there are too many variables (such as soil, water, mulching, climate, and sun) for two crops from two different locations to ever taste the same.  If you can taste any coffee and tell which of the national chain roasters has roasted and distributed it, then you taste a branded flavor that they have added – and not the pure coffee itself.  Sorry, that’s just how it goes.  People who drink their coffee black should be able to easily recognize the coffee that they are drinking as coming from this chain or that one.  If you travel across the country and get a black coffee from your favorite brewer and it tastes like it did a thousand miles back home then you have to wonder – How is this possible?  Well, the reality is that it is not likely – unless some sort of signature flavor has been added to the beans.

This then is the Giant Lie of Coffee:  what you think is simply plain black coffee is often just the cheapest bean at the market flavored with the coffee roaster’s branded signature flavor.  For a purist like me, this matters.  Does this make me mad?  No.  Do I still get my coffee from my favorite chain while I am on the road?  Yes.  So why then do I bring it up?  Because I want you to love your coffee for just the coffee itself, and this can be hard to do unless you get fresh-roasted, single-origin coffee with nothing added – not even raosting oils that accidently flavor the beans.

So the next time you have coffee (maybe even now as you read this), I invite you consider how pure and natural the coffee is that you are drinking.  If it matters to you, then I invite you to join me, and together we can seek to experience the most perfect natural-tasting coffees from around the world.

2 Huge Truths about Coffee Flavor - And One Giant Lie (Part 2 of 3)

(Click here for Part 1 of 3)

Roasting...

There is a whole range of possible coffee roasts, from green to charcoal.  The possibilities are just about endless.  Every kind of coffee bean responds best to a particular variety of roasts in order for the best natural flavor to be released, and like with wine tasting, the fun is in tasting them all to determine what we like best.  For now though, I want to tell you how roasting affects the flavor and caffeine content of your coffee.

When coffee beans are green they possess all the flavor qualities that God has grown into them(see part 1 of this blog series).  As the green beans are roasted, the natural flavor is cooked out and traded for the flavor of the roast.  This trade-off is good, because a weakly roasted bean is often a bit bitter and sour, and the roasting process corrects this and brings about a very good brew.  This is where the Roast Master needs to become well-versed in his coffee types, because there is a point where a single-origin coffee bean is roasted so much that all anyone can taste is the roast and not any natural flavor of the bean– so any old bean would have worked.  The Roast Master becomes worth his salt when he learns which bean needs to be roasted to which level in order to bring about the best flavor.

There is another important facet to the level of roasting, and that is the caffeine content.  As a coffee bean is roasted, its caffeine content begins to diminish.  So, the darker the roast, the less the caffeine.  This means that people who get espresso coffee for the caffeine kick are actually getting less caffeine than what is in a regular cup of lightly-roasted coffee.

I don’t know why, but most of us assume that when a coffee is roasted darker, it has more flavor and more caffeine, but this is not the case.  I guess it is like a Filet Mignon steak.  If you really want the steak to melt in your mouth and have the best flavor, you need to have it cooked rare to medium-rare.

In the next part of this blog post, I want to bring out the lie of all lies for those of us who love coffee, so check back in a day or two.

2 Huge Truths About Coffee Flavor – And 1 Giant Lie (Part 1 of 3)

There are 2 huge realities concerning the natural flavor of coffee and here they are…

Location, location, location…

The first reality about coffee flavor is the bean itself, because each coffee bean is from a specific crop, and each crop comes from...you guessed it...a specific location.  Just as fine wine connoisseurs know wines by the specific grapes that were used to produce it, so also fine coffees are known by the beans that were used to brew the coffee.   For instance, Yemen’s coffees are known for their dominant mocha notes, the Jamaican Blue Mountain is known because of its perfectly balanced flavor and smoothness, and the Bali Blue Moon is known because of its a dominant fruitiness.  The Bali Blue Moon has developed its dominant flavor trait because it is grown between tangerine trees, and the fruit that falls from those trees is what mulches the soil in which this coffee grows.  

After considering the location where the bean was grown, we take a look at the weather in that location.  That’s right, the weather impacts the flavor of coffee beans.  Each crop of coffee has grown with a very specific amount of moisture in the air, rain fall, sunlight, and ambient temperature.  All of these “acts of God” will shape the development of the flavor from each crop of coffee that is grown.

Then, after God has had His way with growing our coffee, mankind gets our crack at influencing the flavor of our coffee through processing, roasting, and flavor additives.  Processing is a topic of another post, and please don’t get me started on flavor additives.  However, in the second part of this blog post I do want to talk about a couple of basic realities concerning the roasting of coffee.  So please stay tuned…

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ADDENDUM:  The flavor of your coffee is determined by a variety of factors (the water, freshness of the bean, and the ratio are big – see past post - but today I was speaking of the innate flavor of the bean itself.  

2 Things About Coffee...

Someone asked a couple of questions through the Anchor Bay Roasts website and I am not exactly sure who it was or how to respond to them directly so I will just use the questions as fodder for my blogs.


The first question:  "What is the best way keep coffee fresh and warm after it has been brewed?"


My answer to this depends on whether the coffee is for an individual or a group such as at an office or a church.  If for an individual I suggest getting a small french press and only making coffee as you will drink it - not leaving any coffee to sit that will need to be kept fresh and warm.


However, if this is coffee for a group I suggest an airport pot.  It is a little more costly than your average pot but it does a better job keeping the air out and the heat in.


The second question:  "Do I have a variety of different blends?"


I do not make any blends.  I am a purist and stick with single-origin coffee exclusively.  Early on I had tried my hand at blends but I now stick with single origin coffee alone.  However, when I roast I often have coffee left over that I simply throw into a jar and mix together.  There have been some of these blends that have been phenomenal (that would have made me rich) however, I can never reproduce these blends and don't try. 


Finally:


I know that this question was not asked but it is so often asked I will answer it now.  Some people will ask me if I make a French Vanilla (or other other such flavor) flavored coffee?


No, I do not make ANY flavored coffee.  I give reasons why in a previous blog but simply put - you can use any cheap coffee from Wall-Mart and add those flavored creamers and save yourself some money.  The reason that flavor is added to coffee in the first place is because it is bad coffee to begin with.  I tell my enthusiasts that if they ever drink Anchor Bay Roasts coffee and it is not naturally flavorful and good then they should find me and spit it out all over me.


Anyhow, those are my answers and I hope they help...

Keeping Your Coffee Fresh - The Freezer Myth

In a previous post I had written "...and the freezer method of keeping coffee fresh is little more than a mythical hope."  This is a bold statement since it offends the sensibilities of my beloved grandmother and most everyone else that I know.  However, it is true so please allow me to explain.

Stepping through the process of our coffee...

Coffee begins to stale the moment that it is roasted and comes into contact with the air.  This is why whole beans stay fresher longer than the pre-ground stuff - less area of the bean comes into contact with the air.  Big coffee producers know this and spend oodles of money to make sure that their roasted beans are packaged as soon as possible after roasting.  Since coffee "de-gasses" for a while after roast the beans are packaged in special bags that have one-way valves that allow the gas out from the inside and not allow the air in from the outside.

So now we have our favorite 12-ounce package of premium roasted coffee that we picked up in the store for $10 (that is $13.33 a pound) we bring it home and throw it into the freezer to keep it fresh.  Then over the next few weeks we remove the package everyday to scoop out a couple of table-spoons into our pot and then wrap the bag back up and put it back into the freezer to keep our coffee fresh.

Here's where the science becomes mythical.  

Every time that the package is opened to get some of the coffee out we are at the same time allowing the moist air in.  Then we wrap it up and put it back in the freezer.  So while the freezer is busy keeping our coffee fresh the moist air has been invited into our bag every day that it is opened and the exposed coffee begins oxidizing again.  It is a Catch-22.  How in the world are we expected to get our coffee out of the bag without opening it and exposing it to the air?  Unless we are Houdini we can't.

The myth is further propagated because we assume that the coffee that we buy at the store is fresh to begin with - but if you know anything about 'stock rotation' then you know that the freshest stuff is not in the front of the line on the grocery shelf.  In my estimation, coffee begins to go off after just 14 days.  Not Cinderella off but more like how spices on the spice rack lose that certain something over time.

My solution to the staling problem is two-fold.  

First, I only roast as much coffee as I (or an enthusiast) will consume in a 14-day period of time.  This causes some people to not become one of my enthusiasts but I am protective of having people drink the coffee that I roast.  I would rather not sell than sell something that will sit on a shelf (or in a freezer) for weeks and than have the the enthusiast notice that Anchor Bay Roasts is "not really all that special".

And second, I bag each pot of coffee individually by weight.  This means that you only ever open a bag of coffee that you are going to use in that sitting and all the rest of the coffee is free from exposure to the air thus keeping it fresh.  The freezer is not necessary because it is in its stored in its own bag enveloped by it own natural gasses and it will be consumed sooner rather than later.  This packing process is more expensive in supplies and labor but it really is the better solution.

Some will disagree...

Yes, there are some people who will disagree with me and that is OK.  I admit that I am a bit of a snob where coffee is concerned and a little zealous in the pursuit of fresh coffee.  I like Single Malts while others are happy with Canadian Club, I like Dom. Romane Conti 1997 and others like Mad Dog, and I like a Rare to Medium-Rare Fillet Mignon while others like Well-Done Hot Dogs...

Yes, good taste really is in the taste-buds of the consumer.

3-Keys to Great Coffee

There are really only three keys to a great cup of coffee and I am going to share them with you here...

1.  Coffee must be fresh!  

Some coffee brewers promote the freshness of their coffee because it is brewed a few minutes before you get it and then it is poured into the drain when it becomes so-many minutes old.  That is commendable but it is only half of the fresh equation - the other side of the fresh coin is that the coffee needs to be roasted fresh. Coffee begins to stale the very moment that it is cooked.  It oxidizes from the air just as metal begins to rust. The process of staling coffee is impeded in a variety of ways but stale it still goes. (And the freezer method to keep coffee fresh is little more than a mythical hope).  I give coffee 14 days before it goes off, not Cinderella off but off enough that one can tell the difference. 

2.  Coffee must be made with good water!

Coffee too easily takes on the flavor of the water that is used to make it with.  I once made Michigan Snow Coffee and I also made coffee using good old-fashioned rain water - I don't suggest it without good filtration because it was nasty. Even with the tap water you can tell the difference between filtered and non-filtered--So get yourself a Brita or something like it if for nothing else but your coffee.

3.  The Coffee-to-Water Ratio must be Correct!

And here is the greatest of the three...We've all done it. We get the coffee container out of the freezer and use a spoon to fill the filter with grounds, we stop adding grounds only when we "feel" like there is enough caffeine and from pot-to-pot we wonder why we cannot get it to taste the same.  The fix to this is to weigh your coffee (ie. For every ounce of water you need a set amount of grounds to go with it).  I use a standard .042oz. (by weight) to 1oz. of water (by volume) for my ratio.   

Of course, coffee flavor will always be subjective according to the tastes of the person drinking it. There are a thousand things that factor into the flavor of your coffee (what you ate earlier, the roasting profile of the bean, the origin of the bean, the specific crop that the bean has come from, the blend, the cleanliness of the cup that is used, etc. etc.) but getting these three keys under control are huge and will lead to consistency and a better cup of brew.

For those who are purists:  Although I did not include it here there is something that needs to be discussed in another post - The idea of the Single Origin bean. Just as a single-malt scotch is preferable to a blended scotch or how a bottle of wine is known for the specific grape that is used to produce it so also a single-origin coffee bean is preferable to the blended grind.  At least that is my position as a coffee snob. ;-)

Kona Coffee

In Hawaii, coffee trees thrive on the cool slopes of the Hualalai and Mauna Loa Mountains in rich volcanic soil and afternoon cloud cover.  Coffee trees typically bloom after Kona's dry winters and are harvested in autumn. Coffee cultivated in the North and South districts of Kona (on the Big Island of Hawaii) is the only coffee that can truly be called Kona Coffee


Before being graded, Kona coffee is hand picked, pulped, dried and hulled. Machinery at the coffee mill sorts the beans into different grades by size and shape. Peaberry is top of the line. A peaberry bean is formed when one side of the flower fuses with the other leaving only one bean in the coffee cherry. This gives the peaberry a more concentrated flavor and makes up only about 5% to 10% of the total Kona Coffee harvest. Top grades (in descending order) include extra fancy, fancy, No.1 and prime


Kona Coffee is sun dried, then custom roasted depending on desired results and differences in moisture of the beans. A good roasting process (and processor) can make a world of difference. Roasting is referred to as an "art form" by many in the trade. Dark roasts are typically called French Roast, Italian or Espresso. Medium roasts include Full-City and Vienna. Flavored coffee is either sprayed or powdered immediately after roasting for best absorbtion of the added flavor. Just after roasting the oxidation process begins and coffee is at its freshest.


Air tight containers and freezing coffee will optimize freshness. Whole bean stored in this manner retains a recommended shelf life of about three months, ground coffee about a month. Growers suggest buying in whole bean form and grinding just before brewing each pot.  ~ Redacted from http://konacoffee.com/coffeestory.html

While I disagree that "freezing coffee will optimize freshness" and that shelf life is "about three months" I have to admit that I am very intrigued with this coffee that is grown in the soil of volcanic ash.  I am looking forward to roasting this bean fresh and serving it at the coffee roasting demonstration on Saturday, March 23rd.  There are a few seats left if you are interested - email me.

Jeep C-J5

I was just 3-feet away from plowing my dad's Jeep into the living room of our house when I was 14 years old - I was learning how to drive a stick shift.  Dad said "Just give it gas and drop the clutch."  I did and if I had not jammed on the break when I had I would have been watching Cheers on the television from the comfort of my canvass seat.  I eventually learned how to properly judge the drive engagement with the feel of the clutch and proper engine RPM's and I became pretty good at getting that old Jeep to respond to my driving desires - well as good as a Jeep could I guess.

Ford F-150

A few year later a friend of mine had a work horse of a truck that had a three-on-a-tree manual transmission system.  The clutch was sloppy and had what seemed a 15-inch reach before it was engaged.  I think this allowed for any farmer to pull his trailer of corn or hay.  I am glad I learned how to drive the thing but I found that I easily tired just working the mechanics of the drive sysytem.

Porsche 911

Then one day in my 20's a friend of mine had a Porsche 911 that he wanted to sell and I took it for a test drive.  Wow!  What a difference.  The clutch moved about 3-inches engaging easily and quickly but it took a precise foot to feel the power and make the car dance - And oh-boy how it danced!  This precision vehicle begged to be driven.  The clutch system demanded respect and the steering system was precise as it ordered the road to bow at ever turn.  As I glided through the twisty road I was very aware how this driving experience was so much better than my dad's Jeep or my friend's truck.  The Jeep and the truck required mere drivers while the Porsche demanded a driving enthusiast.  

It is interesting that I am reminded of this experience as I am roasting the Yemen Mocca Matari for people because the people that are tasting the Fresh-Roasted Yemen are experiencing the difference between driving a Jeep and making a Porsche dance.  

When you taste the Yemen you cannot help but smell the strong aroma of cocoa - not sweet-cocoa like a Hersey bar but soft-cocoa like the homemade chocolate pudding your grandma used to make on the stove-top.  When you sip this cup the flavor is very balanced and smooth without any of the bitterness that is known in standard issue coffees.  The flavor in this brew presents smooth and it finishes clean leaving just a hint of the mocha flavor  that is characteristic to the Yemen region coffees.  Yes, this coffee will immediately inform you that you are a coffee enthusiast and not just a mere drinker.

I presently (2/24/12) have 25-12 Cup pots of this premium coffee in stock - at just $4.00 a pot which means that the Yemen will practically drive out of the burlap that it is in.  If you want the experience of a real coffee enthusiast be sure to contact me as I will be roasting again next Wednesday.

~John

Anchor Bay Roasts

Here is a short write-up in a newsletter where I did a demonstration.


Click here for the PDF Article