New Arrivals

FreshCoffee2

Was away last week doing some very pleasurable coffee related activities.

As a result of some nice cupping while there, ordered some nice stuff.

This arrived yesterday:

coffee_curators

Maaaaate! Love the coffee that comes out of that town. Washed Aricha is the next in my line up for my morning filter coffee, I'm itching to get my hands on it!!! Delicious! :coffee2: Would you indulge me with your opinion on the Panama and it's notes? Looking for one to get my hands on. Cheers! How did you go with that Kanga?

Brett_H

Looks delicious!

FreshCoffee2

coffee_curators wrote:

....Washed Aricha is the next in my line up for my morning filter coffee, I'm itching to get my hands on it!!! Delicious!.... ....Would you indulge me with your opinion on the Panama and it's notes? Looking for one to get my hands on.....

Panama (SHB): Complex cup with upfront floral notes and dark plum acidity. Well balanced body leading to a toasty almond and dark choc finish. Aricha (Grade 1): Rich sweet aroma giving way to plum, choc, toffee, hazelnuts and soft spice. Good natural acidity and good chocolate finish. The Aricha really is the standout here...

Brett_H

Wow... that Yirg sounds terrific! I can't remember the last time I had a brilliant Yirgacheffe! It's been a few years!! Enjoy :coffee2:

coffee_curators

Thank for the flavor profile, polished of the washed Aricha we had was only 250g. Definitely one of my favorite mill's out of Ethiopia. FC how did that Kanga go mate?

coffee_curators

Prefer the Natural Aricha though, if you find one Brett H I highly recommend it.

FreshCoffee2

The roo didnt make it. ***** Yes, "my" Aricha is a Natural, and I have a small packet that we roasted end of last week, to start drinking anytime from now.

FreshCoffee2

...which I have now been drinking as my morning coffee for the last two days (that would be 2 cuppas for my personal pleasure - as in not "work"- every morning). And as I am unaccustomed to gushing and like to keep things realistic, I'll just say it's very nice, most enjoyable, and I hope that satisfies the coffee heads in the group despite they may be looking for more of a coffeeteknik observation. ********** I will now go back to my work which involves writing up a summary for my people, of a couple of talks given at a coffee industry AGM I attended yesterday. One talk was on current Market Research and Data in the roast and ground business, and the other was on Developing Market Trends. Very interesting stuff.

coffee_curators

Fresh Coffee wrote:

The roo didnt make it. ***** Yes, "my" Aricha is a Natural, and I have a small packet that we roasted end of last week, to start drinking anytime from now.

Good on you for giving him a go anyway mate!

coffee_curators

The Natural Aricha on cold drip is by far the best I have tried to date, if you have any spare may want to consider giving it a try.

FreshCoffee2

I dont think there is enough left from this roast to try, so will just have to roast some more 😉

Brett_H

Fresh Coffee wrote:

I dont think there is enough left from this roast to try, so will just have to roast some more 😉

Good luck to you sir and well played! I'm very much enjoying a Tanzanian this morning from MyCuppa. I'm not much for tasting notes other than Yum but this is Yum plus 'oh, so that is what lifted means in coffee terms'. Flat white is equally as Yum. Different of course but Yum. Here's to the indulgence and the journey chaps :coffee2:

FreshCoffee2

Brett there is absolutely nothing wrong with a descriptor of yum or yum +.... Its only my personal opinion but there is altogether too much boolsheeting on coffee descriptions these days. Here is a relevant example. My coffee development, quality and comp crew and I (ie no shortage of tuned "palates") were in a well known cafe recently to just have breakfast and chill before going to a (professional) cupping / buying session. The food was very good, and the "food accompaniment coffees" ditto (insert here coffee for pleasure or for coffees sake rather than for "work"). The cafe is attached to a boutique roastery and also had a menu of its showcase coffees, with the usual descriptors and information on provenance, names of growers etc. It was on offer - we decided to try, noting this immediately takes the client out of the "coffee for pleasure" zone. Unfortunately these did not live up to the descriptors in addition to that they also were not (for us) *enjoyable* from an "I just want to have a cuppa and talk to my friends or read the newspaper" scenario... On the one hand, for whatever reason we look into the brew looking for all kinds of technical stuff which is not actually coffee (if I wanted blueberries perhaps I should just buy a punnet instead of a cup of coffee? ;D), and on the other hand we just want to sit and switch off and not let the brew draw us away from what we are really doing (reading the newspaper or whatever). If the coffee draws us away from the newspaper....then there is probably something badly wrong with it (badly brewed/bitter/millky etc OR....perhaps this known provenance, direct trade coffee is not really all that "special" in itself without all the DT marketing attached).... ??? Food for thought in the never ending discussion...and it really depends on what any individual thinks he or she is looking for or trying to achieve.... the individual journey.

Brett_H

I am not surprised to read your post FC but my faith in your class and good-sense is reaffirmed (as it is for all your posts). I too was offered at a gathering a keenly sourced brew from a barista champion stash with the anticipatory statement: "prepare for citrus heaven"!!! I took one sip then upended the rest of the short black into my iced soda water and enjoyed a spritzer to the amazed horror of my hosts. Needless to say I've not been invited back but I will always maintain that if I want a coffee I want a coffee and if I want a cup of lemon juice I want my head read!

FreshCoffee2

Yeah..I dont buy the whole idea that trying to keep it simple and real (in coffee decriptors) "doesn't cut the mustard in a Coffee forum", and that special interest coffee forum people are more particular / discerning / demanding whatever for that, as was written broadly elsewhere in a recent thread. Its a shame if the "coffee for enjoyment" factor is being pushed out of the coffee equation. But I dont think it is....its just that particpants / readers in coffee forums are made to feel as if there is something wrong with them if they didnt see the blueberries or dont like the citrus or dont care, so are never likely to argue with the posters that are into that kind of thing....this equals a one sided, biased discussion, and the usual story where a small number of people push their outlook upon the (for the most part) silent majority. My past experience is that most people just want a nice, well made cup of coffee to enjoy and not analyse. Coffee for coffee's sake, not elitism.

Brett_H

Yes... agreed however there are those on forums making money (as they should) perpetuating the constant need to upgrade, god-shot, deadly-shot, category killer myth instead of focusing on the quality of the beans. I'm shocked at the seemingly intelligent people that haven't thought through or don't wish to think through the myth. It's a sad indictment on our social need to keep up with the joneses breeding a sycophantic elitist following who skew popular view with lavish purchases and subsequently lauded over-blown experience. I call these folks Coffee Kharhashians and they thoroughly deserve a good Kane-ing!

coffee_curators

Hahaha! 🙂 Brett if you were not happy with 'yum' (which seems to be George Calombaris descriptive word of choice preceding almost all dishes he enjoys) you should definitely hold your head up high with

Brett H wrote:

I call these folks Coffee Kharhashians and they thoroughly deserve a good Kane-ing!

Top Shelf! Got to be one of the best categorizations I've heard, thanks for the Monday morning chuckle! :laugh: I also agree that quality of the bean and the processes involved from beginning to end are greatly overlooked by flash marketing and greedy "Coffee Kardashians" but it seems to be unavoidable in today's society, and am generally a bit turned off by the pretentious air sometimes around the cafe scene, I suppose pro's and con's in all things. I think a great factor that is overlooked in a suggested flavor profile is that sensory experience varies and is subject to the individual and not necessarily set in stone, then there is also the different methods of roasting and brewing to consider as a variable which will change the accompanying characteristics. Still on the positive side I think we can all agree that it is great and delightful to see the diversity in nuances that can be produced out of the humble coffee bean when in the hands of people who simply care about doing justice to this much loved seed. Just to let you know many times when out with friends I am asked about my coffee and my word of choice is 'Delicious!'

Brett_H

I'm embarrassed to tell you I had to google the chef you mentioned... I don't watch commercial TV but see that he is on a cooking show.... arguably THE cooking show. Such television is unappealing to somebody as boring as me because it's not about food or cooking, but seemingly about real-time price tracking of the value of people's dignity. Here's to you all with the perky little decaf that I prounounce YUMity!!