Espresso Enthusiasts

[mobilehaathi]

Unfortunately the consolidation that is being seen in the craft coffee industry has made its way to the craft beer industry as well....

Indeed, I've noticed. Whoever said a business must always be expanding ought to be shot.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Indeed, I've noticed. Whoever said a business must always be expanding ought to be shot.

Agreed.

Well, it depends on the criteria used to measure 'success'. By crude money making, or profit acquisition criteria, expansion may well be an answer.

However, other things are of value, such as quality of the product you sell, and the reputation you have acquired. Those are the things that may be eroded if growth happens too quickly, especially if such growth takes place at the expense of quality control.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Today, the Kenyan coffee was reduced to one third of the blend - a blend of my own devising, the remaining two thirds having been made up from two different Ethiopian varietals.

Thus, I prepared (and ground, thank you, OE Lido grinder) a blend which was one part Ethiopian Kochere (Yirgacheffe), one part Ethiopian Kebel Aricha, and one part Kenyan. A lovely clean, bright, rich, sweet and smooth cup. I'll make a pot later.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Still sampling - and experimenting with - various combinations of two thirds Ethiopian and one third Kenyan.

Perhaps it is my personal preferences coming through, but I find that the coffee becomes ever more palatable the greater the percentage of Ethiopian beans to Kenyan beans I use….

 

[mobilehaathi]

Still sampling - and experimenting with - various combinations of two thirds Ethiopian and one third Kenyan.

Perhaps it is my personal preferences coming through, but I find that the coffee becomes ever more palatable the greater the percentage of Ethiopian beans to Kenyan beans I use….

Hehe, what characteristics do the Kenyan beans add? Or are you ultimately just cutting your supply of Ethipian beans with something less desirable?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Hehe, what characteristics do the Kenyan beans add? Or are you ultimately just cutting your supply of Ethipian beans with something less desirable?

Hm, I think you may have rumbled me. Damn. And I thought I was being subtle…...

Well, I had bought the Kenyan beans because every so often, I like to push myself to move out of my caffeine comfort zone. And Kenyan beans are very highly regarded by the coffee aficionados...

Since I had an epiphany re Ethiopian coffee, given my preferences, I would hardly ever drink anything else other than varieties of Ethiopian coffee for the rest of my life (a certain coffee supplied by Intelligentsia, 'Los Inmortales' from El Salvador, excepted).

So, when I made my first cup of the Kenyan coffee - highly rated though it was - I realised that - with several different splendid Ethiopian coffees fighting it for cupboard space - I didn't have to suffer it for the week it might take me to drink it. Intelligent blending seemed to the the answer, although that does mean that the Kenyan is taking longer to be consumed than might otherwise have been the case……

Anyway, the Kenyan is sharper, less smooth and sweet, and more acidic than I had become used to, or like, in my privately made coffee.

 

[mobilehaathi]

Hm, I think you may have rumbled me. Damn. And I thought I was being subtle…...

Well, I had bought the Kenyan beans because every so often, I like to push myself to move out of my caffeine comfort zone.

Since I had an epiphany re Ethiopian coffee, given my preferences, I would hardly ever drink anything else other than varieties of Ethiopian coffee for the rest of my life (a certain coffee supplied by Intelligentsia, 'Los Inmortales' from El Salvador, excepted).

So, when I made my first cup of the Kenyan coffee - highly rated though it was - I realised that - with several different splendid Ethiopian coffees fighting it for cupboard space - I didn't have to suffer for the week it might take me to drink it. Intelligent blending seemed to the the answer, although that does mean that the Kenyan is taking longer to be consumed than might otherwise be the case……

Anyway, the Kenyan is sharper, less smooth and sweet, and more acidic than I had become used to, or like, in my privately made coffee.

Well I'm with you here. These days I rarely drink outside Ethiopia, except for when I'm in an espresso streak. But even then SMs will occasionally carry a delightful Ethiopian espresso blend...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well I'm with you here. These days I rarely drink outside Ethiopia, except for when I'm in an espresso streak. But even then SMs will occasionally carry a delightful Ethiopian espresso blend...

It has gotten to the stage where I really miss that smooth, sweet taste, cut as it is with a clean, bright note - that is the characteristic of good Ethiopian coffee (virtually all of them have these characteristics) when I am not drinking it.

Twice, in recent months, I have strayed from my Ethiopian comfort zone, and twice I have come scurrying back - at speed - to the caffeine delights offered by the Ethiopian highlands.

Most other coffees come nowhere near - and I mean nowhere near - the Ethiopians for that clear, clean bright sense along with a lovely, balanced, sweet and smooth taste.

Thus far, only some of the really good coffees from El Salvador come anywhere near what I have come to like in a coffee.

What is funny is that Intelligentsia seem to have gotten in on the act. This year, for the first time since I started ordering from them a few years ago, they have started offering quite a wide selection of Ethiopian coffees.

However, due to the high cost of shipping, I have been buying a lot less from Intelligentsia than I used to.

Re SM, I bought one bag a good while ago, and - while it was good - I would not have regarded it as spectacular.

 

[mobilehaathi]

It has gotten to the stage where I really miss that smooth, sweet taste, cut as it is with a clean, bright note - that is the characteristic of good Ethiopian coffee (virtually all of them have these characteristics) when I am not drinking it.

Twice, in recent months, I have strayed from my Ethiopian comfort zone, and twice I have come scurrying back - at speed - to the caffeine delights offered by the Ethiopian highlands.

Most other coffees come nowhere near - and I mean nowhere near - the Ethiopians for that clear, clean bright sense along with a lovely, balanced, sweet and smooth taste.

Thus far, only some of the really good coffees from El Salvador come anywhere near what I have come to like in a coffee.

What is funny is that Intelligentsia seem to have gotten in on the act. This year, for the first time since I started ordering from them a few years ago, they have started offering quite a wide selection of Ethiopian coffees.

However, due to the high cost of shipping, I have been buying a lot less from Intelligentsia than I used to.

Re SM, I bought one bag a good while ago, and - while it was good - I would not have regarded it as spectacular.

They roast fine beans, too bad your order wasn't great. I'm not sure it's worth ordering pterosaurs beans from so far away... Their unroasted stock is spectacular.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

They roast fine beans, too bad your order wasn't great. I'm not sure it's worth ordering pterosaurs beans from so far away... Their unroasted stock is spectacular.

Sure, @mobilehaathi, but roasting my own is just a bit of a step too far for me.

Even grinding my own is a hassle at times, - I do it on the days when I am writing and researching, rather than rushing out the door, which is why I have both beans, and a (small) amount of pre-ground coffee on the go simultaneously. Needs must, and while perfection is a glorious ideal, sometimes convenience trumps perfection.

Anyway, having said that, I love the name. Pterosaurs. Pterosaurs beans. Wow. Brilliant. What are they like?

 

[mobilehaathi]

Sure, @mobilehaathi, but roasting my own is just a bit of a step too far for me.

Even grinding my own is a hassle at times, - I do it on the days when I am writing and researching, rather than rushing out the door, which is why I have both beans, and a (small) amount of pre-ground coffee on the go simultaneously. Needs must, and while perfection is a glorious ideal, sometimes convenience trumps perfection.

Anyway, having said that, I love the name. Pterosaurs. Pterosaurs beans. Wow. Brilliant. What are they like?

Um, hahaha! Apparently preroasted was autocorrected to pterosaurs. 🙄

Yes, I know you have no interest in roasting your own. I'd say sourcing your beans closer to home is the best bet for preroasted beans. And your new 'friends' at The Ethiopian Coffee Company sound like they're doing a stand-up job.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Um, hahaha! Apparently preroasted was autocorrected to pterosaurs. 🙄

Yes, I know you have no interest in roasting your own. I'd say sourcing your beans closer to home is the best bet for preroasted beans. And your new 'friends' at The Ethiopian Coffee Company sound like they're doing a stand-up job.

This bloody autocorrect. I have lost count of the number of posts that I thought I had written in flawless English which had been rendered otherwise by the time they made their appearance on the page…it makes you (one) look like an illiterate at times.

Anyway, okay - pre-roasted (don't dare turn this into 'pterosaurs'!!)……fine. The only time I ever got my 'pterosaurs' (or pre-roasted) beans from SM, I thought them fine, but couldn't get the adulation some on this very thread had expressed over the years. Mind you, it is also possible that I was already in the early throes of an affair with Ethiopian coffee, and that my palate and taste preferences had begun to change.

Ahem. But 'pterosaurs' beans……it has a certain je ne sais quoi to it…..

Yes, The Ethiopian Coffee Company are doing an excellent job.

Re Intelligentsia, to justify the cost of postage, one would need to make it a pretty decent sized order.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It is Sunday morning (well, afternoon by now) and I am relaxing with a pot (Le Creuset raspberry - or cerise - coloured) of wonderful coffee, the same three blends I have been using for the past week or so. Now, it is roughly one third Yirgacheffe (Ethiopian), 40% Kebel Aricha (Ethiopian) and - er - around 25% Kenyan. This works very well.

 

[JamesMike]

It is Sunday morning (well, afternoon by now) and I am relaxing with a pot (Le Creuset raspberry - or cerise - coloured) of wonderful coffee, the same three blends I have been using for the past week or so. Now, it is roughly one third Yirgacheffe (Ethiopian), 40% Kebel Aricha (Ethiopian) and - er - around 25% Kenyan. This works very well.

I will have to give that blend a try when I get home.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I will have to give that blend a try when I get home.

In essence, I have been reducing the percentage of the Kenyan as the week has progressed; it started at half and half, (Ethiopian and Kenyan) and then, a third of each - I opened another Ethiopian as I had a number of packets of different Ethiopian beans , and realised that I like them far better than the Kenyan - and -thus, tweaking the percentages further (not on a scales, - that is too time consuming, and, almost - anal - but, using dessertspoonfuls, my nose, and just a highly developed sense of what might work...…) the coffee has just gotten better and better….

 

[Scepticalscribe]

So, now the Kenyan is down to less than 20% of the blend and each of the other two (Kebel Aricha and one of the Yirgacheffe beans) are at around 40% (well, around 45% Kebel Aricha and 35% Yirgacheffe). Lovely.

Actually, I hadn't expected to enjoy tweaking quite blends so much.

 

[S.B.G]

Actually, I hadn't expected to enjoy tweaking quite blends so much.

I imagine that it must be fun experimenting with blends and tastes like that. Its something I haven't tried myself yet.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I imagine that it must be fun experimenting with blends and tastes like that. Its something I haven't tried myself yet.

Well, I only started because I realised that I had a tin full of Kenyan beans that were nice, but not brilliant. And that I had at least three different types of (lovely, fresh, recently roasted) Ethiopian beans.

This led to that sort of 'eureka' moment. You know, the one where you mentally administer a good kick to yourself, when you remind yourself that you have several bags of excellent coffee, and then, ask yourself why you are drinking stuff you don't much care for when you could be happily greeting the other....

So, rather than simply taking a week to finish the Kenyan, I thought to tone it down with something I know I like. And that thought was followed by the next light-bulb moment, which suggested that I open two different Ethiopians, - rather than simply one - and and play around with, and try out varying percentages of each of them with the Kenyan, to see which worked best.

Having tried that, it has been great fun, and I'll certainly continue with it.

 

[S.B.G]

I must admit that my consumption of coffee has plummeted dramatically over the last several months. This is largely due to getting back into the gym and getting back into good shape.

The reason behind the less coffee is because I take a pre-workout supplement which has a good dose of caffeine in it. Typically, I always had my 1 cup of coffee in the mornings and that is now when I head out to the gym. I don't want to overdo it on the caffeine in my body and if I have coffee, or a lot of caffeine later in the day, it messes with my quality of sleep.

So I only seem to have a cup one or twice a week on rest days...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I must admit that my consumption of coffee has plummeted dramatically over the last several months. This is largely due to getting back into the gym and getting back into good shape.

The reason behind the less coffee is because I take a pre-workout supplement which has a good dose of caffeine in it. Typically, I always had my 1 cup of coffee in the mornings and that is now when I head out to the gym. I don't want to overdo it on the caffeine in my body and if I have coffee, or a lot of caffeine later in the day, it messes with my quality of sleep.

So I only seem to have a cup one or twice a week on rest days...

Yes, I had noticed that you weren't posting as frequently in the Espresso thread. And the unfortunate continued absence of of mutual friend - whose enthusiasm put us all in the shade - may have been a contributory factor as well.

Well, for me, a cup - preferably a mug - of really good coffee first thing in the morning is an absolute imperative, a nonnegotiable must. In life, in kitchens, in relationships. I doubt that I am fully human until I have had my first coffee of the day. And it must be a good one.

After that, - coffees are enjoyable - but apart from the second one, which I also quite like a lot, and which tends to be taken in company, I am not that fussy. I can have two, or five, depending on my day, what I am doing and where I am. Few things are more civilised than sitting in a nice café, drinking good coffee, and reading a newspaper.

 

[S.B.G]

Few things are more civilised than sitting in a nice café, drinking good coffee, and reading a newspaper.

Indeed, those are great times.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Actually, reading this, and noting how rapidly my Ethiopian coffee is being consumed leads me to the conclusion that it will not be long before it is time to put in another order (before I actually run out of coffee…)

While that won't happen for another week - or two - it is always nice to peruse the various coffee websites and see what is actually on offer.

 

[0388631]

Had my first, and then second, espresso this morning in over 9 months or something like that. Then did 3 diaper changes and started what will be dinner later tonight. Thankfully the MIL has the kids during the day for the rest of this and next week.

Does anyone here repurpose their pucks? Like ground coffee, I throw it into the compost bin or just near the roses in the front of the house. Decent foilage and blooming 2-3 months later. Also seems to keep flies and gnats away.

Actually, reading this, and noting how rapidly my Ethiopian coffee is being consumed leads me to the conclusion that it will not be long before it is time to put in another order (before I actually run out of coffee…)

While that won't happen for another week - or two - it is always nice to peruse the various coffee websites and see what is actually on offer.

Call up Coffee Bean Direct and ask them to ship you a just roasted package. They also had green beans last I checked.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

This morning, I decided to make a pot of coffee - partly because I wanted more than one cup, partly because I wished to finish off the Kenyan coffee - and partly, because I wished play further with different Ethiopian beans, and different percentages of Ethiopian beans as one concocts different blends.

At the moment, I am just playing about, trying, testing and tasting combinations. The more dedicated here would already have pen and paper out, making detailed tasting notes, as they compared how the coffee changes as measurements as small as micrograms are modified. Well, for how, I am enjoying the sheer 'let's just try this out, toss another spoon of those beans in…'stage of being able to experiment with abandon. And fun. Time to pour another cup..

 

[S.B.G]

The other day, Veteran's Day, my buddy convinced me to go with him to Starbucks for one of their free coffee's. I knew it was a bad idea and that I'd regret it.

However, I went with him since he's my friend and the social time was good. But, the small, free, coffee was terrible - as I knew it would be. I took mine black and he put a bunch of stuff in his.

It was overly acidic and burnt tasting. Yuck! I barely consumed much of it and tossed most of it out when we left. That was two days ago and this morning, the awful taste is finally gone from my tongue.

I should have been smarter and put a bunch of stuff in mine, too, to offset the terrible taste of it. But, since I always make my own coffee, at home, and drink it black, that was the mantra I stuck to that evening.