Favorite Green Blends and SO's?

[Jack1000]

I want to know your favorite green coffee blends and your favorite single origin green coffees. I'm looking for some new blends to try.

My favorites:

Blend: Sweet Marias Classic Italian Espresso Blend. I also like Metropolis coffee's Redline blend, but I have only purchased it roasted (they offer an unroasted version called greenline)

SO: Ethiopia Harar Horse (any of the harar's that taste like blueberries), Ethiopia Sidamo, actually most of the african coffees are pretty great.

[ResIpsa]

Espresso Blend Favorites:

Sweet Maria's Monkey Blend

Joshua Co. Malabar Gold

Single Origin:

MAO Harrar

Daterra Sweet Yellow Bourbon

Most Kenyans

Sumatran Mandheling

these I the ones I usually keep on hand at any time, there are others

[Mister Moo]

Who-M'oo Brewed coffee, single origin.

Simple. Whodat and Mister M'oos first pick.
100% Costa Rican Tarrazu. It's the best.
I'm very happy with CCM Coffee on CR beans.


Mister M'oos Flexi-Bean Blend
(for Espresso or Mokapot and Not Much Else)

Group A (roast Mex and Sum individually to a busy, smokey and non-oily 2nd crack; take the monsooned malabar to smoke at or just before vanguard 2nd crack):
don't mess with these percentages
25% Mexican Chiapas
25% Sumatra Mandheling
10% monsooned malabar

Group B (can be roasted as pre-mix to busy 2nd crack, no oil):
use 1 or 2 of the 3;
balance percentages to adjust for seasonal changes;
rely heavily on your Brazilian selection if everything else fails;
a pungent Brazilian varietal can make up for a multitude of sins in a blend*
20% Guatamalan anything
20% Nicaraguan anything
20% Brazil anything

* [SIZE=1]and it will relieve you of the work required to make a really special blend. I see an over-reliance on a pungent Brazilian bean as a roasters equivalent of a cop out or "shooting safe". Not guts, no glory.[/SIZE]

[Jack1000]

No personal experience with the brazillians. Any suggestions as to a good place to start?

[DonJefe]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

Who-M'oo Brewed coffee, single origin.

Simple. Whodat and Mister M'oos first pick.
100% Costa Rican Tarrazu. It's the best.
I'm very happy with CCM Coffee on CR beans.


Mister M'oos Flexi-Bean Blend
(for Espresso or Mokapot and Not Much Else)

Group A (roast Mex and Sum individually to a busy, smokey and non-oily 2nd crack; take the monsooned malabar to smoke at or just before vanguard 2nd crack):
don't mess with these percentages
25% Mexican Chiapas
25% Sumatra Mandheling
10% monsooned malabar

Group B (can be roasted as pre-mix to busy 2nd crack, no oil):
use 1 or 2 of the 3;
balance percentages to adjust for seasonal changes;
rely heavily on your Brazilian selection if everything else fails;
a pungent Brazilian varietal can make up for a multitude of sins in a blend*
20% Guatamalan anything
20% Nicaraguan anything
20% Brazil anything

* [SIZE=1]and it will relieve you of the work required to make a really special blend. I see an over-reliance on a pungent Brazilian bean as a roasters equivalent of a cop out or "shooting safe". Not guts, no glory.[/SIZE]

Have to agree with the Tarrazu, great coffee.

Also, if you like African coffee give some of the Rwandan beans a shot. Good stuff.

[Jack1000]

Vic: They are offering Brazil Daterra Yellow Bourbon Rainforrest Alliance cert on www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com if it is one you are looking to stock up on. I have not tried it, but I may have to get a couple of pounds along with the Tarrazu

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Jack1000

No personal experience with the brazillians. Any suggestions as to a good place to start?

For brewed coffee I'm usually disappointed with Brazilians; I've given up on them as long as there is Costa Rican Tarrazu to brew. Many 'zils, Cerrados and Fazendas in particular, make very nice blending elements in espresso.

SM has a pretty good summary on essence of Brazil here:

http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.southamr.brasil.html

[ResIpsa]

Originally Posted by Jack1000

Vic: They are offering Brazil Daterra Yellow Bourbon Rainforrest Alliance cert on www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com if it is one you are looking to stock up on. I have not tried it, but I may have to get a couple of pounds along with the Tarrazu

thanks for the heads up Jaime, I usually get an email from them but didn't hear about this one!

[mels95yj]

Well, I wish I could distinguish between the different coffees, but alas, I cannot. I think I may just be "thinking" that I can tell a difference though. I tend to drink Columbian most days. To me, it's kinda like a good bundle cigar. My next favorite was the Rwanda Nyakizu from Burman Coffee.

Mel

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by mels95yj

Well, I wish I could distinguish between the different coffees, but alas, I cannot. I think I may just be "thinking" that I can tell a difference... Mel

I think that I think that I know what you're thinking. My think on taste of coffee:

I am not a taster expert of anything, including coffee, but I try to pay attention to cigars and coffee. Like just this morning, right now, I clearly ruined two good coffees by mixing them (as the Guatamalan in the grinder ran out I mixed it, about 50/50, with some Tanzanian Peaberry). The distinct and enjoyable elements of two coffee brewed alone turned into indistinct nothingness when mixed. If learning the taste of coffee, I suggest known fresh roast and single origin beans only - no blends. This is where the IRoast, FreshRoast, poppers, etc. really shine. They will take you to exactly where the flavor is. Nobody who ever roasted a SO bean with an air roaster will ever say otherwise.

Even the best of brands, if not purchased with a roast (NOT a "USE BY")date stamped on the bag, can be stale or staling. There is an easy test for absolute freshness called the "run that stuff through a pump espresso machine" test - you'll know for certain if it's fresh in 28-seconds or less. Seems to me that about half or more of grocery store coffee is stale or close to it; many, but not all, "fresh" roasts sold on the interent are fresh but few are stamped with roast date.

Varietal nuances revealed in drip-brewed coffee are more subtle than a sledgehammer blow to a bone china coffee cup set. However, if you have a nose, ventilated sinuses and a tongue with working taste buds they should be easy enough to define if:

a. the roast is fresh and uncontaminated with robusta;
b. the extraction (a function of brewing water temp) is correct;
c. the water is not full of snails, frogs or chlorine*; and
d. you've used enough coffee grounds/ounce water**

I never much noticed the taste elements of coffee until I started getting (or making my own) absolutely fresh roast. Columbian, as you observed, is a (winey in-your-face) bean that's hard to miss. Until I found the glory of the alternatives, I thought Columbian was how good coffee was supposed to taste. Columbian is now low on my list - the last choice, actually - although many find it a prince of a coffee.

Most coffee taste is, for me, in the nose. If your nose and sinuses aren't working well then coffee nuances are harder to detect. The mouth taste or mouth feel is more the body, acidity level and oilyness. Oily coffee hangs for a long time in your mouth; acid coffee is right there at the swallow in the back of my mouth. Milk or Half&Half (oily body) and sugar (sweet) is very much a mouth, not nose, thing but it does change or hide what your nose would detect. If you like cream/sugar in your coffee, always take the first taste black - and use your nose in the process.

YMMV.

* if brewing with chlorinated city water, let it sit in an open bottle overnight

** use one rounded tablespoon of coffee per four ounces of water for a starting point on drip, press or pourover coffee.

[mels95yj]

I guess I'm either stupid or haven't taken the time to learn. Possibly a combination of both!

I can tell a difference between my cheapo drip at the house versus my Presto at the office. I just added a SwissGold filter to the Presto as well. I can tell it's a little more oily, but not in a bad way. I can also notice a difference in the brewing aroma between fresh beans and store bought. I've even had co-workers comment on the nice smell coming from my office. And ground coffee...well there's no comparison. The aroma of freshly ground coffee is one of the best smells...period.

I guess what I meant when I said I couldn't tell a difference was I can't tell enough a difference between Columbian and Costa Rican or any other SO. So, why spend more money on something that I can't tell a difference. There's little things that I can tell, but once the cup is done, my mouth forgets. Also, if there was two cups in front of me with a different SO, I couldn't tell you which was which even if I had the SO names.

I can definitely tell a difference between freshly roasted beans and store bought. I will never go back unless it's in an emergency. I may have to take more time to study what I'm drinking. I've bought several SO's, but it all tastes the same. I may have to buy several different ones when this batch runs out.

Mel

[Jack1000]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

I think that I think that I know what you're thinking. My think on taste of coffee:

I am not a taster expert of anything, including coffee, but I try to pay attention to cigars and coffee. Like just this morning, right now, I clearly ruined two good coffees by mixing them (as the Guatamalan in the grinder ran out I mixed it, about 50/50, with some Tanzanian Peaberry). The distinct and enjoyable elements of two coffee brewed alone turned into indistinct nothingness when mixed. If learning the taste of coffee, I suggest known fresh roast and single origin beans only - no blends. This is where the IRoast, FreshRoast, poppers, etc. really shine. They will take you to exactly where the flavor is. Nobody who ever roasted a SO bean with an air roaster will ever say otherwise.

Even the best of brands, if not purchased with a roast (NOT a "USE BY")date stamped on the bag, can be stale or staling. There is an easy test for absolute freshness called the "run that stuff through a pump espresso machine" test - you'll know for certain if it's fresh in 28-seconds or less. Seems to me that about half or more of grocery store coffee is stale or close to it; many, but not all, "fresh" roasts sold on the interent are fresh but few are stamped with roast date.

Varietal nuances revealed in drip-brewed coffee are more subtle than a sledgehammer blow to a bone china coffee cup set. However, if you have a nose, ventilated sinuses and a tongue with working taste buds they should be easy enough to define if:

a. the roast is fresh and uncontaminated with robusta;
b. the extraction (a function of brewing water temp) is correct;
c. the water is not full of snails, frogs or chlorine*; and
d. you've used enough coffee grounds/ounce water**

I never much noticed the taste elements of coffee until I started getting (or making my own) absolutely fresh roast. Columbian, as you observed, is a (winey in-your-face) bean that's hard to miss. Until I found the glory of the alternatives, I thought Columbian was how good coffee was supposed to taste. Columbian is now low on my list - the last choice, actually - although many find it a prince of a coffee.

Most coffee taste is, for me, in the nose. If your nose and sinuses aren't working well then coffee nuances are harder to detect. The mouth taste or mouth feel is more the body, acidity level and oilyness. Oily coffee hangs for a long time in your mouth; acid coffee is right there at the swallow in the back of my mouth. Milk or Half&Half (oily body) and sugar (sweet) is very much a mouth, not nose, thing but it does change or hide what your nose would detect. If you like cream/sugar in your coffee, always take the first taste black - and use your nose in the process.

YMMV.

* if brewing with chlorinated city water, let it sit in an open bottle overnight

** use one rounded tablespoon of coffee per four ounces of water for a starting point on drip, press or pourover coffee.

Good post. Mr. M

Just a note to mels95yj on my own experience: When roasting your own and using single origin coffees and making espresso I find the flavors to be so distinct it's almost miraculous. Before I got into this it was either smooth or bitter drip coffee--that was about the only distinction I made but now some of the flavors beat me over the head.

Ethiopia yirg-- lemon citrus
Ethiopia Harar (at least the one I have) blueberry syrup
India Dewan Estate-- sour cherry and nuts
they are all like this-- so different from one another that it is almost like drinking different beverages or varities of herbal tea. These are not subtle flavors they are really distinct.

[mels95yj]

Originally Posted by Jack1000

Good post. Mr. M

Just a note to mels95yj on my own experience: When roasting your own and using single origin coffees and making espresso I find the flavors to be so distinct it's almost miraculous. Before I got into this it was either smooth or bitter drip coffee--that was about the only distinction I made but now some of the flavors beat me over the head.

Ethiopia yirg-- lemon citrus
Ethiopia Harar (at least the one I have) blueberry syrup
India Dewan Estate-- sour cherry and nuts
they are all like this-- so different from one another that it is almost like drinking different beverages or varities of herbal tea. These are not subtle flavors they are really distinct.

I've never thought about getting into espresso before. Mostly because of the $$$ needed for a good setup, and the practice needed to perfect a shot. Drip is pretty much fool-proof. We've got a water filter that has a carbon and sediment filter on it, so the water should be pretty good. I'm using a Scandinavian maker and SwissGold filter, so that should be good. I just figured that using the FR8 might limit the development of the bean since it roasts more quickly than other methods, ie. SC/CO.

Another possibility is my tastebuds could be shot from cigarettes and hot sauce.

Mel

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by mels95yj

...I can definitely tell a difference between freshly roasted beans and store bought. I will never go back unless it's in an emergency. I may have to take more time to study what I'm drinking. I've bought several SO's, but it all tastes the same... Mel

Ever use a french press or pourover filter by any chance?

[Jack1000]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

Ever use a french press or pourover filter by any chance?

Or a mokapot-- that's a a well spent $10-- check out Mr. Maduro's post on the the mokapot. I've been having a lot of fun with mine for the last week. It maintains the same flavors as the beans do when made with my espresso machine-- just a little more subtle.