This is a list of coffees I have enjoyed. Unless otherwise noted, these are usually brewed in a v60 using James Hoffman's technique.
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Name: Kilimbi Roaster: Spyhouse Origin: Rwanda, Nyainasheke District Variety: Red bourbon Process: Washed Roast: Light Comments: This gave me trouble, brewed well when reducing to three pours instead of five to reduce agitation - Tea-like, bright and lively with a black tea bitterness. Bag has notes of "Raisin, Black Tea, Cherry Tomato" to give you an idea. |
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Name: Palo Verde Roaster: Spyhouse Origin: Honduras, La Paz Variety: Catuai and IHCAFE 90 Process: Natural Roast: Light Comments: Some clogging in filter (though my grinder burrs may be getting dull). Very juicy, with good body. Not a lot of bitterness. Listed notes are "strawberry jam, brown sugar, meyer lemon." |
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Name: Osmin Reyes Roaster: Spyhouse Origin: Honduras, Santa Barbara Variety: Pacas (natural mutation of Bourbon) Process: Washed Roast: Light+ Comments: This brewed up easily once I dialed in my grinder, but it's just fine. There's a stubborn bitterness that refuses to disappear behind a slight acidity. When I first smelled these beans, maybe because I smelled a little too intensely, there was a fruity acidity that felt like it burned my nostrils. After that for the cup to be relatively mid and low acidity feels a bit disappointing. |
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Name: N/A Roaster: Wesley Andrews Origin: Yunnan, China Variety: N/A Process: Red Honey, Natural Roast: Light Comments: These beans looked unevenly roasted which I thought would be an issue but this brewed up BEAUTIFULLY! Rich, fruity juiciness with a bitter undercurrent. This finished brewing early every single time, and when I did reduce agitation or grind it finer, it lost a lot of that delightful fruitiness, so once I leaned back and enjoyed it instead of trying to control it I could really relish how delightfully unique this brew was. |
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Name: Kayon Mountain Natural Roaster: Wesley Andrews Origin: Ethiopia, from Guji Variety: N/A Process: Natural Roast: Light+ Comments: This was moderately easy to brew for an Ethiopian coffee, which is to say the filter clogged but not terribly. There were some dark fruit notes but it had the tea-like bitterness I've come to expect from most Ethiopian coffees. I wasn't enchanted by these beans. |
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Name: Honduras Roaster: Vitality Roasting Origin: Honduras, Los Encinos Variety: N/A Process: Natural Roast: Medium (sold as light) Comments: Listed as light roast, but closer to a medium to me - I really struggled to get the fruity origin flavors from this coffee. I really wish it was roasted just a little lighter. There's a persistent roasty bitterness throughout dark fruit flavors. Tasting notes are "Jammy, Raspberry, Wine" and generically "processed red fruit" comes through but I felt a little let down. |
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Name: Ocotzalan Roaster: Spyhouse Origin: Ocotzalan farm in Puebla, Mexico Variety: Marsellesa, Garnica, and Caturra beans Process: Washed Roast: Medium Comments: Very balanced, rich dark fruit and chocolate flavors with some piquant acidity and a hint of spice at the back of the palate in the finish. These beans brewed beautifully and maintained their acidity despite being roasted a little darker than I tend to drink. Overall quite accessible, tasty, and complex. That being said, I didn't experience what I call "coffee umami" with these, where a cup ends up so balanced and perfectly brewed that it tastes absolutely undeniably perfect. I thought I would with these beans because they have such a balanced flavor profile, but maybe that's down to my brewing lately. |