The first of what will be a monthly coffee offering as a custom roast.
Here are my findings after careful sampling research.
Who would've thought a simple popcorn popper would be so useful for coffee research?
Say hello to my new friend Spud. Spud is a popcorn popper that has been converted into a sample roaster. The reason I purchased a sample roaster was to make more informed decisions before purchasing large bags of coffee. I have also decided to offer small batch coffees as a custom roast, but in order to do that I needed to make sure I have a good sampling routine.
This is something I plan on doing monthly as time and product allows. For all of my other loyal customers, you're in for a treat!
Here's how it works:
-A small-batch of specialty coffee comes in, it'll generally by 10 pounds or less.
-I will do a full sampling of light/medium/dark roast thanks to "Spud."
-Out of each roast samples, I will prepare a batch of hot coffee, cold brew and espresso.
-Once everything is ready, there will be a tasting. The tasting will be open to the general public and generally scheduled for the 2nd Saturday of the month.
-At the tasting, everyone will give an evaluation of each coffee at each roasting level.
-Everyone on the email list will get first offering, then it'll be published as a blog post.
Light Roast
Hot coffee: I used a French press for all hot coffee samples.
-Bright and fruity, not overly-acidic.
-Cooled well, no "sip of death" threshold.
-Most importantly, tasted like coffee.
Cold brew: I used 1oz course ground coffee by weight to 16oz room temperature water for a 24 hour extraction.
- Mild but refreshing.
-Some fruit and even floral notes.
Espresso: I used a double-walled portafilter on a 20 second pull.
-Not recommended.
-Overly-acidic
Medium Roast
Hot coffee:
-More robust flavor overall.
-The fruitiness had dulled slightly.
-Hints of floral came in.
-Still no "sip of death."
-Still tastes like coffee.
Cold brew:
-Fruit and floral came out more strongly.
-Chocolate notes
-Overall very pleasant drinking, I saved the leftovers for myself!
Espresso:
-Less acidic than the light roast.
-Overall more balanced.
-Some nuttiness.
Dark Roast
Hot coffee:
-Enjoyable as a French press since the French press generally makes the coffee more robust.
-Strong dark flavor, almost like molasses.
-No "sip of death."
-An easy favorite among dark roast lovers.
Cold brew:
-Flavors somewhat dulled, nothing truly worth noting.
Espresso:
-Excellent crema
-Balanced flavor profile
-Everything you could love about espresso!
What is the Roaster's Choice?
There isn't a particular roast or method of preparation that stands out above all the others, which makes this coffee very versatile. I would say that each roast levels had its own winner for preparation method.
Light roast: Hot coffee
Medium roast: Cold brew
Dark roast: Espresso
So whatever you'd like to do with this coffee, I'm happy to roast it to your specifications! Remember, this is a small batch purchase, be sure to place your order before it runs out!
Comments