PT's Coffee, Fazenda Rainha, Brazil - Inverted Aeropress

After a slightly disappointing first round of the Fazenda Rainha, we tried an inverted Aeropress method which yielded much more interesting results. This time, I got some nuances akin to the notes on the bag which discuss fruit tones, like dates and raisins.

Verdict:
Me: 7
Brent: 8

I'm curious now: does the Aeropress smooth out darker roasts better than lighter ones?

PT's Coffee, Fazenda Rainha, Brazil - Clever Coffee Dripper

Upon my return from Brazil, I'm figuring that I'd start out our work week with some Brazilian Coffee. Tougo has been carrying PT's Coffee from Kansas City (yes, I know we have a surprising amount of midwest roasters), so I figured I'd give it a try. The barista at Tougo, when I asked about this PT's Coffee Fazenda Rainha (Queen Plantation) had noted the roast was a bit dark but it was good.

Arriving at work, my coworker had left me some water from the well on her property, which tastes great! As coffee is mostly water, it does matter what you use, so I am very curious of this impact on our coffee.

 We tried this on the Clever, which I don't think provided much subtlety. As the coffee cooled, I got a citrus like tang in the aroma and it proceeded to get sweeter, from the initial bold, smokey notes.

My ranking: 6-7

Brent's ranking: 7

New Week, New Klatch Coffee - Colombia Duvier Rivera Micro-Lot, Inverted Aeropress prep

This week finds me diving into the second bag from Klatch, the Duvier Rivera Micro-Lot.  Wow - another excellent Colombian from Klatch coffee!  Dare I say this one is even better than the La Esperanza, its flavor is more robust, richer and all-around extremely satisfying.  The flavor profile is similar to the La Esperanza in that I get a chocolate finish, however the initial kick is less juicy and citrusy - super smooth and rich on the first sip.   I am getting pretty good at this inverted aeropress style, I'm finding it to produce the best results. One tweak is to reduce the brew time down to about 60-70 seconds from the 2 minutes I had initially tried. This tip came from the Aeropress inventor himself, Alan Adler, in an interview I read on the Sprudge website.  He mentions there a shorter wet time for the coffee produced a sweeter cup on the aeropress.
Highly recommend Klatch, and their fine Colombians!

Brent's rating: 9 (A High 9 at that)

This Morning's Brew - Klatch Coffee Colombia Granja La Esperanza - Inverted Aeropress Method

I was excited to try these new beans when they arrived yesterday.  However, my first attempt at home with the Clever was less than optimal - I made that one a little too strong.  This morning I opted to go with the inverted Aeropress, and the results were quite good.   I remarked to my coworkers that the crema head on this brew was as thick as Guinness, you could float a quarter on it.  This coffee has a number of good things going for it: It's a medium roast, but I would put it on the darker side of medium.  The lingering aftertaste is that of a slightly burned campfire marshmallow, with an overtone of chocolate.  Very pleasant.  The initial taste is a bright citrus flavor which then blends into the sweetness with cocoa tones.  I could drink this coffee all day and not get tired of it.  I just might do that.

Brent's Rating: 9 (Solid)

www.klatchroasting.com

Fresh Klatch!

Just came in the mail today.  This should help soothe the pain from the McCafe episode.

I think I will try the Colombia La Esperanza first.. I've had great success with coffees from that region.

The Big Board - how it all started

We started the big board last fall (2013) - Initially, this is how we tracked all the data.  I believe the board was frozen in time about December of 2013.    The new iteration is a spreadsheet, and the future holds more innovation - so stay tuned.  Interesting about this board picture - quite a few different roasters represented here:

Seattle Coffee Works (Seattle, WA)  - www.seattlecoffeeworks.com
Heart Roasters (Portland, OR) - www.heartroasters.com
Bird Rock Roasters (La Jolla, CA) - www.birdrockcoffee.com
Velton's Coffee (Everett, WA) - www.veltonscoffee.com
49th Parallel Roasters (Burnaby, B.C.) - www.49thparallelroasters.com
Slate Coffee (Seattle, WA) - www.slatecoffee.com
Water Avenue Coffee (Portland, OR) - www.wateravenuecoffee.com
Stumptown Coffee Roasters (Portland, OR) - stumptowncoffee.com
Herkimer Coffee (Seattle, WA) - www.herkimercoffee.com

As you can see this list is heavy on the northwest based roasters, but we do branch out and try beans from all over - if it's good, we want to try it!

Today's Brew - McCafé

Currently, I am waiting for a package of fresh beans from Klatch Coffee (www.klatchroasting.com)..  While waiting, I found myself in a quandary - I needed a cup this morning and the closest, cheapest location is right across the street at McDonald's.   So against better judgement I dove in for a tall cup of brutality..

My rating: 2 (barely)

Characteristics:
Smell:  acrid, burnt, caffeinated smelling salts
Slappability:  2 face slaps - one in each direction
Flavor:  Can't quite place it - one of these 3 photos:

 Charred Wood

 Tree Bark

Oily Duck

Mail can't come soon enough!