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2026-07-06 to 2026-07-12
Index
seylance2897
2026-07-06
- 6:42 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: This is a good question... on the green buying side these are pretty well defined this won't be an exaustive list.. but it will cover alot
green quality
vegetal
nutty - not to be confused with cereal
phenol
age
levels of processing / fermentation
bag taint
petrol
Harsh / rubber/ kinda hard to explain but what most robusta tastes like
Roast
Varing levels of burnt
dryness - can be from over development can also come from extraction
Varing levels of cereal - not to be confused with nut
Grass / hay
flat / baked - think of the top of a moutain just being cut or rounded off of the flavor profile
scorched / tipped - similar in flavor to burnt
grass/ hay and burnt - when a coffee is both over and underveloped
please feel free to add to this if anyone can think of others - 6:43 PM
#1515118804202422343: chirosos can be so amazing... also i think harder profiles to find in other places/ varieties - 6:47 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: its like taking all the highs out and leaving only the mids - 6:47 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: baked gets thrown around alot inapproirately IMO - 6:54 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: oh definitely not hay is 100% in coffee - 9:56 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: i ended up really liking her coffee... as all over the place as it was
2026-07-07
- 4:34 PM
#origins-and-producers: This is also my experience. Resting green coffee doesn't do much to change quality, outside of a very few random examples / exceptions - 4:35 PM
#origins-and-producers: Lots of different pink bourbon profiles out there. which ones are you tasting? where are they coming from and how long are they being held in cherry? - 9:48 PM
#origins-and-producers: Yeah good pink bourbons are actually very, very hard to find.
Also try San Agustin, but competition for these coffees is very high
2026-07-08
- 12:07 AM
#origins-and-producers: hahahah there might be some truth to this - 5:50 PM
#origins-and-producers: I'd be super curious to hear how these taste... I personally don't have a ton of experience with the Java variety outside the Caballeros - which for us we always called the matcha ice cream coffee - and Bolivia back when i was exploring that place a little more in depth... but those profiles were pretty different. I've definitely never tasted on in Guatemala - 5:55 PM
#1513307859658477568: these are all high.. when was harvest and how quickly can you roast them - 6:31 PM
#1513307859658477568: Also, UV would tell you a lot - 6:31 PM
#1513307859658477568: if those coffees had perfect UV i wouldn't worry.. i'd stil roast them as qucikly as I could.. - 6:32 PM
#1513307859658477568: do you have 365 wave length? - 6:33 PM
#1513307859658477568: yeah if you wanna send over a pic i'd definitely tell you what your looking for - 6:33 PM
#origins-and-producers: oh thats cool, are you roasting it right now? - 6:35 PM
#1513307859658477568: its how much mottling is on the the seed thats important - 6:35 PM
#1513307859658477568: the more mottling the more the cell stucture is breaking down... and will age faster on you - 6:36 PM
#1513307859658477568: but coffee harvested in winter with that kind moisture and if you don't have the coffee in house yet... I 100% personally wouldn't touch that haha - 6:38 PM
#1513307859658477568: [attachment only]
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- View_recent_photos.png (image/png 1125x2436) - 6:38 PM
#1513307859658477568: a coffee i'm sample roasting right now - 6:38 PM
#1513307859658477568: it has slight mottling... but is actually quite good - 6:39 PM
#1513307859658477568: i'll see if i can find a worse example - 6:40 PM
#1513307859658477568: you'd be looking for age... - 6:40 PM
#1513307859658477568: so anything like paper, wood, etc - 6:41 PM
#1513307859658477568: i mean, if it doesn't have any age on it, thats great! - 6:42 PM
#origins-and-producers: oh sick, i'll buy one - 6:42 PM
#origins-and-producers: definitely wanna taste that
2026-07-09
- 5:21 PM
#1513307859658477568: Yeah, this coffee looks very mottled IMO - 5:25 PM
#1513307859658477568: theres a ton here that I missed responding to haha... But, I'll say something maybe controvertial ha... I don't believe you need a 75k machine to roast coffee very, very well. I regularly roast coffee on a Link that I feel is perfectly acceptable and very good. nearly eveything is the quality of the green coffee your starting with and knowing how to use the roaster you have...But, with an exceptional green coffee you should be able to make that taste very good with just about anything - 8:19 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: oh yo, are you here? - 8:20 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: i was in the back... production cupping - 8:20 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: thanks for dropping it off.. excited to taste it - 8:21 PM
#1513307859658477568: Sweet marias / coffee shrub is a really good outlet for pretty amazing green coffee for home / small scale roasters - 9:24 PM
#1513307859658477568: honestly not my area of expertise! i exisit in commercial grade roasters/ sample roasters... for sample roasters Roest is by far the best option out there.. but they are quite expensive... links are are the cheapest sample roasters that still do quite a good job.. But, I don't honestly know much about home / hobby roasters
2026-07-10
- 12:29 AM
#1513307859658477568: oh i use it.. i just don't use it often.. the roest is significantly more consistant... but again, i'm a pretty specific case. I sample roast literally thousands of coffees. with the roest out of 20 coffees I'll need to re- roast maybe 2 or 3 on the Link or Ikawa i'll need to reroast 7 or 8... so when roasting as much as i do that is a massiveeeeee difference. I'd also say the 'quality' of development on the roest is better than I can do on the Link.. but, I can certainly get very good development and get very good representation of the green quality on the Link, which is whats important.
What I like about the lnk is that it hits a price point that producers can actually buy - 12:45 AM
#current-menu: love sey towers haha - 12:58 AM
#1513307859658477568: over or under development - 12:58 AM
#1513307859658477568: i am not precious when it comes to sample roasting ha - 12:59 AM
#1513307859658477568: hah what is 'thermal runaway' - 12:59 AM
#1513307859658477568: where it over develops? - 1:00 AM
#1513307859658477568: haha oh wow - 1:00 AM
#1513307859658477568: never ran into that - 1:00 AM
#1513307859658477568: but, i don't use it often.. only in random cases - 1:01 AM
#1513307859658477568: interesting - 1:05 AM
#1513307859658477568: oh you can definitely good solidly developed coffee on it - 1:22 AM
#1513307859658477568: very rarely am i at a lab that doesn't roast coffees well enough.. sometimes i'm like these are a little dark can we re-roast them and they re roast them to a better level of development... in very rare instances i'll just roast them myself on whatever roaster they have - 1:23 AM
#1513307859658477568: San fernando in Peru for example is a very very new quality lab.. so usually i have to roast those myself and teach them how... but thy use like an old school open face drum sample roaster, similar to a 4 barrel roaster from probat - 1:25 AM
#1513307859658477568: but like Sophia uses a Link, Tamiru has a roest, lots of labs use probats or something simlar, Kamavindi has a link... - 1:26 AM
#1513307859658477568: but these labs literally roast 10s of 1000s of coffees ha.. they're very good at what they do... I remember going down to colombia like 15 years ago and being like.. wow these coffees are all roasted so much lighter and so much better than anything i taste being roasted in the US đ - 1:29 AM
#1513307859658477568: knowing moisture and weight loss though and you'll immidately know if you have a properly roasted coffee or not IMO - 7:01 PM
#1513307859658477568: I aim for the same. So if i have 10% moisture i aim for 10% weight loss - 7:02 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: ha everything we roast right now is between 136 and 140 on the Difluid color track - 7:03 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: everything gets measured - 7:03 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: We will take some Ethiopians lighter I'm guessing... maybe to like 141 - 142... but nearly all latins start to have cereal in them at that color IMo - 7:23 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Proper distribution to Europe is coming soon! that shipping cost will come way down - 7:28 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: we offer them at cost to subscribers... It really helps in helping people brew better coffee and answer brewing questions! - 7:29 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: mission try to get better coffee in more people cups - 7:30 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: maybe someday lance and lance will have a public debate about it đ - 8:22 PM
#1513307859658477568: I use a Kett - 8:24 PM
#1515118804202422343: Personally, I don't weigh water. I pour as fast as I can to the top of the bowl just to slight surface tension. I did a ton of tests around trying to triangualte the +- of water when weighing vs not weighing and found zero evidence it matters. Temperature was way way more important for me. So i choose to pour as fast as possible to keep the bowls as close to the same temp as possible
2026-07-11
- 12:18 AM
#1513307859658477568: yo! not sure i understand the question. like if i'm rejecting a lot off an arrival sample? - 12:37 AM
#1513307859658477568: ah... kinda depends on the coffee and variety. big pinks / chirosos / kenyans if i'm going to is i want to miss on the under side.. gesha's and more delicate profiles or anything that might be nutty i want to miss on the slightly over side - 12:38 AM
#1513307859658477568: but I'll re-roast if i feel like there is something in the coffee i'm missing.. but ustually thats like max +- .5%... so if the target is 10 and my wl is like 10.5 thats generally gonna be okay... a full 11% and that coffee will be defnitely too dark to score
2026-07-12
- 8:31 PM
#1513307859658477568: this is also my experience - 9:11 PM
#1513307859658477568: could be a nuanced definition of 'grain' or 'cereal'.. but I've never experienced something that is underdeveloped not taste underdeveloped with more rest - 9:14 PM
#1513307859658477568: thats very interesting... Lance hedrick and i have been trying to get better at defining what 'fresh' in a roasting sense tastes like.. its been an interesting exploration - 9:16 PM
#1513307859658477568: it might be that because i taste sooo many coffees straight out of the roaster I'm just not that sensative to it... 10 mintues or 10 weeks out of the roaster and kinda everywhere in between all pretty much taste the same to me ha - 9:17 PM
#1513307859658477568: huh, that is interesting
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lancehedrick
2026-07-06
- 2:45 PM
#Brew-Along: Soup with me (sung like drink with me from les mis) - 2:46 PM
#Brew-Along: [attachment only] - 3:23 PM
#Brew-Along: Soup with me (sung like drink with me from les mis)
2026-07-07
- 2:53 PM
#Brew-Along: New Coffees Arrived - 4:19 PM
#Brew-Along: New Coffees Arrived - 9:22 PM
#equipment: Its not even a real trust issue. It is just the Irking skeptic in me (and my inability to reproduce)
It is just something I'll need to hit haha
Again, I dont *really* care. Would just be super fascinating
2026-07-10
- 11:18 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: It is fine. I have tested with like 8 r2s and 3 vsts - 11:18 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Not here to prove anything. I just want it proved to me. Which i can do lol - 11:21 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: I'm not gonna lie. I do not care to hash this out or try to prove one thing over another. Lol
It really doesnt matter
2026-07-12
- 11:25 AM
#equipment: I can! Takes some time because I like to do dozens of reps
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opp4004
2026-07-06
- 2:37 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: This one comes from Wilmer Alexis Grau in IntibucĂĄ, a producer that SEY featured years ago. The variety is Bourbon. This region also received direct support from Coffee Libre and its founder Pil Hoon Seu, and as a result, it has consistently performed well in the Cup of Excellence. This particular roast was done by a longtime friend of mine on a Bullet.
It probably needed a bit more time to degas, as there was a noticeable oak-like note at the beginning. Other than that, though, it's an excellent coffee. Bright lemon acidity, a floral profile that blends honeysuckle-like herbs with delicate blossoms, a variety of tropical fruits, and a musky finish. Honduran coffee may not be quite what it used to be overall, but a handful of producers are making even better coffees than before. Wilmer Grauâand his motherâare definitely among them.
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- IMG_1477.JPEG (image/jpeg 1536x2048) - 9:19 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Regardless of the roast, I honestly think this year's Chorso Bule / Boneya Robe is so good that it completely overshadows a lot of other coffees. Maybe you guys just got a little too caught up in the whole "Danche is amazing!" hype đ
2026-07-07
- 1:21 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Honestly, distinguishing between a coffeeâs inherent character and the flavors that are well expressed through roasting is incredibly difficult.
Sure, baked flavors do show up fairly often in the UL scene. But I think that if youâre going to say, âThis coffee is held back by the roast,â you need a lot of evidence and experience to back that up.
This actually reminds me of the time Carl and I argued about exactly this over a cup of coffee. đ - 1:23 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: I bet countless roasters go to bed thinking,
âWould this coffee have tasted better if Iâd roasted it just a little differently?â đ - 1:31 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: He would probably be lurking - 1:59 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: I'm currently drinking a Pink Bourbon produced by Ezequiel Guzman from Acevedo, Colombia. I'm sure I've come across his name before somewhere, but I can't quite remember where. This is probably the first Pink Bourbon I've had from Acevedo since El MesĂłn, or Villa Betulia (really love coffees from El MesĂłn).
Overall, it's a good coffee, but the flavor separation isn't quite there. I get passion fruit, mixed berries, lemon, and a cotton candy-like sweetness. On paper, those tasting notes sound fantastic, but they don't come through with enough clarity or definition. My impression is that this has more to do with the quality of the green coffee than with the roast itself. - 3:21 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Duber has botanical quality that could easily be perceived as herbal - 3:32 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: With Duber's coffees, it's usually lemongrass. Other Chirosos, though, can sometimes lean more toward shallot or even basil - 3:39 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Botanical character of chiroso can definitely be a bit polarizing. I really enjoy it, but I can totally see why some people wouldn't. Sometimes it even reminds me of Thai food - 3:44 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: That's why I think David Berrio's coffees are so special. His coffees have the most distinctive profile I've tasted from Urrao. Typical chirosos often have a few characteristics that can be polarizing, but his coffees don't really have that issue - 1:27 PM
#origins-and-producers: I'm not a roaster myself, but I do agree to some extent that once a coffee reaches the moisture activity the roaster is aiming for, there's only so much more that resting will accomplish. There are definitely coffees that improve if you leave them alone for a little while. But personally, I don't think the changes are significant enough to justify the idea that coffee needs to be "rested" for a particularly long period of time - 1:29 PM
#origins-and-producers: That said, Loring doesn't seem to be affected by it nearly as much... Long live Loring! - 3:11 PM
#Brew-Along: I really like that hat. You guys should start selling some merch - 3:57 PM
#Brew-Along: What I was trying to say is that coffees like Laurina can actually vary a lot in caffeine content. I donât think theyâre necessarily what SEY is looking for, haha. Theyâd probably have to do a huge amount of genetic analysis, especially screening for caffeine levels, to really find the right ones - 3:58 PM
#Brew-Along: A roastery? Or a cafe? If you mean a roastery, I know one very small place. If you mean a cafe, then Identity Coffee Lab - 4:05 PM
#Brew-Along: I just want to see Lance lose it and yell, âWho the hell put this coffee up here?!â - 4:21 PM
#current-menu: Unless they find a new farm producing something special - 5:27 PM
#origins-and-producers: Of course, there are producers who argue that resting improves the coffee, like Heleanna Georgalis. But when I think about the coffees weâve been receiving by air recently, it sometimes seems like what people attribute to resting could actually be the result of moisture changes during storage and transport at origin, along with a short stabilization period after arrival. That said, if itâs possible, air freight is still the best option - 5:30 PM
#origins-and-producers: My guess is that what people often call the âmagic of restingâ is really just the coffee recovering from unfavorable conditions during storage and handling at the port. In that sense, resting does serve a purpose - 5:52 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Iâm not Lance, but the Danche Washed was one of the favorites among the Snap coffees my friends evaluated - 5:53 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Of course, Iâd still put Chorso Bule at the top - 6:03 PM
#origins-and-producers: Huila is a pretty big region, but from the way you described it, it immediately made me think of coffees from Tarqui, haha. Maybe Acevedo as well - 6:05 PM
#origins-and-producers: To me, the PB lots from Tarqui felt that way. Palestina, San AgustĂn, and La Plata are all different - 6:07 PM
#origins-and-producers: Pitalito might not always be fully washed, and unfortunately, based on my recent experience, I feel that coffees from Acevedo havenât been as refined in quality - 6:08 PM
#origins-and-producers: Try looking in Palestina or La Plata - 6:10 PM
#origins-and-producers: I remember a study showing that, among six PB samples, two were actually true PBs, two were Catimor, and two were just Bourbon. You really have to buy PB only from farms with a strong track record of verification, ha - 6:13 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: I was really impressed by the creamy mouthfeel and sweetness of Ibonia - 6:18 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: No, unfortunately⊠đ - 6:28 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Oh, I did try the one from last year, haha. I completely forgot about it because Kamavindi was so memorable - 6:29 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: I feel like Guchienda represents the most classic expression of Embu terroir. Itâs not always the most exciting cup, though, haha - 6:32 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Itâs that bright, transparent character. Some coffees from Kiambu and certain parts of Kirinyaga show a hibiscus-like brightness and clarity, but Embu coffees can be almost too fruity for me â the white currant note is especially dominant - 6:34 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Yeah. Iâve probably just gotten tired of Embu coffees because Iâve had so many of them, haha. These days, Kiambu is my favorite - 6:36 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Iâm probably going to get a lot of hate for saying this, but⊠regardless of how good Kamavindi is, I think Iâve had enough of it for now, haha. Ah, Embu⊠endless Embu⊠- 6:40 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: For me, thereâs Eaagads Estate coffee. Itâs the coffee that won first place in this yearâs ToH (probably in the washed category?), and it comes from Kiambu. Iâm going to try it tomorrow, and Iâm really looking forward to it
2026-07-08
- 1:33 AM
#origins-and-producers: Yep. Lance and the Colombian cartel are obviously in cahootsâitâs the only explanation for why all the best PBs end up at SEY first đ - 1:35 AM
#origins-and-producers: Anyway, Osito seems to grab almost all the good PBs⊠So finding PBs from other regions is pretty tough. It feels like every region only has one producer worth chasing - 2:14 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: One of my follower sent me a Red Gesha from Dwight Aguilar Masias. He mentioned it was starting to evolve, so I finally decided to brew it. The person who sent it is someone I'd genuinely call a tea master. Whenever I ask them about tea, they always have an incredible amount of knowledge to share. They absolutely loved this coffee because, according to them, it reminded them of high-end teas.
I can definitely see what they mean. To me, it has a very strong resemblance to Chinese and Taiwanese teas. It opens with notes that remind me of mainland Chinese oolong intertwined with jasmine tea. While the cup is hot, those tea-like qualities are so dominant that I almost found it a little too restrained. As it cools, though, a delicate Gesha profile begins to emergeâcane sugar sweetness alongside refined, Meyer lemon-like citrus. In the mid-to-late stages, the fruit broadens into a more tropical character, while the note that stood out to me most was a distinctly Taiwanese oolong-like finish.
According to the tea master who sent it, it resembles Fenghuang Dancong or Zhengyan Yancha. I've never actually tasted either of them, although I'm pretty sure I have some tucked away somewhere in my tea cabinet. Overall, it was a genuinely delicious cup. That said, if I'm being honest, Y-3 SL9 is still the coffee that has stayed with me the most.
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- IMG_1488.JPEG (image/jpeg 1536x2048) - 2:17 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Anyway, the cup was incredibly delicate. Honestly, I don't think many roasters other than SEY would have chosen to work with a coffee like this. It feels like the roast had almost no room for errorâif it had been even slightly off, I think the coffee would have tasted completely different. Really nailed the roast - 4:24 AM
#filter-focused: My friend just sent me this photo... It looks really interesting
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- image.png (image/png 3000x4000) - 6:12 AM
#origins-and-producers: Do you mind if I answer this one? I'm a huge fan of the Java variety. What people generally refer to as the "original Java" was introduced to Nicaragua via Indonesia before spreading to other producing countries. The most famous example is probably Caballero's Java from Honduras.
On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of the Javas I've had from Colombia. To be honest, I've always questioned whether they're actually true Java. They just don't taste like what I think of as authentic Java. Compared to Javas from Nicaragua or Bolivia, the profile is completely different. As for why Java isn't planted more widely despite being such an incredible variety, the answer is pretty simple: it's widely considered even more difficult to grow than Gesha. Seriously. - 6:17 AM
#origins-and-producers: Another reason is that coffee quality from Bolivia and Nicaragua hasn't traditionally been considered among the strongestâalthough both have improved quite a bit in recent years. In Bolivia's case, coffee is also relatively expensive. Nicaragua, on the other hand, has struggled with its reputation, so many buyers tend to be a bit hesitant. - 6:18 AM
#origins-and-producers: If you'd like to experience a really good Java coffee, I'd recommend roasters like duck-rabbit. They usually offer a Java at least once a year. - 6:28 AM
#origins-and-producers: And surprisingly, SEY has actually featured a Java once. I had to dig through my stack of brew cards to find it. It was a delicious coffee and one that has really stayed with me. That said, considering the level of quality we're seeing today, it might come across as a little understated by modern standards. It's one of those varieties that may not seem quite as impressive anymore, even though it's still excellent.
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- IMG_1491.JPEG (image/jpeg 1536x2048) - 6:31 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: The coffee I just had came from Eaagads Estate in Kenya. I was told it's the very same lot that won first place at this year's ToH (I believe it was the Kenyan National Washed category), and that its identity was even verified.
It definitely has the kind of character you'd expect from a winning coffee. There's a rich Amarena cherry-like sweetness, a vivid cherry note, white currant that reminds me of Embu, and rhubarb. Up to that point, it might sound like a fairly classic Kenyan profile. What really sets it apart, though, are two remarkably distinct aromatics that linger on the soft palate and at the tip of the nose. Chamomile and acerola seem to intertwine into a single, seamless impression, giving the coffee an incredibly fragrant and memorable finish. - 6:42 AM
#origins-and-producers: Unfortunately, the matcha note is something I mostly associate with Caballero, haha. Floripondio leaned more toward a cooler, fresher tea profile. It actually reminded me of raw pu'er tea - 6:48 AM
#origins-and-producers: I think TW is probably the only roaster carrying Caballero's Java these days. The first time I tried it, I remember thinking, "This tastes just like a Matcha KitKat." It was such a strange but memorable experience.That said, the last Caballero Java I had wasn't particularly impressive. Lately, Caballero seems to be focusing more on their newer farms and other varieties, such as Batian, so I'm not really sure how their Java is these days.
Echemo and Tatmara were both among my favorite Ethiopian coffees from TW. Considering how exceptional Ethiopian coffees have been this year, I'm really looking forward to them. I have a feeling I'll be buying coffee from TW again for the first time in a while. - 6:56 AM
#origins-and-producers: Hahaha, but Echemo is one of the few great legacies of Agaro, so I'd say it's still worth buying! - 6:59 AM
#origins-and-producers: As far as I know, it's probably exclusive to TW. That's usually how Caballero distributes their coffees - 7:04 AM
#origins-and-producers: I've had so many of Caballero's geshas that I'm honestly a little tired of them, ha... Whether it's from Puente or one of their newer farms. Caballero has become a brand in its own right now. Instead of focusing solely on Puente, they've been acquiring farms in other regions as wellâlike Los Arrayanes and El Sequinâand producing coffee there. - 7:13 AM
#origins-and-producers: That's Honduras for you... The reality is that, unless you're completely obsessed with Honduran coffee, most people just don't know much about it - 7:18 AM
#origins-and-producers: Santa BĂĄrbara was such a great coffee-growing region - 8:04 AM
#origins-and-producers: I talked with Lance about this before. I think part of the reason Santa BĂĄrbara flourished back then was the tremendous support it received from CCS (Collaborative Coffee Source), along with favorable growing conditions.
That said, the way coffee is marketed and sold in San Vicente often doesnât seem very competitive to me. There are certainly great coffees there, but the overall approach doesnât always feel as compelling as it could be. - 8:06 AM
#origins-and-producers: I think that, if Santa BĂĄrbara wants to regain its momentum, itâll have to start looking beyond Pacas and invest in other varieties as well. Itâll probably take some time, though. - 8:08 AM
#origins-and-producers: And I think San Vicente will have to evolve as well - 1:58 PM
#1513307859658477568: What do you think of Belco? I noticed a few coffees on their offer list that looked pretty promising - 2:02 PM
#1513307859658477568: In Korea, Falcon sells them in 1 kg bags. I'm not sure how it works in Europe, though. You should ask them! đ
2026-07-09
- 12:18 AM
#origins-and-producers: Itâs kind of an unusual cup. Very tea-forward, with subtle dried fruit notes - 12:22 AM
#origins-and-producers: Iâve had El Socorro too, and it was a really interesting cup. I remember getting notes of green tea, plum, and vanilla ice creamâsomething along those lines, haha. I wonder if itâs still like that these days - 1:11 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Iâve got a mountain of coffees waiting to be reviewed⊠Where should I even start? đ«©
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- IMG_1494.jpg (image/jpeg 2160x2880) - 1:28 AM
#origins-and-producers: I remember Takesi's Java feeling almost like a Typica. That said, I don't think Seven Seeds' roast was particularly good back when I had it. Their roasting seems much better these days, though - 1:32 AM
#origins-and-producers: Haha, no... I'd just been burned by Seven Seeds, so buying it never even crossed my mind - 1:32 AM
#origins-and-producers: Honestly, I think I actually preferred the Red Catuai - 1:39 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Today's coffee was from El Mirador, a farm in Acevedo, Colombia, owned by Isaias Leon. The name El Mirador is incredibly commonâthere are farms with the same name not only in Colombia, but also in places like Guatemala and Peru. That's why it's always important to mention the producer's name as well, just to make it clear which farm you're talking about.
This lot is a Pink Bourbon processed as a Honey. It opens with a rich, cherry syrup-like sweetness, followed by a rustic wildflower floral character. As it cools, it develops a concentrated, almost overripe lychee-like fruitiness. The finish is particularly interesting, with an oregano-like herbal note that lingers on the palate. The flavor separation isn't especially pronounced, but out of all the Acevedo samples I've received, this is easily the most memorable one. - 1:52 AM
#current-menu: Siti and El Silencio definitely caught my eye... especially El Silencio. Fermented underwater for six days? Seriously? - 1:54 AM
#current-menu: Oh, nvm. I just checkedâIâve had it twice before, and both times it was processed the same way, haha. It's a pretty interesting coffee - 1:56 AM
#current-menu: But I just can't stop thinking about Siti. So... Doug, do you mind if I do the hype for you? đ Whenever a new washing station pops up in Chelbesa, the coffees tend to be phenomenal. It was the same when Danche first worked. If Siti has modern processing facilities as well, I have a feeling it's going to be seriously good - 1:59 AM
#current-menu: If my theory is right, Siti might actually be even better than Chelbesa or Danche. Maybe? Haha. - 1:59 AM
#current-menu: My theory: new facilities = really good coffee - 2:01 AM
#current-menu: It's basically the same style of processing they've been doing at Danche - 2:03 AM
#current-menu: The safest choice is probably SL9, I guess. This might be the cheapest year to buy it, too, ha. Apparently China has been buying up a huge amount of SL9! - 2:19 AM
#current-menu: I mean, that's true, but honestly I don't think we need to worry too much about African coffees, haha. From what I can tell, the types of coffees China is buying up are pretty specific, and fortunately they don't seem to overlap much with what SEY is looking forâat least for now.
SL9, however, is definitely being bought up aggressively in China. Theyâre also buying a lot of co-ferments, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things develop! - 2:20 AM
#current-menu: I still feel like China doesn't quite have the same ability as the US to identify and select truly exceptional green coffees yet. I got that impression when I tried a Captain George coffee last year - 2:21 AM
#current-menu: For example, I feel the same way about Big Sur's coffees. Theyâre genuinely goodâreally good, actuallyâbut they still feel like theyâre a step below the US scene and a step above Europe, at least for now.
That said, the speed of their development is honestly a little intimidating. - 2:22 AM
#current-menu: Anyway, haha, just buy SL9 and Siti, guys! That's the important part. đđđ - 2:23 AM
#current-menu: Sidra is really great too, but there are actually quite a few people who don't like that distinctive eucalyptus note that Sidra often has. LH, for example, isn't a big fan of it, so I don't recommend it too aggressively. Personally, I love it though. - 2:24 AM
#current-menu: The quality of coffee from the Dota family is so consistently high that Iâm sure itâll be delicious. Especially for someone who has never experienced Sidra before, it could be a really memorable coffeeâjust like Lugmapata was back in the day - 2:36 AM
#origins-and-producers: Interesting. It could be because of the different roasting styles, haha. I've only had El Socorro java once myself, so this is really intriguing - 2:37 AM
#origins-and-producers: While you're at it, pick up El Morito too, bro. That's a truly unique coffee - 2:39 AM
#origins-and-producers: I'm actually famous for being a Guatemala gesha hater, you know? Seriously. But Morito is different. Really different. - 2:40 AM
#origins-and-producers: I genuinely think the Jalapa region in Guatemala is the future of Guatemalan specialty coffee. I mean it - 2:44 AM
#origins-and-producers: El Morito and El Pinal from Jalapa are truly unique. I honestly don't know how else to describe them, ha.. I really hope everyone gets a chance to try them - 2:50 AM
#origins-and-producers: Well, Guatemala CoE always feels like it follows a pretty predictable pattern. I think it's still interesting when producers like Reforma or Rosma are at the top, though - 2:54 AM
#origins-and-producers: Haha, just buy the Morito Gesha! - 3:15 AM
#current-menu: [attachment only] - 4:02 AM
#current-menu: Triple Ferment sounds pretty wild, but in reality it tastes just like the great Ethiopian coffees from back in the day, hah - 4:06 AM
#current-menu: Yeah, I bought it and tried it right when it was released. I liked it so much that I was hyping it up for quite a while - 4:06 AM
#current-menu: Haha, every time you say the subscriber-only coffees are delicious, watching the coffee fanatics here scream makes me want to subscribe for real. Seriously - 4:08 AM
#current-menu: Actually, think about what "subscriber-only" really means. The person curating it is basically saying, "You guys absolutely need to try this one" and including it for subscribers. That kind of selection has more value than people might expect. (Of course, that's the optimistic interpretation, ha. Subscriptions don't always guarantee great coffees) - 4:09 AM
#current-menu: I wonder if Big Sur bought all of Faysel Abdosh's coffees... Maybe something will come out if we wait. It looks like they experimented with a few different things at Testi, kind of like SNAP did - 4:11 AM
#current-menu: Oh, this is that new release, right? The Three Stages Slow Dry one - 4:12 AM
#current-menu: I do like slow dry, but it can sometimes have a slightly fermented character. I think I'll take some time to think about it before buying, haha - 4:13 AM
#current-menu: I'm actually debating whether to buy two Kenyan washed coffees right now: Gatura and Kangurumai. I think Peter was the one who recommended those green coffees - 4:16 AM
#current-menu: Anthony Kimani... I guess I'll just have to pray that it comes with next month's subscription đ€Ł - 4:19 AM
#current-menu: https://www.seycoffee.com/collections/coffee/products/2026-rolando-ramirez-el-mirador-peru - 4:19 AM
#current-menu: Haha, this one has been switched to Gesha now - 5:39 AM
#current-menu: Well, once you subscribe and actually taste the coffees, all those questions tend to disappear. So... welcome to the endless rabbit hole of SEY coffee hype - 5:45 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Since I had a Colombian coffee this morning (well... morning by my standards đ), I found myself craving an African coffee for lunch. I was thinking about brewing Ibonia, but then I remembered I still had some Rukira roasted by a friend, so I went with that instead.
I first fell in love with this coffee years ago through Heart, and this roast is a bit more developed than the one I rememberâit's incredibly sweet. I'm getting rich date-like sweetness, blackcurrant, wildflower-like florals, high-cacao dark chocolate, and a grapey aroma lingering in the finish. - 6:25 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: The cedar-like note in chiroso is just part of its destiny... You just have to embrace it đ€Ł - 4:35 PM
#1513307859658477568: How to roast like SEY:
Step 1: Buy a Loring.
Thatâs where the first wall is. đ - 4:38 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Carlos Saenz⊠I donât have any, so Iâve been asking around and trying my best to track some down. đ - 4:42 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: [attachment only] - 4:43 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: đ· - 4:46 PM
#1513307859658477568: Yeah, seriously. If you want to get anywhere close to SEYâs style, you really need to be roasting on fluid bed types - 4:48 PM
#1513307859658477568: My recommendation would be the Neotec sample roaster. - 4:50 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: I think your usual brewing style should work just fine. It didnât strike me as a particularly difficult coffee to brewâthe intensity was really impressive - 4:52 PM
#1513307859658477568: One of the roasters whose coffees I rate very highly consistently produces results that remind me of SEY or Big Sur. He uses a roasting machine based on the Neotec fluid-bed design - 4:53 PM
#1513307859658477568: Haha, itâs only in Korea! They donât even sell it. đ - 4:56 PM
#1513307859658477568: So many roasters have asked, âHow do you roast like SEY?â Theyâve tried to replicate it, and Lance even shared his roast curves, but no one has truly managed to reproduce the results.
Find your own path instead! - 4:59 PM
#1513307859658477568: Exactly. The finer details did seem very delicate, but I donât think theyâre impossible to replicate.
The real challenge is recreating the environment that makes SEY possible: exceptional green coffee, a talented team, constant cupping and sample roasting, and people who are always out there searching for the next great coffee. Thatâs the hard part. đ - 5:14 PM
#1513307859658477568: SEY gets first pick of some incredibly well-selected green coffees through their secret cartel. Grab your pitchforks! Itâs time to start the SEY piñata party. đ - 5:15 PM
#1513307859658477568: Letâs go raid their freezer - 5:19 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Arashiiiiii - 5:22 PM
#1513307859658477568: Oh no, the boss is here. Time to run. đ - 5:41 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Abel Salinasâ coffees are truly incredible. I first tried one through Counter Culture, and I still canât forget those distinctive ginger-flower-like florals and lemonade-like flavors. I really should try it again this yearâŠ
2026-07-10
- 1:44 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Iâm grinding Y-3 right now, and my A2âs motor is making a weird noiseđ - 1:51 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: I'm starting to think it might be time to buy an A4Z... The A2's grind quality is genuinely excellent, but every now and then I get nervous that it's going to break. đ It's probably fine, though - 1:52 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: The Pietro is great too, but I honestly think the A4Z is something else entirely - 1:55 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Anyway, the coffee I'm drinking right now is Y-3âalso one of my favorite brands (well... favorite to admire, at least đ ). This coffee feels incredibly refined to me. I'm getting layers of florals, fresh herbs, Taiwanese high-mountain oolong, dried apricot-like fruitiness, and an elegant acidity reminiscent of Vietnamese longan honey. The more I drink it, the more that pleasantly dry finish reminds me of an expensive tea.
Whenever I drink really high-end tea, I often catch myself thinking, "Why am I even drinking coffee? Tea is cheaper." But this coffee flips that on its head. Since it's actually less expensive than those premium teas, it leaves me thinking, "Why am I drinking tea? This coffee is cheaperâand tastes even better." - 1:58 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: That said, it's not a fruit-forward cup by any means, so I can definitely see why someone like <@567786760373796893> s might not enjoy it as much. If I had to compare it to another coffee, it actually reminds me of the gesha from La Noria in Ecuador. - 6:08 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Right now I'm drinking a coffee from Kayonza, Rwanda, produced by TUKâshort for Koperative Twongere Umusaruro. I'm not sure how many people are familiar with it, but Rwanda also hosts the Best of Rwanda competition these days, and many of the country's best coffees end up there. If I remember correctly, TUK placed either 2nd or 3rd in the Washed category. The only other Best of Rwanda coffee I've had was Rugarura, which placed 4th, and that one was excellent as well.
This cup reminds me of the Kanzu that SEY included in this year's subscriptionâor honestly, I think it's even better. It opens with an absolutely gorgeous bouquet of Japanese green tea, chamomile, and orange blossom layered into an intensely fragrant floral profile. There's also a refined Chinese black tea character, while the fruit notes lean toward tangerine with a touch of lemon. The finish is reminiscent of cacao husk tea, but to be honest, it's the breathtaking florals at the beginning that completely steal the show.
I have to admit, it feels pretty nice knowing I'm one of the few people getting to enjoy this coffee. đ It's roasted by a very small cafe here in Korea, and as far as I know, they don't have any plans to sell online. If they ever do, I hope a place like Airworks picks it up so more people get a chance to try it.
2026-07-11
- 1:51 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: I knew something felt off while I was sleeping⊠Turns out the Rwanda haters were talking trash about Rwanda behind my back. đ - 1:52 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Give me a minuteâIâm about to drop a list of some amazing Rwandan coffees, so take notes, Rwanda haters! - 2:08 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: First of all, coffees produced by Emmanuel Rusatira under Baho Coffee tend to share a similar profile. If you're looking for a place to start, I'd recommend Nyamashekeâespecially Mahembe. Kanzu is great too, but there are so many different lots that I'd honestly just stick to whichever one SEY happens to release.
As for some truly outstanding Rwandan coffees I've had, here are the ones that really stood out: Kayonza, Tumba, Twumba, Cyumba, Nyagatare, Bumbogo, Vunga, Shyira, TUK, and Nyakizu.
That said, Emmanuel Rusatira's natural coffees are a different story altogether. Those are genuinely excellent. - 2:20 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: And now I'm drinking Tres de Mayo. It's noticeably more acidic today. I'm getting notes of lemon, cherry, dulce de leche, and Fuji apple. - 2:39 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: It's not that I dislike Emmanuel's coffees... but the washed lots all taste pretty similar. đ You know what I mean - 2:40 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: H&S sells them in 125g bags too? That's pretty impressive - 2:41 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: So that's why everyone keeps asking SEY to release 125g bags. đ - 4:06 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: [attachment only]
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- IMG_1501.jpg (image/jpeg 2160x2880) - 4:06 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Super excited - 4:35 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: I'm probably going to get roasted for saying this. đ
When it comes to UL, I think people sometimes come across what I'd consider flawed cups and end up thinking, "This is what UL is supposed to taste like." There are certain characteristics that I personally see as defects, yet some roastersâand plenty of enthusiastsâembrace them as if they're the hallmark of truly "green" coffee.
I remember SEY releasing a Colombian coffeeâLaboyano, I thinkâthat struck me as extremely polarizing. I even had someone come to my Instagram to complain about it. đ That's why I think there's a bit of an irony here: the best UL coffees often don't taste "UL" in the stereotypical sense at all. - 4:37 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: I'm not sure how much this has actually been discussed in the UL community, but honestly, people who have experienced the old Nordic-style roasts might naturally ask: "So what's the difference between UL and Nordic, exactly?" Seriously. One of the biggest differences with modern UL is that the quality of green coffee has improved so much compared to the past that it can hide some of the weaknesses that used to be more obvious. That's probably one of the reasons why recent UL coffees feel different from the older Nordic roasts. - 4:40 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: Anyway, that's just how I see it. I do love UL coffees, but at the same time they kind of feel like a gamble to me. And I hate gambling. đ - 12:25 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: As someone who used to be on the front line of the "anti-UL" crowd... đ At the end of the day, how you feel about a roastery or a particular coffee is personal. If you don't like it, just don't buy it. That's completely fair, and it's how most people choose their coffee anyway.
The reason I ended up on the "anti-UL" side wasn't simply because of preference. One of the biggest points of contention was that certain flavors I'd consider roast defects were being described by some people as the true expression of the green coffee.
I've said this on Instagram many times: whether it's UL or not, the debate often feels less like a discussion about coffee and more like a politicalâor ideologicalâbattle. Sometimes it feels like a fanboy war more than anything else. - 12:30 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: It's almost like hearing, "Hey, it's ULâyou just have to accept even the flaws in the green coffee." That's the mindset I don't like. - 5:22 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Un-popped (no first crack) roasting isnât actually that uncommon⊠but Iâm pretty skeptical of it.
Itâs difficult to do consistently, and if your approach is even slightly off, youâre much more likely to end up with baked flavors or other roast defects than with a genuinely great cup. - 5:24 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: That said, the more data have, the better your chances of producing consistently great results. - 5:27 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: It could work quite well with lower-density naturals or experimentally processed coffees. That said, any uncontrolled fermentation character is also more likely to remain in the cup, so it really depends on starting with exceptionally high-quality green coffee - 5:29 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Listening to me, youâd think I was a roaster. đ Iâm really just repeating what Iâve learned from the roasters around me, so please donât ask me for roasting advice
2026-07-12
- 2:43 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: The coffee I'm drinking right now is a natural from Rwanda, sourced by Baho Coffee from Ngoma Village. I usually tell roasters, "If you ever come across a Rwandan natural, just buy the green coffee first and ask questions later," because they tend to have such distinctive character. This one, though... you probably could've left it behind.
To put it in the nicest way possible, it tastes like an old-school Ethiopian naturalâespecially Aricha. It opens with a light fermented character that honestly surprised me, because it's the kind of classic fermentation note you almost never find in modern Ethiopian naturals anymore. After that, though, it gets much better. I'm getting strawberry-like fruit, jasmine, ripe mulberry, and a deep rose oil-like floral quality. The only downside is a noticeable rum-like boozy note, so I don't think this is a coffee that's going to appeal to everyone. - 3:31 AM
#what-are-you-brewing: I think the washing stations owned by Sundog are still producing some solid coffees, but overall, it does feel like Baho's quality has slipped a bit. That said, I'm actually more optimistic about Rwanda than Burundi at the moment. Competitions like Best of Rwanda are gaining traction, and we're starting to see coffees being exported from regions that traditionally weren't on the radar. To me, that's a pretty encouraging sign - 5:05 AM
#equipment: <@839279408057024512> Any chance you could run a DiFluid grind size analysis comparing the A2 and the A4Z? đ I'm thinking about buying the A4Z, and I'm really curious how the two compare - 6:32 AM
#equipment: ...And my A2 has finally started giving up while grinding SEY. đ It's Alberto Trujillo (La Estrella), a PB lot, and the grinder stalled three or four times while I was grinding it. I guess it's finally time to buy either the A4Z or the A68... - 11:28 AM
#equipment: Oh wow, thank you so much!!
Back to index
dougssg
2026-07-07
- 1:39 AM
#current-menu: Anyone on here in LA? Gonna be at the pop-up at Mandarin 2 next weekend. - 1:40 AM
#current-menu: [attachment only]
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- Untitled_Artwork.jpg (image/jpeg 2160x2700) - 1:41 AM
#current-menu: Will used Marlene Rojas in his USBC routine and is doing a service with it - 3:43 AM
#current-menu: negative lol - 3:03 PM
#Brew-Along: What do you need to know? - 3:10 PM
#Brew-Along: Look at the google sheet - 3:10 PM
#Brew-Along: I just sent you - 3:13 PM
#Brew-Along: There were a few danche WH roasts. One was a lot lighter than the other - 3:38 PM
#Brew-Along: The good news is Ethiopia is going to just get better as we go through the season - 3:38 PM
#Brew-Along: Alo is truly goated - 3:39 PM
#Brew-Along: No one knows - 3:39 PM
#Brew-Along: Chelbessa is fire - 3:40 PM
#Brew-Along: Did you ask Denis about burrs for our m98 - 3:40 PM
#Brew-Along: Not enough - 3:40 PM
#Brew-Along: Yes sold out super quick - 3:42 PM
#Brew-Along: LSDmaxxing - 3:42 PM
#Brew-Along: Brew em - 3:42 PM
#Brew-Along: Nooo - 3:43 PM
#Brew-Along: Not as light - 3:43 PM
#Brew-Along: Anyone get the PLAY sidra wave? - 3:48 PM
#Brew-Along: Licorice suuuucks - 3:48 PM
#Brew-Along: Heâs not in NYC - 3:48 PM
#Brew-Along: Not officially - 3:48 PM
#Brew-Along: Soon - 3:50 PM
#Brew-Along: Weâve streamed twice! lol - 3:50 PM
#Brew-Along: He begged with tears in his eyes - 3:51 PM
#Brew-Along: He bribed me with an m98v and a hand refurbished vintage 70s lever espresso machine - 3:53 PM
#Brew-Along: Nothing bribery related is illegal in the USA now - 3:56 PM
#Brew-Along: If mango is in here whatâs the best cafe in Korea? - 3:59 PM
#Brew-Along: SoCo Fermented
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- IMG_9499.jpg (image/jpeg 720x720) - 4:02 PM
#Brew-Along: Na too far! - 4:03 PM
#Brew-Along: I liked Ashes actually - 4:04 PM
#Brew-Along: We canât even put them on the coupling table itâll piss other Lance off too much - 4:06 PM
#Brew-Along: I buy all the non SEY stuff for cuppings so itâll be me unfortunately - 4:07 PM
#Brew-Along: Me and Scottie Shef are Best buds now - 4:07 PM
#Brew-Along: He did - 4:07 PM
#Brew-Along: You didnât ask! - 4:08 PM
#Brew-Along: We did we said youâd dial in coffee with him on zoom on the road - 4:09 PM
#Brew-Along: Yes - 4:10 PM
#Brew-Along: He didnât know anything about coffee lol - 4:14 PM
#Brew-Along: [attachment only]
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- IMG_9837.jpg (image/jpeg 2880x2160) - 4:14 PM
#Brew-Along: We cupped most of the Kenyans - 4:14 PM
#Brew-Along: Last week - 4:14 PM
#Brew-Along: All the Kamavindis - 4:15 PM
#Brew-Along: Really good - 4:15 PM
#Brew-Along: Sl28* sun dried was sooo good - 4:15 PM
#Brew-Along: Wasnât roasted when I sent - 4:15 PM
#Brew-Along: Will send - 4:16 PM
#Brew-Along: Honestly this year is the year of Ethiopia - 4:16 PM
#Brew-Along: Next to Peru - 4:17 PM
#Brew-Along: Naomi liked it - 4:17 PM
#Brew-Along: Ethiopia is the highest scoring coffee always - 4:17 PM
#Brew-Along: Peru just with the new flavor profiles - 4:18 PM
#Brew-Along: 98 point Yemen
2026-07-09
- 2:26 AM
#current-menu: All the PLAY event info is finally out! - 2:26 AM
#current-menu: Iâll add it to announcements after these coffees sit for a day - 2:33 AM
#current-menu: Janesh look at your DM - 2:33 AM
#current-menu: Thomas what grinder do you use - 3:33 PM
#what-are-you-brewing: Made an end of bag blend of Dwight Red and Dwight Yellow. Long souped it. Really delicious. Super super tropical. - 4:47 PM
#current-menu: Iâd follow up there. Whatâs the question?
2026-07-11
- 4:34 AM
#current-menu: More importantly itâll have <@952039663680512030> and Pepe!
Back to index
-------------------
GPT-5.6 Thinking Summary
seylance2897
- Defined a practical defect vocabulary for evaluating green coffee: vegetal, nutty, phenolic, aged, over-fermented, bag-tainted, petrol-like, and harsh or rubbery robusta-like character. He separated these from roast defects such as burnt flavors, dryness, cereal notes, grass or hay, baked flatness, scorching, tipping, and the combined grass-plus-burnt profile of coffee that is simultaneously under- and overdeveloped.
- Argued that "baked" is often used incorrectly. He described true baked character as removing the flavor profile's peaks - "taking all the highs out and leaving only the mids" - and insisted that hay is a real coffee flavor rather than merely a metaphor.
- Emphasized that Chiroso can produce unusually compelling profiles that are difficult to find in other varieties or origins. He also noted that good Pink Bourbon is genuinely scarce and asked tasters to distinguish among regional profiles, cherry-holding times, and processing conditions rather than treating Pink Bourbon as one uniform flavor.
- Said resting green coffee usually does little to improve intrinsic quality, aside from rare exceptions. For questionable green, he prioritized harvest timing, speed to roast, moisture condition, and ultraviolet inspection over hoping that storage would repair it.
- Recommended 365 nm ultraviolet examination for green coffee and said seed mottling is a critical aging signal: more mottling suggests greater cellular breakdown and faster deterioration. He advised looking for papery or woody cup character and said he would avoid winter-harvest coffee with high moisture and delayed delivery, even if a lightly mottled sample could still taste good.
- Rejected the idea that excellent roasting requires a roughly $75,000 machine. His position was that green quality and operator competence dominate; exceptional coffee should be roastable to a very good level on many machines. He cited the Link as capable and affordable, especially for producers, while calling the Roest much more consistent and better suited to his unusually high sample-roasting volume.
- Quantified the Roest-versus-Link tradeoff from his own workflow: across 20 sample roasts, he might need to repeat only two or three on the Roest, versus seven or eight on a Link or Ikawa. He still considered the Link capable of representing green quality accurately, which he regarded as the essential purpose of sample roasting.
- Used moisture and roast weight loss as a fast development check, generally targeting weight loss equal to green moisture - for example, 10% weight loss for coffee at 10% moisture. He allowed roughly 0.5 percentage points around target, with variety-specific bias: slightly lighter for large Pink Bourbons, Chirosos, and Kenyans; slightly darker for Geshas, delicate coffees, or potentially nutty profiles.
- Reported current production roasts around 136-140 on the DiFluid color scale, with every roast measured. He expected some Ethiopians might tolerate 141-142, but said many Latin American coffees begin showing cereal character at that lightness.
- On cupping procedure, said he does not weigh water. He fills bowls rapidly to slight surface tension because his testing found no evidence that small water-weight differences mattered, whereas temperature consistency mattered substantially. He also said an underdeveloped coffee has never, in his experience, stopped tasting underdeveloped merely through rest, although he and Lance Hedrick were still trying to define the sensory character of "fresh" roast more precisely.
lancehedrick
- Posted brief Brew-Along prompts about "souping" coffee and announced that new coffees had arrived, but the captured text contains little technical detail about the coffees themselves.
- Expressed skepticism toward an equipment-related claim because he could not reproduce it. He framed this less as distrust than as a desire to test the phenomenon personally and said it would be fascinating to investigate.
- Said he had tested the disputed issue using roughly eight DiFluid R2 units and three VST instruments and considered the result "fine," though the exact measurement disagreement is not preserved in the archive.
- Declined to turn the issue into a prolonged argument or proof contest. His stance was that it did not matter much operationally, even though he still wanted personally reproducible evidence.
- Agreed to perform an equipment comparison but warned that his testing takes time because he prefers dozens of repetitions. This appears to relate to the requested DiFluid grind-distribution comparison, although the captured line does not explicitly restate the devices.
opp4004
- Reviewed a Bourbon from Wilmer Alexis Grau in Intibuca, Honduras, roasted on a Bullet. He found an initial oak-like note that might have benefited from more degassing, followed by bright lemon acidity, honeysuckle-like and delicate florals, tropical fruit, and a musky finish; he argued that Grau and his mother remain among the Honduran producers exceeding the country's broader decline.
- Strongly favored this year's Chorso Bule/Boneya Robe over many other coffees and suggested enthusiasm for Danche may have become excessive. Across Kenyan discussions, he praised Eaagads Estate's competition-winning washed lot for Amarena cherry, white currant, rhubarb, chamomile, and acerola aromatics, while saying he had become fatigued by repeated Embu profiles and increasingly preferred Kiambu.
- Warned against casually blaming the roast whenever a coffee lacks clarity. He acknowledged that baked flavors appear in ultra-light roasting, but argued that separating green character from roast expression requires substantial evidence and experience. His Ezequiel Guzman Pink Bourbon from Acevedo had passion fruit, berries, lemon, and cotton-candy sweetness but poor separation, which he attributed mainly to green quality.
- Described Chiroso's botanical character as both distinctive and polarizing: Duber's coffees often suggest lemongrass, while other Chirosos may evoke shallot, basil, Thai food, cedar, or herbs. He singled out David Berrio's Urrao coffees as unusually distinctive without some of the variety's more divisive traits.
- Argued that long green-coffee resting is often overstated. He proposed that supposed improvements may instead reflect recovery from poor origin storage, port handling, transport-related moisture changes, and short stabilization after arrival; air freight remained his preferred option when feasible.
- Offered detailed origin and variety guidance: verified Pink Bourbon is difficult to source and should come from farms with strong genetic credibility; Palestina and La Plata may be safer hunting grounds than recent Acevedo lots; Java from Nicaragua, Honduras, or Bolivia tastes more authentic to him than many Colombian "Javas"; and Caballero's Java is memorable for matcha-like character but may be less compelling than it once was.
- Reviewed several tea-forward coffees in depth. Dwight Aguilar Masias's Red Gesha evoked Chinese oolong, jasmine tea, cane sugar, Meyer lemon, tropical fruit, and Taiwanese oolong; Y-3 combined florals, fresh herbs, high-mountain oolong, dried apricot, and longan-honey acidity; and a Kayonza/TUK Rwanda offered Japanese green tea, chamomile, orange blossom, Chinese black tea, citrus, and cacao-husk tea.
- Recommended specific current-menu bets, especially Siti and SL9. His Siti thesis was that new washing stations in Chelbesa-like environments, equipped with modern processing infrastructure, often debut with exceptional quality. He also liked Dota-family Sidra but warned that its eucalyptus character is polarizing, and he believed Chinese demand was particularly aggressive for SL9 and co-fermented coffees.
- Argued that recreating SEY's style is not mainly a matter of copying roast curves or buying one machine. Although he joked that a Loring or fluid-bed-like roaster helps and mentioned Neotec, he said the harder-to-copy system is exceptional green access, skilled staff, constant cupping and sample roasting, and continuous producer discovery; his final advice was for roasters to develop their own approach.
- Presented a skeptical but nuanced view of ultra-light roasting. He argued that enthusiasts sometimes mistake defects for authentic green expression, that modern high-quality green can conceal weaknesses once obvious in older Nordic roasts, and that no-first-crack roasting is difficult to execute consistently. He thought it might suit lower-density naturals or experimental lots, but only with strong data and exceptionally clean green coffee.
- Defended Rwanda with a concrete producer and washing-station list - including Mahembe, Kanzu, Kayonza, Tumba, Twumba, Cyumba, Nyagatare, Bumbogo, Vunga, Shyira, TUK, and Nyakizu - while admitting many washed Baho lots share a similar profile. He was less impressed by an Ngoma Village natural with fermented and rum-like notes, though it also showed strawberry, jasmine, mulberry, and rose oil.
- Reported an equipment decision forming around grinder reliability: his A2 produced excellent grind quality but made abnormal motor noise and repeatedly stalled on a dense Alberto Trujillo La Estrella Pink Bourbon. He requested a DiFluid comparison against the A4Z and was considering replacing the A2 with either an A4Z or A68.
dougssg
- Announced plans around the Los Angeles Mandarin 2 pop-up and noted that Will had used Marlene Rojas in his USBC routine and would serve it there.
- Directed Brew-Along participants to a shared spreadsheet and clarified that there had been several Danche washed roasts, including one substantially lighter batch. He expected Ethiopian coffee quality to improve as the harvest season progressed.
- Praised Alo and Chelbessa emphatically and called the current season "the year of Ethiopia," with Peru close behind because of emerging flavor profiles. He said Ethiopia remained the highest-scoring origin consistently, while Peru was notable for novelty.
- Asked about burrs for the group's M98 grinder and joked that access had been secured through an M98V and a refurbished 1970s lever espresso machine. The surrounding exchange is humorous, but it indicates active interest in grinder and lever-machine equipment.
- Said he purchases non-SEY coffees for comparative cuppings and reported that the group had recently cupped most of the Kenyan coffees, including all the Kamavindis. He rated them highly and singled out a sun-dried SL28 as especially good.
- Asked whether anyone had received the PLAY Sidra release and later announced that all PLAY event information was available, with a plan to add it to announcements after the coffees had rested for a day.
- Rejected licorice as a desirable flavor and mentioned liking Ashes, though the specific coffees or cafes under discussion are not fully recoverable from the captured replies.
- Asked for the best cafe in Korea when a knowledgeable participant was present and mentioned "SoCo Fermented," apparently as a recommendation or topic in that discussion; the fragmentary context prevents a firmer interpretation.
- Brewed an end-of-bag blend of Dwight Red and Dwight Yellow using a long "soup" method and found it extremely tropical and delicious.
- Mentioned a "98 point Yemen" during the origin-quality discussion, but the archive does not preserve enough context to determine whether this was a formal score, a joke, or a reference to a specific coffee.
Cross-thread takeaways
- The week's central technical dispute was how to distinguish green defects, roast defects, and merely unusual varietal character. seylance2897 supplied a concrete defect taxonomy, while opp4004 repeatedly warned that ultra-light-roast communities can mislabel baked, cereal, herbal, or underdeveloped flavors as authentic green expression.
- Both seylance2897 and opp4004 were skeptical that extended rest repairs fundamental problems. For green coffee, they emphasized moisture, transport, stabilization, cellular deterioration, and UV-visible mottling; for roasted coffee, seylance2897 said rest does not make underdevelopment disappear, though the sensory definition of roast "freshness" remained unresolved.
- Roaster cost and machine identity were treated as secondary to process capability. seylance2897 argued that good green and competent operation can produce excellent coffee on relatively affordable equipment, while opp4004 said SEY's harder-to-copy advantage is its entire sourcing, staffing, cupping, and sample-roasting system rather than one curve or machine.
- Measurement mattered, but not uniformly. seylance2897 relied heavily on moisture, weight loss, DiFluid color readings, Kett measurements, and UV inspection, yet rejected weighing cupping water because his tests found temperature control more consequential. Lance Hedrick similarly insisted on repeatability and dozens of reps before accepting equipment claims.
- Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Rwanda, Honduras, Guatemala, and Peru all received concrete scrutiny rather than generic praise. Doug emphasized Ethiopia's strong season and Peru's new profiles; opp4004 compared Kenyan subregions, questioned Acevedo Pink Bourbon refinement, defended select Rwandan stations, praised Wilmer Grau in Honduras, and identified Jalapa as a possible future center of Guatemalan specialty coffee.
- Several discussions converged on the danger of variety labels without verification. Pink Bourbon was described as scarce, regionally variable, and frequently misidentified; Java identity in Colombia was questioned; and specific lots such as Eaagads Estate were valued partly because their identity had reportedly been verified.
- Equipment decisions were tied to actual workflow rather than prestige: Roest for high-throughput sample consistency, Link for affordability and adequate green representation, A4Z or A68 as possible replacements for a failing A2, and DiFluid analysis as a requested way to compare grind distributions.
- The archive repeatedly favored descriptive tasting over score-driven hype: specific profiles included matcha, oolong, chamomile, acerola, cedar, oregano, white currant, rose oil, rum, licorice, cereal, hay, and botanical herbs, with users openly disagreeing about whether those notes represented compelling terroir, processing character, or defects.
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