# SEY Discord Browser Archive - 2026-07-29

## Index
- [seylance2897](#seylance2897)
- [lancehedrick](#lancehedrick)
- [opp4004](#opp4004)
- [dougssg](#dougssg)
- [naomi (car7iern)](#naomi-car7iern)

## seylance2897

- `2026-07-29 00:04` `#cupping`
  I'd look at Duber's last harvest as well honestly

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## lancehedrick

- `2026-07-29 01:21` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Agreed

- `2026-07-29 01:53` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  To respond to all the sudden onslaught re: development:
  Our goal has always been to get the roast out of the way. We have been working to find an area where neither brown nor grain is detected (for us).
  Perhaps the biggest change in 2026 happened around March/April. Since then, the movements have been minimal and not necessarily widespread across the catalog.
  In the past couple of weeks, there has been one roast slide by into production i would call under, although it did not register as straight cereal to us.
  A couple others have been borderline, not touching grain but definitely leaving a bit of structure on the table.
  
  These examples were not reflective of a wholesale migration lighter. Roasting so many different coffees each week is not simple. Relearning even from the bigger change earlier this year still takes effort when varieties and origins and moisture and density is changing and new coffees come thru.
  
  For now, if you feel you have a coffee that you feel is a touch under, just let it rest. 
  
  We still taste every coffee over many days and are working on always evolving and improving

- `2026-07-29 02:12` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Yeah pepe sidra

- `2026-07-29 02:16` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I think you arent as sensitive lololol

- `2026-07-29 02:16` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Could you be more specific? Which coffees and roast dates. Thanks

- `2026-07-29 04:52` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I have not yet cupped those. So cant speak to them personally. They got rejected at customs lololol

- `2026-07-29 04:54` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  It is the rule of no shipments over 2kg for personal consumption

- `2026-07-29 04:54` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Annoying

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## opp4004

- `2026-07-29 01:33` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I’ve definitely had coffees where I felt the roast was a little disappointing, or where they pushed the roast right to the limit. But personally, I’ve never come across a truly underdeveloped

- `2026-07-29 01:37` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  For reference, this is pretty much how I react when I drink an underdeveloped coffee
  Attachments:
  - [IMG_1594.gif](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1483078064119222384/1531807875792507041/IMG_1594.gif?ex=6a712641&is=6a6fd4c1&hm=dbcd82a858ac4ef8654d1b1ba56cb6561111045f08b2eb4a80b4f1c3ca59dd4a&) (image/gif 500x299)

- `2026-07-29 02:02` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I'm drinking it now, and thankfully I don't think it's going to give me food poisoning after all. 😂 The flavor is actually pretty impressive. They called it a double anaerobic fermentation, but honestly it just tastes like a really high-quality natural
  Attachments:
  - [IMG_1593.JPEG](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1483078064119222384/1531814241932415069/IMG_1593.JPEG?ex=6a712c2f&is=6a6fdaaf&hm=ec34def63044ce1f6b414378e19f653e5387445b2abf6ac3f4bd853a6d062430&) (image/jpeg 1536x2048)

- `2026-07-29 02:04` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I'm getting notes of melon, passion fruit, all kinds of tropical fruit punch, blackberry, and florals. I bought it because I was really intrigued by the Dere 132 variety, but it's even more impressive than I expected. I think I'll have to pick up a few more coffees from them later

- `2026-07-29 02:04` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  If you're lucky, you might get to see me making soup at the Korea Cafe Show

- `2026-07-29 02:05` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I'm not sure. I think it's in November? I've tentatively agreed to make soup at my friend's booth, but we'll see if it actually happens

- `2026-07-29 02:06` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Or I might just make it at my friend's cafe instead. 😂 Either way, "Mango's Soup House" is already a tentative plan

- `2026-07-29 02:08` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  My friend will probably be working at Amativo (the green coffee importer), and they also run a small cafe there. If I'm bored, I might just make soup there

- `2026-07-29 02:10` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  That's a very good question. I can't really judge underdevelopment by taste alone. There are coffees that simply taste like that naturally, you know? Things like Sudan Rume or some unusual Brazilian varieties, for example. In my case, I usually notice it because my tongue feels extremely irritated, almost like I ate something spicy, my throat feels swollen, my stomach hurts, and in severe cases I even get diarrhea

- `2026-07-29 02:11` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  So my friend and I usually say that "unroasted" and "underdeveloped" are different things. In the industry, what people often call underdeveloped is actually closer to "unroasted." True underdevelopment is, as the word suggests, more about a coffee being lacking or incomplete. You know the kind of thing people usually describe? Like peanut shell notes, a green/grassy raw seed-like aroma, persistent grainy flavors that won't go away, and this strange sense that the coffee feels closed off. You really have to look at it as a combination of factors.

- `2026-07-29 02:14` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Underdevelopment is something people perceive very differently. Sometimes it can be subjective, so it's not always easy to talk about. But if most people are feeling some kind of unpleasantness from the coffee, then there is a possibility that it is underdeveloped

- `2026-07-29 02:17` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Actually, even if a coffee is underdeveloped, you can hide it to some extent through extraction. That's why some people might not notice it at all

- `2026-07-29 02:18` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  That's why it's such a difficult topic. Roasters usually don't want to admit it, and it's also something that often leads to arguments. 😂 I've been debating this topic for years. Honestly, ha

- `2026-07-29 02:21` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  However, astringency is also something you can get from extraction mistakes. So I can't simply say, "If a coffee tastes astringent, it's underdeveloped." That wouldn't be accurate. But astringency is definitely one of the most common characteristics of underdevelopment, especially what people often call "unroasted"

- `2026-07-29 02:23` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  If I mention specific roaster names, this place would probably explode. 😂 Prodigal often produces flavors that are similar to underdevelopment, especially with naturals

- `2026-07-29 02:24` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  A few years ago, especially during their early days when they had just switched to Loring, Ilse was probably one of the most representative examples of an "unroasted" roaster. I've heard they're much better now, though

- `2026-07-29 02:25` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Just because a coffee is dark doesn't mean it can't be underdeveloped. You can even have underdevelopment in something that tastes like charcoal

- `2026-07-29 02:27` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  That's why, surprisingly, it's not actually that easy to find a roaster who consistently roasts well and just keep buying from them. Why do you think I've subscribed to SEY for so long? There's a reason for that

- `2026-07-29 02:29` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Some of you may know this already, but I’m constantly trying coffees from all over the place in search of a roaster that’s better than SEY. I’m sure there’s one out there somewhere… probably. Maybe. 😂 But after doing this for nearly seven years, I’m starting to think finding a unicorn might actually be easier

- `2026-07-29 02:31` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Sorry Christopher, your coffee is just too expensive.... 😂

- `2026-07-29 02:33` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Still, when I look at his roast curves, I honestly think they’re beautiful. It looks like it must taste amazing

- `2026-07-29 02:33` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Hey

- `2026-07-29 02:33` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  😂 Burundi and Rwanda hater... ha

- `2026-07-29 02:34` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  You know I’ll be extremely busy starting in October. 😂 If I end up working at a cafe, I’ll let you know where it is

- `2026-07-29 02:36` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Anyway, China is actually doing better at roasting than people might expect. In the US, I feel like it’s probably hard to find that level unless it’s someone like Hyunah or Airworks, which is a bit unfortunate. The green coffee selections in the US and China (or Asia in general) are completely different, and experiencing that difference is honestly one of the fun parts

- `2026-07-29 02:37` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  For example, the Honduran coffees I’ve been recommending, Los Pinos and El Zapote, are the result of investments from Coffee Libre in Korea, so they’re basically only available in Korea. Chinese buyers actually purchase quite a lot of these coffees

- `2026-07-29 02:39` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Maybe they’ll get it from Hyunah

- `2026-07-29 02:40` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Well, Canada has Crop to Cup! But green coffee importers are always rewarded for how much they invested in the regions they care about and how deeply they built those relationships. Honestly, I think Korea is only now starting to see the results of those efforts. I think it’s been over 10 years since Coffee Libre started investing in Honduras, and it’s only now beginning to become recognized

- `2026-07-29 04:43` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I do agree that the recent batches have been roasted in a way that emphasizes complexity more. But neither I nor my friends (we're all pretty familiar with SEY here in Korea) have noticed any obvious roasting issues. That said, it's still possible that there was something wrong with that particular batch

- `2026-07-29 04:46` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  And cupping is still an extraction method, after all. Personally, I'd probably try changing the protocol a bit. Honestly, the quickest approach would probably be to ask SEY what cupping protocol they use

- `2026-07-29 04:48` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Of course, I brew every coffee as ORB's "looooooong soup" so it's also possible that I'm simply not picking up on any underdeveloped characteristics. 😂 I'd recommend having a longer conversation with the SEY team

- `2026-07-29 04:50` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  To be fair, you can always end up with an unlucky batch. I don't think that's the case with SEY, but it's something that almost every roastery runs into sooner or later

- `2026-07-29 06:23` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  It depends on the coffee

- `2026-07-29 06:23` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  No, it depends on the coffee. Would you like me to explain?

- `2026-07-29 06:24` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  For example, can you roughly describe the range of flavors that people refer to as "hay" or "grainy"?

- `2026-07-29 06:25` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Even "hay" and "grainy" can be either positive or negative. It depends on what other notes they're associated with, what aromas they're integrated with, and where they appear in the cup

- `2026-07-29 06:26` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  It's the same with herbal notes. Some people interpret them as a flaw or a sign of underdevelopment, while others see them as a characteristic of a well-developed roast

- `2026-07-29 06:26` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Cereal is a good example. Among lower-grade Ethiopian coffees, say around 84–85 points, you can often find both guava-like flavors and cereal-like defects existing at the same time. But if the extraction is done well—especially when you push the EY higher—you can actually reduce or remove a lot of that cereal character

- `2026-07-29 06:27` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Of course, you will probably lose a lot of complexity in the process. But we can use extraction to remove or reduce some negative flavors. That said, there are certain characteristics that extraction simply cannot get rid of. Coffees from countries like El Salvador are a good example

- `2026-07-29 06:28` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  However, there are also certain characteristics that you simply can't get rid of. And that's when we start to wonder, "Could this coffee actually be underdeveloped?"

- `2026-07-29 06:28` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  That's why I say it depends on the coffee

- `2026-07-29 06:31` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  That’s why we always have to be careful. We need to consider whether a defect originated from the green coffee or if it was caused by the roasting. Honestly, it’s really difficult for us to know. I think only the roaster can have a clearer idea of what went wrong, because they do QC through different roast profiles and taste the coffee in many different ways. As consumers, we’re usually only drinking coffee roasted with one particular profile

- `2026-07-29 06:31` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Last year's Aklilu was truly phenomenal

- `2026-07-29 06:32` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  No, we don’t know that. It could be a green coffee issue, for all we know. That’s why we need to approach it a little more carefully

- `2026-07-29 06:35` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Honestly, I’m aware that SEY’s roasting has become a bit lighter recently, and I have seen some people experiencing hay or grainy notes. But I don’t know... it just feels very similar to the comments people were making about SEY a few years ago, so I’m mostly just watching and waiting. 😂

- `2026-07-29 06:36` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Then it becomes even more clear that it depends on the coffee

- `2026-07-29 06:37` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  The possibility of getting hay or grainy notes doesn’t only come from roasting. These are characteristics that can also come from quakers or defective green coffee. In SEY’s case, I think those tendencies have decreased significantly since they introduced a color sorter

- `2026-07-29 06:41` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I don’t judge coffee based only on color, and I drink coffees that are often lighter than SEY. Honestly, I haven’t really encountered coffees where those characteristics were clearly caused by the roasting itself. If I were simply insensitive to hay or grainy notes, then I should also be missing them in darker roasted coffees—but there are plenty of grainy coffees in Europe that are darker than SEY. Would you like me to name a few?

- `2026-07-29 06:43` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Honestly, in Europe there does seem to be some tendency to be less sensitive to hay or grainy notes, possibly because of differences in food culture. But I think it’s too simplistic to call it just a skill issue. Sometimes these characteristics come from other factors, and sometimes they don’t. That’s why you can’t apply the same explanation to every coffee, and that’s why I always say it depends on the coffee.

- `2026-07-29 06:46` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  No, it’s not necessarily that. There are cases where the green coffee itself has those characteristics. For example, Sudan Rume can sometimes be perceived that way because of its unique botanical character, and as I mentioned earlier, there are also examples from El Sal

- `2026-07-29 06:47` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  That’s why I don’t think it’s fair to say a coffee was poorly roasted simply because it shows hay or grainy characteristics. I don’t fully understand the inherent qualities of that green coffee, so I don’t feel comfortable making that conclusion

- `2026-07-29 06:50` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I don’t think so. Underdevelopment is not that simple

- `2026-07-29 06:51` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  That’s why, before I talk about underdevelopment, I usually describe it as "the coffee makes me feel sick"

- `2026-07-29 06:51` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Of course, in this case, it’s probably closer to being unroasted

- `2026-07-29 06:54` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  So how should we approach a coffee where someone simply says, "I feel like the intensity is a bit muted"? That’s why we need cupping, and why a longer explanation is often necessary. Some people might define underdevelopment as a lack of structural development, a lack of flavor expression, poor clarity, or an unpleasant acidity. Everyone has their own criteria for saying, "This coffee is underdeveloped because of this reason" But the real question is: when we consider the quality of the green coffee, do we actually have a reliable standard to say, "This is not a green coffee issue"? That’s why it’s not easy

- `2026-07-29 06:54` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  So, going back to the first question, I find myself repeating the same answer: "It depends on the coffee"

- `2026-07-29 07:01` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  And since we’re talking about grainy notes, this actually applies to baked coffees as well. That’s why I keep saying it really depends on the coffee. 😂

- `2026-07-29 07:03` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Ah, yes. Among some Chiroso coffees, I’ve had ones that reminded me of onion, shallot, or green onion notes

- `2026-07-29 07:03` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  And I don’t really like most coffees from the 'Caro' family. There was only one exception, though. Who was it again?

- `2026-07-29 07:05` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  I think that’s actually one of the characteristics of the green coffee itself. Chiroso is known to have two different versions, and the flavor can vary depending on the region and the processing method. I used to think that notes like cedar, shallot, and similar savory characteristics were some of the signature flavors of Chiroso. The coffees I’ve had from SEY recently are a bit different, though

- `2026-07-29 07:07` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  Again, this depends on the coffee. I’m sorry to say that, but it really does. With longer resting, you can lose some of the good aromatics, but you can also lose many of the unpleasant notes caused by underdevelopment. As coffee rests, extraction can naturally become easier, and those characteristics can be masked by other flavors. Sometimes even the notes we consider negative can become acceptable when they blend into the overall profile of the coffee.

- `2026-07-29 07:09` `#what-are-you-brewing`
  So this is why people end up arguing when someone says, "Why does this coffee taste underdeveloped when I bought it from this place?" Somewhere, there is always someone for whom that coffee is the best coffee they’ve ever had. The founder of Coffee Libre always says something during cuppings: "The coffee you are drinking today might be garbage, but for someone drinking it tomorrow, it could be the best coffee in the world." I think that’s actually a definition of personal preference.
  
  An underdeveloped coffee is usually considered a bad coffee, but even that can be someone’s favorite. Coffee is really not simple…

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## dougssg

_No messages captured._

## naomi (car7iern)

- `2026-07-29 19:34` `#current-menu`
  No but I can tell you lol. On batch will most likely be Anthony Kimani, on featured filter (aeropress): Alo; Bombe, Miguel Dota, and probably Georgina Puma unless we sell out before then. Iced will be Alo; Bombe. Espresso TBD that will probably be a full menu swap tomorrow

- `2026-07-29 19:35` `#current-menu`
  Idk which of those we may still have for sale on retail by then, as of now we still have boxes of Bombe, Miguel, and Kimani

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