# Do Rave do sample packs of their products???



## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Maybe I should send a email to Rave direct, but I thought I would ask the question here first.

I have previously used Rave Signature and Italian Job which have been lovely I have drunk Brighton Lanes and Sweet Bourbon for some time now as I really, really like them. In commemoration of the return of my Classic after a major service, I thought I would have a bit of a change, so Last week I ordered some Mocha Java and a bag of Colombian Suarez. Well this morning I finished my last bit of Brighton Lanes and as the two Rave bags had rested for a week I thought I would crack open one bag, so I opted for the Suarez as it did sound quite interesting.

My wife and I drink our coffee with milk and we switch between semi skimmed and soya. In this instance I used the soya and made us both a cappuccino.

Well I must say that I didn't really like it at all. To begin with it didn't have the authentic coffee flavour that I got/get with the other coffees that I have drunk previously. To confirm what I thought of it I asked my wife what she thought and without any prompting from me she said she didn't like it either. She initially thought that the milk that I had used had gone off.

So now I am in a bit of a quandary as I now have a near full bag of a coffee that both my wife and I don't like. Hmmm.

Coffee like so many things is subjective and I dare say that there will be many who love Colombian Suarez, but personally I thought it was awful.

Hence my initial question. Even if they charged a small fee for the sample bags you would be able to try it before going out and shelling for a full size bag.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Have you changed the brew ratio at all ? Or have you stuck to your 1:1.6 that I see you quote a lot .

Not all coffees taste great at the same brew ratio . So what's dose in and out over how long . Sounds like your hitting a souring under extracted shot . Let's see if we can help by changing some parameters

Race tend to recommend a 1:2 ish ratio for a starting point of a lot of there espresso recipes

If not cup or brew it ? Do you taste the same flavours again . Did it get anywhere near the notes that made you buy it in the first place ?


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Yes indeed Mrboots. It did taste sour even with milk. I put 16g of ground coffee in and around 27g of liquid in 25 seconds. Maybe the Suarez takes a bit more working to get it at it's best. All my previous coffee have been pretty great with little or no tinkering. Thanks for the pointers. I'll give them a go.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Go longer ... 16 into 30-32-34 g over 25 to 35 seconds . It's a lighter coffee in comparison to the rest of your wares . Needs a bit more extracting and water putting through it . Experiment and brew a coffee before condemning it as awful - one ratio and a couple of brews tell you nothing .

It might not be to your preference ultimately but one ratio isn't always going to get you to yummy for different coffees


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Perhaps I may have been a little hasty with my dissing of Colombian Suarez. I suppose having previously been spoilt with other beans that give a great flavour straight from the off. Others take some more coaxing and tinkering with to get the flavour you are looking for.


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

Aim for 42 out and dose 20 in your 18g vst, you should be able to fit it

if not go for 18 into 37 in 30


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## Chris_on_caffeine (Jul 21, 2012)

Long term (SB) Suarez user here, it typically needed a high dose imo, think I was doing 21g in to around 35g out. Tis very much an all rounder so shouldn't be tasting too weird either way.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Just checked my notes and when I was trying Colombian Suarez, my recipe was: 18g in 30 to 32g out in 31 to 35 secs.

25 secs sounds too short to me. You may yet like these beans once you've made some adjustments?

Good luck!


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

Look on the rave website thy have a recipe for every one of their beans


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

[QUOT E=Fevmeister;350337]Look on the rave website thy have a recipe for every one of their beans

it is the same for every bean though









Extract -

Measure variables

taste

adjust

repeat

Find balance

Enjoy


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## risky (May 11, 2015)

There is no one size fits all. As Martin has said, every coffee needs different recipes. With Brighton Lanes and Italian Job I daresay you have two coffees which are very 'forgiving' because there are no stand out flavour notes. While this is great for beginners in one way because you are less likely to get something undrinkable, it is also a hindrance as you can't perfect your recipe.

Do you taste the espresso before you pour the milk in?

Rave's suggested recipe using 20g vst: 20 > 42 > 25-30

You are at a 1.69 ratio, they are at 2.1


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Cupping and

Or simple brewing really does help . If it's good there , then it's the mano that's mangling it at the machine . Trying to hit taste notes , from espresso , with milk in it. Loads of things can go awry


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> [QUOT E=Fevmeister;350337]Look on the rave website thy have a recipe for every one of their beans


it is the same for every bean though









Extract -

Measure variables

taste

adjust

repeat

Find balance

Enjoy

I have noticed that and thought it odd. I assumed they roasted similarly across the spectrum so would need a long pour on all their beans. Probably a good place to start though 1:2


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## Dallah (Jan 31, 2015)

Rave told me a few months back that they would do samples for up to 2 coffees at a time to existing customers for the the price of shipping, which I think was £3


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Hey fellas. I have been out all evening, but have returned and the first thing I did was fire up the Gaggia. Yes. I have followed the recommendations and the difference is marked. Still 16g in but I have let it run to 30g of liquid over around 33/34 seconds. Also using semi skimmed milk. The sourness has now gone. A little bit more tinkering to fine tune it, but I am not a million miles away now.

Thanks heaps for all your help guys. I bow to your greater knowledge and it seems to have worked. I'll give all your recommendations a whirl as well. Hey that's what it is all about. I'll be donning my lab coat tomorrow.


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

good luck and enjoy!


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Following the recommendation regarding altering the timings and quantity of liquid there is an improvement in the overall taste and now no sourness. In any case the missus decided that she still didn't really like it and to be fair is didn't really set things on fire for me either, so I decided to throw the bag.

That is why I wondered whether certain roasters did sample bags, so you can try a particular coffee first before committing yourself to buying a full bag to then find out you don't like it. Even if they charged a nominal fee for the samples which could then be redeemed against a full order once you have decided that you like the coffee. Just a thought.


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## Fevmeister (Oct 21, 2013)

The problem with that is managing to get the amount sample dialed in and perfect, by the time you get the pour to near where you want you've no more Beans and you're none the wiser as to whether you truly like them!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Man , never throw a bag . At the very least pass it on to someone to try . Someone grew it, roasted it . Someone else would have

Liked it or at least tried a bit harder with it . Makes me sad.


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## m4lcs67 (Mar 16, 2014)

Fair comment Fevmeister. I guess it is just a trial and error thing in that case. I merely thought it was high time to check something else out for a change. It is one of those horses for courses things. Some will love one variety of bean and some won't. You'll never know unless you try, but it would get rather expensive if you discovered that you didn't like a whole rake of beans and had bought full bags. Each person also has a different palete and as such they may recommend something as it is to their taste, but not necessarily to yours.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Fevmeister said:


> The problem with that is managing to get the amount sample dialed in and perfect, by the time you get the pour to near where you want you've no more Beans and you're none the wiser as to whether you truly like them!


Cup and brew .- you can do this with 50g . There is more to coffee than a latte


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## mikerr (Mar 8, 2015)

I had no luck with getting samples from Rave.

I rang Rave looking for suggestions for coffees to try as I was about to place a new order. They suggested I put in my usual order and they would include two sample coffees we had agreed for me to try.

I received my order but there were no samples included, so got in touch with Rave to let them know.

They said they would arrange for the samples to go in their next post. A week later still no samples.

I made one further phone call to Rave and was assured they would be in the post. I am still waiting.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

mikerr said:


> I had no luck with getting samples from Rave.
> 
> I rang Rave looking for suggestions for coffees to try as I was about to place a new order. They suggested I put in my usual order and they would include two sample coffees we had agreed for me to try.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the forum .. who are you please ?

Normally people say " im Bob , i like x .. "

how was the coffee you actually got ?


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## mikerr (Mar 8, 2015)

Mrboots2u said:


> Welcome to the forum .. who are you please ?
> 
> Normally people say " im Bob , i like x .. "
> 
> how was the coffee you actually got ?


Apologies for not introducing myself.

My name is Mike and I'm a Bialetti Moka Pot fiend.

Drink of choice is Americano, no sugar.









The coffee I have been using for a few months on a regular basis is Italian Job.

Samples I was about to try from Rave were Mocha Java and Signature.

I did try Sumatra Jagong a few months ago but didn't like it at all. Too bitter for me, so binned it.

Have come to the conclusion I'm probably more chocolate/nuts than citrus/berries

Mike


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

mikerr said:


> Apologies for not introducing myself.
> 
> My name is Mike and I'm a Bialetti Moka Pot fiend.
> 
> ...


Hi Mike

For a Moka pot I think the darker roasts/flavours Choco etc tend to suit it better.

Moka pots do tend to suit the traditional Italian roast more than fruit citrus beans.


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## GCGlasgow (Jul 27, 2014)

I just received an order from coffee compass for 500g Brighton Lanes and 500g Red Roast blend and they added a sample bag of Un poco De Cielo, about 100g which was appreciated. Gestures like this keep customers feel they are valued and therefore re-order.


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## PeterF (Aug 25, 2014)

Rave Mocha Java is my all time favourite blend. I get superb results with 18g in 36 out in 27 seconds


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Mrboots2u said:


> There is more to coffee than a latte


http://londiniumespresso.com/blog/speciality-coffee-the-elephant-in-the-room


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Interesting article.


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