# Compass Mystery Mk13



## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

Now in stock!!!

https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/collections/espresso-range/products/mystery-coffee-mark-13-1kg

I loved the mk12 (both versions) so 13 has a tough act to follow


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## robti (Mar 27, 2013)

Just wish there was some tasting notes, doesn't have to mention anything about the beans just taste


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

tbf it wouldnt be much of a mystery then....

He does sell it phenomenally cheap you cant really lose. Even the ones I havent got on with have still been top quality coffee


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## KTD (Dec 28, 2017)

Still miss mystery 8, whatever it was.


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## tripleshot (Jun 3, 2020)

To those who are mystery regulars, are these more likely to be darker roasts than lighter roasts? Or more medium?


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

tripleshot said:


> To those who are mystery regulars, are these more likely to be darker roasts than lighter roasts? Or more medium?


 This is the key really. I completely understand why it's a 100% mystery but just a hint on the roast level wouldn't be giving anything away.

If anyone tries it, I for one would be really grateful on your feedback, particularly which brew methods worked.


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@Rapid - I've had the mystery ones since 9 if I remember correctly, they have all been medium by CC standards so a little bit darker than regular 3rd wave coffee but not to a "mahogany" level like they do with the others. They have been darker than I like for V60 but great as espresso or with milk.

They must shift a lot of it, I would be very surprised if the roast level ever went really light/dark or it was a super juice bomb, since it seems like it is intended as a crowd pleaser at a very good price.


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## ronan08 (Dec 21, 2019)

Thanks I order some of this sooo cheap I'm so excited although I might have too much coffee now


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

Northern_Monkey said:


> @Rapid - I've had the mystery ones since 9 if I remember correctly, they have all been medium by CC standards so a little bit darker than regular 3rd wave coffee but not to a "mahogany" level like they do with the others. They have been darker than I like for V60 but great as espresso or with milk.
> 
> They must shift a lot of it, I would be very surprised if the roast level ever went really light/dark or it was a super juice bomb, since it seems like it is intended as a crowd pleaser at a very good price.


 Thanks for that buddy. I guess it makes sense for it to be an omni.

I didn't realise they roast everything dark? or at least darker than the average. I quite enjoy a low acidity medium to be honest, just as much as a good old fruit bomb!

Let me know what you think if you go for this one. I've just stocked up on craft house in addition to LSOL hopefully arriving tomorrow so it will be a while before my next order.


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## Northern_Monkey (Sep 11, 2018)

@Rapid - They do some lighter single origins, but typically their style is medium+ in my view but everyone's scale is different. Nice coffee though and they seem a friendly bunch.

I do really like their Brighton Lanes (Medium traditional) or Cherry Cherry (not super light), but some of their other stuff is darker than I prefer. They do the broadest range of darker style roasts out of the UK online roasters/retailers I've seen, including mahogany versions and a super dark Ethiopian Wild Highland that was a bit "challenging" shall we say and not to my taste 😅

https://www.coffeecompass.co.uk/collections/africa/products/extra-dark-wild-ethiopian-highland-500g


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## Inspector (Feb 23, 2017)

I ordered today. Will let you know how it is in about two weeks ☺


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## Lionheart (Jul 5, 2020)

My delivery is coming tomorrow. Never bought from Compass before. Hopefully I am not disappointed. Although I am terrible at describing tasting notes for you guys 😂


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## Inspector (Feb 23, 2017)

Well, 8 days post roast I opened mine today.

Smells totally different than mystery 12. Slight cacao then slight spice a bit of barley.( I assume) I might do a cupping later on.

Take these with a pinch of salt tho 🤣

I think it still needs resting as stream coming from naked portafilter is 'dancing' ( if you know what I mean) 

for now it is acidic but slightly, there is no dominant tasting notes I can pick. Last two weeks I have been enjoying mahogany roast Brazilian blend from them I don't think I will ever like any other beans lol. They are ace.

Took a picture for comparison.

Mystery beans on top, mahogany roast Brazilian blend at the bottom.


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## steffanjtaylor (Sep 9, 2020)

These beans are a wild ride- I would guess a medium roast; a nice amount of acidity upfront, sweet peachy high notes, smoky undertones and a pleasing malty aftertaste.


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

steffanjtaylor said:


> These beans are a wild ride- I would guess a medium roast; a nice amount of acidity upfront, sweet peachy high notes, smoky undertones and a pleasing malty aftertaste.


 Thanks for that. What methods did you use?


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## steffanjtaylor (Sep 9, 2020)

Rapid said:


> Thanks for that. What methods did you use?


 I've only tried to use them for espresso thus far (opened today- 2 weeks after roast)- 18g in 38g out in 40 seconds (on a Lelit MaraX- which has a long pre-infusion time (10 seconds or so)).


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

Only just got mine today so will need a rest. They've got a tough act to follow....

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


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## cwisgween (Jul 29, 2010)

Anyone else had a chance to have a play with these? Loved the 12, considering grabbing a couple of kilos.


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

I opened mine today so only 5 days past roast... Think it needs a few more as it's still on the acidic side, but it wasn't unpleasant. 
Deffo more fruity than the 12, quite sweet caramel notes. Should be really nice with a bit more rest

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


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## mschole (Aug 26, 2015)

Detailed tasting notes and bean origins etc. beyond my interest/ability as a coffee-drinker except to say that I like this one much better than 12. The last few mystery blends have been pretty meh to my tastes. I think I generally prefer central/South American beans and this one tastes fairly chocolatey to me, not very fruity (unlike others above). I've been using it in cappuccinos and espressos.


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## cwisgween (Jul 29, 2010)

mschole said:


> Detailed tasting notes and bean origins etc. beyond my interest/ability as a coffee-drinker except to say that I like this one much better than 12. The last few mystery blends have been pretty meh to my tastes. I think I generally prefer central/South American beans and this one tastes fairly chocolatey to me, not very fruity (unlike others above). I've been using it in cappuccinos and espressos.


 That sounds great to me. Thanks for the info



jj-x-ray said:


> I opened mine today so only 5 days past roast... Think it needs a few more as it's still on the acidic side, but it wasn't unpleasant.
> Deffo more fruity than the 12, quite sweet caramel notes. Should be really nice with a bit more rest
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


 thanks also!


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## GazRef (Dec 30, 2019)

Almost posted in this thread last night but couldnt get my words out. Only 4/5 days past roast so but out of beans at the moment. Last night had a fast pull at 23 seconds but still nice. Nice sweet pleasant aftertaste than I couldn't quick put my finger on despite making the 41g out last 5 sips. Went finer today for a 30/31 second pull but it was mostly bland and bitter so I'm going back towards the coarser grind.

Any takers on what that after taste is?


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

mschole said:


> Detailed tasting notes and bean origins etc. beyond my interest/ability as a coffee-drinker except to say that I like this one much better than 12. The last few mystery blends have been pretty meh to my tastes. I think I generally prefer central/South American beans and this one tastes fairly chocolatey to me, not very fruity (unlike others above). I've been using it in cappuccinos and espressos.


Just goes to show how different everyone's taste buds can be. It always makes it difficult to recommend a bean that you like.
Definitely not getting choc notes off this yet but may do when it calms down a bit.
I loved the mk12 especially the second version of it and I considered that to be a huge choco blend.....
Either way this is looking promising

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

Has anyone tried in V60 or cafetiere? Need to order coffee today and I'm either going coffee compass, rave or James gourmet. A good mystery would sway me!


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

Tasted this morning in cafetiere, three days post roast.

Pretty dark roast by my standards. Smells very nice when brewing, slightly boozy? I don't taste booze notes in a cafetiere though. Maybe too fresh, or maybe wrong method of extraction.

Lots of chocolate to my taste buds. A really nice coffee, looking forward to it opening up.

On Sunday, I'm doing a mini home cupping - three CC coffees - rocko mountain, washed Ethiopian and mystery 13. Will post thoughts here  hoping that's long enough resting time. Should be.


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

Mine arrived today. Never had a mystery before so decided to take a punt.

How do people store the beans once opened? I've not had a bag I couldn't reseal before.


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

SuffolkDoug said:


> Mine arrived today. Never had a mystery before so decided to take a punt.
> 
> How do people store the beans once opened? I've not had a bag I couldn't reseal before.


 I put them in an airtight container. There are all kinds of fancy storage solutions, I used to use coffeevac, but just use airtight zyliss boxes now.

Doesn't seem to make beans taste bad  keep them dry and out of sunlight.

James Hoffman did a video on storage too.


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

Morningfuel said:


> I put them in an airtight container. There are all kinds of fancy storage solutions, I used to use coffeevac, but just use airtight zyliss boxes now.
> 
> Doesn't seem to make beans taste bad  keep them dry and out of sunlight.
> 
> James Hoffman did a video on storage too.


 Great, thank you. Those containers look good.

I'd forgotten about his video on storage, will check it out.


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## GazRef (Dec 30, 2019)

GazRef said:


> Almost posted in this thread last night but couldnt get my words out. Only 4/5 days past roast so but out of beans at the moment. Last night had a fast pull at 23 seconds but still nice. Nice sweet pleasant aftertaste than I couldn't quick put my finger on despite making the 41g out last 5 sips. Went finer today for a 30/31 second pull but it was mostly bland and bitter so I'm going back towards the coarser grind.
> 
> Any takers on what that after taste is?


 Pulled several bad shots dialing in with this since the first. Pulled a 1:3 20/60 shot in 28 seconds and the after taste wasn't as sweet but it was more discernable. Red cherries!


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

@Morningfuellooking forward to your cupping notes! Especially if you're rolling V60' too 🙂


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

Rapid said:


> @Morningfuellooking forward to your cupping notes! Especially if you're rolling V60' too 🙂


 Here they are!

So, I brewed 12g coffee medium ground (sort of aeropress level) to 200g brita filtered water. My tap water is extremely hard and a brita filter does greatly soften it, but still results in a tasty water.

I did not know what order the coffees were as my partner rearranged them!

1. Chocolate sweetness, with a cherry-like acidity at the side. Slight roasty note - "it tastes like coffee" - at a guess, this is the mystery.

2. Citrus fruit, and a sort of toffee/caramel sweet. Not sure what it is - but at a guess, I thought the rocko mountain natural process, as it had a slight "heft" to it compared to 3...

3. Sweetest of the three, slight citrus acidity. Maybe a tiny hint of green apple, like when you drink a fruit tea? "lighter" tasting - or cleaner, I suppose.

Interestingly, I thought all three were, broadly, fairly similar - I would love it if someone who really knew tasting notes could help pick them apart. However, 1 stood out as roastier with more chocolate and a cherry acidity rather than citrus.

I can confirm now..

1 = mystery 13

2 = rocko mountain Nat process

3. Yirgacheffe washed

Some thoughts:

Rocko mountain is perhaps the most "fruity" - lots of citrus in there, with a "heft" behind it that could be interpreted as berries perhaps. Sort of a body. Probably my personal fave, but I like fruity coffee.

The yirgacheffe was my partner's fave. She said "it's coffee, but better" - I think I understand. It was very clear, long finish, with some apple-ish notes but very sweet in a simple way - more sugar than toffee, I suppose. Very moreish.

Mystery 13 had chocolate and cherry for me. I bet it makes a killer espresso. Less acidity than the other two, but not lacking. I am enjoying drinking this at the moment.

So now, can I guess the origin of mystery 13? Well, no, definitely not. This is one of the few times I've done a comparative tasting and it has helpfully reminded me that good coffee all tastes good. Put a gun to my head? I'd say it isn't Ethiopian because of the chocolate note, which I did not think present in the other two - but is that part of the bean or the roast? I have had chocolate and berry/cherry flavours from Kenyans and Colombians before, but without having an extensive side-by-side I don't know I can trust my memory.

Who knows. Delicious coffee though. I will definitely do more of this as an exercise - comparing two Ethiopians was interesting. Next time, I might get three wildly different coffees and see how different they are.


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

Morningfuel said:


> Here they are!
> 
> So, I brewed 12g coffee medium ground (sort of aeropress level) to 200g brita filtered water. My tap water is extremely hard and a brita filter does greatly soften it, but still results in a tasty water.
> 
> ...


 It was great to read that, thanks for sharing your results and well done on guessing which was which!

All your tasting notes are broadly in line with what you would generally 'expect' from the origins.

Regarding the chocolate notes of the mystery it could be a bit of both but a darker roast from my experience is more likely to result in those chocolate notes/dark cherry notes rather than nutty/brighter red berries. So the roast may well have played a part in it. I've always thought that the roast level determines the acidity more than the actual flavours.

Just based on feasibility and what you've said it wouldn't surprise me if the mystery is South American. Broadly fits those tasting notes and there's some very good value for money on a lot of those. He can't be far from doing that at break even.


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

Rapid said:


> It was great to read that, thanks for sharing your results and well done on guessing which was which!
> 
> All your tasting notes are broadly in line with what you would generally 'expect' from the origins.
> 
> ...


 I am glad they were muddled up and I guessed right, but honestly, that implies it was clear to me - and it wasn't.

I could pick out the mystery well enough, but the Ethiopians were very similar to my uncultured taste buds. I wouldn't like to say I could luck out again!


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## Lionheart (Jul 5, 2020)

I've ended up with a really bitter tasting coffee despite making it as a latte. Unfortunately it's a Delonghi B2C automatic☺ so not much that can be adjusted! The grind was set relatively fine, so I've made it more coarse instead. I appreciate it's more my equipment than the bean though - I don't want to hurt the reputation of it! I usually go for lighter beans which certainly don't come across bitter.


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

I re-cupped yesterday, this time with a finer grind to make sure I was not under extracted.

What a difference - the yirgacheffe was all black tea with a citrus acidity. The rocko mountain still had a citrus-acid to me (not in tasting notes though!) but had some ripe berry flavours, supported with dark cocoa.

The mystery was the same really - cherries, cherry acidity, chocolate. Lovely stuff.

Going to get more mystery for my incoming robot


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## jj-x-ray (Dec 31, 2017)

I had to grind coarser than before to get the best out of this.
Im not a huge fan of coffees towards the fruitier, acidic end of the spectrum, but this is nice.
Not a patch on the mk12 imo though....

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


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## GazRef (Dec 30, 2019)

Just to echo I think this is "better" pulled longer/ ground coarser. My initial attempt at dialing in was a fast 1:2 pull that had an interesting but undiscernible aftertaste. Tasted like breakfast something. I did try a 28-29 second 18g/36g and it tasted like a more generic chocolate type shot. I think it offers more pulled longer closer to 1:3 imo.


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## steffanjtaylor (Sep 9, 2020)

GazRef said:


> Just to echo I think this is "better" pulled longer/ ground coarser. My initial attempt at dialing in was a fast 1:2 pull that had an interesting but undiscernible aftertaste. Tasted *like breakfast something*. I did try a 28-29 second 18g/36g and it tasted like a more generic chocolate type shot. I think it offers more pulled longer closer to 1:3 imo.


 I got the same aftertaste, malt- I thought.


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## GazRef (Dec 30, 2019)

steffanjtaylor said:


> I got the same aftertaste, malt- I thought.


 haha hard to place right? I kept thinking it was something you have at breakfast like a bowl of oatmeal. My brain was close. I was "cinnamon is in oatmeal" nah thats not it not spicy more sweet. Then boom at 1:3 it was clear red berry cherry.


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## steffanjtaylor (Sep 9, 2020)

GazRef said:


> haha hard to place right? I kept thinking it was something you have at breakfast like a bowl of oatmeal. My brain was close. I was "cinnamon is in oatmeal" nah thats not it not spicy more sweet. Then boom at 1:3 it was clear red berry cherry.


 I agree, it is very hard to place, I thought cereal whilst drinking then thought its more malty (I kept thinking Shreddies, which lead me to that conclusion) after the drinking.

I have a few shots left so I will try the 1:3- thank you for the tip!


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

Today was my first cups with this. Certainly getting very smooth chocolatey flavours (aeropress, fine grind, long steep), not getting any real fruitiness yet.

Going try as an espresso tomorrow and also perhaps a different brew in the AP.

Certainly very enjoyable.


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

My espressos this morning (one at 16>32 and the other at 16>48) were very interesting.

The 16>32 had a bit more sweetness/ fruity hint to it, but not very prominent.

The 16>48 certainly had the cereal/ malty taste mentioned above.

@Morningfuel how fine have you gone on your grind? I'm not sure I go much finer with my grinder, really starting to see it's limitations.


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

SuffolkDoug said:


> My espressos this morning (one at 16>32 and the other at 16>48) were very interesting.
> 
> The 16>32 had a bit more sweetness/ fruity hint to it, but not very prominent.
> 
> ...


 On cafetiere, it's pretty coarse - 2 full rotations +10 on aergrind. For V60 it's finer than that, but still pretty coarse. Contrast with a medium roast Ethiopian at 2 turns +3 for cafetiere. That doesn't sound like much, but it is a fairly coarse grind. For aeropress I'd probably be more like a finer V60 i guess, as the temperature drops so fast.

I've had a few espressos with it today, 17g in, 40g out (target - actually hit 40.5, 40.8, 41), 10s 1 bar preinfusion, then up to 8 bars (ish - I'm learning the machine, so it wobbles between 7 and 8 😎). Tail off at the end to try to hit target.

Obviously not terribly consistent, but I'm getting very chocolate shots. In milk, lots of sweetness and a malty taste. It lingers too. As an espresso, there is a fruity aftertaste, cherry ish, but I think I need to refine my technique to bring this out more.

It's a sweet coffee though, not much acidity to me and my partner loved her shot with hot milk. I might try a longer 1:3 shot next, maybe downdose a bit and go 16:48 without changing grind, see what that gives.


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

Morningfuel said:


> On cafetiere, it's pretty coarse - 2 full rotations +10 on aergrind. For V60 it's finer than that, but still pretty coarse. Contrast with a medium roast Ethiopian at 2 turns +3 for cafetiere. That doesn't sound like much, but it is a fairly coarse grind. For aeropress I'd probably be more like a finer V60 i guess, as the temperature drops so fast.
> 
> I've had a few espressos with it today, 17g in, 40g out (target - actually hit 40.5, 40.8, 41), 10s 1 bar preinfusion, then up to 8 bars (ish - I'm learning the machine, so it wobbles between 7 and 8 😎). Tail off at the end to try to hit target.
> 
> ...


 That's interesting. I am grinding very fine for the aeropress, but seems to give the best flavour results. I am going to try a 50g/l ratio tomorrow rather than today's 60g and see how that works out. Given longer espressos seem to be getting a bit more or the beans, this slightly lower dose might help the more subtle flavours. That might also be a fantastically flawed logic.


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

SuffolkDoug said:


> That's interesting. I am grinding very fine for the aeropress, but seems to give the best flavour results. I am going to try a 50g/l ratio tomorrow rather than today's 60g and see how that works out. Given longer espressos seem to be getting a bit more or the beans, this slightly lower dose might help the more subtle flavours. That might also be a fantastically flawed logic.


 No accounting for taste buds. I hope you find something that works for you  if not, they're very affordable beans so not too much harm!

for me, I've probably enjoyed it most today as espresso with milk. Mega chocolate. I hope I can pull some fruit out, will see how I get on in the morning.


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## PortafilterProcrastinator (Aug 26, 2020)

Morningfuel said:


> No accounting for taste buds. I hope you find something that works for you  if not, they're very affordable beans so not too much harm!
> 
> for me, I've probably enjoyed it most today as espresso with milk. Mega chocolate. I hope I can pull some fruit out, will see how I get on in the morning.


 Couldn't agree more - it is always interesting to see what different people get from the same beans/ how the beans can be interpreted.

I am still very new to all this, but these beans seem to present more different flavours based on brew method than others I have tried.

Currently finding 55g/l in the aeropress on a fine grind to be a great balance and agree that a longer shot brings more out than shorter.

I don't do milk, but then again I have never tried doing it 'properly' - an adventure for another time.


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## Nightrider_1uk (Apr 26, 2020)

Enjoyed these in my Large Latte. Just ordered another 2kg Lovely Jubbly


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## Lionheart (Jul 5, 2020)

Does anybody want me to post out the remainder of my Mystery Mk13? It was going in the bin as completely unpalatable to me & family. I've got about 650g. Roasted on 21st October. Preferably cover my postage cost of £3.10 with RM 2nd Class?


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## Doram (Oct 12, 2012)

Lionheart said:


> Does anybody want me to post out the remainder of my Mystery Mk13? It was going in the bin as completely unpalatable to me & family. I've got about 650g. Roasted on 21st October. Preferably cover my postage cost of £3.10 with RM 2nd Class?


 Will gladly take it if still available please. 🙂 I will send you a PM so as not to make everyone jealous.


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## Lionheart (Jul 5, 2020)

Doram said:


> Will gladly take it if still available please. 🙂 I will send you a PM so as not to make everyone jealous.


 Sure. Taken to PM


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

Really enjoying these now. They're a good couple of weeks post-roast (approaching 3 weeks in fact) and it's a sweet, chocolate base with that lovely malty thing. There is a tiny hint of acidity but not a citrus one.

I go 17g in, 42-45g out at 6-8 bar pressure. Yummy. If you were not keen on the beans, I'd suggest trying espresso again - longer ratio seems to benefit it (although I seem to enjoy a long ratio on the robot with other blends too).


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## cracked_bean (Apr 13, 2014)

Loving these, gonna be sad to see them finished. Might need suggestions for similar!


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## Coffee Addict Lee (Feb 23, 2021)

I opened a bag of these today, and I'm struggling to get any flavour out of them. However, if i go any finer or increase the qty the machine chokes up. I suspect it's my sub par machine (ESAM4200 B2C and modded KG79 grinder) rather than the beans though.

It's 9 days after they where roasted, and i'm using them in a latte.

Should I try and keep dialling them in, or just let them rest another week?


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## Inspector (Feb 23, 2017)

Rest them minimum of two weeks I'd say.


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## Nightrider_1uk (Apr 26, 2020)

I like this blend, I've had 3kg so far and have 2kg in the freezer, left them 2 weeks to rest, tapped the valves and dropped them in.


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## byjoshuawilliams (Nov 25, 2020)

Just opened my bag. Roasted 15.02. Wanted to let it sit for a few weeks. Very nice, I wouldn't say it was the darkest roast, relatively bright and clean. Definite smell of tobacco on opening the bag.


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## 08390754 (Dec 6, 2020)

I'm a bit late in the day commenting on these beans but I ordered some a few weeks ago. I've tried them as espresso, Kalita and clever dripper, but I'm struggling to get much flavour from them. At the risk of sounding basic, they just taste like coffee...

I've played around with different recipes and with slightly over extracted espresso there are definitely some tobacco flavours. When my espresso cools there's a little bit of fudge, I think, but this doesn't cut through on my milk drinks.

What recipe has anyone used to get more flavour?

My partner likes milk drinks so I've been using them for him, but I don't think these are the beans for me. It's been interesting to experiment and they are very reasonably priced.


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