# Rave’s Colombia Monteverde - booze and banana



## Griffo (Dec 31, 2017)

Very sad to currently be drinking my last latte with this.

Tastes massively of Rum & Raisin and Banana. It was so boozy early on that it felt weird drinking it in the morning.

A couple of weeks on, in an oat milk latte it tastes like banana bread 😋 🤤

Highly recommended - super funky!

https://ravecoffee.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/colombia-monteverde-caturra-natural

Note: I've found that I had to grind this a lot finer than anything else I've had.

I also tried it as 18g in and 36g out and it tastes great, but found it tasted even better when doing 18g in and 45-50g out as recommended by Rave.


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## Zeak (Jun 12, 2017)

Awesome. BTW, if you fancy funky stuff, welcome to our little Funky Town club.

https://www.coffeeforums.co.uk/topic/52268-experimentalfunky-beans/?do=embed


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## ponderosa (Aug 23, 2020)

Sounds interesting! Is it easy to dial in?


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

Bought 2kg of greens of this bean, hopefully I can do it some justice when I roast it.

Purchased for my Christmas roast, but I might have to roast a bag before just to check it out.


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## Griffo (Dec 31, 2017)

ponderosa said:


> Sounds interesting! Is it easy to dial in?


 I found it quite easy on both my Barista Express grinder and Niche. Just had to grind finer than I have before.


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## winterlight (Feb 27, 2016)

I've never gone really funky, an Ethiopian with heavy blueberry aromas is about as close as I've ventured.

But I've now ordered a bag of this up thanks to the things I've heard on here.

Should be an interesting bag of beans, anyone tried it through a V60?


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## TomHughes (Dec 16, 2019)

I'm wondering if this one is similar to the Columbian Yellow Bourbon from Black cat? 
I've got a kilo of green of that to roast soon.


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## JJarvis (Dec 20, 2019)

winterlight said:


> I've never gone really funky, an Ethiopian with heavy blueberry aromas is about as close as I've ventured.
> 
> But I've now ordered a bag of this up thanks to the things I've heard on here.
> 
> Should be an interesting bag of beans, anyone tried it through a V60?


 I only have a V60 and Aeropress, and had these beans in July. I don't remember anything like banana (I'd guess that's at least partly a texture-influenced note in espresso/milk drinks?), but the rum raisin was a constant and the bubblegum notes came through like crazy once I ground fine enough.


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## Griffo (Dec 31, 2017)

JJarvis said:


> I only have a V60 and Aeropress, and had these beans in July. I don't remember anything like banana (I'd guess that's at least partly a texture-influenced note in espresso/milk drinks?), but the rum raisin was a constant and the bubblegum notes came through like crazy once I ground fine enough.


 Yeah you're right, in a V60 I found the same and didn't get banana. Perhaps it's the milk giving it that flavour (I use Oatly barista).


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## winterlight (Feb 27, 2016)

Opened my bag of this five days after the roast date and was rather taken aback by the rum and raisin aroma coming from the bag. It's definitely very boozy at first, but this seems to dissipate as it cools down, and then the rum and raisin comes in.

Been making it through the V60, so will grind a little finer tomorrow and see if I can get more of the bubblegum through as it's a little feint at the moment.


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## winterlight (Feb 27, 2016)

Went finer with the grind this morning and it was almost like brewing a different set of beans. The booziness was gone and the bubblegum flavour was upfront and punchy.

It was a nice drink before, but it's even nicer like this!


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## Turner19901 (Jul 10, 2020)

winterlight said:


> Went finer with the grind this morning and it was almost like brewing a different set of beans. The booziness was gone and the bubblegum flavour was upfront and punchy.
> 
> It was a nice drink before, but it's even nicer like this!


 How fine did you go? I've been having it In my aeropress and the rum and raisin is seriously strong!


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## winterlight (Feb 27, 2016)

Turner19901 said:


> How fine did you go? I've been having it In my aeropress and the rum and raisin is seriously strong!


 Well, number two on my Delonghi grinder, so that's not ridiculously fine in the grand scheme of things. Not much help in terms of any usable measurement though!

As a guide, I would usually go number four, but had been going for three with this one before today. I'm not sure how you grind your beans, but just take it down gradually and see what happens.


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## noisyshaun (Feb 6, 2017)

This is one or the nicest coffees I've ever drank. It's so good that when the last batch was finished I honestly struggled to be as excited by any other coffee after this!!

I'll be checking out the Funky town thread for more like this.

The closest I've had since has been been this one..

https://www.horshamcoffeeroaster.co.uk/products/costa-rica-san-juanillo-natural


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

Roasted 500g of this bean a couple of weeks ago, I started drinking this week, massive Rum + Raisin at first and now I'm getting the bubblegum, fantastic.

Thanks @Griffo for the recommendation. My Christmas roast is sorted. 😃


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## Griffo (Dec 31, 2017)

iroko said:


> Roasted 500g of this bean a couple of weeks ago, I started drinking this week, massive Rum + Raisin at first and now I'm getting the bubblegum, fantastic.
> 
> Thanks @Griffo for the recommendation. My Christmas roast is sorted. 😃


 You're welcome! Glad you're enjoying it. I just got another delivery of it today 😁


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## paul87 (Jun 2, 2020)

Just had some of this in the post a few days off roast ( too soon I know)

But thought I would have a go at dialling it in and seeing what its like.

Had to throw the first 2 shots away as needed to go way finer than my grinder was set for from my last beans ( Extract Unkle Funka) .

3rd was a little closer - but still way under extracted - and frankly pretty awful!

Tasted really bitter and earthy.

Brewing on a Mara-X - at 94c - 18.5 in got 40g in about 28s

Does it massively improve after a week? -


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

paul87 said:


> Just had some of this in the post a few days off roast ( too soon I know)
> 
> But thought I would have a go at dialling it in and seeing what its like.
> 
> ...


 Yep way too soon. 
me I leave for two weeks .

Remember bitter does mean always to coarsen a grind and vice verse 
some of that bitterness can be a function of a lighter roast needing more rest time, it can manifest itself as the kind of tonic water bitterness .


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## matted (Sep 30, 2019)

Ordered a kilo, which I rarely do, based on positive comments.

Fitted with grabbing some of these new rave loyalty points too so approx 10 pounds off next order.


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Just loaded up 250g of this into the hopper on my grinder. Roasted on 25th September. Looking forward to trying it out this afternoon. The beans smell absolutely amazing


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Yeah I'm halfway through a kilo of these crazy yellow bad boys. Lovely even roast, big beans, need a fine grind. In aeropress they taste nothing like coffee, a lovely clean cup even through a metal filter, mouthfeel galore, must be plenty of oils in there, but very grilled banana and rum raisin. I haven't noticed the bubble gum so maybe I'll grind finer tomorrow.

___
Eat, drink and be merry


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

I'm now losing the rum and raisin and getting the bubblegum and banana, this bean is bonkers.


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

I've done two roasts in the Gene with these, lots of rum, bananas and slight hint of forest strawberries? 😛


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

I'm tempted to get some more greens of this but I'm trying to get through my older green beans.


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## paul87 (Jun 2, 2020)

so just had another go at a shot on my Mara-X.

now 2.5 wks off roast and much much better than last time. - drinkable - which is a bonus!

im nearly as fine as my SGP grinder will go and feel its holding back the shot quite a bit - machine is not building to 9/10 bar as not fine enough!

Very funky and lots of banana - crazy coffee this one! -


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

The lowest I got to on the SGP with this was 7 and that almost choked the Bambino Plus. Sadly I've finished this one. Does anyone know whether this is a staple offering from Rave, or a limited edition?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Not sure how much of it they got in but it's not one of their regulars. It is a mad bean this one! A rollercoaster of discovery, all right in yer face. Some days I'm blown away by it. Sometimes I just want a 'coffee' and wish it wasn't quite so out there. But a few sips later I remember why I was so keen to grab some.

I think it's a bit too leftfield to become a regular. It's a lot of fun for us coffee geeks and funkaholics but probably a bit challenging for your average punter.

___

Eat, drink and be merry.

Rocket R58, Ceado E37S, Aeropress, Aergrind, Torr Goldfinger flat and convex.


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## matted (Sep 30, 2019)

First mug of this. Bought a kilo on the basis of this thread - very NOT disappointed 🙂

v60 took my time to properly preheat kettle etc.

immediate hot cup taste getting the bubblegum sweetness and as cooling more of the banana coming through.

love it!


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## matted (Sep 30, 2019)

17 days since roasting, much more fragrant beans, massive boozy rum smell off them before grinding. still great.


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## steffanjtaylor (Sep 9, 2020)

This might be the weirdest (but compelling and delightful) coffee, I have ever tried.

I was skeptical that the tasting notes could be accurate- but they are.


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## -Mac (Aug 22, 2019)

Banana! Yes! That's what it is (I don't eat them so have only vague recollection of their taste from banana-flavoured things).

Whatever, it's a great bean


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

I've just bought another 1.5kg of Greens. 😁


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

This is literally.... Bananas! I never had a coffee like this. Not my "go-to" type of coffee, but this is a refreshing change from the usual. Hats off to Rave. 
tried today on milk, tastes great. Will try with a longer pre-infusion to tomorrow. Also noticed it requires quite a very fine grind and a slightly lower dose (I'd say 17.5g) rather than than my usual 18.3g on a VST 18g.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

paul87 said:


> Just had some of this in the post a few days off roast ( too soon I know)
> 
> But thought I would have a go at dialling it in and seeing what its like.
> 
> ...


 Grind finer, much finer. Aim for 40g in 40s.


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## Jason11 (Oct 25, 2019)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> This is literally.... Bananas! I never had a coffee like this. Not my "go-to" type of coffee, but this is a refreshing change from the usual. Hats off to Rave. tried today on milk, tastes great. Will try with a longer pre-infusion to tomorrow. Also noticed it requires quite a very fine grind and a slightly lower dose (I'd say 17.5g) rather than than my usual 18.3g on a VST 18g.


Haha, you tried it then.

I love it and drink it mainly as a filtered cup using the Clever Dripper but it is certainly different (in a good way) as espresso!

I'm on a different bean at the moment but when I go back on to it I will cut the dose down a bit as it powers itself through the milk very strongly.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Jason11 said:


> Haha, you tried it then.
> I love it and drink it mainly as a filtered cup using the Clever Dripper but it is certainly different (in a good way) as espresso!
> 
> I'm on a different bean at the moment but when I go back on to it I will cut the dose down a bit as it powers itself through the milk very strongly.


On the dose: The reason for a lower dose is because they seem quite dense beans, so my fingertips on the tamper and the rim of the basket senses the dose is too high. (Bloody hell MediumRoastSteam, get a life! )

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Jason11 (Oct 25, 2019)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> On the dose: The reason for a lower dose is because they seem quite dense beans, so my fingertips on the tamper and the rim of the basket senses the dose is too high. (Bloody hell MediumRoastSteam, get a life! )
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


For me it wasn't so much the height of the grind in the basket but the fact that @18g of coffee was cutting through the milk a bit too much which made it quite powerful in the standard cup I use for my latte. So I either need a bigger cup or go to 15/16g possibly which may mean using a smaller basket.

Mind you I've seen the bucket you use for your latte  just kidding my cups are probably similar size


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Is it only me but... As those beans age, the Booziness and Bananas fade away? (about 2 weeks old now). Or is it only my tastebuds getting used to it? 🤔 - If it's my tastebuds, then having two coffees on the go might become more appealing... 🙂


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## Potato_Junkie (Jan 7, 2019)

Hi! Just opened a kilo of this today. Anyone find a disparity in the colour of the beans?

I'm really liking naturals but I have limited experience brewing with them - never noticed this before, wondered if it was the norm?

I'll try and add a pic


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Just been looking to place another order of these. And they're gone.... Damnit


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## Jason11 (Oct 25, 2019)

dutchy101 said:


> Just been looking to place another order of these. And they're gone.... Damnit


I've struck lucky then as had another kg delivered towards the end of last week!


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## tambu (Sep 7, 2015)

I grabbed a bag of this a week or two ago based on the "experimental beans" thread and just opened it today. It's really nice; I like a funky coffee but it's not just funky - it's got decent fruit as well. Really smells like bubblegum and tinned strawberries when you open the bag and grind, then in the cup (60g/L v60) there's a lot of those foamy banana sweets on top. Very interesting. Not a morning brew though, I need something a little bit less funky in the mornings!


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

dutchy101 said:


> Just been looking to place another order of these. And they're gone.... Damnit


 Bleh. I've been mulling over this one recently. Held off cause I've got a cupboard full but it just sounded so funky!

Doesn't @coffeechapwork at Rave? Do we have an inside track on whether they may be getting some more in CC??


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I really enjoyed this bean too. If it does come back I'll order another kilo.

I don't think Coffee chap technically works at Rave, he certainly knows Rob et al, but might not necessarily know the ins and outs of stock levels. It's@ShortShots you need to ask if you (like quite a few of us) want an encore of these crazy yellow b*******s!


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

I wonder if this is forms the boozy component of their Christmas Blend 12:

https://ravecoffee.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/christmas-blend-no-12?variant=36995876782248

*
Christmas Blend No 12
*

The three coffees in this year's blend each have been part of the Rave coffee offer throughout the year in their own right. Together they bring sweetness, warming spice, candied fruit flavour, notes of rich cocoa and a hint of booze - what could be more festive? For this year, more than ever, we wanted to support existing suppliers and produce a coffee that would bring some much needed cheer to as many coffee farmers and coffee drinkers as possible!


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

hotmetal said:


> I really enjoyed this bean too. If it does come back I'll order another kilo.
> 
> I don't think Coffee chap technically works at Rave, he certainly knows Rob et al, but might not necessarily know the ins and outs of stock levels. It's@ShortShots you need to ask if you (like quite a few of us) want an encore of these crazy yellow b*******s!


 Ah right, thanks for that. I read something about CC and Rob somewhere on here, then when I was looking at that cool Library bus thread and thought it was the same bloke on here: https://ravecoffee.co.uk/pages/meet-the-team

But may well be putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5!

Fingers crossed they'll get some more in anyway, I don't know who shortshots is but hopefully we'll get a heads up! 👍


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Shortshots is Brooke, who works at rave. He's on here for himself rather than as a rave rep but he's a top fella and may, er, spill the beans as it were.

That said, I've just looked at the link. No Brooke, but that deffo looks like CC...


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## noisyshaun (Feb 6, 2017)

I still pine for this coffee. I've never found anything remotely close since. It's the nicest and most unique bean I've ever had.

Has anyone in this tread found anything similar?


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## -Mac (Aug 22, 2019)

noisyshaun said:


> I still pine for this coffee. I've never found anything remotely close since. It's the nicest and most unique bean I've ever had.
> 
> Has anyone in this tread found anything similar?


 When I was in there about a month after the Monteverde ran out, I picked up another Colombian which I found quite similar (though not as punchy). Unfortunately, I lost the name card. Might be worth calling them and asking?


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## winterlight (Feb 27, 2016)

I was hoping this thread had new replies as the beans were available again. Still pining for these as well!


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

I've still got 2kg of greens to roast 😁 these have been my all time favourite so far.


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Talk about kicking us when we are down


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

dutchy101 said:


> Talk about kicking us when we are down


 Hopefully they'll get some more in this year.


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## Coffee by the Casuals (Sep 15, 2020)

The new Rocko Mountain??


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

They just about pip the Rocko Mountain I had from Foundry a while back, although they don't seem to have greens for sale on the website anymore.


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## ShortShots (Oct 2, 2013)

Just to clarify, those beans were a very limited lot from Newerly gutierrez, he mainly sells to a certain green importer. He is known year in year out to produce some of the most outlandish ferments, some of which are just acetic they're so fermented, but he has some real bangers. They are ultimately very marmite, you love it or hate it!

Also, I no longer work at Rave just to be clear


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