# Light or Medium roasts taste like manure to me...?



## LukeC (Jan 9, 2021)

I don't really know where i'm going with this post, or what I hope to achieve, but... Does anyone else find that certain coffees just taste heavily of manure? I'm a country kid by birth, so I know well what a bit of farm animal poo smells like, but I feel like i'm losing it slightly as whenever I try higher cup score coffees or seemingly anything with floral tasting notes they (literally) taste like poo to me.

I'm on one now (won't name names, as I don't want to reflect badly on anyone) But I can assure you they're a well known and highly regarded roaster. It's a natural Ethiopian, cup score of nearly 90. I would genuinely give it tasting notes of apples and cow poo, and i've brewed it in multiple methods and at every logical grind setting. The priciest bag of coffee i've so far bought was another natural (I think also African but not %100 sure) which was a very high cup score, and to me tasted of raspberries and poo. Am I losing my mind or does anyone else get this?

At this point I think the problem may be in my palate because I never actually get any of the tasting notes on the bag; I get tasty coffee (IMO) and I feel confident that i'm achieving proper brews with Clever Drippers, AeroPress and sometimes V60 (currently using the 1Zpresso JX Pro, previously Wilfa Svart) but I wouldn't say I've ever experienced the tasting notes on any bag of coffee.

Does anyone else have similar experiences? Is my palate broken? Am I just slowly going insane...


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

its not that special bean that comes out of an animals backside is it?


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I don't know if manure is on the coffee tasting wheel and I am not sure what it would taste like. Have you actually gone onto any medication, or changed medication since finding these odd flavour notes? specifically ACE inihibitors, but there are some other meds that affect taste.


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## grumble (Mar 16, 2020)

This is interesting - my mum's partner is on medication for a heart condition (not sure what it is exactly) and he can't get along with some of the funky natural lighter roasts.

I have read other people talking about 'farmyard' type tastes with very light roasts and I think I know what they are talking about but I don't get it in an unpleasant way.


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

the recent lsol bean had a ' marmite' tasting note


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

grumble said:


> This is interesting - my mum's partner is on medication for a heart condition (not sure what it is exactly) and he can't get along with some of the funky natural lighter roasts.


 Quite a few meds affect taste, statins (apparently), ACE Inhibitors, Calcium Channel Blockers (amlodipine verapamil etc..)...usually the effect is salty or metallic. I suspect it's to do with the actual side effect on the taste buds and the way in which the transport across membranes occurs as they all seem to have an effect n these types of mechanisms.

It's worth making the point that although alternatives that do not affect taste may seemingly exist, the GP or consultant will normally have a very good reason for choosing a particular medication!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Cuprajake said:


> the recent lsol bean had a ' marmite' tasting note


 Umami?


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Without any specific medication being the cause, I know people who don't like naturals for the very reason you seem to be stating. Though, they do like like light & medium roasted washed coffees. So my guess it is more related to process.

My work colleague would say, "It's a cow pat coffee this morning!". Even when I thought it was a very clean natural (they always drank the coffee & refused an alternative, but they were very aware of the note). My dad also often describes naturals as "dirty". Neither would be aware of the process prior to drinking. I've found that whilst I can taste these things, I'm not as sensitive as some others.

I very much enjoyed some Colombian light roasts recently, but I could detect a bit of farmyard/cowshed in there. Not enough to spoil it for me, like say an unpasteurised Brie de Meaux (which I have learned to love)? I'd maybe call it complexity, whilst accepting I'd probably have hated it in my teens & 20's.

So maybe stay away from naturals, honey process, Costa Ricans, Hondurans, Ethiopians & Brazils.

You're right, no roaster has ever written these notes on the bag in my experience. Seems only fair to give folks a heads up.

Lastly, Clever & Aeropress are very tricky to troubleshoot & very likely to under-extract (for quick brews I actually aim to greatly under-extract, where I get better results than a little under-extracted), under-extraction can leave you with overriding 'process' notes, whilst the bean is not contributing it's fair share of solubles to the overall taste.


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## LukeC (Jan 9, 2021)

Wow, thanks for all of the replies!

Coincidentally I do have a heart condition but I'm not on any meds for it so wouldn't be that; I am however struggling with sinus issues having developed Hayfever suddenly a few years ago and now I seem to be mildly allergic to something year round. As a result I'm taking over the counter antihistamines and using a nasal spray, maybe it's a sinus/sinus medication issue? Although it is very much only certain coffees.

I suspect it's the natural process that I don't enjoy maybe I'll try avoiding these and see how I go.

Thanks everyone for the input!


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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

DavecUK said:


> Umami?












Sorry had too


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

While "poo" might be overstating it - I do get where you are coming from.

For me naturals can sometimes stray from "funky/boozy" (nice) to "odd" (less nice but OK) through to "weird" or even "rotten" or worse (Sh!ty/poo??)

There were a bunch of "Anaerobic" and other processes for a while where I found this even more pronounced - and I still get a bit turned off if I see it.

Mainly i see "Naturals" as likely to have a "nice" edge (call it funky or whatever)
But I tend to avoid "Anaerobic" as they more tend towards "odd" and beyond.
(although I have had some that were very nice).

However: I do think that I can be prejudiced in that I am sure some LSOLs have been Anaerobic... but as I haven't know until after I have drunk it I have enjoyed them...
but when I have known prior to drinking... I "notice" the bad bits more!

On the KISS principal - if you identify a common route that you don't like stop buying it.
Be that "light roast", "Natural", "Anaerobic" or whatever.
And if you do like it go for it
Be that "Illy", "Lavazza" or "City roast"


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Drewster said:


> Be that "Illy", "Lavazza" or "City roast"


 Lavazza......


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## LukeC (Jan 9, 2021)

Well I've signed up for the LSOL this month so we'll see how it goes 😂 worst case scenario I'll make flat whites to mask the taste a bit!


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## Wha burst the ba (Jun 20, 2020)

I think I've just about hit my toe in the water!!! I like a thick heavy mouth feel sweet coffee! I used to think I had to go dark roast but am going lighter. I find sour a problem to get rid of! Been trying cortado style with aeropress snd much less, in fact no sour, but that's the milk. 
I tend to go for washed process although the present one is the black cat anaerobic one and it's fighting me a bit!! At £19 a kilo I'm fighting back


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

I find the whole smell thing fascinating. Real cider always smells farmy to me- but not hubby, but despite the smell I like the taste- I had no idea coffee did the same to some noses! (But then hubby can't smell anything other than "coffee" And refuses to drink it anyway!)


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## Morningfuel (May 19, 2016)

I've had very light roasts taste vegetal before, grassy. I don't believe it was under extracted in cafetiere and wonder whether it needed more time in the roaster...


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Morningfuel said:


> I've had very light roasts taste vegetal before, grassy. I don't believe it was under extracted in cafetiere and wonder whether it needed more time in the roaster...


 It's easy to under-extract in a cafetiere, but even if an undeveloped roast extracts normally (many do), they still won't taste great, nor develop potential sweetness.


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

My taste buds are not great. However, my family's are better. They don't like the agricultural flavours of lighter roasts. My main problem with them is I can barely taste them in flat whites or capos. I think the real message here is stick with what you like but experiment to make sure you're not missing out.


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## Stu Beck (May 31, 2020)

One man's funk is another man's 💩

I love a pungent fruit bomb natural process, they just excite me more often than a typical washed bean I think. I tend to find them more funky in milk based drinks, but I quite enjoy that musky twang as well 🤪


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## Catlady101 (Sep 26, 2020)

LukeC said:


> over the counter antihistamines and using a nasal spray,


 could be that is affecting your perceptions of hte coffee - a lot of "taste" is in the smell really.

Also - could be the type of water you are using/

Also - could just be that naturally processed coffee is not for you.

I have something called Hyperosmia - have had it since my first pregnancy and never went away - I have some things I use to manage it to keep it at a dull roar but essentially it means I smell things more than usual - and therefore I taste things more than usual, and no - this is not a super power it is in fact really annoying and occasionally really unpleasant (think a dog poops down the road - I am the first to know!)

There are a few things you can test from your list - with or without your antihistamines, with or without nasal spray, with the same or different water - but the easiest I would imagine would simply be to do as usual and try a similar scored, similar roasted, similar grind, similar brew method - but washed coffee and see if you still pick up on the nitrate methane mix that spells cow pat ( I too am used to farms so know the exact smell - very different to a pig farm - holy heavens that is a smell to melt your eyeballs - ammonia and urea super concentrate🤭😁)


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## LukeC (Jan 9, 2021)

I do go through normal periods where I won't take the antihistaminesbor nasal spray for 36 hours or so regularly and don't notice a difference, but maybe I'll try a week detox and see if it makes a difference.

I honestly think my taste buds may just be different and sensitive to a natural process; I usually don't pay much attention to the process but choose based on region and roast profile. I'll experiment by using process to choose instead!

That being said I still never get the tasting notes from coffees I enjoy... I'm on the El Salvador from Black Cat today and my V60 this morning was balanced and delicious, but I didn't get any of the tasting notes. I don't mind as I definitely enjoyed the cup, it just makes me wonder what's wrong with my taste 😂


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## KTD (Dec 28, 2017)

I too am allergic to something am blocked up year round, lost my sense of smell a year ago(not covid) hasn't come back at all. Can taste fine though but there are times certain coffees don't work for me when I know I've found them fine before.

Try oxymetazoline for a few hours of clear airways it's a godsend. Been waiting 9 months for an ent appointment and still just on the waiting list.


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