# Rob's current beans and whether they're worth it (Edition 1)



## robashton (May 9, 2015)

I have a pile of beans that I've had over the last two weeks, I have cupped and I have filtered and I have espresso'd. *are they worth it* in case anybody is interested in picking any of these up in the future.

*The Great*

Has Bean - Pulped Natural Pacamara (Nicaragua) - what is there to say about this? It explodes, EXPLODES with thick banaanananana goodness. Cupped amazingly, aeropresses like a charm - haven't braved it as an espresso yet, that's tomorrow's job - but it's so good elsewhere that it's already an insta-classic

Has Bean - Patio dried Caturra (Costa Rica) - I'm not sure what I was expecting with this, just another caturra right? Naaaah - lots of fruit popping out, intense sweetness, as an espresso it was thick and felt like drinking a hug.

Foundry - Rocko Mountain - We've all had this, super light, super fruity but yet surprisingly developed. Strawberries - in milk its like drinking an actual milkshake, down in one all too easy. It's impossible to make a bad cuppa with it. Get fatigued after 2-3 cups though because it's "too much"; Rocko mountain was one of my favourite coffees over xmas and it's good to see it still floating around.

Random sample from Papercup: It was an ethiopian, no providence given - tasted like a yirgacheffe, smelt like a yirgacheffe, was probably a yirgacheffe - it looked like a natural, I'd make a guess it's another heirloom (I'll ask next time I'm in). If Papercup release an ethiopian in the next few weeks I'll be snapping it right up because this was amazing. It sang of bananas and sweetness. It was very well developed too like most of their coffees and yet I loved it.

*The Good*

Has Bean - Washed Caturra (Nicaragua) - I liked this for a time and I've had a few good espressos made with it. (some by me, some by shops), as an aeropress it does indeed have that green apple flavour, but I've fallen out of love with it this week - it cupped really badly and tastes dull compared to everything else I've got on my shelf.

Has Bean - Brazilian CoE - a natural (uh.. Brazil) I managed *one* good cup of this in the aeropress where it blew my mind and I thought I was drinking a washed ethiopian, and then it disappeared and the rest of the 500g tasted "stressed" even with the exact same recipe. A few good espressos made with it too, bold and fruity, very clean - but not my favourite.

Has Bean - Washed Pacamara (Nicaragua): I'm uncovering a preference towards naturals and their ilk so perhaps I'm biased, but this feels sterile compared to its pulped natural counterpart, some of the fruit remains and I suspect it'd make a tasty pourover (not my kinda thing), too subtle for me - might work as an espresso, we'll find out.

*The ... less than good*

[Not mentioning any names, all local roasters, all tasting "roasty" no matter what I do to them, all with tasting nuts of "nuts" or "toffee", sod that for a game of soldiers.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Will be trying some of this http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/nicaragua-limoncillo-pn-caturra next order, see if I've just become really biased against washed coffees


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## Jez H (Apr 4, 2015)

Red or yellow pacamara Rob? Need to place an order & this sounds right up my street!



robashton said:


> I have a pile of beans that I've had over the last two weeks, I have cupped and I have filtered and I have espresso'd. *are they worth it* in case anybody is interested in picking any of these up in the future.
> 
> *The Great*
> 
> ...


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## radish (Nov 20, 2011)

If you like naturals, you should check out Square Mile's Adado (http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/products/adado).


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Jez H said:


> Red or yellow pacamara Rob? Need to place an order & this sounds right up my street!


Oops, sorry - yes, the yellow stuff. I've not tried the funky yet - I suspect that might do me in.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

radish said:


> If you like naturals, you should check out Square Mile's Adado (http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/products/adado).


I've been told to give Square Mile another shot (I got Square Mile fatigue when I was living in and out of London) so when I get back from next week's jaunt to poland I'll make this a priority - ta!


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Had a couple of these so thought I'd give my 2 pennies worth



robashton said:


> 1. Has Bean - Pulped Natural Pacamara (Nicaragua) - what is there to say about this? It explodes, EXPLODES with thick banaanananana goodness. Cupped amazingly, aeropresses like a charm - haven't braved it as an espresso yet, that's tomorrow's job - but it's so good elsewhere that it's already an insta-class
> 
> 2. Has Bean - Brazilian CoE - a natural (uh.. Brazil) I managed *one* good cup of this in the aeropress where it blew my mind and I thought I was drinking a washed ethiopian, and then it disappeared and the rest of the 500g tasted "stressed" even with the exact same recipe. A few good espressos made with it too, bold and fruity, very clean - but not my favourite. *- *
> 
> .


*1.plus one on this , delicious so far as chemex and v60 .. Banana bread madness Flattie . Spro - thick mouthfeel , lush lemon and banana again *



*
2.**first shot of this i was dissappointed in but hitting it proper now .. Lovely apricot , solero like fruit balance to it , didn't get the booze though ( espresso ) - In milk , again , nice clean , sweet yellow fruits , but retaining enough acidity to punch through the milk . Nom *


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback

Surprising as washed coffees tend to cup very well, scoring higher than natural counterparts.

Guess it depends if your cupping to find preference (subjective/emotion) , or cupping to a score sheet (objective/rational)

G


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

garydyke1 said:


> Thanks for the feedback
> 
> Surprising as washed coffees tend to cup very well, scoring higher than natural counterparts.
> 
> ...


Entitrely subjective and emotional over here - it's probably a damn fine coffee still (I really have enjoyed it and recently too), but against all these fruity naturals when I have a preference for them already its really hard to drop back to it.

i will be giving it another shot, I doubt I can drink naturals continually without getting fatigued


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

OOOOOOOOH that pulped yellow pacamara as an espresso ahahahahahahahahahhahahaa.

It's a hot day and also it's a Pacamara so right down to '1' on the EK to see what I can do with whatever I've got

18g -> 50g over 27s and it's just a cup of sweetness. That is all. My friend and I were very happy indeed with this cup.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Update on that caturra - it's 8 days old now and my colleague and agree that it is on form now as an expresso (pulling as much as we can out of it and leaving a bit of fruit (so 18/42 over 35))

it is *sweet*

i guess the trick is to try and identify that sweetness at the cupping stage - against the pacamara this was quite hard to do.

query on resting time then: the foundry stuff tastes dull after 7 days but this caturra has just come into its own, is this normal for coffee? It's just fickle and a wind up merchant to boot?


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Or perhaps I just need to adjust my recipe when it's slightly younger, pull more, pull tighter


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

robashton said:


> i guess the trick is to try and identify that sweetness at the cupping stage - against the pacamara this was quite hard to do.


If the sweetness isn't forthcoming in your initial cupping, maybe try again, finer & longer, maybe at a lower brew ratio, depending on what your normal protocol is.


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## robashton (May 9, 2015)

Okay - worth bearing in mind - thanks


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