2026-08-31 to 2026-09-06

Week of 2026-08-31

0 daily files

Summary

seylance2897

On Kamavindi Gesha, said the material came from Nuguo in Panama and is T2722, but cautioned that the field is not genetically uniform: there appears to be plenty of 100% Panama Gesha alongside shorter trees that may be related to Catuai, which he said is common when farms propagate from seed.
Emphasized that Kamavindi Gesha remains a work in progress. He finds the Kenyan-grown material unusually distinctive and has tasted individual cups that rival top Panama Geshas, but said SEY has not yet achieved sufficiently accurate separations; more plant-by-plant separation is planned this year.
His assessment of the current Kamavindi lot was conflicted but positive: a very green, unusually intense high-oolong profile, nearly ideal structure, no nuttiness or density problems, and a score of 89 - but explicitly "not what I want Gesha to taste like."
On Gerald's experimental coffees, reported that the first lot to arrive "was not very good." Two further mid-harvest experiments were still coming: one honey process and one extended cold-fermentation lot. He framed mid-harvest, when both quality and volume tend to dip, as a useful window for experimentation.
Comparing two harvests of another coffee, said the newer harvest was substantially more elegant and floral, with fermentation much better controlled, but less large, extroverted, and dynamic than the first. He viewed the two as complementary expressions within the same season rather than a clear winner.
On Ecuadorian varieties, expressed strong skepticism about producers' ability to cleanly separate Mejorado from Sidra. He believes producers are acting in good faith, but said he sometimes tastes a labeled Mejorado and would "put money" on it being Sidra, and vice versa.
Gave a detailed QC disclosure on the second harvest from Tres Cedros / Albino and Saulo: the coffee initially cupped stunningly on arrival, but production QC later found scattered age/wood character across the lot. He personally found varying degrees of age/wood in 3 of 20 cups and said the problem was not confined to particular bags.
Took responsibility for the Tres Cedros problem rather than blaming the producers, saying Albino and Saulo had produced another exceptional coffee. He stressed that tiny micro-lots can pick up variation at origin, in transit, or later, and encouraged customers with problematic bags to contact support so SEY can troubleshoot, replace them, and sometimes inspect returned coffee.
Was categorical about woody defects in high-quality specialty coffee: in his experience, wood, paper, and cardboard indicate age, not an intrinsic fresh-green flavor. He allowed that lower-quality Robusta might be different but said he has little experience there.
On roast-color measurement, said SEY uses a DiFluid Omni Nautilus with SSP Brew burrs and grinds at "chip"; Ethiopian coffees typically read roughly 138-142 in their setup, while another person's preparation may read closer to 155. He stressed that readings depend heavily on grind size and sample preparation and that international calibration of color measurement is still unresolved.

lancehedrick

Defended roast-color readings as useful data rather than doctrine. His complaint was not that color should determine roasting, but that online discussion often caricatures roasters as blindly targeting a number such as 139 regardless of heat application, time, or taste.
Said the competent roasters he knows - including SEY, Scenery, Prodigal, and others - use color for tracking and QC rather than as an absolute endpoint. He was surprised to learn that some roasters apparently do rely on it more dogmatically, and argued that those examples have helped create an excessive anti-color backlash.
Reported doing 8-10 hours of measurement testing across dozens of coffees, taking five readings each on Lighttells and DiFluid devices. He found Lighttells could vary by roughly 2 unless coffee was ground nearly to Turkish fineness; even then, single readings still had enough error that replication mattered.
His recommended measurement practice was three readings at the finest practical grinder setting, averaged together. A single reading of 138 that might become 142 on repeat is, in his view, too noisy to be useful for roast tracking.
Broadened the issue into criticism of an "anti-data" cohort among coffee enthusiasts who dismiss color readings, roast curves, temperatures, and similar measurements as irrelevant. He argued that using data and being taste-driven are not mutually exclusive.
Said data is especially valuable for a roaster managing something like 40 coffees per month: historical measurements give a rational starting point and make replication possible rather than forcing every roast to begin from zero.
Described roast data as "training wheels" or tools: first learn to reproduce curves and hit controlled targets so you understand how roasting behaves, then use sensory feedback and trial-and-error to deviate intelligently. His summary position was still "rely on taste."
On brewing, said a recipe under discussion was essentially identical to his "01" recipe. He generally prefers two or three pours, never more than three: always three with an Orea, while V60 is roughly a 50/50 choice between two and three depending on coffee and brewer.
On brewing temperature, said he no longer commonly uses boiling water; his current range is roughly 80-92C. The last notable use of boiling water he remembered was for a video based on advice from people who had first identified a particular extraction issue.
On storage, advised against transferring coffee out of its original bag even into another non-transparent container. His view was that any transfer is detrimental; keeping the coffee in the original bag, and even doubling protection around it, is preferable.

opp4004

Initially identified Kamavindi's Gesha as coming from Nuguo in Panama and guessed it was closer to T2722 than G1931, while noting that this "Kama Gesha" may have a more complicated backstory. He also suggested JARC cooperation could potentially clarify genetics and noted that farms besides GV grow G1931.
For filter brewing, recommended making aggressive temperature reductions when a coffee is not behaving. His recipes are tuned around SEY and Big Sur coffees, and he finds other coffees often require much larger changes in temperature or grind size to become stable.
Said he now uses only the Orb. His simple Orb recipe was around grind setting 1.2.5-1.3.5 with two pours; he first misstated the volumes as 240/200, then corrected them to 200/180.
Praised Octavio Rueda's "End of Season" coffee as exceptionally clean and perhaps equal to or better than David Berrio, describing blueberry, passion fruit, black tea, and tropical-fruit character.
Offered a nuanced dissent on the Albino/Tres Cedros woodiness discussion. He suspected moisture loss or age, but did not see the woody note as wholly negative because it interacted with florals, whiskey-like oak, vanilla, Ethiopian mocha-like aromatics, sharp acidity, and lavender. He said this kind of age-related woodiness can sometimes fade with time.
Continued that Albino had enough layered aromatics that some drinkers might find it mesmerizing or perceive the woodiness differently. For him, the resemblance to certain mocha-toned Ethiopian coffees made the cup enjoyable despite the defect.
During a SEY tasting session, described Arley Arboleda's Chiroso as lemongrass, dense peach, berries, and white currant; then Hermilda Zapata Vargas's El Rosal Chiroso as more Kenyan-like than typical Chiroso, with lemongrass, gooseberry, white wine, pine-needle freshness, concentrated lemonade, and musk. He felt overall Chiroso quality from Urrao has been improving.
Treated Demeka Becha as a personal benchmark for Ethiopian coffee and named Mate Matiwos among a small group of Sidama producers - including Basha, Yututie, Aklilu, and Belayneh - whose coffees he almost automatically buys. He has become particularly interested in their honey processes, saying Basha's honey was the cleanest of several versions he tried.
Described Alo in highly enthusiastic terms: oolong tea, dried apple, berries, lychee, subtle florals, and musk, combining elegance with unusual force. He compared it favorably to Dwight's Red Gesha and likened the experience to watching modern dance.
Across Gringo Nordic coffees, showed both admiration and criticism. He called Gringo his likely fallback roaster if SEY disappeared and praised its African sourcing, but found Nemba from Burundi overwhelmingly citrus-sour, a 300-hour anaerobic natural from Ngoma surprisingly clean and enjoyable after an initially alarming fermented aroma, and Kii AA recognizably Kenyan but more developed and less well separated than he expected from older Gringo subscriptions.
On Kenyan coffees specifically, preferred an Eaagads Estate lot without Ruiru 11 over one containing it: the non-Ruiru lot tasted more directly "classic Kenyan," while the Ruiru 11 version was more tea-like. His AB cup showed candied rhubarb, berries, oolong, tropical fruit, and a sparkling finish.
Tasting Kama Gesha on September 6, found eucalyptus, bergamot, jasmine, Chinese green tea, tropical fruit, and cocoa. Blind, he said he might have guessed a lower-altitude Ecuadorian Sidra or a Nicaraguan Gesha rather than a conventional Kenyan Gesha.

dougssg

Had relatively few substantive messages this week; most were event and cafe updates rather than coffee analysis.
Announced that "DougHype" would return and previewed a Soledad Sidra Natural selected for espresso milk drinks at the Motors event.
Said Franz of Lost Origin and another guest would attend the Motors event, with an additional announcement still forthcoming.
Clarified that the Soledad Sidra Natural was intended for the bar rather than general in-cafe availability.
On September 5, teased an upcoming Friday cupping with Franz of Lost Origin and said RSVP information would be released soon.
Invited community members visiting the cafe to ask for him if he was around, noting that he is usually working in the back but can be fetched.
Reacted enthusiastically to opp4004's all-Kenya tasting day, saying he wished every day were Kenyan coffee day.

naomi (car7iern)

Had only a handful of messages this week, so there is less material to summarize than for the other users.
Asked whether a drying setup under discussion represented optimal drying, but the captured text does not provide enough surrounding context to identify the exact coffee or method.
Flagged "important QC" happening during a September 4 cupping, apparently involving two other participants, without further details on the coffees or results.
Mentioned discussing an "apple orchard-ing" idea and joked that having Dave Arnold participate would improve it; she connected this to Bar Contra sometimes using SEY coffee in cocktails.
Explained that the cafe had been considering a return to La Marzocco once it decided to change its espresso program, largely because the machines are more user-friendly for changing recipes and pressure and for general maintenance.
Said the current La Marzocco had likely been in place since roughly December or January, around the time the espresso program changed.
Commented positively on a recent change in pouring vessels or service ware, saying the new ones pour much better than the old ones.
Regarding an older prototype machine, said she was not even sure it had been sold and that it might still be next door; its internal mechanics were unusually configured because it was a prototype.
Expressed strong relief at now having a Linea on bar, implying that the prototype or previous machine was substantially less convenient in daily use.

Cross-thread takeaways

Kamavindi Gesha was the week's clearest origin thread: opp4004 identified Nuguo/T2722 as the likely background, while seylance2897 confirmed Nuguo and T2722 but stressed genetic messiness in the field. Both the genetics and the cup profile remain unresolved enough that more plant-level separation is planned.
The Kamavindi tasting itself reinforces that ambiguity: seylance2897 found a high-oolong, structurally excellent 89-point coffee that did not taste like his ideal Gesha, while opp4004 later found eucalyptus, bergamot, jasmine, green tea, tropical fruit, and cocoa and said he might have mistaken it blind for Ecuadorian Sidra or Nicaraguan Gesha.
QC and aging became a substantive point of comparison around the second Tres Cedros / Albino lot. SEY acknowledged real scattered age/wood defects and accepted responsibility; opp4004 agreed age or moisture loss was plausible but argued that the resulting woodiness could still integrate attractively with the coffee's other aromatics rather than simply ruining the cup.
That exchange also exposed a sharper technical disagreement: seylance2897 treats wood, paper, and cardboard in high-quality specialty coffee as diagnostic of age, whereas opp4004's sensory account suggests the perceptual effect of that age can sometimes be complex or even enjoyable.
The roast-data discussion converged on a "measurement plus taste" position. seylance2897 emphasized that roast-color numbers are highly preparation-dependent and not yet internationally standardized; lancehedrick supplied repeatability data showing why multiple finely ground readings are necessary and rejected both blind number-chasing and wholesale anti-data attitudes.
Brewing advice this week skewed toward active adjustment rather than fixed recipes: opp4004 advocated substantial temperature or grind changes when coffees differ from SEY/Big Sur behavior, while lancehedrick reported working mostly in the 80-92C range and generally limiting pour structures to two or three pours.
Several tasting notes pointed to tea-like character as a recurring descriptor across very different coffees: Kamavindi Gesha, Alo, Eaagads with Ruiru 11, Gringo's Burundi Nemba, and Luis Salas all drew oolong, green-tea, white-tea, or Darjeeling comparisons.
Equipment discussion likewise emphasized repeatability and usability over novelty: lancehedrick focused on repeatable color measurement, opp4004 favored the Orb for stability, and naomi described SEY's move back toward a La Marzocco Linea as a practical improvement for recipe changes, pressure control, pouring workflow, and maintenance.

Full weekly Markdown preview

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2026-08-31 to 2026-09-06

seylance2897

2026-08-31

5:23 PM #origins-and-producers: Hey! the gesha planted at Kamavindi is from Nuguo. However, we're still working through the possible hybrids. there is definitely a lot of 100% panama gesha however there are some smaller stature trees that I assume are more related to catuai. This is pretty common though when taking seed from farms.
5:26 PM #origins-and-producers: They are 2722
5:26 PM #origins-and-producers: sorry, moved to boston this weekend... busy days
5:28 PM #origins-and-producers: The Gesha on Kamavindi is still very much a work in progress. pretty cool and very unique profiles, especially from Kenya, but we're still working pretty hard better more accurate separations.
7:41 PM #origins-and-producers: ha no, my partner teaches here... this will be my third winter in boston. I spend every other week here and every other week in new york
7:41 PM #origins-and-producers: if anyone is in boston and wants to taste coffees together, hit me up

2026-09-01

12:05 AM #origins-and-producers: anytime! ha that I'm not in new york 😂
6:14 PM #origins-and-producers: theres actually a chance I'm in ATL in the next few weeks.. small chance but a chance ha... depends on my dates for Kenya

2026-09-02

3:24 PM #origins-and-producers: hah yo, so so true. it is an absolute nightmare
3:29 PM #what-are-you-brewing: This is pretty similar to my experience of this coffee. Significantly more elegant than the first harvest, certainly not as big/out/dynamic... But the fermentation is more in control, and the florality is significantly more pronounced. for me and impossible choice if I had to chose one over the other, but luckily I don't ha. Certainly find them to be very cool counter parts to each other within a single season/vintage
4:01 PM #origins-and-producers: We could meet up at Imagine sometime! I'm in New York for the next three weeks or so. But, we should find a time to meet up in October
4:54 PM #origins-and-producers: ha oh! hey!
4:54 PM #origins-and-producers: yeah lets definitely meet up!
9:47 PM #origins-and-producers: the first lot arrived and it was not very good haha
9:48 PM #origins-and-producers: Gerald has 1 more honey experiment and 1 extended cold fermentation experiment that he is sending this week! All these experiments are made from the mid-harvest, when quality and volumes are usually down, so good cherries to do fun experiments with!

2026-09-03

3:47 PM #origins-and-producers: nope, just 2 more experiments from Gerald are coming
4:14 PM #1513307859658477568: Yo! we're using a Difluid Omni nautilus with ssp brew burrs and we grind at chip. Our Ethiopians range from 138 to like 142. BUT this is largely dependent on grind size as well as sample prep. For example, the coffees, i believe are closer to like 155 for <@839279408057024512>

This is also very much an ongoing conversation we're having internationally with people really trying to figure out how to calibrate color and its all very much still a work in progress.
4:14 PM #1513307859658477568: This I agree with... But, I'm working with people who are trying to see if they can figure this out.. we'll see where it goes ha
4:49 PM #what-are-you-brewing: I loveeeee the coffees from that project in Saraguro
5:07 PM #what-are-you-brewing: hahah yo, I'm hella skeptical of the actual separations. I believe the producers are doing their absolute best.. but they all have Mejorado and Sidra.. and sometimes I'm tasting the mejorados and am like 'i'd put money on this actually being Sidra, and vice versa'.. but we'll get there. And maybe I'm wrong! ha
5:09 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Also, its been a very, very busy few weeks for me so I'm trying to catch up a little here...
5:11 PM #what-are-you-brewing: I've seen some chatter about the 2nd harvest from Tres Cedros! Just for full transparency on our QC side of that coffee, as well as for Albino and Saulo's own reputations!
5:14 PM #what-are-you-brewing: This coffee had a complicated journey. Transit from this region of Peru is about as tough as it gets—the farms are incredibly remote—and the logistics were a total nightmare. When it arrived at SEY, I cupped it immediately and it was stunning. As we continued QCing through production, we did notice some random variation of varying degrees of age/wood—not isolated to any single bag, just scattered throughout the lot.

That's the reality of coffee at this level with micro lots/separations this small. There's variation everywhere—origin, transit, even brew to brew of the same bag. Sometimes we catch issues on arrival. Sometimes they show up on our production QC tables. Sometimes we hear about them from you. Pinpointing exactly where something happens is often impossible, but we're always trying to find real points of failure so we can address them at the source.

Please! If you ever get a bag that doesn’t land right, hit up [email protected] and we'll troubleshoot and/or absolutely make it right. In some cases we may ask you to send the coffee back for analysis—that helps us get to the bottom of things.

Discord is a wonderful place for broader conversations around coffee, but individual QC or order issues are much easier for us to properly investigate through email support 🙏
5:17 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Over the weeks of QCing that lot, I tasted varying degrees of age/wood on 3 out of 20 cups. So, validating all of you who may have gotten a bag that showed age!
5:18 PM #what-are-you-brewing: I'm really trying to be at the motors event... theres a chance i'll be in Kenya as those dates are still up in the air... but, i'm doing my best to be there
5:19 PM #what-are-you-brewing: hahaha we'll find out! never done anything like this before
5:19 PM #what-are-you-brewing: it will certainly be something haha
5:19 PM #what-are-you-brewing: i'm stoked for it though
6:10 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Please do!
6:11 PM #what-are-you-brewing: we all grow and get better together... honestly is necessary as well as accountability. More than anything, this one was one me... Albino and Saulo did produce another exceptional coffee
6:11 PM #what-are-you-brewing: IMO there is no woody note in coffee except for age
6:13 PM #what-are-you-brewing: except potentially in like lower quality robustas... I have honestly very, very little experience cupping those coffees. But, in high grown, high quality, proper specialty coffee... in my experience wood/paper/cardboard all = age... These are not flavors found in fresh, high quality green
6:18 PM #origins-and-producers: haha
6:19 PM #origins-and-producers: honestly my opinion is two fold
6:20 PM #origins-and-producers: first, I actually really liked it, it was quite green with a very, very distinct high oolong tea profile that like popped off the table... which is unique in coffee but also very, very unique in Kenya.

Second, it is not what i want Gesha to taste like haha... So, we'll be doing a lot more plant by plant separations this year to see whats going on
6:22 PM #origins-and-producers: i still ultimately scored it 89
6:22 PM #origins-and-producers: also the structure of the coffee this year was nearly perfect IMO
6:23 PM #what-are-you-brewing: I'd be pretty interested to taste a coffee where the wood wasn't age... i've definitely never come across this before
6:24 PM #origins-and-producers: like zero nuttiness or density issues
6:26 PM #origins-and-producers: ha agreed... i'm very hopeful of what we'll discover this year... i've tasted cups of that coffee that rival the best of Panama geshas
6:26 PM #origins-and-producers: just haven't been able to actualize it yet
6:26 PM #origins-and-producers: but, its always a very cool and interesting coffee and i love that about it... super fun each year ha
6:27 PM #origins-and-producers: and once it gets sorted out we'll all be able to remember back when the kamavindi gesha tasted crazy ha
6:33 PM #origins-and-producers: sparkle baby sparkle!
6:40 PM #origins-and-producers: I love this side by side image Jose, thanks so much for sharing... its super important and a lot of people don't get to see this kind of thing
7:12 PM #what-are-you-brewing: yeah, wood/paper/cardboard... these are the signs... also should definitely be noted that there is 100% varying degrees of this ranging from slight hints of paper to full on the only thing you taste is paper
7:23 PM #cupping: yo! i've been out of the country for awhile, i'll need to check with the team

2026-09-05

7:27 PM #origins-and-producers: lets find a time. I'll be traveling for the next month or so.. but come november we should be able to find a time!

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lancehedrick

2026-09-03

4:16 PM #1513307859658477568: Are you aware of roasters with such a heavy reliance? I see a crazy amount of skepticism online and no one seems to have the nuance to understand it is a tool, not a dogma. Of all the roasters I know who use color, I have yet to know of any that go "if we hit 139, regardless of heat application and time, we are gold" lol
Curious if that is an actual problem you have seen outside of the occasional
4:26 PM #1513307859658477568: Not asking for names, btw. I just see loads of eye rolls when color is mentioned and from what I have garnered it is due to a thought that roasters use it solely. Weird thought in my vantage point because I'm unsure of any who do. I know peeps like scenery, you, us, prodigal et al use it for tracking and qc etc but not as an end all be all
4:34 PM #1513307859658477568: I did a massive data collection. Quintuple readings for dozens of coffees on lighttells and difluid. There is still error on lighttells (plus or minus 2 or so) until you get to essentially Turkish powder. Even there, taking a triplicate reading is needed unless you are cool with a plus or minus 1 or so. Triplicates gets you to a super consistent number.
It was a solid 8-10 hours of readings. Just to learn how to read better lol

Issue is when using them as tools, if you take one reading and it says 138 but it could read 142 on the next reading, that is a massive gap and can be utterly unhelpful in tracking. So, I prefer taking 3 at the finest possible setting of your grinder and taking an average for best practice
5:49 PM #1513307859658477568: They are giving it a bad name, then. Super annoying. I get a bit annoyed with the over-the-top skepticism towards color reading due to i guess the lived experience of people solely relying on it. Lameeeee
5:55 PM #1513307859658477568: Not sure i follow.. that phrase usually is pointing out hypocrisy.
5:55 PM #1513307859658477568: That is just what the origin of the phrase implies.
5:56 PM #1513307859658477568: Yes. I asked if he did. I hadnt. He said he had. I said that sucks because now I see largely people wanting to throw out all data as if any is taking away from roasting
5:57 PM #1513307859658477568: I guess I'm confused. What are you saying I'm doing with my platform? Lol
I have no idea what is going on
5:57 PM #1513307859658477568: What ideas? 🤣
5:58 PM #1513307859658477568: Wait. Where did i say that?
5:58 PM #1513307859658477568: I simply said it is a tool
5:58 PM #1513307859658477568: Never said more than that
5:59 PM #1513307859658477568: Sure. But where is does the phrase come in? Or was the Latin phrase just misused
5:59 PM #1513307859658477568: Starting with that phrase, since it historically points out hypocrisy, confused me. I am only contending color should be a tool.
6:00 PM #1513307859658477568: Not the only metric
6:01 PM #1513307859658477568: If you indeed implied i was a hypocrite, it would mean you saw me as someone pushing color as the sole metric to guide roasting
6:01 PM #1513307859658477568: I have never done that. So it made me very confused.
6:01 PM #1513307859658477568: What did you mean with the phrase lol
I'm just confused about all this.
Are you saying it is not good for me to say I think color should be viewed as a tool as opposed to the bottom line?
6:03 PM #1513307859658477568: I'm not upset. Just insanely confused. I just dont follow 🤣 i understand what janesh said. But cannot read that in what you said. It doesn't matter.
If your point is just that people will do as they want, sure.
My only point is there is a massive anti-data sentiment among enthusiasts online. Massive. And I was curious where that stemmed from. Feran said he knows people doing that. Did not know that existed. Though, I should have assumed.
6:04 PM #1513307859658477568: What message did I send? I am sorry. Not trying to cause issues. I am massively confused here lol
6:05 PM #1513307859658477568: But did I promote that?
6:05 PM #1513307859658477568: I dont think I ever said people needed color. Just that it is a tool.
6:05 PM #1513307859658477568: And can be very helpful.
6:06 PM #1513307859658477568: This is def not how i read it but if true, great. We just spoke past one another for like 8 min.
6:06 PM #1513307859658477568: 🤣🤣
6:07 PM #1513307859658477568: Depends where you are online
6:07 PM #1513307859658477568: Sometimes, roast level. Sometimes, taste notes. Sometimes, level of funk.
Etc
6:09 PM #1513307859658477568: Yes but I said this above. I didnt know specific examples of people doing that.
Feran said there were.

My issue is the growing cohort online who are super anti color readings or curves or temps or any thing data. They argue it isnt relevant to roasting (seriously)
My curiosity was where that began.
Feran confirmed there are roasters doing this.

I was simply bemoaning the fact these things cannot be discussed without eyerolls due to people amongst said growing cohort. That is all.
6:09 PM #1513307859658477568: Again, I think I'm just lost. And that is fine. 🤣
6:11 PM #1513307859658477568: Now that is the context.
6:11 PM #1513307859658477568: Thank you
6:12 PM #1513307859658477568: That would be massively wasteful if juggling 40 coffees monthly. Being able to find a starting place requires data. SEY has done this for years. It is necessary.
6:12 PM #1513307859658477568: And who said using data makes something not taste driven?
6:12 PM #1513307859658477568: That is curious tbh
6:12 PM #1513307859658477568: Sure. But I dont get why they are mutually exclusive
6:12 PM #1513307859658477568: Sounds binary
6:12 PM #1513307859658477568: Either you use data or you dont and are taste driven.
6:14 PM #1513307859658477568: Sure! I am against that. If you read me being for that earlier, was absolutely not my intention.
6:14 PM #1513307859658477568: Hence my use of the term "tools"
6:14 PM #1513307859658477568: As opposed to baseline. Something that can aide in finding starting spot and replicating. Simply tools that can or cannot be used.
6:16 PM #1513307859658477568: Bad analogy. Idk what a gtr is
6:16 PM #1513307859658477568: Lol
6:18 PM #1513307859658477568: I guess they play a round with metal sticks at a nice course
6:20 PM #1513307859658477568: I think they are training wheels, to go back to analogies. Teach someone to first replicate curves and hit numbers to understand how roasting works. Then use that trial and error with taste to make deviations. But, it is what it is. There have been far too many misunderstandings and miscommunication here to be super helpful to anyone reading lol!
Appreciate the dialog. Tldr: rely on taste. I agree. And never did not agree. Woo!
6:26 PM #1513307859658477568: Must be a fan of Lacan or Derrida or some sort of intentional obscurantist is all i can figure 🤣🤣
Just kidding. Perhaps in the future over a cup. Voice inflection goes a long way lol
9:32 PM #what-are-you-brewing: This is essentially my 01 recipe identically lol
9:36 PM #what-are-you-brewing: 2 or 3 for sure.
9:37 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Depends on the brewer and coffee. But never more than 3 for me. 3 always in orea. 2v3 in v60 is close to 50/50

2026-09-04

7:39 PM #1513307859658477568: Oh my LT goes to 180 or so
7:39 PM #1513307859658477568: And my difluid to 200

2026-09-05

6:36 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Pr9bably last time I did boiling was that video. And it was due to advice from the people who found oxo first in eaf
6:36 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Anywhere from 80-92 nowadays
6:40 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Even if non transparent, best to not transfer. Keep in original bag is best. Any transfer is negative. Double up supreme lol
6:41 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Actually posting video in like 15min on storage, freezing, etc. Lol

2026-09-06

1:46 PM #Brew-Along: andddddd we're back
2:49 PM #Brew-Along: I'm here
2:49 PM #Brew-Along: Wait
2:49 PM #Brew-Along: [attachment only]
3:03 PM #Brew-Along: andddddd we're back

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opp4004

2026-08-31

1:11 AM #origins-and-producers: As far as I remember, Kamavindi’s Gesha came from Nuguo in Panama
1:17 AM #origins-and-producers: which it’s closer to between T2722 and G1931, I’d say T2722
6:10 AM #origins-and-producers: But as far as I know, this particular “Kama Gesha” has a different story behind it, so I’m waiting to hear what Lance has to say 👀
6:15 AM #origins-and-producers: The Estate probably has nothing to do with it
11:03 AM #filter-focused: Try dropping the temperature quite aggressively! My recipes are based around SEY and Big Sur, so with other coffees, I find they’re often more stable if you’re willing to make bigger adjustments to the grind size or temperature
1:36 PM #filter-focused: Yeah, I only use the Orb now
1:38 PM #filter-focused: Uh… I just use a grind size somewhere around 1.2.5–1.3.5 and pour the water twice, 240 and 200. That’s it lol
1:48 PM #what-are-you-brewing: My friend will be staying in North City, Seattle for a while. Are there any good cafes recommend?
1:48 PM #filter-focused: Oh, I got that wrong. It’s 200 and 180 lol
4:25 PM #current-menu: <@908458585728630836> Are you with Ahnstar right now? 😂
4:29 PM #origins-and-producers: I heard it might be possible if get Jarc’s cooperation. Besides GV, there are other farms that grow G1931 as well

2026-09-01

5:41 AM #what-are-you-brewing: Octavio Rueda - End of Season. It has a really fascinating flavor profile. Blueberry and passion fruit, black tea and tropical fruit, and it’s incredibly clean. It feels like it’s on par with, or even better than, David Berrio
1:42 PM #what-are-you-brewing: I found the taste of the old CC at Big Sur…

2026-09-02

5:06 PM #what-are-you-brewing: I think I might have been one of the first people to mention the woody note in Albino… It’s actually pretty complicated. Of course, I suspect it might be because the coffee had lost some moisture, but I didn’t necessarily see the woody note as a huge negative because it was intertwined with the florals. The oak-like aroma you get from whiskey, vanilla, those mocha-like aromatics you sometimes get from Ethiopia, and the sharp acidity and lavender you can get from Catuai were all kind of “too concentrated” together. In my experience, woody notes from this kind of moisture loss / age tend to fade somewhat over time, so I’m not particularly negative about it
5:07 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Of course, from the roaster’s perspective, it must be pretty hard not to get pissed off about it lol
5:34 PM #what-are-you-brewing: With Albino, there are so many different aromas hidden in the coffee that I can totally see some people finding it mesmerizing. Some people might not even notice the woody note, or they might experience it in the exact opposite way. For me, it reminded me of some Ethiopian coffees with those mocha-like aromatics, so I actually really enjoyed it 🥂

2026-09-03

1:50 AM #equipment: [attachment only]
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1:51 AM #equipment: Orb & Timemore, perfect fit
1:59 AM #what-are-you-brewing: [attachment only]
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1:59 AM #what-are-you-brewing: Today is a “no review” kind of day… basically, I’m just working my way through all the Sey I’ve got piled up. First up is Arley Arboleda’s Chiroso. I’m getting a little lemongrass, really dense peach, plus some berries and white currant. What should I drink for the second and third coffees?
2:10 AM #what-are-you-brewing: Unfortunately I don’t have either of them… 😭
2:39 AM #equipment: Not at all. It’s very stable
2:55 AM #what-are-you-brewing: I don’t have Kama, so I’ll go with El Rosal and Alo
2:58 AM #equipment: 360 🥂
4:03 AM #what-are-you-brewing: [attachment only]
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4:03 AM #what-are-you-brewing: This is El Rosal / Hermilda Zapata Vargas. Siti came in my subscription instead of this one, so I swapped with a friend. I was a little worried I wouldn’t be very impressed, since the Chirosos I’ve had before were so excellent—especially William Ortiz, David Berrio, and JAB. But I’m starting to feel like the overall quality of the Chirosos from Urrao has been getting better, including the one I had this morning.

Anyway… this coffee is a little different from your typical Chiroso. Not dramatically different, but it has a bit of a Kenyan character to it. I’m getting lemongrass, gooseberry, and white wine, with this refreshing pine-needle-like quality and a lemon drink kind of flavor that comes in almost like a concentrated chunk of lemonade. And on the finish, I get this musk aroma
4:43 AM #current-menu: Oh s Mate?
4:43 AM #current-menu: Buy them all
4:44 AM #current-menu: Mate, Demeka
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4:45 AM #current-menu: Ha
4:49 AM #current-menu: Demeka Becha is basically the benchmark I use for what an Ethiopian coffee should be. As for Mate Matiwos… there are a handful of really special producers in Sidama—Basha, Mate, Yututie, Aklilu, Belayneh, and a few others. If I see any of their coffees, I pretty much have to buy them
4:51 AM #current-menu: I’m curious about the pb from San Adolfo too. The only coffee I’ve had from there was Wilder Lazo… Ha
4:54 AM #current-menu: And ah, honey… I’m planning to try all sorts of coffees from Basha, and the honey was the cleanest one for me. I’m really looking forward to Mate’s honey too
4:56 AM #current-menu: I used to think those producers in Sidama were particularly good at naturals, but the Badigalo natural I had this time wasn’t very clean. Maybe they’re just better at honey now
4:57 AM #current-menu: Lol, no wonder people ask me, “Do you work in coffee?” 😂
5:56 AM #what-are-you-brewing: I’m drinking Alo right now (forgot to take a photo). It feels almost like I’m drinking Dwight’s Red Gesha, except this might actually be even better… lol. I’m getting an oolong-like tea character, dried apple, berries, lychee, and subtle florals with a hint of musk. It’s incredibly elegant but still has this kind of power to it—how should I put it? It tastes like watching a modern dance performance

2026-09-04

1:56 AM #what-are-you-brewing: [attachment only]
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1:57 AM #what-are-you-brewing: It’s been a while since I last had Norway’s Gringo Nordic. I hate to even imagine it, but whenever I think, “Where would I buy coffee if SEY ever stopped roasting?” this is the first place that comes to mind. Their coffees are a bit darker than SEY, and they also sell coffees with more experimental processing, so you have to be a little more open to that side of coffee to really enjoy what they do. That said, I think they source coffees that are every bit as good as SEY’s green coffees—especially from Africa.

Anyway, the coffee I’m having this time is Nemba from Burundi. It’s incredibly…… sour. It’s like a giant ball of citrus. Really sharp citrus, almost like calamansi, a tea character that reminds me of white tea, and soft florals—but it’s just way too sour. It’s so intensely sour that it almost reminds me of a Colombian natural… so I feel like the balance is a little off 🫠
2:26 AM #what-are-you-brewing: The second coffee I had was from Ngoma in Rwanda, and the processing is kind of terrifying. “300hr anaerobic-fermented Natural”.. I normally don’t drink coffees like this, but someone asked me to review it, so I have to drink it lol. Ha… this is scary. It even smells weird while I’m brewing it.

But once I actually taste it, it’s surprisingly clean considering what I was expecting. It is an anaerobic Natural, of course, but if you can get past that initial punch, it’s actually pretty enjoyable. It starts off like a tropical fruit punch, followed by this Cognac-like heaviness—which is a bit overwhelming at first, but the more I drink it, the better it gets. I’m getting persimmon-like fruitiness, ripe strawberry, bubblegum, grapes, berries, and so on. There are actually quite a lot of really positive and delicious fruit flavors and aromas coming through
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5:50 AM #what-are-you-brewing: [attachment only]
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5:50 AM #what-are-you-brewing: It’s Luis Salas. I got this coffee as a birthday gift, and the last time I had it, it was really dominated by yellow fruit—especially banana. This time, though, it’s changed into something much more lively in both flavor and aroma. I’m getting citrus like kaffir lime, a little guava-like aroma, tea notes reminiscent of darjeeling, the aroma and flavor of golden kiwi, a touch of pineapple, and just a ton of yellow fruit that feels much lighter and more delicate than before.

Luis Salas was on a similar level to Edid Medina for me, so it’s really interesting to see how much it’s changed. I’m really looking forward to trying the new Edid Medina now, too.

2026-09-06

2:41 AM #what-are-you-brewing: Today is Kenya coffee day. What I mean is, I’m only drinking Kenyan coffees today… First up is Gringo’s Kii AA. It’s a pretty classic coffee. Buttery, rhubarb, grapefruit, berries—the really classic Kenyan profile. The separation isn’t particularly great, though. It feels like Gringo’s subscription coffees are being roasted a bit more developed than they used to be
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3:03 AM #what-are-you-brewing: The second coffee is from Eaagads Estate in Kiambu, and it’s an AB. This estate took 1st place in the Washed category at the 2026 Kenya National Taste of Harvest, and apparently it was an AA that won. I’ve actually had both coffee from the same lot and coffee from a different lot, and this time it’s the AB’s turn.

This has been a pretty interesting experience. Beyond the flavor itself, I definitely think the “Retro 1984” project they’re doing with Tim Hill has real meaning. I’m tasting coffees from here side by side from lots with and without Ruiru 11. The lot without Ruiru 11 feels a little more direct and more like a “classic Kenyan,” while the one with Ruiru 11 has more of a tea-like character. I personally prefer the one without it.

As for the flavor: candied rhubarb, berries, an oolong-like tea character, a little tropical fruit, and a sparkling quality on the finish
6:11 AM #what-are-you-brewing: The third Kenyan coffee is Kama gesha. Today I’m getting more botanical notes from it—eucalyptus, bergamot, jasmine, Chinese green tea, a little tropical fruit, and a touch of cocoa. If I had tasted this blind, I think I would’ve gone with coffees from Ecuador maybe a sidra(low altitude)—or perhaps a gesha from Nicaragua

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dougssg

2026-08-31

10:58 PM #filter-focused: Love it!

2026-09-02

9:28 PM #current-menu: DougHype will return!
9:29 PM #current-menu: A quick hype piece is we’ve added a Soledad Sidra Natural for our Motors event for them to pull espresso milk drinks with! Annddddd both Franz of Lost Origin and <@952039663680512030> will be there
9:29 PM #current-menu: With another announcement shortly coming
9:30 PM #current-menu: No in cafe only on bar
9:30 PM #current-menu: Iceland was magical!

2026-09-03

9:59 AM #current-menu: Oh just saw this haha. That photo was a few weeks back

2026-09-05

5:15 PM #current-menu: Who is coming to the Motors event? We will be officially announcing a Friday cupping with Franz of Lost Origin pretty soon, wanted to tell you guys first!

2026-09-06

12:07 AM #current-menu: We’ll drop some info on how to RSVP for it soon!
2:40 AM #current-menu: Also if any of you guys go to the cafe and I’m around always happy to grab a brew with any of you if I’m there!
3:12 AM #current-menu: I'm usually in the back but <@1504523316864749676> can grab me if i am!
3:33 AM #what-are-you-brewing: I wish every day was Kenyan coffee day

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naomi (car7iern)

2026-09-04

12:15 AM #origins-and-producers: Is this optimal drying?
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9:04 PM #cupping: Important QC happening over here today <@522586445131677719> <@755977671569047552>
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2026-09-05

1:05 AM #cupping: Literally discussed apple orchard-ing today lol. If Dave Arnold came along that would be even better (Bar Contra does use SEY in their cocktails sometimes soooo)
10:16 PM #current-menu: It is

2026-09-06

8:47 PM #what-are-you-brewing: We'd been looking at going back to marzocco for a bit once we decided to switch up our espresso program, much more user friendly for changing recipes/pressure/overall maintenance. I think we've had one since December/January? Ever since we made the espresso changes
8:47 PM #what-are-you-brewing: This is very recent. They pour so nicely in comparison to the old ones!
8:52 PM #what-are-you-brewing: I also don't know if we sold it tbh. It might be sitting next door lol. It was a prototype so the way some of the internal mechanics were set up was...unique hahaha
8:52 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Needless to say, very very grateful to have a linea on the bar now
8:57 PM #what-are-you-brewing: Doug does push-ups with it on his back

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-------------------

GPT-5.6 Thinking Summary

seylance2897

On Kamavindi Gesha, said the material came from Nuguo in Panama and is T2722, but cautioned that the field is not genetically uniform: there appears to be plenty of 100% Panama Gesha alongside shorter trees that may be related to Catuai, which he said is common when farms propagate from seed.
Emphasized that Kamavindi Gesha remains a work in progress. He finds the Kenyan-grown material unusually distinctive and has tasted individual cups that rival top Panama Geshas, but said SEY has not yet achieved sufficiently accurate separations; more plant-by-plant separation is planned this year.
His assessment of the current Kamavindi lot was conflicted but positive: a very green, unusually intense high-oolong profile, nearly ideal structure, no nuttiness or density problems, and a score of 89 - but explicitly "not what I want Gesha to taste like."
On Gerald's experimental coffees, reported that the first lot to arrive "was not very good." Two further mid-harvest experiments were still coming: one honey process and one extended cold-fermentation lot. He framed mid-harvest, when both quality and volume tend to dip, as a useful window for experimentation.
Comparing two harvests of another coffee, said the newer harvest was substantially more elegant and floral, with fermentation much better controlled, but less large, extroverted, and dynamic than the first. He viewed the two as complementary expressions within the same season rather than a clear winner.
On Ecuadorian varieties, expressed strong skepticism about producers' ability to cleanly separate Mejorado from Sidra. He believes producers are acting in good faith, but said he sometimes tastes a labeled Mejorado and would "put money" on it being Sidra, and vice versa.
Gave a detailed QC disclosure on the second harvest from Tres Cedros / Albino and Saulo: the coffee initially cupped stunningly on arrival, but production QC later found scattered age/wood character across the lot. He personally found varying degrees of age/wood in 3 of 20 cups and said the problem was not confined to particular bags.
Took responsibility for the Tres Cedros problem rather than blaming the producers, saying Albino and Saulo had produced another exceptional coffee. He stressed that tiny micro-lots can pick up variation at origin, in transit, or later, and encouraged customers with problematic bags to contact support so SEY can troubleshoot, replace them, and sometimes inspect returned coffee.
Was categorical about woody defects in high-quality specialty coffee: in his experience, wood, paper, and cardboard indicate age, not an intrinsic fresh-green flavor. He allowed that lower-quality Robusta might be different but said he has little experience there.
On roast-color measurement, said SEY uses a DiFluid Omni Nautilus with SSP Brew burrs and grinds at "chip"; Ethiopian coffees typically read roughly 138-142 in their setup, while another person's preparation may read closer to 155. He stressed that readings depend heavily on grind size and sample preparation and that international calibration of color measurement is still unresolved.

lancehedrick

Defended roast-color readings as useful data rather than doctrine. His complaint was not that color should determine roasting, but that online discussion often caricatures roasters as blindly targeting a number such as 139 regardless of heat application, time, or taste.
Said the competent roasters he knows - including SEY, Scenery, Prodigal, and others - use color for tracking and QC rather than as an absolute endpoint. He was surprised to learn that some roasters apparently do rely on it more dogmatically, and argued that those examples have helped create an excessive anti-color backlash.
Reported doing 8-10 hours of measurement testing across dozens of coffees, taking five readings each on Lighttells and DiFluid devices. He found Lighttells could vary by roughly 2 unless coffee was ground nearly to Turkish fineness; even then, single readings still had enough error that replication mattered.
His recommended measurement practice was three readings at the finest practical grinder setting, averaged together. A single reading of 138 that might become 142 on repeat is, in his view, too noisy to be useful for roast tracking.
Broadened the issue into criticism of an "anti-data" cohort among coffee enthusiasts who dismiss color readings, roast curves, temperatures, and similar measurements as irrelevant. He argued that using data and being taste-driven are not mutually exclusive.
Said data is especially valuable for a roaster managing something like 40 coffees per month: historical measurements give a rational starting point and make replication possible rather than forcing every roast to begin from zero.
Described roast data as "training wheels" or tools: first learn to reproduce curves and hit controlled targets so you understand how roasting behaves, then use sensory feedback and trial-and-error to deviate intelligently. His summary position was still "rely on taste."
On brewing, said a recipe under discussion was essentially identical to his "01" recipe. He generally prefers two or three pours, never more than three: always three with an Orea, while V60 is roughly a 50/50 choice between two and three depending on coffee and brewer.
On brewing temperature, said he no longer commonly uses boiling water; his current range is roughly 80-92C. The last notable use of boiling water he remembered was for a video based on advice from people who had first identified a particular extraction issue.
On storage, advised against transferring coffee out of its original bag even into another non-transparent container. His view was that any transfer is detrimental; keeping the coffee in the original bag, and even doubling protection around it, is preferable.

opp4004

Initially identified Kamavindi's Gesha as coming from Nuguo in Panama and guessed it was closer to T2722 than G1931, while noting that this "Kama Gesha" may have a more complicated backstory. He also suggested JARC cooperation could potentially clarify genetics and noted that farms besides GV grow G1931.
For filter brewing, recommended making aggressive temperature reductions when a coffee is not behaving. His recipes are tuned around SEY and Big Sur coffees, and he finds other coffees often require much larger changes in temperature or grind size to become stable.
Said he now uses only the Orb. His simple Orb recipe was around grind setting 1.2.5-1.3.5 with two pours; he first misstated the volumes as 240/200, then corrected them to 200/180.
Praised Octavio Rueda's "End of Season" coffee as exceptionally clean and perhaps equal to or better than David Berrio, describing blueberry, passion fruit, black tea, and tropical-fruit character.
Offered a nuanced dissent on the Albino/Tres Cedros woodiness discussion. He suspected moisture loss or age, but did not see the woody note as wholly negative because it interacted with florals, whiskey-like oak, vanilla, Ethiopian mocha-like aromatics, sharp acidity, and lavender. He said this kind of age-related woodiness can sometimes fade with time.
Continued that Albino had enough layered aromatics that some drinkers might find it mesmerizing or perceive the woodiness differently. For him, the resemblance to certain mocha-toned Ethiopian coffees made the cup enjoyable despite the defect.
During a SEY tasting session, described Arley Arboleda's Chiroso as lemongrass, dense peach, berries, and white currant; then Hermilda Zapata Vargas's El Rosal Chiroso as more Kenyan-like than typical Chiroso, with lemongrass, gooseberry, white wine, pine-needle freshness, concentrated lemonade, and musk. He felt overall Chiroso quality from Urrao has been improving.
Treated Demeka Becha as a personal benchmark for Ethiopian coffee and named Mate Matiwos among a small group of Sidama producers - including Basha, Yututie, Aklilu, and Belayneh - whose coffees he almost automatically buys. He has become particularly interested in their honey processes, saying Basha's honey was the cleanest of several versions he tried.
Described Alo in highly enthusiastic terms: oolong tea, dried apple, berries, lychee, subtle florals, and musk, combining elegance with unusual force. He compared it favorably to Dwight's Red Gesha and likened the experience to watching modern dance.
Across Gringo Nordic coffees, showed both admiration and criticism. He called Gringo his likely fallback roaster if SEY disappeared and praised its African sourcing, but found Nemba from Burundi overwhelmingly citrus-sour, a 300-hour anaerobic natural from Ngoma surprisingly clean and enjoyable after an initially alarming fermented aroma, and Kii AA recognizably Kenyan but more developed and less well separated than he expected from older Gringo subscriptions.
On Kenyan coffees specifically, preferred an Eaagads Estate lot without Ruiru 11 over one containing it: the non-Ruiru lot tasted more directly "classic Kenyan," while the Ruiru 11 version was more tea-like. His AB cup showed candied rhubarb, berries, oolong, tropical fruit, and a sparkling finish.
Tasting Kama Gesha on September 6, found eucalyptus, bergamot, jasmine, Chinese green tea, tropical fruit, and cocoa. Blind, he said he might have guessed a lower-altitude Ecuadorian Sidra or a Nicaraguan Gesha rather than a conventional Kenyan Gesha.

dougssg

Had relatively few substantive messages this week; most were event and cafe updates rather than coffee analysis.
Announced that "DougHype" would return and previewed a Soledad Sidra Natural selected for espresso milk drinks at the Motors event.
Said Franz of Lost Origin and another guest would attend the Motors event, with an additional announcement still forthcoming.
Clarified that the Soledad Sidra Natural was intended for the bar rather than general in-cafe availability.
On September 5, teased an upcoming Friday cupping with Franz of Lost Origin and said RSVP information would be released soon.
Invited community members visiting the cafe to ask for him if he was around, noting that he is usually working in the back but can be fetched.
Reacted enthusiastically to opp4004's all-Kenya tasting day, saying he wished every day were Kenyan coffee day.

naomi (car7iern)

Had only a handful of messages this week, so there is less material to summarize than for the other users.
Asked whether a drying setup under discussion represented optimal drying, but the captured text does not provide enough surrounding context to identify the exact coffee or method.
Flagged "important QC" happening during a September 4 cupping, apparently involving two other participants, without further details on the coffees or results.
Mentioned discussing an "apple orchard-ing" idea and joked that having Dave Arnold participate would improve it; she connected this to Bar Contra sometimes using SEY coffee in cocktails.
Explained that the cafe had been considering a return to La Marzocco once it decided to change its espresso program, largely because the machines are more user-friendly for changing recipes and pressure and for general maintenance.
Said the current La Marzocco had likely been in place since roughly December or January, around the time the espresso program changed.
Commented positively on a recent change in pouring vessels or service ware, saying the new ones pour much better than the old ones.
Regarding an older prototype machine, said she was not even sure it had been sold and that it might still be next door; its internal mechanics were unusually configured because it was a prototype.
Expressed strong relief at now having a Linea on bar, implying that the prototype or previous machine was substantially less convenient in daily use.

Cross-thread takeaways

Kamavindi Gesha was the week's clearest origin thread: opp4004 identified Nuguo/T2722 as the likely background, while seylance2897 confirmed Nuguo and T2722 but stressed genetic messiness in the field. Both the genetics and the cup profile remain unresolved enough that more plant-level separation is planned.
The Kamavindi tasting itself reinforces that ambiguity: seylance2897 found a high-oolong, structurally excellent 89-point coffee that did not taste like his ideal Gesha, while opp4004 later found eucalyptus, bergamot, jasmine, green tea, tropical fruit, and cocoa and said he might have mistaken it blind for Ecuadorian Sidra or Nicaraguan Gesha.
QC and aging became a substantive point of comparison around the second Tres Cedros / Albino lot. SEY acknowledged real scattered age/wood defects and accepted responsibility; opp4004 agreed age or moisture loss was plausible but argued that the resulting woodiness could still integrate attractively with the coffee's other aromatics rather than simply ruining the cup.
That exchange also exposed a sharper technical disagreement: seylance2897 treats wood, paper, and cardboard in high-quality specialty coffee as diagnostic of age, whereas opp4004's sensory account suggests the perceptual effect of that age can sometimes be complex or even enjoyable.
The roast-data discussion converged on a "measurement plus taste" position. seylance2897 emphasized that roast-color numbers are highly preparation-dependent and not yet internationally standardized; lancehedrick supplied repeatability data showing why multiple finely ground readings are necessary and rejected both blind number-chasing and wholesale anti-data attitudes.
Brewing advice this week skewed toward active adjustment rather than fixed recipes: opp4004 advocated substantial temperature or grind changes when coffees differ from SEY/Big Sur behavior, while lancehedrick reported working mostly in the 80-92C range and generally limiting pour structures to two or three pours.
Several tasting notes pointed to tea-like character as a recurring descriptor across very different coffees: Kamavindi Gesha, Alo, Eaagads with Ruiru 11, Gringo's Burundi Nemba, and Luis Salas all drew oolong, green-tea, white-tea, or Darjeeling comparisons.
Equipment discussion likewise emphasized repeatability and usability over novelty: lancehedrick focused on repeatable color measurement, opp4004 favored the Orb for stability, and naomi described SEY's move back toward a La Marzocco Linea as a practical improvement for recipe changes, pressure control, pouring workflow, and maintenance.

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