X-coffee delivers 1kg of freshly roasted coffee beans every month. Sure, yeah, I have to order them; but when I do, they send them. There are all types of coffee beans to choose from, some better than others, and I have a hard time keeping track of which are best.
I know that the coffee really is freshly roasted, because it is the most delicious in the first two days. It is still pretty good for the month, but the soul of the coffee, that savoury tingle you get in the top of your mouth-- the one you want to bite, but that isn't really there-- fades after a couple of days.
Sure I could have the coffee delivered every two weeks. They sell a 500g bag, and the unit price is basically the same. But I don't need the postman thinking I think I am any more fancy than I already know he thinks I think I am.
So yeah, I should pick a favourite bean, and order it every month. But then I might be missing out on an even better one that I haven't tried. So I always order different beans. And once two months pass, I can't remember what I liked, or what I even tried, so what is the point of anything, right?
So I've decided to keep track of what is best. I've read the theory. For pour-over, the way I like it, I should choose a mild to medium roast. But I can't always find the details on the website.
Ethiopia Mocha Sidamo Arabica
| Cost: ₩27,000 | Body: 4/5 | Acidity: 5/5 |
| Roast: Middle | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 2/5 |
| Rating: 10/10 |
Opening the bag, there is a subtle fresh fragrance from the fresh beans, slightly hollow, and I detect maybe a bit of the bag. I guess that happens with a subtle fragrance.
The bean has a good crunch, and a dry woody flavour, nothing over-powering. It chews up clean, nothing sticking between my teeth.
The bloom is light and slightly fruity, like a feminist author of children's fiction.
The pour-over coffee is clean with almost no bitterness. It tickles under the tip of the tongue and rolls around the mouth like a butterfly rising out of a heavy cloud, but stays mostly in the front of the mouth. Delicious, and it doesn't even need milk.
This is the first one I'm rating, so the score doesn't mean anything, but it's an 8. I've revisited the score after scoring some others. It is now a 10.
Brazil Santos Arabica
| Cost: ₩20,500 | Body: 4/5 | Acidity: 3/5 |
| Roast: Dark | Balance: 5/5 | Bitterness: 2/5 |
| Rating: 4/10 |
Assaulted at first opening by a strong waft of burnt tire. This burnt smell persisted through the brewing, but was not overly strong in the final coffee. It was not a delicate coffee though. Couldn't drink it without milk.
I rate this a 4.
Costa Rica SHB Tarrazu Arabica
| Cost: ₩27,500 | Body: 5/5 | Acidity: 4/5 |
| Roast: Light | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 3/5 |
| Rating: 7/10 |
This has a little bit of a berry smell, and it comes out nicely in the bloom. But is not really there in the end result. Perhaps this is my pour over technique. There is a bit of slightly burned caramel that hits the back of the tongue pleasantly. I wasn't expecting a burnt taste in a light roast. It can do without milk.
Ice Mild Arabica
| Cost: ₩24,000 | Body: 5/5 | Acidity: 3/5 |
| Roast: Light | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 3/5 |
| Rating: 5/10 |
Not much smell out of the bag, but get some during the pour over. It is a smell of sweet cardboard. Not much flavour in the final product.
Malawi AA Arabica
| Cost: ₩28,500 | Body: 4/5 | Acidity: 3/5 |
| Roast: Light | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 2/5 |
| Rating: 7/10 |
This one has a bit of a berry smell-- like the Costa Rica-- and again not much of a flavour in the final product. It is certainly coffee, pleasant and easy to drink, but doesn't have any of those tastes that go to the back of the mouth.
I'm getting to understand the suggestion of a medium roast for pour-over. The light roast just doesn't have the richness of flavour. The dark roast, though I've only tried one, tasted burnt.
Ethiopia Yirgacheffee Arabica
| Cost: ₩24,000 | Body: 4/5 | Acidity: 5/5 |
| Roast: Light | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 2/5 |
| Rating: 9/10 |
I thought I was ordering a middle roast, but it turns out it was another light roast. I don't know whether the to lay the blame for this on my poor Korean ability, or the confusing layout of the website. Probably a bit on each. No, looking again. The fault is the website's. In one place it says medium roast, and one it ways light.
This coffee has small beans. Small enough that it would cover them with a towel on the way to the shower as the gym, but not so small that it would forgo going the shower all together. Charmingly small.
The beans have a light indistinct fruity smell. A little bit citrus. The brewed coffee does not have a strong smell, but the citrus persist and the end result is an extremely refreshing coffee. This is definitely a no milk coffee. Accidentally ordering this light roast was a happy mistake.
It's looking like the best coffees are Ethiopian.
Tanzania AA Arabica
| Cost: ₩28,500 | Body: 5/5 | Acidity: 2/5 |
| Roast: Middle | Balance: 5/5 | Bitterness: 3/5 |
| Rating: 8.5/10 |
There is something a little bit evil about the smell of these beans. Maybe it is a fishy smell, and then a second later, it is a burning tire smell. But the evil is faint and fleeting, and when the beans are ground, the overall smell is the smell of camping. A rich buttery camping. And that isn't evil at all.
The smell fades in the bloom, and the evil seeps back into the actual coffee. It is not bitter, but the coffee tastes a bit burned. Not Starbucks burned, but a little bit. I can deal with a little bit. And the camping comes back in the back of the mouth. Not bad at all.
Bolivia Arabica
| Cost: ₩28,500 | Body: 3/5 | Acidity: 3/5 |
| Roast: Middle | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 3/5 |
| Rating: 8/10 |
Meh, its fine.
I'm not sure about the roasting descriptions on this website. I look for a medium roast. It's a little hard to find on the website, but it is there. When the beans come though, some other roasting point is printed on the bag. I can't really tell if it is a light roast or a medium roast. The beans look dry and the fragrance is not so strong. I think it is a light roast, as it says on the bag. I guess if I can't tell, it doesn't matter, but how do I figure out what I like if I don't know what I'm getting?
The coffee has a bit of a chocolate taste.
Honduras SHG Arabica
| Cost: ₩28,500 | Body: 4/5 | Acidity: 4/5 |
| Roast: Weak(Full city) | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 3/5 |
| Rating: 5/10 |
This one is a fail. Not much of a fragrance to the beans, and the pour-over comes out tasting burned. How is this a light roast? It does look like it though. Dry looking beans and not so fragrant. But why the burned taste then. Maybe my pour was to slow. I'll pay more attention tomorrow.
Guatemala SHB Antigua Arabica
| Cost: ₩25,500 | Body: 4/5 | Acidity: 5/5 |
| Roast: Middle | Balance: 4/5 | Bitterness: 2/5 |
| Rating: 7/10 |
Another weak fragrance. I stick my head deep into the bag to get something, and the first smell I get is body odour. After grinding the beans though there is a nice citrus smell, and this comes out nicely in the bloom. The final product has a bit of the citrus taste, but also a burned taste. Not as bad as other recent coffee's but also not the best.
I notice that there is a 'Harvest Season' on the bag. It is November, but these beans were harvested in Jan-Apr. I know they are freshly roasted, but I wonder if the actual freshness of the beans is important too. It must be. Where should the beans come from in the winter? Apparently it is not so simple. Beans should be sufficiently aged. Do we trust that the roaster knows what they are doing in this respect? Their selection does not seem to change with the seasons.
Kenya AA Arabica
| Cost: ₩28,500 | Body: 5/5 | Acidity: 4/5 |
| Roast: Dark | Balance: 5/5 | Bitterness: 3/5 |
| Rating: 4/10 |
I have to quit buying these dark roasts. They just taste burnt.