Coffee is for Lovers

Self explanatory. Have a good life and don’t take your passion too seriously. I found this great video that sums it up pretty nicely. Enjoy it, love it, and laugh at yourself every once in a while. I was listening to NPR the other day and heard a world class wine importer/seller talking about wine culture. At the end, he reminded the audience (and buyers of fine wine) something to the effect of, “at the end of the day, come on people, were talking about fermenting grape juice here.” I think the coffee industry is in a lot of ways like wine and I know we can get serious and snobby really quick. But, at the end of the day, were talking about pouring hot water over beans and playing with expensive machines to steam milk for soccer mom’s.

All credit goes to killingmylobster for making a great video.

After burning my taste buds from that French Pressed bilge water, I wondered, “How on earth could this stuff pass a focus group?” It was clear to me that the contents were far from “Juicy” and certainly lightyears away from complex. How could anyone with a coffee-addled brain not fall for that?

However, as I thought about it, I realized how much adjectives really influence a consumers reaction to the product. Pick up any box of plain crackers and chances are, the product description on the back of the box will read, “Our *organic* wheat crackers are made with the *freshest* *naturally* grown wheat, raised in the organic sunlight. Our farmers’ environmentally friendly gluten-sucking extractor, er… “methods” offer you a *nutrient rich* source for nourishing your body and soul with a lightly salted, delightful crunch.”

A simpler version would simply say, “It’s Crackers. Only use orally.” I mean, you could really cut costs with all the ink you’d save! Nahhh… To me, the extra adjectives are needed as keywords with the purpose of resonating with positive feelings in the customer, automatically connecting that positive emotion to the product they are using/consuming. Though I’m aware of it, even I can’t help but notice the “crunch” more because of reading it on the box. Truly, I think the mind has a gigantic affect on how we view things, and can be influenced without knowing it.

The same is true for, yes… coffee! Back when we were getting into espresso with our moka pot and whirly grinder, we bought 2lb bags of coffee beans at Costco. Not just any coffee beans. Intensely Smokey, “Extra Bold” beans! (Meaning, burnt to a crisp) After getting that for a few months, I said to my dad, “Why don’t we try the Columbian or Rwandan coffee?” He, knowing as little as I did at the time, replied with, “No no. If we don’t like it, then we’re stuck with 2~3lbs of it. Let’s keep to these beans. See, read here. It said intensely smokey!” For someone who usually questions most of what he sees, he put an unusual amount of importance in those two words. “Papa” I said, “That has nothing to do with the actual taste of the product! They’re just… ‘feel good’ words.” “Yeah, but still…” Said he. He knew it, but I think he couldn’t help be influenced by the wording. He favors intense foods/drinks, so the wording really resonated with him in that.

Since then, we’ve moved on to other beans (without poetic descriptions) which has broadened our flavor perception. Though Papa always claims he can’t tell one batch from another, I think he’s already begun to distinguish different beans/grinds, especially without being swayed by the power of poetic keywords. Cashew mist, anyone?

After I wrote the article this morning, I got more and more interested in trying the Kenya from SB. Damn you SB, you got me, well played. We went in, hoping to be surprised, and to some degree we were. I cannot thank the staff at SB enough for being so hospitable. They did two completely fresh, full french presses of the Kenya and a “Willow” “blonde” roast for us, full service and ultra polite about the whole thing. Bodum presses, pre-heated glass, 3 minute immersion time, well ground and dosed, an ideal experiment! We went outside and cupped. Here were our notes:

Kenya                                                         

Ryan:  Poo, ash

Luke:   Hard and old

Kyle:   Blanched Kale

Daniel:  Decomposing Wood

James:  Dirt and a log

Willow

Ryan: Mild berry

Luke: Floral

Kyle: *coffee*, decent with little expectations

Daniel: Bright (ish)

James: Flowers

General Consensus:

Kenya = smell and aftertaste was like moldy peanuts or left-over steamed vegetable water

Willow = passable flavor with hints of brightness

Alright, so obviously we are not fans of SB coffee, generally speaking. This is in no way an insult towards the staff who did a fantastic job, but more of a shot at the roasters. Massive batches, low quality control, over roasting, etc. Much love to my friends who work for Starbux.

What was fun about this adventure was all different tastes we each described. At the store, though I encourage people to use cupping notes as a guide, but I really push for people to make up their own opinions and ideas about what they are tasting. I am not great at describing specific flavors, so I usually just try to understand coffee in comparison to something simple; a fermented flavor, for instance, reminds me of the flavor and feeling of whiskey. While cupping these two coffees, everyone had their own opinion and a good time coming up with ideas. We all tasted something different, coffee is fickle. I guess this alludes to the useful/lessness of cupping notes for the average drinker. Some people don’t always have well developed plattes, and that shouldn’t discourage them from trying a wide variety of coffees. It is great to have your own opinion and it can be totally different from what you see on the label! Often times, it is.