Coffee Labs El Salvador Santa Rosa, Washed Process

First thing I note is slightly fermented fruit. Berry of some sort. Blueberry even, but I wonder if my brain is just primed for blueberry after that Ethiopian I had at Drip. Something nutty, bitter nut in the taste. No way I can tell what type, but not almond at least I know that. Hard to smell anything past the fruit, which is powerful and nice. Of course as soon as I say almond, I start to get that almond extract/cherry aroma. The power of suggestion.

Taste is bright, acidic, a little bitter, some of that woody taste that is so familiar. Not getting any chocolates, caramels, or florals, unless the fruity and floral are combining in a way that I can't separate - it is aromatic.

And now for the label notes:

Cacao nibs, Meyer lemon, roasted hazelnuts.

Roast level - 3 on a scale of 9 (light)

Retasting after reading the notes. Yeah, OK, I can get the lemony - it's a cirtusy but sweet aroma, that fruit that I was struggling to name, but I would need to have a Meyer lemon on hand to confirm - I know Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons. I never thought hazelnuts had any strong distinctive flavor, but I will buy some and test them since they are so frequently used as a flavor descriptor. Cacao nibs should just smell like cacao, no? If it's there it's well hidden behind the fruit, as far as I can figure. Subtle but there, and I get it more as the coffee approaches room temperature.

A nice cup, but the bitterness detracts a bit from the otherwise wonderful flavors. Of course that may be down to my brewing methods, Same method I have been using for other coffees but maybe this one needs less time to extract. I will retest tomorrow.

Update: I lowered the temperature to 195 and reduced extraction to 2 minutes. It helped. I know, don't change two variables at the same time, but I'm going on intuition here. I will reduce extraction time again tomorrow while keeping the 195 temperature. Fruity flavor still out front. Less bitter, but I'm not getting any hazelnut.

Method - Aeropress, 16:1 ratio, medium grind (#8 out of 16 on grinder settings), 195 degrees.

Rating (1-5 cups)

Comments

Big Mouth Coffee Roasters

Beacon NY. First impressions. Good coffee. Bright, fragrant and flavorful. Chocolate maybe, something fruity. Lighter roast.* They don' do triple shots so I should have gotten a small instead of medium, a little watery but that's avoidable if you know they only do multiples of 2 shots. Ambiance. A little sterile somehow. Large cavernous space with utilitarian, almost Spartan furnishings. A leather sofa and chairs in one corner does little to remedy the lack of coziness and warmth. If that's what you want in a coffee shop. On the other hand there's plenty of space and few indoor patrons today - mostly grab and grow. So a good home office away from home. As I am typing a line forms and it's almost out the door, one person at the cash register also making drinks - that's tough. Maybe someone else will come in from the back to help. The line for some odd reason runs next to my table where's there's very little space instead of down the middle of the entranc...

First Village Coffee

Ossining, NY. Despite the small facade (the door on the right is a different business) it's reasonably spacious inside with a front display/bar area where assorted book-store type materials are for sale, and a back room with numerous tables and chairs, plus the covid-era outdoor seating on the street. Coffee first impressions- nutty, a little fruity, hint of dark chocolate. That woody taste as it cools. Light and smooth, easy to drink. I felt a little awkward today for some reason, having nothing to do with the coffee house - it was my second stop after venturing up to Newburgh where I also felt ill-at ease and out of sorts - it's me, not the place. Point being I didn't linger inside or ask any questions about the source of the coffee. Cute coffee shop, soft biscotti again - guess that's a thing now. It was fine once, but I prefer old-fashioned hard biscotti. Ratings (1-5 cups) Coffee: Ambiance/Comfort: Space/Size: Price (3 is average):

Bank Square Coffeehouse

In Beacon, NY on Main Street. Opens at 6:00 am which is unusual, and an hour away from me unfortunately. Americano is smooth and balanced. No particular flavor jumps out, but I think nutty with chocolate notes, sweet, maybe a bit of caramel. I'm not picking up any fruit.. Not over roasted, not burnt or bitter, quite nice to drink. Roasted in house. Lets compare notes from the label: Oops, no flavor notes on the label, but a blend of Central and South American beans. Decaf is also nice with more fruity flavors jumping out. The space doubles as a bar serving beer and wine. Big TV screens, which I hate, but I can sit at the window and ignore it. Seating indoors is limited but most customers this morning are grab and go. I suspect it gets crowded on weekends. There is a good amount of outdoor seating on a nice patio. Bottom line: Sweet little neighborhood coffee shop I would be happy to call home if I lived nearby. Ratings (1-5 cups) Coffee: Ambiance/Comfort: Space/...

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