Ponte Vecchio Lusso - advice please?

Moon

The Merlo smackdown continues .. *Merlo - Reveria blend Pour - 21ml in 20 secs This blend had more colour and tasted similar to the Private blend. Like the Pb .. the flavour was superficial and lacked any lingering aftertaste .. or sense that you'd just had a nice coffee. A little extra in the sizzle dep't - then all over red rover. Still a damn nice cup of coffee though. Rating - 9.1/10 Next - the blend with that extra punch --> Forza Riveria blend

Moon

Merlo - the conclusion. *Merlo - Forza Pour - 20ml in 20 secs Rating - 8/10 This bean blend had less colour in the cup, although it did have a bit more depth to it than its 2 siblings.. and at least left me feeling like I'd had a coffee .. although I could have easily put that fullness down to the huge serving of lamb and potato curry & rice that I had made myself earlier. I was waiting for it to settle a bit more, only I thought .. stuff it .. so that's exactly what I did. Obviously the ugly duckling of the family, as I wasn't so impressed with the flavour this time. Being their stronger blend - and most likely a darker roast, it doesn't appeal to my personal preference of medium roasts. As this bean was chosen by my sister - who usually likes the espresso, it was always on the cards that I wouldn't be all that impressed with it. I guess that's why they have different roasts for different folks.  I brought some back from the Gold Coast to try anyway .. so that I could include the Forza in my Merlo reviews. As for my favorite .. it is splitting hairs between the Private blend and the Riveria .. as they were so similar .. I can't say I prefer one over the other. They were both very nice coffees. That about wraps it up for the Merlo contest. 2 outa 3 ain't bad  :thumb:

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Next - is revisiting Zentveld's Byron Bay blend - the shootout that puts this bean blend up against itself. Will there be a winner .. or will this bean end up shooting itself?

Moon

*Zentvelds - 'Byron blend' Pour - 20ml in 25 secs Crema was ok and poured well. Rating - 7.8/10 Better than expected after the first one I tried. Come think of it .. I'd put it above the Merlo 'Forza' .. which scored an 8/10. I must've been in a generous mood at the time .. and should've given the Forza a 7.6/10 .. which puts in in the 'take it or sink it' category. Zentveld's Byron blend is like a bean you keep around for a while in case you happen to run out of the good stuff .. when *shock horror* .. all that is available in the pantry is the 5 year old jar of Nescafe you keep for visitors you are keen to scare off - permanently.  If they are *cough* instant coffee drinkers .. you need to employ Plan B. That's when these 2 lots of beans come to the rescue.. rather than opting for that cup of tea.. which is what I usually do. It makes that new batch of coffee beans on order much more welcome when they finally arrive. These Byron blend beans were dark roasted .. and left roasting a little too long, as there was oil on quite a few of the beans. To be fair .. I did notice smaller spots of oil on the Major Tom beans .. but not many. A new batch of Major Tom will be arriving soon .. so it will be interesting to see if there are any oil spots this time. It didn't appear to affect the taste .. as far as I could tell .. although I'm sure it does.

Moon

1. Started the day off with a double shot full 6oz latte of Yirg to get me going. I'm not rating my first from now on. Reason - too dopey to score accurately. 2. Major Tom - Piccolo latte Pour - 20ml in 20 secs Rating - 9.1/10 3. Major Tom The last of these beans .. and falling a tad short on the dose. Thought I'd see how this affects the pour, rather than topping up with another bean. Tamped harder and had to go a double fellini to get the air out. Pour - 25ml in 15 secs Hmm? The pour appeared a little quick .. but more crema than usual. The larger volume of the shot seemed to add more depth of flavour .. although the body lacked .. meaning it just fell short of a 9.2 Rating - 9.18/10 Almost .. and a ripping coffee. Really enjoyed this one.

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Looking for my next beans to rate? Thinking about C-mans suggestion of mycuppa's Columbian? *Feel free to offer up suggestions if you've really bean impressed with a bean or blend - especially if it is from a site sponsor.

Brett H

Wow... Some good reading here.  I never got great results with the Fortza but you've inspired me to give it another go.  I'm going to vary the temp of my machine until it hit liquid gold or mud glorious mud.

Moon

on 1396778612:

Wow... Some good reading here.  I never got great results with the Fortza but you've inspired me to give it another go. 

Either did I .. and bagged it. In short - don't bother. I'm not sure how referring to it as the Ugly Duckling of the Merlos I was reviewing .. turned out to be so inspirational .. unless you're expecting it to come out as a beautiful white Swan .. as the story goes.. next time around  :question: Before investing in that turkey .. I'd first go back and read my review of the Merlo Forza again..and perhaps the one below it on the Zentveld's Byron blend -  it might save you .. trust me 

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Brett H

No mate... You've misunderstood.  I am going to have a red-hot go at making a lovely coffee with these beans and then reporting back that you've got it all wrong :P

Moon

on 1396839510:

No mate... You've misunderstood.  I am going to have a red-hot go at making a lovely coffee with these beans and then reporting back that you've got it all wrong :P;)

Ok .. it's good to get *[other peoples opinions on beans] I rate in this thread. I know you're a Merlo fan .. so by all means .. knock yourself out. Lol. Oh .. and include a rating of your experience. The more detail .. the better.  :thumb: I still have some more of the Merlo Forza .. so, if you give it a good rating, I may feel all inspired to give 'em another go I've no doubt .. you'll be giving the Forza your best shot  :D *I know I said I'm not rating my 1st coffee for the day .. only this mornings Yirgacheffe made in a 6oz cup was the most enjoyable I have ever had.. 1st off the rank -  and therefore felt an obligation to share the love. 20ml in 25 secs .. and on the enjoyment scale .. it rated a whopping 9.3/10. Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as I had hoped .. funny that.  :'(

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Order is in with mycuppa for 500g Columbian Exelso.. on recommendation from C-man. This should coincide with the arrival of 500g of Major Tom for the next head to head smackdown. Have to wait the degas resting period .. so it will all be happening next week. Columbian Warlords versus Tweed Master Roasters - should be interesting. All guns ablazin .. I imagine  :-X

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*Just had one of  :lamp: moments As the thread title is 'Ponte Vecchio Lusso' .. and not a coffee bean appreciation thread .. I guess that means .. to keep it on-topic .. you really need to be using this machine when joining in to rate beans.. and not how they may taste say .. when using a Bezeera .. which, who knows .. might produce a completely different result  :question: Admittedly, it would be fairer on the beans, the growers & suppliers to do this .. only it would belong in another thread. *Having said this - to cover all and sundry - I'm looking forward to Brettmate's findings.  :thumb:

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Had another std 6oz Ethiopian Yirgacheffe latte to see if that earlier one rating a 9.3/10 was fair dinkum .. or not? Hd to go back and check the roasting date to see how 'mature' these babies were. Day 29 (4 weeks) .. and according to my taste buds .. these beauties are in their sweet spot. 1st extraction produced 15ml in 25 secs .. so I went the 2nd to top up to 20ml (+ 7 secs ) = 32 secs total. Rating - 9.2/10 Wow .. confirmed. That 1st cup was no illusion. Strange .. not much crema - which dissipated quickly .. but had nice colour in the cup once adding the milk. This ripper was rich, flavorsome, full-bodied and smooth as. Delicious. Just what the Doctor ordered .. being a Carlton supporter n all.  :head:

Moon

Indulged in another Yirgacheffe last night Pour - 25 sec (1st )+ 7 sec (2nd) = 32 secs - for 20ml. Rating - 9.3/10 This bean is peaking @ Day 30 Definitely in its sweet spot .. only instead of chocolate .. this bean is serving up honey. This morning 20 sec + 7 sec = 27 secs for 23ml Delicious first cup .. up around the 9.2/10 - fabulous 1st coffee for the day.  :coffee2: This coffee is consistently excellent. Like the first batch of mycuppa Guatemala that also peaked late .. and scored a 9.3/10 .. I only have a couple of cups worth of beans left  :'( Bummer - Going off with a bang - complete with a fireworks display. *Better to have loved and lost .. than to have never loved at all. The upside - the cup is still half full atm. ps. eggbert - Your idea of filling up the basket with the beans for the dose has worked well..  :thumb:

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Coming 500g Major Tom 500g Columbia (mycuppa) A kilo lasts me 3 1/2 weeks.. so I avoid getting a kilo of one bean, as it limits the option of having a different flavour for the duration. Thinking about getting 250g of an old favorite while over in Brunswick. Georges Coffee/Negrita in Victoria st. His 'Premium blend' is worth revisiting to try out in my PV Lusso. It would also be a formidable opponent in a 3 way shootout .. I'd reckon. It was my favorite when I had the ol' Gaggia Baby machine .. only the last lot I purchased back then poured too quickly .. and due to only having the $150 De Longhi grinder - and already being on it's finest setting .. I couldn't go finer to slow it down. I suspected at the time that the blend had changed.. with a more dense bean being replaced with a drier lighter bean .. meaning that the water had less resistance .. and therefore flowed more quickly through the puck. That's my guess anyway?? Diffent story these days  8)

Koffee_Kosmo

Thank you Moony for the high praise That is very rewarding to hear as the review also praises my KKTO roaster as much as the beans themselves Will see what I can do with a special bean I have and send you a sample KK

Moon

Hmm .. no mucking around at mycuppa. Ordered beans yesterday and they arrived today. They send you updates on your order status. Service is faultless with this mob .. which is good.  :thumb:

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Ok .. down to business. Although these beans are only 4 days post roast .. and need to wait say, 8 days to be fair on these babies - the temptation is too great to ward off having a sneak preview of good times ahead. Back shortly with some early results from a bean that is still a bit wet between the ears. Oh .. that's right .. beans don't have ears.

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Thanks heaps KK .. excellent bean choice that one .. and perfectly roasted for my taste. And yeah .. it does speak volumes about your KKTO roaster. I guess the Major Tom was lucky it didn't hang around long enough to be up against your Yirgacheffe, as it's a killer at the moment .. and I doubt many would be able to match it .. unless they happen to be peaking as well. Smooth .. rich and full-bodied .. and with that honey sweetness in last night's brew was sensational. I hadn't tasted that flavour before in a coffee .. unless I had actually used honey to sweeten it .. which I haven't done for many years.

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mycuppa

A single origin is typically more 1-dimensional than a blend - Potatoes and Apples I'm afraid. Ordered yesterday afternoon, delivered today. The Colombian is not ready yet. My advice is to leave it sealed (unopened) for another 6 days at least.

Moon

on 1396926866:

A single origin is typically more 1-dimensional than a blend - Potatoes and Apples I'm afraid.

It is .. only if I prefer a mass of flavour in my coffee .. I'd be rating the Merlo as the best .. cause that is what it does as a blend. It's a bit like preferring a pizza with the lot versus having just a few of your favorite ingredients on it. Too many flavours get lost in the mix. I like the simplicity of a single origin bean and enjoy it for what it is. Others will prefer complexity. I like a fruit salad, for its burst of different flavors .. only I can enjoy and appreciate eating a single apple - for it's unique flavor .. just as much.

on 1396926866:

The Colombian is not ready yet. My advice is to leave it sealed (unopened) for another 6 days at least.

Ok .. dammit .. hello willpower --- I hate you  :pan Yeah .. we need the Columbian in cracking form .. but as the Yirg has shown .. the single origins can match it with the blends - well, in my opinion they can anyway. Next round .. this Columbian will be up against a couple of pretty good blends .. so we'll see how they go. I guess I'll just have to make do with another Yirg  :P *I can only say this ^ one more time.  :'( Still have some Merlo Private, Riveria, Forza left, plus 180g of Zentvelds Byron and of course - that 5 year old jar of Nescafe. <--- Crikey - things would have to be real bad.

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*Ordered yesterday afternoon, delivered today. Oops - yep .. apologies J. Previous post has been corrected Thanks mycuppa 

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I don't see the single origin beans being at a disadvantage to the blends in my person reviews, although the SO has to be a very good one .. and not those described as best suited in a blend. This is why I am seeking recommendations from members here for a bean that they are particularly impressed by, or a new bean that gets a good rap in mycuppas newsletter for instance. I'd much rather go by recommendation than simply choosing one off a Coffee website.

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Moon

Had to slum it with a Merlo Private blend  Reverted back to the 6oz cup of latte .. and loving it. Pour - 20 + 5 secs (2nd extraction) for 20ml. Rating - 9.1/10  I'm guessing this is about as good as it gets for a Merlo .. unless there happens to be a sweet spot in there somewhere? There's an obvious difference between this and the recent Yirgs. Seems like a first extraction of 20-25 secs .. plus 5 secs for a total of 25-30 secs to top up to a 20ml shot .. is where it's at for the depth of flavour I'm after. The grind setting on my Compak K3 is also working nicely. It has taken this long .. 3 1/2 months before getting a feel for .. and becoming more confident using the fellini move. Often it is play it by ear as to how many times you have to do it to achieve the right degree of resistance against the spring, otherwise it pours too quickly and you lose flavour. Dose level, the texture of the grinds including the moisture content also seem to play a part.

Moon

Last night Ethiipian Yirgacheffe Pour - 20 secs + 5 = 25 secs for 20ml. Rating - 9.25/10 Didn't do the microfoam as well as I should have .. otherwise this would have scored a 9.3/10. Today 1. Merlo - Private blend Rating - 9.1/10 The 2nd half of the cup was better than the first .. finishing off strongly. If I hadn't been spoilt by the heady heights of the Yirg lately, with their 9.3/10 rating .. this Merlo may have scored a 9.15/10. Lovely coffee. And here comes the jewel in the crown. 2. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe - Day 31 (post roast) Being the last cup of the Yirgacheffe .. I was careful to get this right .. with an excellent microfoam. and *Thought I'd take some photos. Pour - 15 secs + 5 secs = 20 secs for 23ml. Seemed a little quick time wise, but poured nicely. Rating - 9.35/10 This was the nicest standard 6oz cup of coffee I have ever had I reckon. Considered giving this a 9.4/10 .. only didn't want to put it too far above mycuppas Guatamala .. which I rated 9.3/10 .. as the quality of these 2 coffees in the cup are very similar. Both outstanding.. and clearly the best single origin beans I have tried to date. The Guatemala might have been slightly richer due to being a piccolo latte - if i remember correctly? This cup of coffee was the ultimate way to finish off. Wow! *Cheers to KK for that Yirg mind-blowing coffee experience.  :thumb: *Here is a photo of my top scoring coffee to date .. and boy .. was it a cracker!

Moon

Crikey .. I have been spoilt .. and think I'm turning into a snob?  :-[ I make a coffee .. and go .. yeah ok, that was a nice cup of coffee .. give it a 9.1/10 .. *yawn* lol.

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Merlo - Riveria Pour: 15 secs + 3 secs =18 secs for 25ml. Dose was a little less and the pour was a little quick .. even after doing a couple of extra fell inis to get a bit more resistance. Didn't work. Rating - 9.15/10 This turned out a very nice coffee .. surprisingly. This Riveria might even be a tad nicer than the Private blend. Just about out of the Riveria .. then a couple more Forza .. then *gulp* it's Zentveld's Byron blend.

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The contenders 1. Columbian SO has arrived. 2. Major Tom blend is on its way. 3. Georges Premium blend - picking up on Wednesday. Then the 3 way smackdown is orn. * Starts Thursday April 17th. Columbian is currently Day 6 (post roast) and need 12 days. Major Tom (Roasted at around the same time)

Brett H

First Merlo Fortza shot: [embed=425,349] Turn the sound down.  Rating: 9.05/10 There is a dimension missing from this that I could taste in the plunger coffee.  It was quite a stunning flat white nonetheless but my machine was on 92deg and the nice barista at Merlo recommended I try 93. I also can't wait to give this a go on the pavoni!!

Moon

^ Nice one Brett .. much better result than I got then. a 9.05/10 is a very nice coffee. I'm not all that keen on their espresso blend either these days .. so although I am certainly a Merlo fan .. I am just not a fan of all that they produce.. which is fine .. as it allows them to cater for different tastes.. and I'm still happy.. as trying different beans is all about sorting out your favorites from those that don't suit your particular taste requirements. Yeah .. it will be interesting to see how it goes in your Pavoni lever. I was looking at those when deciding on a machine. Is it Fortza? My sister wrote it down as Forza. I still have a cup or 2 of this .. and it's next off the rank.. last chance to avoid relegation to the reject file.

Brett H

Your sister is correct.... Forza it is!

Moon

Good to see you going the 2nd decimal point. I thought it was necessary to give a more precise indication of how good a particular bean is. To me .. a 9.1/10 is like the 'Pelaton' of cycling .. where all the really good riders all bunch up .. and this is the same with the beans .. the Merlos, Classic, NZ Supreme etc ..where all the really really nice ones belong. Then there are the 9/10 that are at the back of the pack and the 8.9/10 that drops off the back 10 meters behind .. but still right up there. mycuppa's Barista struck me as one of these. Then there's the 2-3 breakaway riders/beans out in front with a 9.2/10 .. mycuppa's Guatemala, KK's Yirgacheffe, and the one that makes a break is the leader with a 9.3/10 which comes from the 9.2/10 group but hits its peak .. or where everything was spot-on throughout the process and it came together perfectly. The .05 or .08 indicates the positioning in the Pelaton. Is it at the front, middle or rear of the bunch. A 9.08/10 is only slightly off the pace of a 9.1/10 - but enough to be noticeable. The tail-ender. A 9.05 would be saying that it is at the rear end of the bunch of quality coffee beans.. 4-5 meters behind Hope this makes sense. If not --> thanks for visiting .. and have a nice day.

Moon

Moony's desperate times. It may all be happening this Thursday, but what do I do in the meantime? I'm down to Merlo Forza or Zentveld's Byron blend.. and that ain't a good place to be in.  :'( Hmm? .. wonder what that ground coffee is .. sitting in the small air-tight container in my cupboard? Might as well give that a shot I reckon. Not being labelled, hopefully it is leftover grinds from trying to get the grind right for the Yirg, Major Tom or one of the Merlo's Private blend or Riveria .. then again, it could be Forza or Byron blend - crikey .. here goes. Man .. it must have bean one of the latter .. and after screwing my face up in disgust .. it was straight over to the sink. Ok .. looks like a trip down to the local Deli for either some NZ Supreme or a blast from the past, and purchase an old favorite back in the day .. Coffex - Super Bar. The coffee dispensers they use are large .. and I was tempted to ask for a scoop off the top .. as I doubt they are turned over quickly enough to fall below the month that I give beans before they are getting a bit over the hill. As my request may insinuate that his beans are stale, and therefore risking insulting the bloke .. whom I am quite chummy with .. I resisted the temptation - at my own peril. The upside of making the trip was that I could get one of their home-made Spanakopitas that I have indulged in many a time in the past. For those of you who don't know what this is .. it is fetta/ricotta cheese, spinach, onion, egg wrapped in a filo pastry - Greek. My idea of an ideal brekky .. topped off - of course -  with a tasty latte. After consuming this with much delight, rating a 9.2/10 (very yummy) - I then proceeded with making the coffee. I opened the packet and checked the aroma of the beans to get an idea of how fresh they were. After doing this with beans freshly roasted and with those you've had hanging around in the cupboard for a couple of months .. you start getting to know the difference. In this case, it was unfortunately smelling like the latter. Damn - I knew not taking the beans off the top would come back to bite me.  :head: Used my usual grind setting - and checked the aroma of the grinds .. which lacked vibrancy .. very low key - which wasn't a good sign either. I then took a pinch of the grinds to rub between my fingers  - to check the texture, which was dryish.

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1. Coffex - Super Bar Tamp - medium Pour - 10 secs + 3 secs = 13 secs for 37ml. As it was gushing .. and being so quick, I figured that a few more seconds when the grinds were saturated .. might add a bit more flavour. Anyway .. after tasting --> a 'shock horror' moment .. it made it to the sink in quick fashion. 2. Coffex - Super Bar The 2nd cup was dosed up .. and tamped hard to slow it down. As with the first cup, I had to use multiple fellinis in order to dispel the air from the cylinder .. which seems to be the case when using dry, usually light-weighted grinds that don't offer up enough resistance, and end in fast pours. The result was similar to the first. Pour - 10 secs+3 =13 for 35ml Rating - 7.9/10 I won't grace this with an 8/10 -  that signifies a 'nice' coffee. *Too bad I didn't think of this when first rating the Forza 8/10 .. sheesh.. oh well. The 2nd half of the cup was much better than it started out .. otherwise it would have been fortunate to have rated a 7. Well .. I didn't get to experience my ideal brecky this time around. What I am more concerned about though .. is that having gone down to the Deli to purchase some more beans .. didn't end up solving my dilemma. I'm still left with what am I going to do until I can get back to some good quality beans this coming Thursday? That's a whopping 5 days away  :tearhair:... and I'm still left with crap coffee. Take a breath .. patience Grasshopper

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Life would be a whole lot more simple .. if only I had stuck with drinking Nescafe.. and in my blissful ignorance .. still believed I was drinking nice coffee. lol

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Brett H

Ah, we've all been there Mooney!  Might be time to break out the popcorn maker.  My Forza this morning on the Pavoni lever was a 9.2/10!!!  I'll post a video. I reckon the Forza was roasted and blended for this style of overheating over-pressurised machine.  It's a bit milder than other Italian style coffees I've had mind.  I reckon get your machine hot... On for more than 30 minutes, dose and pull a free flowing shot: 35ml in 25 seconds and see how you go.  It has to be better than your current choices. Bad video to follow

Moon

Cheers Brett My popper still works .. however, I only have my reject green beans left .. no 'get out of gaol free' .. card there. This is a perfect opportunity to go the carrot and celery .. for an inner-cleansing .. and take an extended coffee break .. so that I'm all refreshed and raring to go for Thursday's smackdown. I reckon .. if I did this ^ they could rate a pretty ordinary 8/10 .. and I'd give each a bonus point for just being there.

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Brett writes My Forza this morning on the Pavoni lever was a 9.2/10!!!  I'll post a video. Crikey .. a 9.2/10 That's like my top rating ---> exceptional If a kilo of Merlo Forza happens to turn up in my letterbox .. it's yours.  Pretty obvious it has the wrong address on it .. so I'll donate it to a good cause .. someone who can appreciate it.

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mycuppa

Moony, just open the Colombian - it will be fine.

C-man

on 1397109871:

Crikey .. I have been spoilt .. and think I'm turning into a snob?  :-[ I make a coffee .. and go .. yeah ok, that was a nice cup of coffee .. give it a 9.1/10 .. *yawn* lol.

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Merlo - Riveria Pour: 15 secs + 3 secs =18 secs for 25ml. Dose was a little less and the pour was a little quick .. even after doing a couple of extra fell inis to get a bit more resistance. Didn't work. Rating - 9.15/10 This turned out a very nice coffee .. surprisingly. This Riveria might even be a tad nicer than the Private blend. Just about out of the Riveria .. then a couple more Forza .. then *gulp* it's Zentveld's Byron blend.

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The contenders 1. Columbian SO has arrived. 2. Major Tom blend is on its way. 3. Georges Premium blend - picking up on Wednesday. Then the 3 way smackdown is orn. * Starts Thursday April 17th. Columbian is currently Day 6 (post roast) and need 12 days. Major Tom (Roasted at around the same time)

If it is the same Colombian Jeff sent me, then my money is on that, even without ever tasting the others. although blends do have the advantage.

Moon

on 1397286534:

If it is the same Colombian Jeff sent me, then my money is on that, even without ever tasting the others.

I took Jeff/mycuppas advice and tucked into one. It's 8 days post roast. No worries about the Columbian shaping up .. I'm feeling 'normal' again.. boy I needed that.  :thumb: It appears a bit young .. but still - What a difference going back to the good stuff makes.  :coffee2:

on 1397286534:

although blends do have the advantage.

I've always thought that the blends have the advantage .. only I don't anymore. Questions like * Are blends made from single origin beans that don't make the grade as a single origin in its own right? * I might have missed it .. but I didn't notice any 'blends' in the Golden Bean Awards?? * Blends to me .. are made from single origins that lack certain characteristics as a stand alone .. yet end up 'balanced' as a blend due to the blender's addition of a bean/s that contains that missing characteristic. * The best single origins that sell as stand-alones - present a 'natural' complete coffee flavour .. whereas blending beans from different regions is a Man-made' coffee flavour. Do we do it better than nature can? * So far - the coffees that have rated the highest .. have bean single origins.. not blends. Feel free to discuss any of the above?

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I'm wondering whether my lovely PV Lusso just spits the dummy when I put crappy beans into it?  :rofl:

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mycuppa

on 1397287921:

I've always thought that the blends have the advantage .. only I don't anymore. Questions like * Are blends made from single origin beans that don't make the grade as a single origin in its own right? * I might have missed it .. but I didn't notice any 'blends' in the Golden Bean Awards?? * Blends to me .. are made from single origins that lack certain characteristics as a stand alone .. yet end up 'balanced' as a blend due to the blender's addition of a bean/s that contains that missing characteristic. * The best single origins that sell as stand-alones - present a 'natural' complete coffee flavour .. whereas blending beans from different regions is a Man-made' coffee flavour. Do we do it better than nature can? * So far - the coffees that have rated the highest .. have bean single origins.. not blends. Feel free to discuss any of the above?

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I'm wondering whether my lovely PV Lusso just spits the dummy when I put crappy beans into it?  :rofl:

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Unfortunately Moony - your assumptions about blends versus SO's are not entirely correct. It would take a lot of time to explain this from many different angles - price, consistency, quality and consumer. The purist objective of a blend is to create something better, or improved - greater than the sum of it's parts. This approach to blending is independent of price or commercial bias - as you can appreciate it is possible to create a low-cost blend or a high-priced blend using just bland-only, a mix of bland+exciting or just-exciting beans. The science and engineering behind blending is considerable, with the occasional fluke at random moments. Typically, it's the larger companies many people may not cherish for coffee quality that are in fact more experienced and skilled at blending than the raft of fashionable specialty roasters. Reality is blends from every supplier change for various reasons - more often than many coffee consumers realize or even want to accept. What does that mean for a coffee that is reviewed ? Anyone who thinks they can get more than 4 months of consistency from a blend is dreaming - or they have incredibly (or unusually) deep pockets that enable them to outlay vast amounts of capital on raw coffees to be stockpiled at brokers and their own warehouses. I often have to restrain myself from a mildly amusing chuckle when I read reviews of coffees - the poor consumers read it 12 months later and think "ok, I am not going to try that coffee because of what I read - that reviewer did not have a positive experience so I will move on and look for only coffees that someone has enjoyed" whereas in reality many and most things would likely to have changed. So Moony - your reviews are very entertaining (for me personally) and please don't let me rain on your parade - but the coffee world moves at such a frantic pace the most important thing to keep in mind is.............."that's what it tastes like today and at this point in time for me it is OK/good/bad........., but......for better or worse......... it will be different in 6 months time". An important distinction to keep in mind - never write off a coffee as one day you may be very surprised. Case in point - that Colombian you have will run out this coming week - it's been an excellent performer for us since late 2013, but like all things it has come to an end.  We took delivery of another two different Colombians this last week - both of them exceptional and one of them in particular is in my opinion clearly superior to the lot it replaced.

Moon

Thanks for the info mycuppa  :thumb: I'm glad you find my reviews 'entertaining' as i don't claim to be a coffee 'expert' and hope I've mentioned it regularly enough on the thread for readers to not take my opinions too seriously, as though I'm some sort of Coffee Guru. It is a learning journey and I'm having a lot of fun with it.. and try to make it light-hearted and entertaining. I found the Merlo Forza a pretty ordinary drop at best .. 7.6/10 ..whereas Brett found it a cracker and rated it a 9.2/10 ...go figure? Obviously there are variations in batches .. and then there is the completely different coffee machine being used .. grind, tamp etc. All I'm doing is writing about my personal experience from a n00b perspective, warts and all .. being still a little wet behind the ears as far as coffee making goes. I'm glad KK's Yirgacheffe turned out a ripper - as he was a good sport to roast up a batch and send me around half of his roast, if it was a kilo .. at no charge,  to write up a review. Seeing KK is a moderator, and a major player on the forum, I was hoping that it shaped up at least up there .. although the first time I tried it .. I didn't think it was all that flash, and scored it accordingly. It improved after the first cup .. so I could put that first one down to getting the preparation and execution fairly right for that particular bean in my machine. Luckily it turned out a cracker as KK ended up handing over a fair deal of the credit to his KKTO roaster. Phew  :angel: I'm glad KK had the confidence in the bean and roast to take the risk .. cause if it had've turned out like the Merlo Forza in my machine .. it would have rated similarly .. finding itself in my 'drink it or sink it' category. My reviews would no doubt be different to what others would experience .. but good, bad or downright ugly .. I write it up as I find it.. although I sometimes will make an excuse that its non-performance could be due to my error somewhere along the line? The forum has labeled me 'Senior Barista' lol. I'm certainly trying .. and so far .. have managed some good results .. with a fair degree of consistency .. which is what I am after. I guess I'm like your *average coffee drinker who is striving for a really nice coffee to drink on a regular basis using modest equipment to achieve it ... without all the frills of a purist that talks about acidity, berry flavors that have a hint of bee pollen from a nearby grape vine, melon and citrus notes .. which is way out of my league.. and probably most others I would imagine. I'm basically -  Is it a nice coffee or not .. and if it is .. how nice on a scale of 10 is it - according to my personal taste. * Well .. ok .. maybe slightly above 'average' .. I do hang around in a Coffee forum, and have picked up a bit more about coffee than your average punter. 8)

Brett H

Sorry Mooney: 9.25!!  Yep... 9.25 I'm enjoying the Robust flavour of this!!

C-man

Brett what did you think of Jeff's last Colombian? He says he has an even better one now.  I gotta try that.