Ponte Vecchio Lusso - advice please?

Koffee_Kosmo · February 2014

Hey Moony old chap I am happy to roast you some coffee and post down to test and get a review All I need is for you to choose from a list of my greens and the depth you like me to roast it Cheers KK

Brett H · February 2014

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Hey Moony old chap I am happy to roast you some coffee and post down to test and get a review All I need is for you to choose from a list of my greens and the depth you like me to roast it Cheers KK

Wow... Lucky Moon!!

Moon · February 2014

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Wow... Lucky Moon!!

Yeah Brett .. which kinda confirms my decision to make Crema forum my home (rather than the alt) for the good vibes I received from the folk around here starting as a visitor back in October 2013 I checked out KK's site and noticed the green beans for sale are only in 1kg lots .. which I prefer not to purchase until I have tried some .. as I have found that if I don't fancy them .. then I don't end up drinking them .. and the beans end up being thrown out.. the reason being .. that when it comes to choosing beans to make a coffee, I have to make a choice - do I make myself a coffee from beans I don't particularly like to get my moneys worth .. or do I make an early call to toss them out and go with a bean I know I am going to enjoy? If I purchase a kilo of an untried new bean .. and end up not liking it .. I have to re-order or go down to the local deli to get some Supreme to drink knowing that I've done my $ and have to shell out more for my fix. I go through about 300g per week .. so anything over a kilo and I'm risking them going stale by the time I finish them. The beans I would be interested in from KK would be.. 1. Costa Rican SBH EP 2. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe 3. Columbian Supremo 'Bachue' 4. Columbian mountain I haven't been too impressed with Ethiopian beans when trying them (ages ago on my old Gaggia) .. however, this bean seems to do well in bean competitions .. so it is worth another try. If KK is prepared to go to the trouble of offering up smaller quantities for a taste test .. then I'm all up for it with many thanks :thumb: I will have to wait though .. as I still have 650g of Classic left to finish off. I'm also heading off to my Sisters up at the Gold Coast in a few weeks .. where we will be going to her favorite 'Merlo' Cafes .. so I imagine it is most likely that I will be picking up some Merlo (or other local beans) to bring home.

Rather than doing the Wine tour in the Barossa Valley .. it's the Gold Coast Cafe Tour for me :thumb: On the chart below - I'm more of a medium roast .. like my lattes .. I like a 9 :angel: Looking forward to the good times ahead 8)

Koffee_Kosmo · February 2014

Well just tell me when you are ready So the Ethiopian Yerg it is The Yerg takes a minimum of 8 days post roast degas KK

Moon · February 2014

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Well just tell me when you are ready So the Ethiopian Yerg it is KK

No worries - cheers KK Short n sweet

hiphipharar · February 2014

on 1393486081:

The Yerg takes a minimum of 8 days post roast degas KK

I find Ylrgacheffe one of the few beans I can drink within a week of roasting but like most Ethiopians, it definitely improves at about Day 10 onwards

Moon · March 2014

Last coffee at home before leaving.. 1. Classic - 9.1/10 .... nice way to head off.. Troddled over to Rhumbas at Watergardens this morning .. where the Barista greeted me with 'what can I do for you this morning?' I replied in a 'no holds barred' kinda fashion that I do on occasions - ''I would like a coffee that is better than the last one you made me'' Think I even forgot the please at the end .. oh well. He said 'I've never had any complaints about my coffees' - and I'm thinking to myself .. you have now .. can't use that line anymore as a defence Anyway .. with his nose already completely out of joint by this .. he asked me what was wrong with it? I said .. ''it tasted ..<pause> .. it tasted to me like the double-shot button had been pressed twice'' I went on to explain that I had to say something and couldn't think of a nice way to put it I knew whichever way I said it .. it was going down like a lead balloon. :stir I knew that in the Jumbo they do 3 shots .. 1 double and another double in a 2nd PF and split the shot = 3 This d00d explained this method again to me .. and said that this is how he always does it .. and went on to invite me to watch him do it .. which he did. He finished making the coffee in a takeaway cup and put the lid on it. I could tell just by looking at it, that it was going to be a good one. I took the lid off, tasted it. and said 'It's a good one .. thanked him .. and took off.. The d00d held it together pretty well .. although after making the coffee - repeated that he'd never had any complaints. I was bursting at the seams to say .. well what do you call what I'm doing? .. but didn't, seeing I'd damaged this blokes ego enough - and he's obviously in damage control mode. One of his work colleagues was listening and was quite amused by it all, going by the smile he had on his face while Barista was reeling from the massive insult. He's the Professional in this instance and I am the repeat paying customer. He should have kicked off his response with an apology .. something like - I'm sorry to hear that and apologize .. followed up with - I don't know how that could have happened as I make them all exactly the same each time. I mean really .. being a repeat customer .. even though it didn't occur to me at the time .. he could have given me the coffee at no charge .. I would have .. only this Cat was convinced the problem was with me.. The rating The Coffee - 8.3/10 (not as good as the Barista he replaced who scored an 8.5/10) Customer Service - how he handled the situation. Negatives * No apology * Total denial that he may have made an error. * No freebie as compensation/gesture Positives Kept his cool and was friendly & upbeat - launched into how was my day going.. Made me a good coffee this time - best so far This d00d won't be making me another dud coffee again.. as I believe we now have an understanding that I expect only his best. Rating - 7.7/10 With an apology - (even if he didn't believe he was in any way at fault) 8.5/10 With an apology and today's coffee on the house as compensation - 10/10

Brett H · March 2014

I don't know Moony. I reckon he scores a 9 from me for handling the 'blind-side'. Given he probably makes 300 coffees a day I don't know we can apply our 5 shot a day standards; however, given what they charge perhaps so...? I reckon you could be a bit gentler and personable in your request... "Hey mate, the last coffee I had here wasn't up to the usual standards... Did you have a bad batch of beans or something". We catch more flies with honey and you might receive a rolling discount as a preferred customer (quality control division' ;D)

Just my random musings as I travel between the couch and bathroom this morning... Let's call them gastro-musings.

Moon · March 2014

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I don't know Moony. I reckon he scores a 9 from me for handling the 'blind-side'. Given he probably makes 300 coffees a day I don't know we can apply our 5 shot a day standards

The poor bugger was looking down the barrel .. as I'm not known to be the life of the party after I wake up in the morning - until I've had at least one nice coffee.. preferably 2. The timing didn't do him any favors. His work mate asked me how I was going .. and I replied - I don't know yet until I've had my coffee. I'm big on praise when someone makes a good coffee .. or anything else for that matter .. and compliment people quite often for their good work .. or product.. and tend to speak up when it is sub-standard. If I cop one of those weak flavored milk coffees .. I have been known to take it back and say .. Excuse me, but I think you forgot to put the coffee in. Lol. I got that one from my Mother - Bless her heart. The coffee I had at a local Cafe the other day was a Jumbo latte .. and when I took the lid off .. it had chocolate sprinkled on top, even though it had 'latte' clearly marked on the cup. I was going to take it back to ask her to scrape it off (as I don't like chocolate added) only she was busy at the time, so I just scraped it off myself. Her more experienced co-worker came out to clean up the tables and I had a good chat with her about it .. and what I thought of the coffee. She told me the Barista had only been there for 3 months and would tell her that lattes don't get chocolate added. That's gotta be a positive .. yeah? When I first walked in .. I explained to the staff at the counter .. I'm looking for the best coffee in Werribee .. have I come to the right place? When they say yes .. the guarantee of their best effort is locked in. In this case it was a bit too mild .. and the lady I spoke to also agreed, and said she likes her coffee stronger. She has a pod machine at home. Many people don't like to offer criticism and most likely never go back. I see what I do as offering feedback, and doing them a favor .. which is sometimes appreciated. In this case (couldn't help myself) I told her it rated an 8/10 - having good texture but a little too mild for me .. due to having to concentrate on the flavour - rather than it being proudly in your face .. like a Classic or Merlo. As there are several 8.5/10 Cafes around, and some I haven't tried as yet .. I will not be going back there .. as in - why pay for an 8/10 coffee when there are 8.5s down the road? Apparently, this mob had only been there 6 months and appeared to be doing pretty well going by the numbers of customers that were there at the time. I walked away thinking that their coffee was pretty average.. which , in my mind, is not good enough for my patronage. It looked rather trendy .. yet serving a mild coffee in my opinion .. is aiming for your average suburban Aussie Mum n Dad types .. and clearly won't be drawing in the coffee connoisseurs, such as Yours Truly. As for my perhaps overly confident Barista with the unblemished 100% perfect record with no complaints about his coffee - until I came along.. that is lol - I'll be visiting him in the morning .. when I'll be more than happy to see him .. trust me .. oh .. err .. hang on - I'm never happy until after I've had my first coffee .. and the smart money (my $4.80) is that it will be a good one... and you can take that to the Bank. :thumb: This d00d is better for the reality check .. and that he should keep on his toes .. so every time he sees me .. he gets a reminder that he is mortal .. and shouldn't drop his guard. I'm simply doing a Don Chip from the Democrats - and keeping the son of a guns honest.

Brett H · March 2014

:thumb: As always mate, keep us posted! :coffee2:

Moon · March 2014

No worries Brett I do usually subscribe to the approach you mentioned - you catch more flies with honey .. only it's a work in progress .. especially seeing I'm aware that I'm not a morning person, especially until ----> :coffee2: I can usually handle just about anything .. only I draw the line at .. paying for a crap coffee , where it's more about being deprived of the enjoyment .. and to a lesser extent .. being ripped off. I'm happy to pay whatever .. so long as it's a nice one.

Moon · March 2014

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T I'm simply doing a Don Chip from the Democrats - and keeping the son of a guns honest.

The above post containing this line has been edited by a moderator

Koffee_Kosmo · March 2014

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The above post containing this line has been edited by a moderator

No the forum is set up to change certain words automatically to more forum friendly format

Moon · March 2014

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No the forum is set up to change certain words automatically to more forum friendly format

Automatic eh .. that's a let off .. and here I was thinking it must've been ol' Brettmate .. son of guns .. hahahaha I just didn't want anybody thinking I came up with that one.. crikey .. going the quick handball off :rofl: * Apologies to Brett :D

Went back to get another jumbo latte from me Barista buddy this morning. He had the day off .. recovering perhaps? Was intercepted by an English babe on a Working Visa trying to sign me up to change Electricity & Gas Companies. I felt like a zombie and had to explain that I'm in no condition to get into comparing rates .. as I needed my coffee. Funny .. they both commented on how different I was after I walked away .. drank my triple shot jumbo coffee and came back 5 minutes later. I could then focus, perked up and ended up signing up. I put it down to 70% the great coffee .. and 30% cause she was a bit of a honey. Could have been the other way around? :angel: One of the experienced Gals made it for me .. it was really nice .. Rating - best in a Shopping Center - 8.9/10 She said that they pay $60/kilo for their top of the line Lavazza.. and they use a Mazzer Robur grinder. Golly .. with all that .. and only an 8.9/10 .. and I'm getting 9s on my gear .. Hmm?

Brett H · March 2014

Top of the line lavazza.. Now that's edit-worthy you son of a gun

:rofl:

Moon · March 2014

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Moon, we get pretty outrageous and outraged around here :thumb:

And here I was feeling comfy .. pushing the boundary and letting it all hang out .. You could have given me the heads-up that the Crema Forum had a 'G' Rating .. or perhaps 'PG' at a stretch.

Hang on .. I'll see how I go saying Bum? Golly gosh .. all those kids I've been corrupting.. or has the swear-filter been installed to protect the Grown-ups? :stir

Yeah .. top of the line Lavazza. Previously .. I hadn't been all that impressed with the brand .. and would avoid Cafes using it. This one is very nice though .. it would want to be for $60 a kilo .. when mycuppa's $22 a kilo Barista is *better. I guess it's no wonder the hairs on the back of their necks bristle when someone complains about the coffee they're served up. I knew it wasn't the beans . * Couldn't go saying the Lavazza was just as good as Jeff's .. now could I? .. even if it did cost nearly 3 times as much. :angel:

C-man · March 2014

I have some of Jeffs Colombian and it Rocks! the Hond. is a cracker too....

Moon · March 2014

Do you drink it as a latte or espresso? If latte .. how would you rate each out of 10? I have briefly mentioned this before .. and this is aimed at those who drink both espresso and latte. Does an excellent shot taste mean it will be an excellent latte? Is it always .. most cases .. 50-50?

Schweppes soft drinks have been on special .. so I loaded up with some of my favorites since childhood .. Creamy soda & lime. Blimey .. I've been drinking more creamy soda than coffee lately.

Brett H · March 2014

I'm currently drinking Redemption of the Spro as a short black and a hotter than usual group temperature. I'm giving it 9.3 or 9.4 depending on the volume 50ml or 60ml respectively.

Moon · March 2014

Pretty neat name Brett .. Redemption of the spro .. sounds more like a Movie rather than a bean. ;D Is it you who also drinks lattes or is that Lacehim? If so, how do you rate it as a milk drink? I really should make a note of who drinks what.

C-man · March 2014

I don't know how to rate by numbers, but Jeff's Colombian is one of the best beans I have had from him and I have had many. The big mouth feel is like a JBM yet different. The big body and tons of crema is just delicious The flavors are hard to describe, Cacao and exotic unusual spice are a couple words that come to mind I drink it with milk as a creamy flat white, short blacks are good too. Highly recommended. Brett- Sounds like you got the Spro dialed in, you should grab some Colombian next......

Brett H · March 2014

Sounds like a plan C-man. The Spro was dialled in from the first shot... How fluky is that!!! In milk the redemption works, but I reckon given your tastes Moony I'd be grabbing that Columbian!!

C-man · March 2014

Trust me on that one..

Moon · March 2014

Howdy I have just received KK's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe in the mail today .. a very generous amount I must say

Can't wait to try these out .. although the minimum 8 day degassing period isn't until Tuesday .. I might get a sneak preview of things to come .. sooner than later .. like right now in fact. Of course I won't be posting my early impressions in here .. until after the 8 days are up .. and a little tweaking. With the amount KK has sent me .. there's no chance of running out before getting these babies sorted. Will be heading up to the Gold Coast next Thursday for 5 days .. and hope to be coming back with some samples of other new beans to try out using my new equipment. Knowing that you now have a good coffee machine and grinder .. it certainly takes bean hunting to a whole new level. Also, now having my gear for 4 months and getting past the initial teething problems, there is much more consistency producing the quality in the cup. I'm sure with more experience .. it can be improved further, only I am happy with the results thus far. I'm still pondering on the idea of getting a home coffee roaster .. although I'm quite happy to leave it to the experienced for the time being .. and simply enjoy the fruits of their labour. It's probably a good idea to hone your skills on your coffee machine, grinder, tamper before complicating things trying to get the roast right. I now believe, like other posters in here earlier were telling me .. that it is better to keep it simple and focus on improving certain areas first .. rather than trying to do it all .. as it makes it too difficult to know where the problem exists that needs improvement. Off to make that coffee now. I used to roast my green beans on my popcorn popper and cool them down with a small fan .. then grind 'em up for a coffee straight away .. or more often .. use them the following day. I'm glad I've moved beyond that practice. Thanks heaps for the beans KK :thumb:.. and looking forward to doing the reviews - (crikey .. I hope they're up there? I guess that's the risk you take) Edit: :thumb:

Koffee_Kosmo · March 2014

No problem Moon the pleasure is all mine The beans are roasted on the lighter side as requested and noted in the post quote below Note - As a rule of thumb, the lighter the roast the longer it takes to degas and settle to the sweet spot

on 1394364074:

Today I roasted on the KKTO - a kilo of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Peaberry for review by member Moon I found a special reserved bag of Peaberry and thought it to be appropriate for this occasion Roasted to just before second crack Some will be sent to Victoria and a little kept for me to sample KK

Moon · March 2014

Just returned home from the Gold Coast last night .. and seeing my sister is a huge Merlo fan .. I knew I'd be bringing home some Merlo treats. There were 3 Merlo bean blends - 'Private Blend', 'Riveria', and the stronger 'Forza' which I didn't get to try on my sisters 'Lelit' machine and Lelit grinder. After a couple of the Private blends .. it was noticeable that the grind was too course, so we set about adjusting the grinder 3 steps towards a finer grind setting .. that took the lattes I was drinking from a rating of 7.7/10 up to an 8.4/10 which were very nice over the following days. The Riveria blend rated similarly. Previously the pour had been too fast .. and the changed setting had slowed it down to about right, with excellent crema. As well as scoring the Merlo .. we went on a Coffee hunt .. and picked up 2 other bean blends. One from 'Ground Control Coffee Roastery' in Tweed Heads South. The other was an Australian produced blend from the local 'Zentvelds' plantation near Byron Bay NSW. Ground Control was the first stop, as we'd noticed a Coffee Roastery sign when passing by previously. It was located in a Semi-Industrial area and had a Warehouse Industrial theme going. They had about 6 different coffees on the counter of which I chose their house blend and a medal winner at the Golden Bean Awards from Peru .. for 2 lattes in smaller 5 oz glasses to try out. This place, the machinery, and the young Barista at the counter were mega serious about their coffee .. and they weren't all sizzle and no steak .. Man, I was blown away by their house blend named 'Major Tom' and as a result .. came away with a 200g bag to try at home. Shoulda gone the 500g .. only it was the first stop .. and needed to leave room for others. I didn't realize I'd hit the jackpot first up.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe - Day 17 (post roast) Back closer to home .. I have just tried KK's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe - which he generously sent a half kilo for me to try out and review. Thanks heaps KK.

It will take a little tinkering to get the best out of these beans .. so I'll start with my usual grind setting and take it from there. 18g Tamp - polish only at half full basket .. starting off with a lightish tamp when full. As I was taking photos .. I didn't get to time the pour. Required 2 full lever pulls to get the right shot volume .. appeared about 30ml The pour was too fast .. so I will try a harder tamp on the next one before adjusting the grind finer. Pouring too fast means that it will lack some body and flavour.. so until I can slow it down .. I won't be expecting great results. The result. Smooth .. a little thin, and yep .. lacking flavour. Rating - 8.2/10 [Harsh but fair - checkout under my username - don't tell me I didn't warn yers :angel:] First attempt - could have been a sinker .. so, although a sluggish start - it will no doubt improve. :thumb: * I'll check out the photos and if ok .. will post below Edit: I have attempted to post photos of the Ethiopian pour and result latte .. only it appears as though there is a problem with posting 2 thumbnail photos in one post. I will try again tomorrow.

Moon · March 2014

Ok .. it's a new coffee day and started it off with some of the last of the Sirius Classic that is around 6 weeks post roast and still performing, as it has from day 1. Rating - 9/10. Consistently very nice. Needed to get the taste buds warmed up for another shot at the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe KK sent me.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe - Day 18 Started with 18g .. only using a heavier tamp .. needed to top it up with another gram to fill the basket to 3-4mm from the top .. as I'm aiming to slow the pour down. 1st lever pull produced a rather slow shot of about 18ml .. so I did a 2nd to end up with about 27ml with ample crema. 1st pull took 30 secs .. 2nd 10 secs = 40 secs total. Microfoam was perfect and my latte certainly looked as though it should be good. Milk was heated to 62C which is just past the start of the blue wedge on my thermometer. My preferred drinking temp is about 58C First taste was bitter .. as is often the case .. but Wow, did this coffee impress from then on. Rating - 9.2/10 Smooth, full body, lovely texture .. and flavoursome. Delicious. Yep .. these babies are definitely up with the best of 'em. Nice one KK :thumb: Nice? Better make that - Excellent one KK :coffee2:

For the next cup .. I'll be trying the Merlo 'Private blend' to see how that shapes up using my Ponte Vecchio Lusso & Compak grinder? With another 4 beans/blends to try after that ---> it's good Coffee times ahead for Moony :P

Koffee_Kosmo · March 2014

I did not want to post my impressions of the portion of beans I had, so it did not influence you I have another shot or two left but will give them till the weekend to sample them again For a single origin they are well balanced and will get better as you extract them better KK

Moon · March 2014

Just tried the Merlo Private blend Medium tamp .. one lever pull with 3 fellini moves to get the air out of the cylinder - that produced a 25ml shot .. which, for Merlo - I figured was all that was needed. Mega crema and a great result Rating - 9.1/10 This is a full-on in your face mouth flavour .. although more superficial than the Yirg. I tend to prefer a coffee with more depth- which is why I scored the Yirg slightly higher. I look below all the sizzle .. for a bit of steak. So far my scorecard reads - in order of personal preference 1. mycuppa Guatemala (the old beans) 9.3/10 2. KK's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe - 9.2/10 3. Merlo - Private blend - 9.15/10 4. Sirius Classic - 9.1/10 5. mycuppa Guatemala (the fresher beans) - 9.1/10 6. mycuppa Barista - 8.9/10 ^ All very nice coffees right there Still to be tried and rated Merlo - Riveria Merlo - Forza Ground Control - Major Tom Zentvelds - Byron blend

Moon · March 2014

Just tried a Zentvelds Byron blend 19g - medium tamp, double fellini .. poured slowly - 30 secs 1st pull + 10 secs on the 2nd = 40 secs total. Seeing I knew that Australian grown Coffees are on the mild side .. it wasn't a bad thing to be slow to extract more flavour. Heaps of crema. It had a full body .. and a flavour I couldn't work out. I had noticed a bit of oil on some of the beans. If this happens when I'm roasting .. I throw them in the bin. It's a timing thing... oops too long. Crikey - I'm not sure whether I like this coffee .. have to give it a few more tries .. to be fair ..especially seeing it's Australian grown. I like to support the Aussies .. even if it costs more - but only if they produce a quality product. Jury is out on this one.. For this point in time Rating - 7.6/10 That's a drink it or sink it score .. it didn't taste really bad .. a little strange .. a bit of a nothing coffee really. A Claytons coffee .. that's it - it's the coffee you think you are having .. but not 100% sure? No satisfaction there.. which is not good.

The story behind finding this coffee goes like this.. My sister knew we were going on a coffee bean hunt on the Gold Coast and had previously taken her Lelit coffee machine in for a repair which ended up being at the Zentveld Coffee plantation at the back of Byron Bay. She rang them about their coffee and was told that they had a Cafe in Bangalow that stocked all of their coffee. As we were in Terranora .. it was a 45 min drive. When we arrived and found the Cafe, there was a sign on the door .. 'Due to unforeseen circumstances the shop is closed' That's a wtf moment right there. After looking through the window .. we could see some movement out the back, so we drew his attention. After explaining our situation .. he told us that he was one of the coffee machine repairers that worked at the plantation. Must be the handyman .. cause he was there fixing the problem they were having with the power, which was why they were closed. Anyway, this friendly bloke invited us in after we said we were interested in purchasing coffee beans .. only had no idea of what type to get .. so this d00d started making me one .. even though they were closed. He loads up and starts the pour thinking he's making me an espresso shot .. when I told him I drink lattes - and couldn't tell whether I liked the coffee from having a short black. So .. after explaining that he wasn't the Cafe's Barista .. proceeded to finish my latte It was extremely nice of this bloke to go to the trouble and I was very appreciative .. only when I sat down at a table to drink it .. err .. my sister asked me what it was like. I said it's shidhouse and I can't drink it .. especially seeing I was on a coffee run and had a limit as to how much caffeine I can consume .. and didn't want to fill up on that .. My sister offered to drink it .. only I knew she had reached her limit and was feeling a little ill from all the coffee. I was looking at the pot plants to sneak over and pour it into while he wasn't looking .. when my sister figured out what I was planning - again offered to drink it. I ended up swallowing it down in a gulp or two .. can't remember .. I think my brain shut down for a few seconds there. Anyway, that was the house blend .. so I had no idea whether it was any good or not .. based on that experience. Funny .. as I handed back the empty cup .. he looked at me and asked me what the coffee was like .. which put me on the spot. I don't like telling lies .. but this Guy was so nice and obliging .. how could I tell him his coffee was terrible I couldn't .. so I said it was nice and then asked for 200 grams of a different coffee. I wonder whether he caught on? By the taste of the first cup of this Byron blend .. I don't fancy my chances of being able to say 'It was all worthwhile in the end' ... without telling another lie.

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