The final month of the journal. Two coffees to close out the year—one nostalgic, one challenging.
Snow Emergency
Dogwood · ★★☆☆☆
December 15, 2025
| Brew Method | Grind Setting |
|---|---|
| Pour Over | #20-22 |
Roasted on 11-25-25.
I think this used to be the house blend for the Askov Finlayson kids. It was the coffee was better there than I am able to brew.
Working between 20-22 grind size, this makes an ok cup. Still a little bitter. Not sure I will go back to this again.
Didn't try espresso.
Two stars. Snow Emergency used to hit different when I'd get it at a café. Brewing at home, I couldn't capture that magic. Sometimes coffee is about context as much as the beans.
Gogojo
Verve · Ethiopian - Washed - Heirloom · ★★★☆☆
December 22, 2025
| Brew Method | Grind Setting |
|---|---|
| Pour Over | #26 |
East African. Peach, jasmine, simple syrup.
Been working on this for a week or two. Used ChatGPT for help brewing the east African.
Bag is empty but I went up to 26 grind and 198° Came out smooth finally. Up until now it was bitter. Can't taste the notes but the taste was smooth.
Katie knocked down hers in record speed. She is my barometer for how good a coffee is. She is too kind to tell me when a coffee stinks.
Grind at 26 for pour over. Temp was 198°, too cool to bring out flavor, hotter temps bring out blunt notes. Start next African light at 205°.
Three stars. Finally cracked the Ethiopian code—coarser grind, lower temp. It only took me a year and an AI assistant. Katie's approval was the real validation.
That's a wrap on the 2025 coffee journal. Check out the year-end summary for stats, favorites, and lessons learned.