October brought variety: a new roaster, a new origin, and my first real struggle with grind settings.
Wahgi Valley
S.K. Coffee · Papua New Guinea · ★★★☆☆
| Brew Method | Grind Setting |
|---|---|
| Espresso | #2 |
| Pour Over | #18-19 |
My first bag from S.K. Coffee. Papua New Guinea isn't an origin I see often, which made this interesting. Solid three-star territory—good enough to finish the bag, not memorable enough to seek out again.
Baide
Verve · Honduras · ★★★★☆
| Brew Method | Grind Setting |
|---|---|
| Espresso | #4-5 |
| Pour Over | #20 |
Now this was more like it. Four stars for a Honduran that just worked. Light roast, single origin, but tastes more dark for a light roast. Easy to dial in, pleasant in the cup. The kind of coffee that doesn't demand attention but rewards it anyway.
Chelchele
Verve · Ethiopia · ★☆☆☆☆
October 16, 2024
Can't figure out how to brew these small Ethiopian beans. First take I went 18 grind. This is too fine as my pour was around 5 minutes. Coffee was bitter.
First take is too bitter. I'm still far from working this out. Bitter made my morning harder. I wouldn't serve this brew to anyone.
One star. Not because the coffee is bad—it's probably excellent in capable hands. But I couldn't get it right, and a coffee I can't brew well doesn't earn points for potential.
Lessons learned: Ethiopian beans need coarser grinds than I expected. Also, S.K. Coffee is now on my radar.
Next up: November 2024—a Kenyan that arrived just in time for Thanksgiving.