Cup Tasting #1

The final product was finally tasted last week and today. When I learned from a friend the basics of coffee roasting, we tried it with both the beans from the backyard of our house as well as with some better quality beans from Sulawesi.

First of all, I have to say that it was very fun to finally roast my own coffee. Watching the beans get darker as they passed through each stage and finally when they cracked open slightly and the oil reached the outside. I couldn't believe it, I had roasted my own coffee and the beans looked like what I get when I open up an 8oz from Starbucks.

'It Worked!'

So, the coffee from my yard, when it was ground, had a sweet smell to it, nice. When brewed, it also has some sweet notes to it, but it lacked the punch that I expected. Not bad for a first attempt though. I can always roast a bit darker.

Today I ground some of the lighter roasted Sulawesi Utara. It's aroma after grinding wasn't as strong as the Javenese that I grew here, but the flavor was far better. I really enjoyed it. It still had some sweet notes, but it had a good rounded flavor from the get-go. It's a good coffee to drink quickly. Some coffees taste better after they've sat for about 7-10 minutes but this one's 'bouquet' of flavor blooms right away. It was good!

So, there's my notes after my first 'cupping', thanks for all the interest and questions I got on this subject. I'll hopefully get many more opportunities to try my hand at roasting. Makes you want to join us here doesn't it ;-)