General question on Massaii AA and American Blend.

[speleomike]

Hi all
I got a selection of beans for xmas from Pine Tea & Coffee and have been trying them out. Most are pretty nice but a couple were not adn I was wondering if they are supposed to be like they are.

Kenya Massaii AA
their description: "The best available from Kenya. The tasters choice. Filter/Plunger."
I found: had a burnt taste (wife says burnt too). Beans smell burnt to me adn are very very dark compared to any other roast.

American Blend RAS 2001 Award Winner Plunger Class
their description: "Full bodied, smooth, strongly aromatic with hints of spice. A breakfast coffee for filter/plunger. "
I found: taste is like coffee from a filter machine like most motels have which has been standing all day. Quite acidy and bitter and maybe a bit of burnt aroma.

My question is how do labels such as Massaii AA vary from supplier to supplier. Is there any consistency or not i.e they just pick a name? Should it be a really dark roast and burnt?
Is Americal Bland supposed to be like this also? Also it says suitable for filter / plunger whereas I used a Silvia. Perhaps I should have used a coarser grind to get less extraction (but after 20 secs the flow was quite light coloured).

Mike

[stratford]

Re: General question on Massaii AA and American Bl

I am guessing you got these beans already roasted?

Generally, the green beans are similar from crop/estate/year and after grading AA or whatever, but they are then left in the hands of the roaster, who can:

a. Roast them to bring out the best in the bean, light, medium or dark, whatever,

b. Roast them to extinction, and end up with charcoal, or

c. Something in between.

When you try roasting these beans yourself, you will quickly find out what you like and dont like....I am not a great fan of Kenyan coffee, though others might say it is their favourite!

Enjoy the coffee 8-)

[Littorin]

Re: General question on Massaii AA and American Bl

Hmm.. It sound you have come over some really charcoaly kenya. After what I have heard and experienced, Kenya coffee can take pretty high roasts. The AA (common not estate) I have roasted have had a lot of acid and have roasted very consistent. To many people Kenya is rather to acidy and the roasters tend to go higher in roasts, to get a little more sweetness. But if you go that high so the taste is getting charcoaly I think you way past and It´s really waste of mony on pretty expensive coffee. Try to get some green kenya and roast it medium to high and you will get the real taste.

/alex

[speleomike]

Re: General question on Massaii AA and American Bl

Hi
Ah sorry stratford, yes the beans were already roasted.
Yes Littorin, the Massaii was quite acidic so I can understand that if sweetness picks up with higher roasting thats why they roasted the Massaii more. I also had a Mocha Kenya. It wasnt roasted as much (medium clolour roast) but was very acidic but mainly didnt like it as it had little or no body or flavour.
Mike

[nunu]

Re: General question on Massaii AA and American Bl

You might also have gotten stale beans. I know from experience that Pine has their beans sitting in clear glass jars. From what Ive seen, the majority of their roasts are quite dark, and nearly all of the beans on offer were significantly oily. Kenyan beans are generally quite "winey" or acidic, so they tend to sit better incorporated into blends rather than as SO.

I rarely buy pre-roasted coffee. Id rather get my own greens and roast them to my preferences. I can also ensure their freshness, wheres you dont know when those beans you got were roasted.

Do you roast your own Mike?

[speleomike]

Re: General question on Massaii AA and American Bl

Hi all

nunu asked....
> Do you roast your own Mike?
Not yet. I have been making enquiries (see posts here) about roasters and the Gene seems like it might be a nice starting machine for me once there is a distributor. So im thinking about doing some roasting myself this year.

So basically I think that it looks lik the Kenyan stuff I got wasnt much chop but it may have been overroased. Ill try a kenyan from other place when I see it. The stuff from Pine and Tea was a xmas pressy from parents in law and was quite a nice collectioon - nice to try 8 different coffees - most were nice.

Mike