Not Every Specialty Coffee Will Be Special

In this episode, I get real about something we don't talk about enough in specialty coffee: not every coffee is going to be special to you, and that's perfectly okay. I share my experience with a lightly roasted Kenyan coffee that smells divine but I just don't like, and reflect on a customer review that said my Brazilian coffee "wasn't special enough." I dive into why coffee preference is entirely personal and subjective, and why once a bag of coffee leaves a roaster's hands, it becomes yours to judge however you want.

I also open up about my own coffee preferences—I'm a medium to dark roast person who craves acidity balanced with sweetness, and I'm not big on natural process coffees or overly fruit-forward profiles. I explain my complicated relationship with Brazilian coffee: it's the most important coffee for introducing people to specialty, and it's my best seller, but I can only drink it for a couple hundred grams before I need something else. You'll learn why being honest with yourself about what you like and don't like is the most important skill in coffee, and I'll encourage you to write down your preferences so you can understand your palate better. This episode is about embracing your taste, welcoming feedback, and understanding that growth comes from knowing exactly why you like what you like.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:10 "Not Special Enough": Reflecting on Customer Feedback
• 3:35 Coffee Preference Is Entirely Personal
• 5:09 Why Brazilian Coffee Is Most Important, Not Best
• 6:32 My Coffee Preferences: Medium-Dark, Sweet & Acidic
• 8:37 The Problem With Coffee Labels & Expectations
• 10:33 Colombians: My Best Seller That I Rarely Drink
• 12:21 Track Your Preferences: Write Down What You Like
• 14:21 Growth Through Feedback & Different Perspectives
• 16:21 Final Thoughts: Understanding Why You Like What You Like

Transcript

[00:00:05]
What I have in front of me is a Kenyan coffee, lightly roasted. I have a particular profile that I usually go with and it's been off roast for about two, three weeks. I've had it a couple of times, played around with different grinders. Smells absolutely divine, amazing smell of the coffee. But I don't like it.

[00:00:38]
I'm not just saying that I think I'm very honest with you. I think you should be honest with yourself. But I think I'm coming to terms with it. I'm still testing it out, different recipes and all that good stuff that we do and try to bring out the best in the coffee. But I don't like it. I'll probably be good for about 100, 150 grams of it. And that's it, I'll be done with it.

[00:01:15]
The reason why I'm bringing this up is because not too long ago, I had somebody buy some of my coffee, which I greatly appreciate. They bought it off of Amazon. And I think I was talking about Brazilian coffees at the time. And he bought it, he gave a review. And it was good mostly. It was a four out of five stars, which that's probably where I'm gonna average anyway with my coffee in general. On Amazon, wherever you may buy it, if you buy it, don't care if you do or if you don't.

[00:02:01]
But the thing that I kept on thinking about was not special enough. And we were people of understanding, hopefully, of critiques. And it's just somebody's opinion. And I think that all opinions are valid. But in this case, I'm gonna step out of this a little bit and kind of think about it a little differently if we can.

[00:02:33]
At the end of the day, we're talking about coffee flavor and preferences. That's it. That's it. I may say something on the bag about it's tasting juicy. You'll like it in this application. But even if I don't, or any other roasters out there that do or don't, it doesn't matter. Once that bag of coffee essentially leaves your hand, that's that person's coffee. That's not your coffee anymore.

[00:03:08]
That's gonna go through their own protocol. Gonna go through their own ritual to see what this coffee is all about. And through their honesty and projections and judgment and raves and positive and negatives, whatever it may be. That's theirs. That's yours. Because that's what you're tasting in the cup of coffee. And that's perfectly fine.

[00:03:41]
The thing that kind of gets me going a little bit more is that, I talked about this a little bit, I alluded to this a couple of weeks ago, is that we have to understand what coffee flavor and preference means to us. We really do. Because one person's not special and the next person's special are totally different for whatever reasons. It's not a right and wrong thing here. It's just like, damn, this is what I like. Get off me. And that's kind of like where we're at with this thing.

[00:04:26]
And if we can be honest with ourselves, understanding the things that we do understand with the parameters and equipment and the way that we go about doing things, that's all that matters. Truly, that's the only thing that matters here. And as we sit here and ponder and think about why this coffee is what this is, are we truly really asking ourselves, why do I like this coffee? Why don't I like this coffee?

[00:05:08]
Because I'll tell you right now, I think I've said it many times. Brazilian coffee to me is not the best coffee. But it's the most important coffee. And I still believe that mainly because it gives people that introduction into what specialty coffee is. If you're roasted right, you do your things and all that. That coffee more than likely for a majority of people is gonna be better than what they're used to accustomed and tasting in coffee. Point blank.

[00:05:51]
However, as you continue to trust and depend, and as your palate starts to really developed, you start to want to know what else is out there. You've heard people talk about strawberries and blueberries and a complexity and acidity tea like flavors from time to time. You want to taste that you want to experience that you want to know if you like that.

[00:06:28]
That's the thing that we're really getting at here. And I have my own preference. I'm a medium to dark roasted person. I love I like sweetness, but I need that acidity kick. It doesn't have to be a 50 50 split. For some odd reasons, the fruit or the coffee like a natural. I don't really care for. If something's really high in acidity and doesn't have really that much character to me, it doesn't do it for me.

[00:07:04]
I like fine sometimes in my coffee. I like that clarity from time to time. But not every time to where I have to pay attention to the very beginning of the sip. I like a coffee that changes as I drink it. From hot to cold. I like a darker roast African coffee. Mediums do it for me to. Lightly roasted from time to time. Like I said, just for a short time, not a long time.

[00:07:46]
I didn't even mention Brazilians. The way I drink Brazilians is that I probably drink it majority of the time, but I can't have a lot of it because it has those characteristics of like a chocolatey, nutty type of taste, which will grow rate in milk and creamer and sugar and all that stuff. Right? Because it holds up pretty well. It's like an adult milk chocolate drink. Milk chocolate drink, which is perfectly fine. I drink my coffee's black. I think that's where the expressions really lie. But that's just me.

[00:08:28]
I'm just this weird dude over here on this corner, talking about what I like and what I don't like. But I think if we can sit here and have an honest conversation. From listener, viewer, supporter, coffee drinker to coffee roaster, this is what I like. This is how I take in information. And so let's find that coffee.

[00:08:57]
You don't have to spend a tremendous amount of money on coffee. It's like, I don't care who you're buying from, I don't care. Spend your money how you want to, spend it the way you want to spend it. Let's enjoy, let's explore what's out there. That's kind of what we're really getting at. If you can be honest with yourself, oh my God, that's the most dangerous thing or the most powerful thing that you can do. Because here's what happens, if you're honest with yourself, you'll remember.

[00:09:36]
So I have a particular coffee. I had a purple caturra, it was amazing, I have all the roasts, I know exactly what the coffee is, I remember that coffee and I keep chasing that one particular coffee. You remember that as well, but you remember why you like or love that particular coffee from a particular roaster, from a particular region. That stays with you because that's your preference.

[00:10:13]
So what I'm trying to say is that when you ask yourself what is it that I like, and you're honest about it and you're trying to explore what's out there, those notes, those hints that you're picking up on from region to region, varietal to varietal, roaster to roaster, the things that you're doing as you're brewing at home, that's it. That's essentially all you need. And you need to remember that. That's you tasting it, and you knowing it, and you understanding, and you speaking it, whatever the hell you want to say it.

[00:10:56]
Now, Colombians, that's probably one of the most important things that I think is in my arsenal. I don't drink them a lot. I truly really don't. Even though it's a staple of what I drink because. That's my best seller. And. It's a coffee that. Can get interesting. Has tons of sweetness. Lacks that acidity that I crave in a coffee. But you can get there from time to time. And that's it. Frank it from a little bit. Couple hundred grams of coffee. And I'm done.

[00:11:35]
But like I said too. I have to be better about sharing. About what this coffee this application is good for. But it doesn't matter. Once you get it. You're going to do the things that you want to do. You're going to make the recipe that you want to wake. You're going to explore that coffee the way that you want to do it. And if you don't like it. She don't like it. Point blank. You just don't like it.

[00:12:11]
Maybe you could pinpoint exactly why you don't like it. But. It kind of really doesn't matter. But I do take. But I do wish you will take this with me. As we. Talk about this situation. Is that. If you don't like something. Write it down. Ask yourself why you don't like it. What are the notes on the bags? What was that information that I did learn? Or what did I pick up on?

[00:12:46]
So if I hear chocolatey nutty. Chocolatey nutty. Hersey Marshalls or whatever the hell is called. Hershey Kisses. Or deep dark chocolate. Blah blah blah blah blah blah. You have a decent indicator of understanding like what you're going to actually be drinking. Or they say it's jammy and it's raspberry. So you may get that fruit flavored depending on the grinder that you may have. That's what I'm going to say. That's where we're at with this.

[00:13:22]
Because a lot of times those labels are bullshit. Myself included. But that is some information that you can get. In order. With the application that you're trying to go on. When you're trying to enjoy that coffee. Or not enjoy that coffee. Because that's where we're really at. So. Enjoy. Judge. Like. Dislike. But as long as you're exploring. And you understand. What you're really trying to get out of the coffee. For that particular time. That's all that matters. That's the only thing that matters.

[00:14:10]
I welcome all the criticism. I welcome all the feedback. I welcome it because this is where. The growth comes from. Leave off this with you. Is that a lot of times when you're doing something like this. You don't know what others may think. Yeah you may see a like you may see a comment. You may see a high five. Somebody may call you out on it here and there. But you don't know really. How others. Are taking the information that you're giving.

[00:14:50]
And throughout the year. I've grown quite a bit. You've grown quite a bit. With. Watching others. Actually performing the craft. Each and every day. Or whenever you may do it. But I guess the biggest takeaway here is that. When I get that feedback. When I get that. Review when I get that. Your opinion against mine. That's part of the growth. That I look forward to.

[00:15:23]
Because. I don't think that way. I think the way that I think. And I do the things that I do. But when I get. Either a pushback. Or comment. Or. Somebody saying hey I do it differently this way. Sometimes I'll try it. Sometimes I will. Just sit here and just ponder and just think about. What does that mean for me and how can I grow. Because that's all I care about really. I care that I grow. More selfishly than anything.

[00:16:02]
But also hopefully that. There's something in this. Journey that we're going on together. Trying to get. To get. To get. For an altogether. Short long whatever it may be. One video at a time or no videos subscribe unsubscribe. Is that. We get something like that from each other we just want that type of growth. So yeah.

[00:16:27]
Not every coffee in specialty coffee. Is going to be special. That doesn't mean that it's not special. This is not special to you. I go through it too. I am in a world. Or in a situation right now where. I have grinders. I have coffee. Different degrees of variations playing around with water a little bit more. And.

[00:16:58]
I'm just exploring and enjoying as much as I can too. My biggest thing is that I'm trying to really understand why I like what I like. And if you like what you like and you know the reasons why. You're you are doing really good right now. So. Let me know what you think I thought to you later. Bye.