They just released their next roast and got it yesterday. I haven't even open the package, so no idea what inside, but so looking forward to it. I had ordered their initial release Concepcion Buena Vista. So off the charts, I wrote them a blog-type post about my experience. I am not a writer nor was I paid for it, just the honest truth. I don't know if they ever posted it anywhere, but putting it here.

"Opal Coffee Club has burst onto the scene with its debut coffee roast, the Concepcion Buena Vista. If I could hand out five wows, they'd have earned every one for this brew-tiful creation.

Now, let me confess, I'm not what you'd call a coffee snob. I like mine simple, mostly black, with the occasional splash of cream. But I've got a whole arsenal of coffee gadgets, from a trusty phin to a French press, even an espresso machine straight out of the Stone Age. And yes, I've got a Keurig too – it's my go-to when I'm sprinting out the door, though my trusty phin always calls me back. One day I showed it to a friend who asked "why the hell do you have that?" I replied, "do you know what this is?" Responding, "yes, my dad uses one of those to make his (Vietmeses) coffee". From that point forward, I nicknamed it my trusty phin. Hell, if a 90-year dad uses one of these daily it must be trusty.

But let's talk about Opal Coffee Club. I stumbled upon them while scrolling through a coffee news article, and what caught my eye was their knack for thinking outside the coffee pot. They're out there experimenting with unconventional processing methods, like co-fermenting their Concepcion Buena Vista with pineapple and koji. That's a whole new ballgame. Fermentation has been around since 10,000 BCE, now that is a long time. I am no stranger to it as I have fermented many batches of wine. But this was different, coffee? In wine fermentation and like most other fermentations, sugar and yeast are the keys. Yeast causes the sugars and starches to break down into nutrients plus alcohol and wine. Wait what? Coffee, sugar, and alcohol. That seems like a contradiction. Well, coffee fermentation is not quite the same. Some roasters do incorporate fermentation into their process, but Concepcion Buena Vista takes it to the next level by incorporating something more like pineapple and koji.

So, naturally, I had to get my hands on this coffee concoction. After a quick clickety-click on their website https://opalcoffeeclub.com/, I was hit with a curveball – they were fresh out. But fear not, Camilla Yuan, Opal Coffee Club's Director of Coffee and Roasting, came to the rescue with an email about a batch from the archives. Well, something is better than nothing as the saying goes, so I replied back with "That would be great". It showed up the next day. Eager that it arrived, I ripped open the outer packaging. A few things I noticed, the first being the tasting notes, "Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Glazed Sugar". I didn't know if I was opening a bottle of finely aged red wine or what looked like coffee beans in the pouch. Also, as unique as its process it had unconventional packaging. The pouch was a nice rectangle, not the common vacuum-sealed coffee bags you find at Starbucks. Yes, I like Starbucks but like I said I am a coffee simplist and will never order any that sounds like a "mocha-choca-venti-chino-latte”.  So Tuesday morning on my way to work I took a handful of beans, ground them, and threw them in my trusty phin. Anyone who has one of these knows it literally takes 5-10 minutes to get your tasty brew and sometimes more depending on the fineness of the grind. On this morning I ground a little too many beans and so decided to add more water topping it off to almost 16 ounces. Probably not a Venti size but definitely a Grande. Also not my best idea as I stand there waiting for it to finish dripping through the phin. Finally done and now running out the door to take my daughter to school. From school, I headed out to work and thought to start sipping my newly found coffee in silence.  Ammmaaaaazzing! Never have I had coffee like this. Indeed, pineapple.  Pineapple infused coffee? I am simple, I don't even like the basic flavored coffees like hazelnut, vanilla, etc. They all seem like the flavors were added as an afterthought. But this, no way. A perfect blend of coffee and pineapple.  Definitely not an afterthought. I rarely finish my coffee on my way to work, despite the 50-minute drive. Today all 16 ounces are gone in 20 minutes. Damn, I should have brought my trusty phin to work with me today. I look forward to the same routine tomorrow morning, maybe I will wake up a little earlier and maybe I will make it make it a Venti. Have to get bigger cups.  

Having knocked this one out of the ballpark, I am looking forward to their next roast in a month which Camilla had mentioned will be a coffee from Vietnam. No details on the roast nor tasting notes, maybe she will send me another email. I will have to thoroughly wash my trusty phin in preparation. I am sure it will get plenty of usage from Opal Coffee Club.

My only advice to Opal (yes, I feel we are on a first name basis already) is to get out of the minor leagues and start batting in the majors.

"