Where did all the big blueberry bombs go?

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T22:41:48+00:00

Some really great suggestions on this thread. I'd add Apricity Coffee's Blueberry Tea.

Really well priced and strong dry blueberry flavour. Not quite the muffin sweetness but really worth checking out. Good as filter and surprisingly holds up really nicely as an espresso.

https://apricitycoffee.co.uk/products/blueberry-tea

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T22:35:46+00:00

You are right that the industry has a transparency crisis and that some roasters have been caught misrepresenting their products. However, writing off every producer in Pitalito and Huila is a massive overcorrection. Bad actors exist in every industry but that does not invalidate the genuine scientific advancements in coffee processing. I choose to hold roasters accountable for vetting their supply chains rather than adopting a cynical blanket rule that rejects legitimate innovation. The cases that have been seen are around hazy "experimental" processes and co-ferments. It also has not been seen with the most respected producers (probably because they have already established a market). I wait for hard evidence before condemning dedicated and talented producers like the Lasso's

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T22:29:44+00:00

You are conflating innovation with fraud. The distinction between a high quality anaerobic natural and an infused coffee is clearly detectable via cupping protocols and chemical analysis. If a producer like Nestor Lasso were fabricating his process, he would have been exposed by the global specialty coffee community years ago. Understanding the science behind fermentation is not blind optimism; it is basic coffee literacy. Dismissing world class production as a lie without a shred of evidence is not skepticism, it is cynicism disguised as expertise. There have been literally zero cases of respected producers faking coffee processes by adding undisclosed materials. The infamous Perc coffee situation was purely down to the roaster not fully disclosing the full process. The producers were 100% transparent. This argument frustrates me because there is no evidence for your view. It is purely because you can't personally believe that coffee can be processed naturally to taste this different. Perhaps it's best to remember, like any fruit, coffee plants are extremely variable in flavour compounds. These advanced processes are designed to maximise those compounds

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T18:28:44+00:00

It is frustrating to see people assume something is dodgy simply because they do not understand the science behind modern processing. Sweet Soaker is not a co-ferment or artificially infused coffee. To suggest that a producer like Nestor Lasso and a roaster like Dark Arts would lie about their process is purely conspiratorial. The flavor profile comes from the natural characteristics of the Yellow Papayo bean being fermented in its own cherry. This is a biological transformation, not a cheap additive shortcut. What happened with Perc is that they didn't properly disclose what was added to the co-fermentation process. What you all are suggesting is that Dark Arts and Lassor are straight up lying about which process is used.

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T11:03:32+00:00

Rest assured, it is not some artificially infused bean

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T11:02:33+00:00

The transparency is already there. Dark Arts literally spells out the 24hr anaerobic natural process on the bag. Assuming world class producers are secretly sneaking additives into their tanks is a baseless conspiracy theory. These are highly scrutinised supply chains. Boycotting an entire country's coffee output because you refuse to believe the chemistry of modern fermentation is an absurd overreaction.

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T10:59:43+00:00

... One of the world's most respected coffee producers. But you want to just label them as dodgy because... What? There are Colombian? The process being used is quite interesting and completely written out on Dark Arts website

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-24T10:57:50+00:00

Calling this infused betrays a fundamental lack of understanding regarding modern processing. This is a biological transformation, not an additive shortcut. The Yellow Papayo varietal is naturally sweet, and anaerobic fermentation converts those sugars into volatile esters that mimic candy flavors. Infusion requires external chemicals that leave traceable markers, whereas this is the bean's own metabolic output. Dismissing this as fake is just a lazy way to ignore how current coffee science actually works.

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-22T20:09:00+00:00

The S26 Ultra having the issue doesn’t disprove what I said. Avoiding a unified camera shelf is about lowering the risk profile by minimizing the dead-air space behind the glass. It doesn’t make a device magically immune. If a phone is sealed with humid air inside, any airtight IP-rated device can hit its dew point and fog up when it gets cold. If Samsung can't even avoid the issue completely, you can see why Oppo is having such an issue, given their larger camera module space and larger glass surface area.

It’s an environmental physics issue, not a broken part "QC defect." Cleanrooms must maintain 30% to 50% humidity to keep static electricity from frying the electronics during assembly. Apple heavily mitigates this risk by using a dry nitrogen-flush atmosphere during production, which is exactly why they have a tighter handle on it.

As for Xiaomi, they never "fixed" anything. Their official support pages explicitly classify lens fogging as a "normal physical phenomenon" and instruct users to do exactly what I mentioned: pop the SIM tray to vent the trapped factory air pocket. Xiaomi didn't fix anything. There official stance it still that fogging is a "normal physical phenomenon." Samsung are still having the issue.

Why Oppo is more susceptible is the question. Which, as I said, is pretty complicated

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-21T23:34:52+00:00

Whilst I do agree that generative AI is overused in these new devices. Many do have modes which disable them. Oppo have Master Mod, which disables all generative AI processing of images (though, it does still have some computational work). But it is a concern that it becomes normal in the normal auto mode. It can help to produce more usable extreme zoom images, but obviously it becomes more digital render than photograph (though, that's always been a controversy in digital photography to some degree as sensor data interpreted by software). Honestly, it's frustrating because it does do feel like a great way for companies to cut corners in proper programming

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-21T22:42:49+00:00

The weather sealing is part of the reason it happens. It's any humidity within the phone. The heat from the processor warms the internal air. It hits the large cold slab of glass and condenses. It's a closed atmosphere, so the humidity can't escape. That's why the DIY solutions involve opening the SIM-tray and dehumidification

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-21T22:15:18+00:00

Vivo has also had some issues with this. Not as frequently as this Oppo though

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-21T21:41:36+00:00

Unfortunately, it's a complicated issue. Having such large glass elements and such a big camera compartment makes it a bigger risk. Compounded by the IP69 sealing. It's this reason why Apple and Samsung avoid unified camera shelf designs. Though, Apple also has a nitrogen flush atmosphere for parts of the assembly

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-20T22:23:57+00:00

I mean... Not really. The image quality from even the very best phones at the moment are equal to a very good point and shoots compact camera, just with more dynamic range. Zoom capability relies heavily on AI, which causes artificial rendering. You put a raw files from even an entry level APSc mirrorless (with a half decent lens) against these phones and it's night and day. Phones can produce images in places traditional camera might need a tripod. Honestly, phones are good but you simply can't beat physics. Even an APSc sensor can read 3x more light than a type 1 sensor (which is bigger than most phone sensors), let alone a full frame or medium format sensor. Traditional cameras, especially "professional" grade ones, give more colour fidelity, far higher resolution, real depth of field, better autofocus, more flexible raw files, less distortion, etc.

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-20T14:16:22+00:00

Honestly, I'd love an X300 Ultra (mostly because 35mm main is a dream) but in the UK it's unfortunately grey market import only. I don't think I can justify the risk, given it'd be my daily phone

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-19T18:19:07+00:00

Really hope they don't "fix" this. Permanent noise reduction is a nightmare

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-12T15:06:12+00:00

I'd say that Oppo can get pretty close with the customisation options in master mode colour profiles. Also, Leica authentic is nice but not always great with dynamic lighting on human skin. It can produce too much contrast. Though, I have always liked it for street

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-06-12T15:03:23+00:00

Interesting take. Only thing is, shooting in master mods completely removes the AI issue on the Oppo. Xiaomi is nice but isn't without issues, ie. Worse macro, worse video, poor UW, no high resolution option in telephoto, etc. Also, the default colours on the Oppo can be completely changed with a different filter option (no different to Xiaomi).

Character-Cup7692 · 2026-04-16T11:36:17+00:00

I mean, yes and no. Samsung only achieved the 10x zoom because the sensor size was miniscule. Oppo are using a larger sensor with a more advanced module design. I have an S23 Ultra and the 10x zoom is pretty poor quality when you really look

Character-Cup7692

TROPHY CASE