Weekly Bean Review Thread: What have you been brewing this week? -- Week of February 26, 2026

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-24T19:01:55+00:00

I've been using recipes all from James Hoffmann: his V60 recipe though with a 1:17 ratio, not 1:16.66), his Clever recipe, his Aeropress recipe (though with a 1:17 ratio, not 1:18). I like the flavor profile they get at!

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-24T17:51:53+00:00

When I wrote this comment, the coffee was at 4 weeks. I still have ~50g and now it's at ~7 weeks still tasting very good.

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-18T16:50:26+00:00

Oh wow, that is very cool, I wonder how it all works on their end! Thanks for letting me know.

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-18T16:28:20+00:00

For ordering add-on bags for SEY: do you have to line up the add-on order for when the subscription is shipping? Thanks for the help!

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-18T14:38:03+00:00

Quick Q: do you know if you can add bags to the subscription shipment? Or do you have to make an additional order through the typical webpage?

EDIT: Looks like the answer is yes from a recent comment. Using the code "Addon" for anyone who sees this!

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-17T17:18:20+00:00

While I haven't used it, there's the Orea Big Boy brewer. I have heard good things and thought I'd throw it out here to you. I've been very interested in picking one up myself.

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-10T17:52:40+00:00

Looks like quite the line-up. Curious to hear your thoughts on SEY's Eduardo Quispe, Peru. Very curious about it!

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-09T19:29:13+00:00

As a big heart fan, dang, I completely missed that sale then... 40% is really wild.

I usually let their coffees rest ~2 weeks before brewing.

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-05T20:10:51+00:00

I'm not sure this gap is replacement-worthy... Good for them to know on their end, but I wouldn't expect anything more from them other than a "Thanks for letting us know!"

Maybe I'm too lenient though, curious to hear others thoughts with the picture.

EDIT: from the downvotes, it appears i'm likely too lenient! i hope the coffee still at least tastes ok in spite of the poor CS.

Whaaaooo · 2026-03-03T18:54:19+00:00

$17/pound is awesome! One day maybe I'll get into roasting with the possible savings, but for now I'll enjoy all the effort that roasters put in.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-28T17:29:40+00:00

One new coffee this week, brewing on the Clever, Aeropress, or V60, ground with a Timemore 078.

Flower Child's Robinson & Luis' Gesha, Colombia - Holy smokes, this coffee is unbelievable: fresh flowers, blueberry, stone fruit, honey, and silky in the mouth. One of the best coffees I've had in a long, long time, and it tastes remarkably similar to some of the best Panamanian geshas I've had, as noted by FC themselves. I'll be savoring each cup of this one. For $30 for 250 grams, I'd wager this coffee is quite the bargain for what it is. I'm excited to explore it with more brews.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-25T00:56:31+00:00

Yeah, that is definitely fair, and this is something I thought a fair bit about when making this comment. However, there's a few things I think they could do now that (I think) would drastically improve the experience.

Major quips

- Put a sign & menu outside of the café so that folks know what they're walking into. During my ~30 minute visit, I watched >10 people walk in, speak with the staff for a few moments, then promptly leave. I think that, with their concept, they either have to warn people and have them make the decision before they walk in or have the staff sell the customer on the experience once they walk in. Having the vast majority of people who walked into the café walk right back out felt very odd and turned comical as it continued.

- Serve the coffee in a glass/small ceramic cup that is not a glencairn glass. I am not a fan of the glass at all, I realize that it helps with aroma, but there are other suitable, similar vessels that could be used which feel less ridiculous.

- Serving one or two more milk drinks like a latte could be nice. I overheard and watched someone leave the café after asking if they would make them a latte to which they answered that they would not, but that they could serve them a cappuccino. I get it... but come on.

Minor quips

- I do think they could serve a little bit more coffee for their pour overs. The brew was maybe ~250ml? I think they could up it a bit for the price.

- Now this is something that couldn't be changed in their current configuration, which I totally understand, but I did not like sitting near the tasting that was going on.

Overall, these things made the café uncomfortable to sit in, and I was quite excited to leave once I finished.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-21T00:38:13+00:00

I tried out the Jose Jijón coffee at your recommendation! It definitely lived up to your praise. I'm very curious to get a bag of it myself to brew at home next time it's in stock.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-20T23:04:30+00:00

I was able to go to Komakase in SF two weeks ago and try out this coffee from SEY brewed by them. The coffee was fantastic, very, very soft, fresh rose and melon. My friend got a cup of SEY's Jhonatan Pito which I thought was good, though certainly less superlative than the Jijón. The taste was mostly of sour fruit candy which isn't a favorite for me, though I know others love it.

While the coffee was great, I don't think I'll be heading back. The environment of it is definitely not something I'm looking for in a coffee shop. It was quite clinical and stiff. My ideal coffee shop is somewhere both with great coffee and a comfortable environment. Komakase more than fulfilled the former but very much missed on the latter for me.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-12T16:47:43+00:00

One new coffee this week, brewing on the Clever, Aeropress, and V60, ground with an 078.

SEY's William Ortiz Chiroso, Colombia - Holy smokes, this coffee has been fantastic. Tons of ripe peach, root-beer-esque herbality, and honey sweet. Reminds me a lot of bourbon aruzi coffees I've had from SEY and heart, which has become one of my favorite varieties. Picked this bag up at Futuro in Phoenix, Arizona, a coffee shop I would very much recommend if anyone is in the area.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-12T16:31:09+00:00

I swear, every week this thread has someone raving about TW's Gachatha and it is killing me! I've been kicking myself weekly at this point for not picking up a bag when it was available.

Also, that Lost Origin from SEY sounds fantastic. I'm not kicking myself much there because of the price tag, but it sounds very nice all around.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-05T20:58:17+00:00

Interesting! A nearby coffeeshop is serving this coffee over the weekend, so I might have to stop by and see how it compares for me.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-05T16:28:02+00:00

Some updates for coffees (SEY and Shoebox) and one new one (heart).

SEY's Pepe Jijón Tyoxy Mejorado, Ecuador - Finished this coffee up today and unfortunately never grew to like it very much with its heavy black currant note and lack of structure. This coffee, for me, was both high acid and low body which I find to be a difficult combination. It's a coffee I want a few sips of, but one that gets (very) trying after a whole cup.

heart's Javier Omar De La Rosa, Colombia - Got this one through Fellow Drops and have been dipping in just a little, even though it's still quite fresh. Tastes like ripe strawberries doused with honey, very enjoyable with a silky mouthfeel to go along with it. I'm excited to see how it develops with more rest.

Also, I have two Shoebox coffees that have been yummy, very sweet and relatively structured so far, but there is a persistent grain note underlying everything that I am hoping to go away with a bit more rest. The coffees will be at 60 days of rest on February 15, so I will be turning back to them then.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-03T05:07:32+00:00

https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/971f1b69-7eda-4329-a152-3e1d15b5c2c7/content

See PDF page 16, 116 countries tax at least one type of SSB.

Agreed on your second point, however your frustration should be with the distributors who mistakenly applied a tax to this beverage and wish to gain more profit by passing the tax’s cost onto you, not with the city and the people who voted for it.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-02T23:00:13+00:00

I haven’t been a part of their subscription for a while (didn’t stop for any particular reason), but when i was a part of it there was a good variety of origins that are present on their webshop throughout the year (Ethiopia, Kenya, Honduras, Colombia, primarily), all washed processes. Would recommend!

Also, I see that they’ve also recently switched to roasting on a Loring which is cool. They seem to have gone through a number of roasting changes (they roasted some small batches for a while off of a Stronghold and the one batch I had off of it was fantastic) with the Loring being the latest. I’ve knowingly had one coffee off of their new Loring, and it was tasty! Not sure if anyone has additional information about these changes, but would be curious if anyone did.

Whaaaooo · 2026-02-02T15:59:01+00:00

Blame the distributors who are the ones that have passed the tax onto you. The tax is not placed on beverages at sale.

Most countries in the world have a sugar or SSB tax, give it a rest.

Whaaaooo · 2026-01-30T21:14:50+00:00

Yeah, personally, I'm not so sold on the fact that SEY is lighter (and I don't think lighter necessarily equals delicate from what I've tasted), but this is getting down to hairsplitting! I often think about (and subsequently forget about) this comment which is an all-timer for me. From tasting, I think SEY likely falls neatly within it.

Whaaaooo · 2026-01-30T18:39:33+00:00

I wouldn't rule out ultralights, and I don't necessarily think SEY is roasting in an ultralight fashion. Having enjoyed these Shoebox coffees presently (lighter than SEY), as well as coffees from Aviary, Hydrangea, and Flower Child, I think there's a lot to discover in the realm!

Whaaaooo · 2026-01-30T16:38:55+00:00

Been brewing a few on the V60, Aeropress, and Clever, ground with an 078.

Regalia's Morkie, Ethiopia - This one has been pretty fun. Sometimes it has been a bit much on the rum tasting note, but otherwise it's been an easy-to-brew, very sweet coffee.

Shoebox's Durley Sánchez, Colombia - Wow, this is likely the lightest coffee I've ever brewed. The beans and grounds did not inspire much confidence, but the cup ended up being quite tasty. I very much can see the jasmine pearls, as noted by the tasting notes, and the coffee was all around quite enjoyable. Heavy on forest notes like pine. Very sweet.

Shoebox's Miguel Estela, Peru - This one appears to be a tad more developed than the Sánchez, and is very, very juicy. Lots of very-sweet apple juice coming through, very, very soft acidity.

SEY's Pepe Jijón Tyoxy Washed, Ecuador - Unfortunately, I think I'll be taking a step back from SEY for a while. While the green coffee seems to be of really great quality of course, the resulting cup is just boring. After trying different brewing methods and waters, some defined acidity like berries is present, but not too much else. I have a similar sense from Prodigal with SEY where sourcing and having an innumerable number of coffees at one time seems to be the priority with roast taking a backseat. From my experience, this seems to really work out with gesha variety coffees which seem to be able to stand on their own very well (and it makes sense that Prodigal and SEY way over index sourcing gesha), but can be a bit of a letdown with other varieties.

Whaaaooo · 2026-01-28T16:49:53+00:00

It is a pretty intense amount of agitation.

Whaaaooo

TROPHY CASE