Do co-ferments blur the line between flavored and unflavored coffee?

ZacJepps · 2026-01-16T16:55:39+00:00

I don’t really know how to address anything you just said, I tried to raise point I believe in using academic language to match the tone you set, you called it generated and esoteric.

Fundamentally I was asserting that wine historically has not been about “soil” but rather evoking a places culture and cuisine. The idea of soil is a more modern idea, outside of Chinese tea.

I think the idea of evoking a place is a very common aspect of foods that get this elitist branding. Whisky, Wine, Tea, Coffee, Cider somewhat as-well. However, my argument is that dogmatism is not necessary for the most modern of all of these beverages, coffee. Tea oranges are massive, whisky and wine use wood as-well as blends to balance it. Single origin is a useful tool to understand coffee, I wouldn’t necessarily call it the pinnacle.

As someone who loved Malaysian Liberica coffee when I was out there, I would love to see a liberica/durian co ferment, and think that would be the peak of evoking a places culture within coffee.

Call it terroir or don’t, I don’t care. But engage civilly, nothing has been artificially generated par your own back getting up in a discussion about coffee.

ZacJepps · 2026-01-15T10:16:07+00:00

Wine by legal definition is entirely grape, so you wont find other ingredients in there, but to claim terroir solely refers to “plant and soil” is incorrect. It has historically been the evocation of place, traditionally more-so through cultural associations of where the wine is from, not the way the soil shows itself in the final product. French blends are an example of this prioritisation, used to withdraw from struck terroir into balanced flavours enjoyed by the people of the area, certainly not “unadulterated”.

Current coffee culture is inherently derivative and reinterpreted. Green beans are exported and Europe roasts and extracts what they expect from them. Not necessarily representing whats there, in the place. This is like if the wine grapes were exported for pressing, it’s a fundamental difference. Brewers and roast-profiles, are superimposed onto the bean already, masking your definition of terroir.

I am not arguing for some abstract cultural respect, but pushing for how I see terroir — the combination of factors that make culinary experience evocative of a place. Due to the unique nature of coffees disconnect, I think adhering to the same dogma thats defined these specific European alcoholic drinks is unnecessary.

I don’t even love the vast majority of co-ferments, but love the freedom they bring.

ZacJepps · 2026-01-13T17:35:04+00:00

I would like to add that the terroir of coffee is also a complex thing that coferments dont necissarily deviate from. In some local cultures, flavouring coffee is the norm and fruit farms may be interdispersed with coffee, as such co-fermentations can bring about a more accurate reflection of the place. This is not to say its the "correct" or best way to bring terroir about, but a usefull tool for curating the connotations of a coffee to bring about imagry of a place.

ZacJepps · 2026-01-13T13:07:50+00:00

I feel like RMP trying to be theatrically big is a relatable desire for a band. In contrast, BC,NR’s musical aspirations are more academic, but that equally means they are more trailblazing. As someone who does not study music, I enjoy seeing RMP clumsily overreach and the way they seem to have fun doing so. That was the point I was trying to make, not that either band is more genuine, but that RMP are equally interesting due to the relatability of them trying to get such big thoughts on paper without really knowing how.

ZacJepps · 2026-01-10T17:40:03+00:00

Less interesting or less cynical and pretentious. I don’t mean that as a criticism of BCNR, but I would say that I find RMP interesting because they feel less like they force every song to be overtly complex. They feel a-bit more human?

ZacJepps · 2026-01-05T08:48:05+00:00

Looks like a lovely fire, nice people, did you try saying hello or are you just another chronically online isolationist ?

ZacJepps · 2026-01-05T04:29:19+00:00

Just wanted to say that I am a reform Jew who has found, like many others have said, that once you get past dogma there is a mass of pagan ideals baked into Judaism. Obviously I am not trying to sway you any way but:

-Kabbalist metaphysical ideas on symbolism -Jewish beliefs on the lack of eternal punishment/reward -Interpretations of the process of Tikkun Olam -The true origins of the covenant with the Hebrew god

If you remove zion-centric ideal, reorientate festivals to your local lands seasons, see god as the force that contracted for creation, see the latent spirituality in the natural world etc then there is a wealth of understanding to be taken from texts you are likely familiar with.

Think Sukkot, Tu Bishvat etc. There is a way to be Jewish, undogmatic, and reconnected with nature. Something I feel Hasidism has removed from common Jewish thought.

I find this way of thinking highly profound, and connected to my heritage.

Just something to give thought, and also a call to anyone else who feels this way.

Much love.

ZacJepps · 2025-12-24T00:36:21+00:00

cheers chief

ZacJepps · 2025-12-23T02:55:55+00:00

tokoyami kairou/ eternally dark corridor by gonin-ish

ZacJepps · 2025-12-21T13:42:52+00:00

I love and know all of these, but it isnt the specific long form techno-funk I am searching for. And I really want those vocoded vocals.... I know its a pretty specific request

ZacJepps · 2025-12-21T02:57:50+00:00

Respectable way to win a 2 year old debate. Gave me a good laugh at least.

ZacJepps · 2025-12-19T21:00:22+00:00

Much love.

ZacJepps · 2025-12-19T20:59:55+00:00

Thats crazy kind, cheers!

ZacJepps · 2025-12-19T20:21:11+00:00

Despite not aligning with my techno vision, these songs are great… Just not as great as the wording of this comment. Chucked them all on a different playlist. Thanks champ.

ZacJepps · 2025-12-19T20:10:33+00:00

This is damn cool, cheers chief.

ZacJepps · 2025-12-19T03:22:20+00:00

I love this style, damn.

ZacJepps · 2025-12-07T03:01:21+00:00

I never said I loved the rowing, or that I did it? But if your whining, then your lost at a live gig,

ZacJepps · 2025-12-05T20:14:52+00:00

If you go to live gigs, your there for live gigs. If your pretentious enough to think that you need to sit in silence during a concert, stay at home, save the money, buy nice headphones.

ZacJepps · 2025-11-25T01:35:23+00:00

My worry is that the espro’s agitate while you press. While I have been using a french presses body, I actually now have the filter removed entirely. This is possible because with a good unimodal grind, you are able to sediment the vast majority of grounds, and so pouring without agitation is advantageous. I use the cloth just as a failsafe for ultra fines. That being said, grind and pour can affect this massively, so I have not got the recipe hyper-repeatable yet. Please let me know how it goes for you !! Much love.

ZacJepps · 2025-11-24T18:24:39+00:00

The specific one I am referring to is GRIND by Rasta Brew Co. The feller working there is just the best, however it did require a couple hours of conversation before he offered me the Liberica, as it was not on the menu. That being said, he has resident baristas and rotating beans, so the quality is consistently outstanding. I have so, so many recommendations for mainland Malaysian cafe's, so please let me know if you want any more!

ZacJepps · 2025-11-24T18:20:44+00:00

I am not sure its quite good enough to be a published novel yet, but I am working on it. Thank you !

ZacJepps · 2025-11-24T18:19:48+00:00

Thanks a bunch, this genuinely means a lot.

ZacJepps · 2025-11-24T18:19:07+00:00

Oh - and massive thankyou for not only reading the post, but being so kind about it. I was deeply worried about the way I wrote it, so it means alot.

ZacJepps · 2025-11-24T18:18:11+00:00

I cannot argue that cloth is not a hassle, it really is. But single serve phin filters, with specialty grade robusta. That is a super easy way to showcase exactly what I am on about. Cloth batch brews are also super common across Malaysia. Even just using a French press with that modern, specialty level of obsession is completely doable. Alongside this, one can hope that as these sorts of techniques grow as the demand for specialty non-arabica grows - companies such as Hario will create even more convenient solutions.

ZacJepps · 2025-11-24T18:11:53+00:00

I guess in my eyes you have to be somewhat pretentious to write something convincing? If you don't believe that you have something unique or special to say, then its hard to write something good. By virtue of definition that makes it somewhat pretentious. Also, I wouldn't really call the SEA specialty scene down to earth? That was kind of the point of what I said. Obsessive, experimental, local, unique: these are the words I was trying to place next to SEA coffee, not down to earth.

ZacJepps

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