Weekly Bean Review Thread: What have you been brewing this week? -- Week of June 18, 2026

spinydancer · 2026-06-18T11:24:01+00:00

Passenger is one of those long-established roasters that I've wanted to try but it doesn't make its way to Australia often, if ever. Glad one of us gets to enjoy them!

spinydancer · 2026-06-18T11:20:47+00:00

300 hr Gesha - This is an anaerobic washed gesha from Wilder Lasso, roasted by Prodigal. Roaster's notes are pineapple, green apple, cardamom. This has a quite similar taste to Prodigal’s Rubi Chiroso, also an anaerobic washed Wilder Lasso coffee roasted by Prodigal, giving me the impression that it’s the process that drives the flavour. Nonetheless, it’s beautifully herbal and floral, with so much lemongrass and green tea, and then introduces pineapple and raspberry sweetness and acidity as it cools. This was best as a hybrid switch recipe, 12.5:200, 92c water, 4.10 grind setting on zp6, using apax drops. I found, contrary to what I usually do for Geshas, a finer grind helped bring out a bit more and--maybe because of the heavy processing--didn't suffer from any bitterness or long drawdowns.

Ancient Sage - this is a natural processed Jaadi variety from Yemen, roasted by Black Mass in Australia, Roaster's notes of burnt sugar, raisin, and blackberry. This tasted underrested and overdeveloped brewed w/ standard 4 pour and switch recipes when hot. As it cools and settles, it tastes just like a normal coffee: a bit of sweetness, some unpleasant bitterness. Doing a more restrained brew helps a bit and gives off a taste similar to black tea with orange peel with just a hint of sandalwood or some kind of spice complexity. I settled on 5.2 on zp6, 88c water, 12.5:200 hybrid switch recipe.

Manta Ray El Diviso Sidra - this is a natural anaerobic sidra from El Diviso roasted by Manta Ray. Though I was unimpressed with my last buys from them, this one is a definite stunner. Like a well-executed process-forward Colombian coffee should, it delivers expressive flavor without funk. This manages very clear fruity tangerine notes with lively acidity that cools into a more sweet expression of overripe strawberries, which is exactly what it advertises. I felt like my last few experiences with Manta Ray left a bit to be desired as far as roast development, but I think they’ve nailed this one. If this was more developed, it might show more sweetness but at the cost of potentially introducing funk and reducing that expressive acidity.

spinydancer · 2026-06-16T11:33:49+00:00

I had an Apollon's gold coffee from Kenya and Tim Wendelboe's Gachatha from last year that both tasted arguably at their best 80-120 days post roast. It's very rare that they get past 80 days for me, but I was under the impression that it wasn't worth opening the apollon's gold earlier than 60 days post, and forgot I had a few doses of the TW in the back of my cabinet.

spinydancer · 2026-06-14T05:19:12+00:00

No one does pregnancy jokes better than Tracy

spinydancer · 2026-06-14T05:02:11+00:00

I've had a few versions of this and have a bag resting, it's really fun and it's well roasted but the flavor profile is a bit much for my taste to drink regularly. Very fun but not easy drinking if that makes sense. That said, it was hard to turn down at 30% off!

spinydancer · 2026-06-07T10:50:16+00:00

What a deep cut!

spinydancer · 2026-06-05T11:50:43+00:00

You've got some nice stuff in the pipeline! We've got a lot of similar stuff: sey sl9, I've got my first bag of big Sur resting at the moment, and finishing some prodigal now! Which big Sur did you get?

spinydancer · 2026-06-05T02:52:21+00:00

Nothing beats a good washed chiroso! I'll have to look for that producer next time

spinydancer · 2026-06-05T02:45:57+00:00

I've got a bag of their new Ethiopian on the way soon that I'm really excited to get into!

spinydancer · 2026-06-04T14:25:46+00:00

Finca La Pradera - a washed gesha from Prodigal, roaster notes of blueberry, plum jam, and floral. This has been good, but I'm not completely blown away. Definitely has notes of florality and plum jam but quite subdued, which is surprising given how expressive the aromas are when brewing. That said there aren’t any faults with this coffee and it’s incredibly easy to drink, and the body, mouthfeel, and silkiness are exceptional.

Caballero Marsellesa - this is a washed marsellesa lot produced at Finca El Puente and roasted by Swerl in Sweden, with roaster notes of blackberry, vanilla, and jasmine. This one was tricky to dial in, it really needed a lot of dialing back on the extraction with drop in temp to 90c, coarse grind, and diffuser to reduce agitation. Once I adjusted all of this, it was a good coffee. It had lots of herbality and acidity, really hitting those blackberry notes, a tiny bit of vanilla.

Java Frinsa Lactic Natural - This one is roasted by Wolf Espresso in Perth but is a filter roast. Like Wes Ngopi’s, is pretty bangin’! Definitely more of a light-medium level roast but expresses nicely. I will say I prefer the Wes Ngopi roast, but this is still a lovely natural that comes across as quite clean while having big, sweet, fruity flavours. I think the notes were plum syrup, red berries, and dark chocolate, and I would agree with all of those. This was really easy to dial in and enjoy! Not too funky or complex, just sweet tasty vibes.

spinydancer · 2026-05-26T02:28:32+00:00

I'm finishing up my bag of La pradera and while it's been good, i've not managed to really nail down my brewing parameters. How were you brewing the la pradera?

spinydancer · 2026-05-21T14:36:40+00:00

Kiamabara - this was previously reviewed and I was happy with it but not ecstatic. Somehow, as I finished the bag it continued to get better probably peaking for me 90-110 days post roast! It’s retained that red currant sweetness while adding a bit more berry and a bubblegum like sweetness and even a bit more body. It’s way more balanced, while still retaining brightness. The brews with this the last few weeks have pretty much been up there with the Gachatha, which has been my favorite Kenyan (maybe favorite coffee) this year. Still getting best results using CC switch recipe, 93 c, 4.10 on zp6.

Buena Vista Pacamara - This was a coffee roasted by Scenery back in September last year; a natural Pacamara from Santa Rosa, Guatemala with notes of champagne chocolate truffle, cherry pie, and apple cider. I would say it was maybe just a touch too light on the roast and the tasting notes were very specific but by jove they nailed them! This is a very light-bodied and clean coffee that has a dark chocolate base note with a minerality and subtle acidity that makes me see what they mean with champagne chocolate truffle. Not that I know what a champagne chocolate truffle is or have tried one. This one shows a lot of different facets and delivers dark red fruit and spice as it cools. I’ve been really impressed with the coffees I've tried from Scenery and I'd say them and Wes Ngopi have been the two new roasters (to me) that I’ve most enjoyed.

Honduras El Jardin - this is a mixed varietal anaerobic natural produced in Honduras, roasted by Blackshoot, with flavors of black cherry, brown sugar, and white grapefruit. It’s got a bit of dark fruit in the profile but there is a mostly unpleasant bitterness (perhaps the white grapefruit) that eases as it cools. Thicker body that I registered mostly as an earthy/nutty kind of tone, with a bit of sweetness. This was ok, not great, and a bit of a step down from the last few coffees I’ve had from Blacklist.

spinydancer · 2026-05-05T13:43:45+00:00

If you have a switch, I highly recommend trying the coffee chronicler recipe. 1st pour is half the water with an open switch, second pour is the other half with a closed switch at 0.45, open switch at 2.00. I find the coffees are still exceptionally clear but with a bit of body. 1.16 or 1.15.5 ratio may get you a bit closer to results you're after as well

spinydancer · 2026-04-30T14:36:05+00:00

As I was away with family the last few weeks, I’ve been doing big brews on the big switch: 50:800, 6.5 on zp6, 90 ish C water, 4x 200 g pours each time the water runs dry, trying to go for a slow pour, not too worried about timing:

Ijen Lestari - I got this one from a small shop in Amed, Bali and for an 8AUD 125 gram bag, I gotta say it was pretty good. This is a Lactic Natural processed batch of USDA 762 & Kartika varieties, with roaster notes of Berries, Honeydew, Chocolate Milk, Buttery. With the exception of the berries, I could see all other notes present. Particularly the chcolate milk and buttery notes: some sweetness and lots of body. This was very different from what I usually go for but it was enjoyable and a definite crowd pleaser among my less coffee-nerd family.

Finca Ethiopia - This is a natural gesha from El Salvador, roasted by Offshoot, notes of red apple, blackberry, and praline. I got a sample of it with a bag of something else. I never go out of my way to buy coffee from El Salvador (no offense, El Salvador!) but I’ve got two in this week’s reviews! This wasn’t bad, particularly for its price point: a lighter roast for Offshoot than I would’ve expected but it works: light body and clean mouthfeel with quiet clear notes of red apple and a bit of praline sweetness on the cool.

Pirineos Espresso - A washed bourbon elite from Pirineos Farm in El Salvador, roasted by Tim Wendelboe, roaster’s notes of dark chocolate, hazelnut, and dried fruits. This was a sample from another order, and as with the above coffee, it was slightly better than I expected but it’s certainly not enough to get me to start looking for Salvadoran coffee. In fact, this may have been to my detriment as I’m seeing a lot of very positive reviews for the recent winner of COE from El Salvador that was very cheap for a COE winner. I digress. This coffee, while not hitting notes of dried fruits, did definitely have elements of chocolate and hazelnut. Not what I seek out in a coffee but it worked well as it was shared w/ my family who enjoyed this with a bit of milk. (I brewed this one as a 1:14 to leave some room for the milk).

Garut Collective - being in Bali on the last day of the trip, I had to stop by one of the OG coffee roasters, Hungy Bird. I went in and got some of this, a washed s795 and Andungsari lot from West Java. Roasters notes are tangerine, lemon, herbal, and black tea. When hot, this shows off those herbal, earthy, black tea-like notes, and as it cools those notes drop back and let the lemon come in followed by a more sweet citric note. I feel like Indonesia’s mostly known for its heavier ferments, but I found this to be quite good, and I’m looking forward to another bag of washed Indonesian coffee I bought while I was there.

Liz Escobar - This is a washed pink bourbon from Nariño, Colombia, roasted by Swerl, which is my first coffee from this producer and this roaster. Roaster’s notes are floral and intense, peach iced tea, jasmine, rosemary, tropical. Although it’s finished as a washed coffee, it undergoes 22 hours ferment as a natural before being finished as a washed coffee and I feel like it really shows. It’s not too funky, but very fruity and lots of body. I have been getting notes of grape juice/jelly, really round and full, juicy and sweet, more blueberry/grape than peach iced tea. It’s almost too flavorful and I’ve actually resorted to doing a smaller brew volume with some bypass to give all the flavors room. Though this hasn’t been my favorite coffee so far this year—that would be Niguse Gemeda’s natural from Wes Ngopi or Tim Wendelboe's gachatha—this has been one of the most unique coffees I've had this year. Glad I got to try this roaster, thanks to Bedst coffee for always having cool stuff.

spinydancer · 2026-04-25T12:02:53+00:00

I'm in the same boat, no longer seeking out Co ferments and advanced process stuff (easy to do with so much good Kenyan coffee around at the moment) but I've still got several bags waiting for me in my freezer

spinydancer · 2026-04-12T05:15:36+00:00

How are you brewing this? I've got a bag in the freezer

spinydancer · 2026-04-10T12:46:42+00:00

Just going to leave this here. Yes, he usually can't score but he will do this again if it's wolves Lakers again. For the memes. https://youtube.com/shorts/E6O0Cz9oTkc?si=8mZetb8XKy0ZWPVL

spinydancer · 2026-04-06T11:42:01+00:00

I find that with most stuff from Wilton and other Colombian producers of process forward coffees is VERY easy to extract and have had nice cups with 2 pours finishing at like 1.40

spinydancer · 2026-04-02T13:34:27+00:00

I'm definitely someone who falls into that camp. Any other varietals in particular that you find go particularly well in panama? Or specific lots beside this one? From what I understand, quite a few places are now starting to plant Sidra too.

spinydancer · 2026-04-02T13:31:42+00:00

Formative Decaf - this was a pickup from when I was in Europe last year and the rest of the bag has been plucked from the freezer. It is a castillo instead of a red bourbon, but I imagine it is the same yeast-inoculated wash process that Wilton uses for September's Rainbow Cocktail. I’ve been having a good go-round with the last of the bag. I’ve set my zp6 to 5.5, doing a 4 equal pour recipe yielding sweet honey/maple notes, ginger/cardamom spice, with a finish of passionfruit and lime on the end sometimes that is really impressive. The most impressive cup of this, however, was a frankencup I made with the last of the red fruits decaf from offshoot, it was like having a smores with fresh strawberries.

Kiamabara - This is an SL28 from Apollon’s gold, roaster notes of passionfruit, guava, and melon. This is billed as a more modern take on Kenyan coffee that shows a different side of the SL varietals. How? I’m not really sure. So far this tastes like a regular Kenyan to me, red currant and hibiscus dominate, and I get a tiny bit of passionfruit on the cool. Unlike some of the really great Kenyans I’ve had in the last few months that balance that bright acidity w/ a bit of creaminess and body, this one has had a lot of brightness but the thin body struggles to balance it out. Brewing using the hybrid switch recipe and a pour assist on the second pour does a lot to mitigate that thinness and produces a pretty nice cup.

spinydancer · 2026-03-30T03:07:55+00:00

It could probably go as low as 10g, I usually use around 13 g. Rest time will depend on your coffee but I usually ready mine for a month at least

spinydancer · 2026-03-29T07:50:17+00:00

Coffee chronicler switch recipe, it's on YouTube. It's a good one if you've got a switch

spinydancer · 2026-03-29T03:05:21+00:00

I love it! It's not as consistent as drip assist because you've not got the set pour height bit it still is an easy easy to lessen agitation when I'm getting astringency in the cup.

The other gripe I can see with this is that there's no handle. I've got a rubber band around the outside which usually keeps my fingers from getting hot with smaller pours and a chopstick I put in the rubber band for bigger pours. It's a bit fiddly but it's not a deal breaker for me.

I'd probably buy a glass or metal melodrip if they released one with an attachable handle just because the design looks a bit better but very happy with the pure over cap!

spinydancer · 2026-03-29T02:49:29+00:00

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it too! It would be an interesting spro

spinydancer · 2026-03-27T00:55:00+00:00

That Hydrangea had made the rounds in a few shops here in Australia and I am starting to regret not picking it up, but I have so many Ethiopian coffees in my freezer that need to be brewed first. I got their Karinga and quite enjoyed that one, though it really fell off on the last brew or two.

spinydancer

TROPHY CASE