Specialty Batch Coffee

Coffee Tasting & Brew Reference

Aligned profiles and brewing parameters, current espresso and filter line up.

Bar shows where the recommended extraction time sits on a 22–32 second scale.

When to brew
Day 5 Day 7 Day 50

Rest a minimum of 5 days, ideally 7, before pulling shots. Peak window runs Day 7 to Day 50 after roasting. Decaf follows the same logic on a shorter clock, 48 hours rest minimum.

Brazil

Capim Branco

Creamy body, plum, toasted hazelnuts & milk chocolate.

Plum Toasted hazelnut Milk chocolate
22s32s
24–30 sec
Dose
20g
Yield
40g
Temp
93–95°C

Ethiopia

Wolichu

Creamy, tangy apple spritzer, jammy with notes of lilac, mangosteen and caramelised cocoa pecans.

Apple spritzer Lilac Mangosteen Cocoa pecan
22s32s
26–30 sec
Dose
20g
Yield
38–40g
Temp
93–95°C

Kenya

Pearless

Complex stone fruit acidity, notes of strawberry jam, lactic vanilla bean and maple syrup, silky smooth tactile cooling to tamarind candy and floral notes.

Strawberry jam Vanilla bean Maple syrup Tamarind candy
22s32s
24–28 sec
Dose
20g
Yield
36–38g
Temp
94–96°C

Espresso Troubleshooting

Ordered the way we'd actually work through a bad shot on the group head. Start with grind and distribution before touching temperature, that's where most flaws actually live.

Likely causeUnder extraction. Grind too coarse, dose too low, or the shot ran too fast for the coffee to give up its sugars properly.

FixTighten the grind first, that alone fixes most sour shots. If time's still short after that, nudge the dose up slightly before touching water temperature.

Kenya Pearless already carries genuine stone fruit and strawberry jam acidity by design. If it's tasting sharp and hollow rather than juicy, that's under extraction talking, not a flaw in the coffee. Worth a read: acidity in coffee and fixing sour coffee.

Likely causeChannelling. Water's finding an easy path through the puck instead of extracting evenly, usually a distribution or tamp issue rather than the recipe itself.

FixCheck distribution and tamp before touching dose or grind. A shot that's sour and bitter at once almost never gets fixed by adjusting the recipe alone.

Not coffee specific, this shows up the same way on any of the three. Worth a read: grind consistency and espresso quality.

Likely causeOver extraction pulling excess tannins, usually too fine a grind, too long a shot, or underdeveloped roast.

FixCoarsen the grind half a step before shortening the shot. Astringency responds better to a coarser grind than to cutting time short.

Wolichu is a natural, already carrying a heavy fruit load. Push it too hot or too fine and the lilac and mangosteen tip into a dry, jammy heaviness. Ease toward 93°C rather than 95°C if this shows up. Worth a read: understanding astringency and the truth about water temperature.

Likely causeUsually a freshness problem before it's a technique problem. Either pulled too soon after roasting, or past its window.

FixCheck the roast date against the brewing window above before touching anything on the machine.

Likely causeOver extraction. Grind too fine, dose too high for the basket, shot running long, or water too hot for the coffee's density.

FixCoarsen the grind first and confirm yield is actually hitting target before considering temperature.

Capim Branco is a lower altitude, lower density Brazil. It doesn't need the top end of your temperature range, and pushing it there is the fastest way to flatten the milk chocolate and hazelnut into something duller. Worth a read: the truth about water temperature.

All filter origins run the same calibrated hot and cold master recipe. Switch below and every card updates.

When to brew
48h Day 3 Day 30 Day 40

Rest a minimum of 48 hours, ideally 3 days. Pour-over peak window runs Day 3 to Day 30. Aeropress and other immersion methods hold their peak a little longer, out to Day 40.

Pour-over window Immersion / Aeropress window

Ethiopia

Chelbessa

Creamy with mangosteen acidity and subtle hibiscus aromatics. Notes of caramelised figs, nougat and blackberry jam.

Mangosteen Hibiscus Fig Nougat Blackberry jam
Dose
16g
Yield
240g
Temp
93–95°C
Time
2:30–2:40

Indonesia

 

Syrupy, tropical sweetness with light florals. Notes of lychee cheesecake.

Tropical Floral Lychee cheesecake
Dose
16g
Yield
240g
Temp
93–95°C
Time
2:30–2:40

Colombia

"Piña Colada" · Special Reserve Lot #144

A layered tropical explosion, bursting with pineapple cream, candied yuzu and vanilla pod, rounded out by white chocolate & subtle coconut finish.

Pineapple cream Candied yuzu White chocolate Coconut
Dose
16g
Yield
240g
Temp
93–95°C
Time
2:30–2:40

Ethiopia

Shakiso

Punchy with a clean, balanced acidity, notes of red grapes & cherry custard, subtle savoury notes, finishing with a hint of cocoa and floral tea.

Red grape Cherry custard Cocoa Floral tea
Dose
16g
Yield
240g
Temp
93–95°C
Time
2:30

Filter Troubleshooting

Scoped to the hot and cold recipes on this page. Running these through an Aeropress or another immersion brewer instead, the underlying logic still holds, the numbers above just won't match.

Likely causeUnder extraction. Grind too coarse for the recipe, pour moving too fast, or water not hot enough.

FixSlow the pour down before anything else. If it's still thin after that, tighten the grind slightly.

Shakiso is washed and clean by nature. If the red grape and cherry custard are reading sharp and hollow rather than juicy, that's extraction, not the coffee. Worth a read: fixing sour coffee.

Likely causeOver extraction. Grind too fine, total contact time running long, or water sitting at the very top of the range.

FixCoarsen slightly before shortening total brew time. Changing both together makes it hard to know what actually fixed it.

Likely causeChannelling. Water breaking through the bed unevenly, usually a poor bloom or an uneven pour.

FixGive it a proper bloom, roughly double the dose in water for 30 to 45 seconds, before continuing. Keep the pour centred rather than circling edge to edge.

Chelbessa is a natural, already dense with fruit compounds. Channelling on this one shows up as a dry finish sitting underneath the fig and blackberry jam rather than a clean fruity cup. Worth a read: understanding astringency.

Likely causeNot always a brewing fault. Sometimes it's a naturally heavy bodied coffee reading as too much rather than wrong.

FixThis is the one spot where changing the recipe isn't the answer, dilute the finished cup instead.

This is exactly what our Indonesia is built for. Wet hulled Indonesians run syrupy and heavy by nature. If it's landing thick rather than sweet, don't chase it with brewing changes, use a bypass brew to open it up without stripping the lychee cheesecake sweetness. Worth a read: bypass brew.

Likely causeSpecialty processed lots carry more delicate, volatile flavour compounds than a straightforward washed coffee. Small errors show up bigger here.

FixKeep this one closest to spec of anything on the list, dose, grind, and temperature. It rewards precision and punishes drift more than any other coffee here.

Applies most to the Piña Colada Special Reserve Lot #144. It's the fussiest coffee in this line up by nature of how it was processed, not a sign anything's wrong with your setup.