Because I tend to drink my coffee at home, my visits to Dallas-area coffee shops are less about getting coffee to drink and are more about me searching for freshly roasted beans. I internally cheer anytime I find beans that are roasted within a week, but Crooked Tree Coffeehouse managed to have these OCCR beans that were roasted within a DAY when I visited there recently (I think I popped in on a Thursday).
Whole bean: This bag smelled like the inside of a bakery. Yeasty, doughy, fragrant fresh bread aromas. Oh my goodness.
V60: At a 3:23 extraction, it had a sharp “bite” on the front that reminded me of the skins off walnuts. It smoothed out as it cooled, and tasted a bit like milk chocolate with nuts.
Chemex: I had too coarse of a setting on my grinder and this only brewed for 3 minutes instead of my usual 4 for this method, but I don’t think the coffee suffered for it too much… it was a bit bland for my taste but it was certainly easy to drink. No off flavors or anything unpleasant.
French press: Thick, rich texture and mouthfeel. I wished for more flavor, though. Perhaps this would benefit from more than 4 minutes steeping time.
AeroPress: This method combined the texture of the French press with the flavor of the pourover methods – best of both worlds.
Summary: Despite the bready smell of the beans, this coffee doesn’t actually taste like bread – it has a more nutty chocolate flavor. While I didn’t pick up on most of the roaster’s listed flavor notes, I liked this coffee best in the AeroPress for its combination of flavor and texture.
From the roaster: hazelnut, candied orange, brioche
Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters Guatemala Providencia
Review conducted 3 days post-roast.