Welcome to a new series of sorts, where I’ll be going through different beans as I try them and giving my thoughts and opinions on their flavour profile, roast degree, whether they’re better for espresso or filter, and more. There will be several posts in pretty quick succession as I go through what I currently have on hand, and then I’ll make new posts just as I buy new bags I haven’t yet tried. This series was requested by @viral.vegabond@piefed.social so thank you to them for the suggestion! I think it’ll be fun.
For the first episode, I’ll be reviewing a bag you may have seen me post a lot recently, Supernova by Hatch. I’d like to say at the start that I’ve been having a lot of fun with these beans and they get my full recommendation for espresso, and they make pretty good filter too.
Now to get into it.
Roaster: Hatch (Markham, Ontario, Canada)
Origin: Brazil
Process: Natural
Roast profile: Medium
Roaster’s notes: Berries, praline, baker’s chocolate
Espresso:
Preferred brew ratio - 2.2:1 (18/40)
This is where these beans really shine, in my opinion. They’ve become my favourite espresso bean, actually. I don’t quite get praline through this brew method, but the berries and chocolate are heavy on this one in a very pleasant way. I’ve mentioned it before but it literally tastes like I’m drinking dark chocolate covered berries. Every time I make a shot with these beans I’m surprised it’s as good as it is, and I go in with high expectations. Interestingly, I get lots of floral notes on the nose, which I don’t taste at all, and isn’t listed in the tasting notes. It’s got a long finish and isn’t harsh in any way. This is probably what I’d give someone who wanted to try espresso for the first time.
Filter:
Preferred brew ratio - 16:1 (15/240)
While I prefer these beans for espresso they do make a decent filter cup too. I feel like these were probably designed to be filter-first because I really do agree with their notes, it’s just not my preference. Berries right away, developing to praline and finishing with chocolate. Light acidity, nice sweetness, very little roast flavour, overall a very pleasant, balanced cup. I just can’t shake the feeling that every time I do a pour over with these, it’s an espresso shot that could’ve been made instead.
Overall, this is a very nice bag that I’d recommend and will definitely be buying again. If you’d like to order these online, you can find them here.
9 Comments
BurntWits@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 5d
Please let me know if there’s more info I should include. This is obviously the first one so I’m still figuring it all out. If there’s something I’m forgetting to include I’d love to add it both to this one in an edit and to future posts too.
chrisgpz@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 5d
This is Fantastic, thanks for taking the time. I'm curious what your ratios were for espresso and pour over. I promise I'm not trying to start an ideal ratio debate :)
BurntWits@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 5d
For espesso I’ve found 1:2.2 to work really well. My typical dose for these is 18/40. For filter I’ve mostly just stuck with 1:16 and haven’t really ventured too far outside of that, but it makes a nice cup.
chrisgpz@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 3d
Thanks! Do you tend to like lighter or darker roasts? I used to enjoy dark roasts, but especially for drip and pour over I don't like much anything past medium roast now.
BurntWits@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2d
I’ve been really enjoying medium lately. I’d like to experiment with light and ultra light eventually but I don’t have any like that right now. I used to drink dark and very dark but I really don’t enjoy that anymore. It just tastes like charcoal now. My wife is similar, she used to love super dark roasts, nearly black beans covered in oil, but now she says it tastes like Canadian Tire (which I guess is only funny if you know what that is).
With all that being said, I was visiting my parents today and my dad pretty much exclusively drinks light roast single origin Ethiopian and I had a cup today, I think I under-extracted it a bit but it was still pretty good, especially as it cooled down. It’s very different from what I’m used to but I think I could get into it with more exposure (and properly brewed). I probably should’ve asked him to make it for me since he knows how to brew that type of bean way better than myself, but oh well. Maybe next time.
viral.vegabond@piefed.social · 3 pts · 5d
Wow, great review!
The only thing that I can think to add would be the density of the beans maybe? Also, like the other commenter mentioned, it might be a good addition for what kind of ratios you went with. Not as a final determination, but more of a 'this is what I've found for a good starting point' kind of thing.
Overall, I think this was an excellent write up!
BurntWits@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 5d
Thank you!
Bean density could be interesting, but isn’t that mostly to do with the roast level? So a lighter roast would normally be more dense and a darker roast would normally be less dense. But I could be wrong, that’s just what I’ve heard. I may include density if it’s noteworthy (i.e. really high or low). For what it’s worth, these beans seem to be around the middle for density.
Yeah, I like the idea of brew ratios. I’m going to edit my post to include what I’ve used and I’ll include it in future posts too. I think that was a really good suggestion.
viral.vegabond@piefed.social · 2 pts · 4d
Logically, that sounds right. I had just thought of it because I was trying to dial in an espresso shot the other day, and the recommended ratio that I found said about 18g beans into 36g espresso over 25-30 seconds. Well, for the particular beans I am using, 18g ended up being way too much and I ended up having to lessen the amount to around 14-15 grams. I don't know if this is something that varies wildly, but I just thought I'd mention it just in case. I agree with what you said about only including it if it seems noteworthy though.
Thanks for the insight :)
BurntWits@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 4d
One of the bags I’ll be posting soon is super super dark (tastes like charcoal, not a fan) and I really need to go light with them or I’ll overfill my basket quite easily. I don’t have much experience with really light roasts, I’m mostly in the medium category currently, but I’d imagine I’d need a slightly heavier dose for espresso with lighter roasts.