Mocha Java!!

[jrowen]

I've always liked the taste of an espresso-ish drink - cappacinos, lattes, and the like. After starting with my french press and, much like my shaving experience, started to put some effort into the experience, I sought out some decent beans that could be had locally. I ran across a local coffeehouse that roasts their own beans.... ironcally called Roasters Coffee House. As I was in the store sampling all their regional coffee, I just couldn't make up my mind. ... and there it was.... and the answer became clear.... blended coffee! Roasters calls their mocha java blend "Moka Java".

My coffee path started with (please don't flame me) flavored coffee, because all I ever had was bad drip brew and the flavor took the edge off. Then I disocvered that coffee-flavored coffee actually tastes really good if you get good beans and brew it well. And of course I would have an espresso drink thrown in every now and then. But after a while, my coffee experience was just kinda mising something for me. I was enjoying it, but wanted something more.

I find Mocha Java to be a great compromise for me! The powdery chocolaty-ness of the yemen and sweetness of the java makes a really tasty brew, but it still tastes like good brew coffee, as opposed to an espresso drink or the flavored stuff I now detest. Just a splash of cream, and I find that really does it for me! I'm getting that "something special" out of my morning/afternoon cup of coffee now.

- Jason

[Scotto]

Often "Moka Java" blends are a dumping ground for really poor coffees that are over-roasted and then sold off to people who like a "strong cuppa". More often than not, there is no Java in the blend whatsoever, but Sumatra instead.

That being said, with good coffees, this particular blend can be very good.

[jrowen]

Often "Moka Java" blends are a dumping ground for really poor coffees that are over-roasted and then sold off to people who like a "strong cuppa". More often than not, there is no Java in the blend whatsoever, but Sumatra instead.

That being said, with good coffees, this particular blend can be very good.

I hope that's not the case!! I'm not an afficianado by any means, but this particular coffee house weighs the java and the yemen in front of me from two different containers/bags labeled as such, and then mixes them behind the counter. According to the website (and the owner who I talked to), they roast their coffees in small batches, and nothing behind the counter is more than 3 weeks old. The yemen is "Yemmen Mattari", and the java is from Java. They list 3 Sumatra coffees which are distinct from their Java.... and I hope that's actually the case.

I hope I've fallen into the category of "good coffees" here, becuase I'm very much enjoying this blend. It would sadden me to know that my unrefined tastes have been duped by poor coffee sold as something it isn't! Perhaps this is a good reason to have a good relationship with your roaster.

Thanks for the heads up, Scotto! I'll definitely keep this in mind if I have to go somewhere else for my beans. For the board's knowledge, is this something to watch out for with most blends? i.e. blended coffees in general being a dumping ground for poor coffees/roasts marketed as "strong"? Or does this mostly happen to this particular blend?

Thanks,

- Jason

[fsatsil]

Two of my favorite roasters are Paradise and Counter Culture Coffee and both have really good Moka-Java style blends. If you ever order from either of there roasters give thier Moka Java blends a try you wont be disappointed. And to be honest I dont really mind if they use Ethiopian instead of Yemen and Sumatra instead of Java in the blend as long as they taste good thats all i care about:)

[Scotto]

Jason,

There is always an exception to the rule, and I am glad that you are finding good coffee. Needless to say, personal preference plays a large role as well.

Personally, I eschew blends, since I am a bit maniacal about appreciating the unique terroir, if you will, of each origin. The exception is espresso, which benefits from blending since the high-pressure extraction can accentuate certain notes of coffees to an unpleasant degree.

In my experience, Indonesian coffees like Sumatras, Javas, etc. are often over-roasted. Part of this is that the preparation of the beans from these regions can be poor, leading to some nasty aromas/tastes (burlap bags, dirt, etc.) which need to be burned off by a high roast level. Part of it is also the "manliness" factor, where many people like low-acid, rich, heavy coffees such that they can put lots of milk and sugar into it.

Consistency can also play a role, such as the Charbucks case. If all you taste is roast, it is easy to be consistent. Try that with a light roast where the unique character of the coffee itself plays a larger role, and it is much more difficult to get consistent results

Decafs are often another dumping ground, where producers take their lower grade coffees and send them off to the decaffeination plant. After all, if the poor schmuck is drinking decaf, he deserves it!

Anyway, we are lucky to have lots of quality roasters out there who source excellent quality beans and roast them with respect. Before I started home roasting back in the day, I appreciated coffees from Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, Ristretto Roasting, Stumptown, and others. Good luck!

[jrowen]

I don't always drink blended coffee, but when I do, I drink Moka Java.

[Lynchmeister]

I don't always drink blended coffee, but when I do, I drink Moka Java.

I knew it was you! <World's Most Interesting Man>

[GarageBoy]

Jason,

There is always an exception to the rule, and I am glad that you are finding good coffee. Needless to say, personal preference plays a large role as well.

Personally, I eschew blends, since I am a bit maniacal about appreciating the unique terroir, if you will, of each origin. The exception is espresso, which benefits from blending since the high-pressure extraction can accentuate certain notes of coffees to an unpleasant degree.

In my experience, Indonesian coffees like Sumatras, Javas, etc. are often over-roasted. Part of this is that the preparation of the beans from these regions can be poor, leading to some nasty aromas/tastes (burlap bags, dirt, etc.) which need to be burned off by a high roast level. Part of it is also the "manliness" factor, where many people like low-acid, rich, heavy coffees such that they can put lots of milk and sugar into it.

Consistency can also play a role, such as the Charbucks case. If all you taste is roast, it is easy to be consistent. Try that with a light roast where the unique character of the coffee itself plays a larger role, and it is much more difficult to get consistent results

Decafs are often another dumping ground, where producers take their lower grade coffees and send them off to the decaffeination plant. After all, if the poor schmuck is drinking decaf, he deserves it!

Anyway, we are lucky to have lots of quality roasters out there who source excellent quality beans and roast them with respect. Before I started home roasting back in the day, I appreciated coffees from Intelligentsia, Counter Culture, Ristretto Roasting, Stumptown, and others. Good luck!

Pretty sure Porto Rico Importing company's Mocha Java is the dumping ground for overly roasted beans. It's usually a bit cheaper than non blended coffees

[benvh]

I've made my own mokha java blend from my homeroast. Mixing Yemen and Java...it really is a magical blend. Now that you mention it...I may need to do that again.

[echelon3]

You might like this:
http://www.sweetmarias.com/blending.php
as a point of additional info.

I've been roasting my own coffee for many years and Thom is the guru of coffee.

[echelon3]

I hope that's not the case!! I'm not an afficianado by any means, but this particular coffee house weighs the java and the yemen in front of me from two different containers/bags labeled as such, and then mixes them behind the counter. According to the website (and the owner who I talked to), they roast their coffees in small batches, and nothing behind the counter is more than 3 weeks old. The yemen is "Yemmen Mattari", and the java is from Java.

- Jason

I think you are in very good hands, Jason.
The Mattari was very difficult to source so it didn't fall into the hands of very many mediocre roasters.

Do try to avoid any three week old coffee though...

[echelon3]

Jason,

The exception is espresso, which benefits from blending since the high-pressure extraction can accentuate certain notes of coffees to an unpleasant degree.

Really?
In thirty years in the business I've never heard this claim nor experienced this phenomenon.

Would you mind explaining how pressure could cause this?

[jrowen]

I knew it was you! <World's Most Interesting Man>

You might like this:
http://www.sweetmarias.com/blending.php
as a point of additional info.

I've been roasting my own coffee for many years and Thom is the guru of coffee.

Nice link! Haven't read it yet, but it looks like a wealth of information!

I think you are in very good hands, Jason.
The Mattari was very difficult to source so it didn't fall into the hands of very many mediocre roasters.

Do try to avoid any three week old coffee though...

Whew. It's nice to get feedback from people who know what they're doing! (EDIT: from the forum in general, as opposed to myself, who just likes drinking the stuff.)

- Jason

[echelon3]

Jason,
In my experience, Indonesian coffees like Sumatras, Javas, etc. are often over-roasted. Part of this is that the preparation of the beans from these regions can be poor, leading to some nasty aromas/tastes (burlap bags, dirt, etc.) which need to be burned off by a high roast level.

"Earthiness" and undernotes of forest are the defining "terroir" of Indonesian coffees.
Preparation in these regions are by no means poor, and to claim such lightly within a forum without documentation is, well, perhaps unfair at best.
Neither of these things "need to be burned off", nor in fact, can they be.
Baggy coffee results from poor storage/shipment/advanced age and is as likely to occur in African (or any region's) shipments as it is in Indonesian shipments.
It is not rare that we taste these coffees in situ only to reject them upon port.

You mention Intelligentsia, who as a point of fact, often purchases at auction with Thom from SweetMaria's linked below.
Order a pound of any of their Indonesians, and should you find them baggy, or degraded by poor preparation, or indeed to have any other fault, post that fact here and I will provide you not only a refund, but I promise to personally double your refund.

[Scotto]

"Earthiness" and undernotes of forest are the defining "terroir" of Indonesian coffees.
Preparation in these regions are by no means poor, and to claim such lightly within a forum without documentation is, well, perhaps unfair at best.
Neither of these things "need to be burned off", nor in fact, can they be.
Baggy coffee results from poor storage/shipment/advanced age and is as likely to occur in African (or any region's) shipments as it is in Indonesian shipments.
It is not rare that we taste these coffees in situ only to reject them upon port.

You mention Intelligentsia, who as a point of fact, often purchases at auction with Thom from SweetMaria's linked below.
Order a pound of any of their Indonesians, and should you find them baggy, or degraded by poor preparation, or indeed to have any other fault, post that fact here and I will provide you not only a refund, but I promise to personally double your refund.

Time to relax and drink a cup of coffee, echelon (not sure you have a name). You'll note I said "can", not "always". Tom does indeed know his stuff, and his beans are almost always excellent, but as I am sure you know, most of the public don't buy from Tom, roast their own, or even get coffee from reputable internet sellers. The average "Moka Java" you'll get from your local coffee house or grocery store will likely be, well, average. As for "burning off", roast a coffee to death and you'll taste roast and little else.

It sounds like perhaps you know something about coffee. Kick back, take off your shoes, share your first name with the gentlemen here, and have some fun.

[echelon3]

Time to relax and drink a cup of coffee, echelon (not sure you have a name). You'll note I said "can", not "always". Tom does indeed know his stuff, and his beans are almost always excellent, but as I am sure you know, most of the public don't buy from Tom, roast their own, or even get coffee from reputable internet sellers. The average "Moka Java" you'll get from your local coffee house or grocery store will likely be, well, average. As for "burning off", roast a coffee to death and you'll taste roast and little else.

It sounds like perhaps you know something about coffee. Kick back, take off your shoes, share your first name with the gentlemen here, and have some fun.

I am relaxed Scotto, and in fact I'm enjoying a press of a remarkably sweet and winey organic Sidamo this morning. I hope your morning began as pleasantly.

I remain quite curious as to how one can "burn off" bagginess, how "high-pressure extraction can accentuate certain notes of coffees to an unpleasant degree", and how blending mitigates that.

"It sounds like perhaps you know something about coffee", and I hope you would be so kind as to elaborate on these statements.
If not, I understand.