Amazing bag of coffee never to be had again

[chupacabra31]

A couple years ago I got a bag of Allegro Brand Rainforest Breakfast blend (light roast). I had made a choice to get this coffee due to it being recommended by a friend. I purchased the bag from my local whole foods here in S.E. Michigan. All I can say is that it was Okay but better then anything, I have had prior to that.

So I continued to purchase. I was visiting my folks who live 2 hours from Denver, Co, the home of Allegro Coffee. So while out there, I purchased a bag and same taste as the bags I get From Mich. Just before, I departed Co I bought another bag from a whole foods in Colorado Springs, Co.

On my drive home I decided to pop the bag to have some in my hotel room. Using the horrible 4 cup drip coffee maker. To say this coffee was Amazing is an understatement. This coffee stayed amazing for days! Bright, nutty, smooth, etc.

I have bought subsequent bags and have payed closer attention to the roasting date. However I have never had the same experience 2 years later. I have even visited my parents and bought fresh bags from near the roaster. They always taste stale compared to that one bag. I think maybe I got a bag Allegro considered to fresh to release or the fact it was summer and harder for the coffee to go bad.

I have been trying to have this experience with other coffees, including a local roaster but never to be repeated. I have a local specialty market that will roast green beans in some kind of air roaster. That coffee from the air roaster was the same as the allegro which may have been roasted not long ago.

Any ideas as to whats going on?

 

[CoffeeJunky]

Welcome aboard.
I can suspect you were able to get very freshly roasted coffee.
When coffee is roasted, it will take time to develop full flavor and after about 2 weeks, start lose its flavor. Also if they are stored improperly, it could be damaged much faster.
Also, blend are sometimes can be changed or replaced with different type of beans. I actually know of different blend changed their blends because rise of the price or most of the time because of the availability.

To me, rainforest blends are from South American grown. Much more smooth, nutty and light on flavor.
I am assuming you are from Ann Arbor. or near by. There are coffee house called "mighty good coffee" They should have something decent there or "espresso Royal" try their lower caffeine blend. THis is not decaf.

Good Luck

 

[chupacabra31]

Welcome aboard.
I can suspect you were able to get very freshly roasted coffee.
When coffee is roasted, it will take time to develop full flavor and after about 2 weeks, start lose its flavor. Also if they are stored improperly, it could be damaged much faster.
Also, blend are sometimes can be changed or replaced with different type of beans. I actually know of different blend changed their blends because rise of the price or most of the time because of the availability.

To me, rainforest blends are from South American grown. Much more smooth, nutty and light on flavor.
I am assuming you are from Ann Arbor. or near by. There are coffee house called "mighty good coffee" They should have something decent there or "espresso Royal" try their lower caffeine blend. THis is not decaf.

Good Luck

I thought that it was a case of getting a really fresh bag (very close to the roast), however I have purchased from a local roaster a bag only a day off the roast (tasted stale). Additionally I live next to a market that will roast coffee on the spot in some kind of air roaster (same stale taste).

 

[janry]

I thought that it was a case of getting a really fresh bag (very close to the roast), however I have purchased from a local roaster a bag only a day off the roast (tasted stale). Additionally I live next to a market that will roast coffee on the spot in some kind of air roaster (same stale taste).

What beans were these that tasted "stale". I suspect it has something to do with where the beans are grown. I recently bought the "breakfast blend" from Whole Foods. I can imagine they would have been pretty good but they were roasted too dark in my opinion. Per the label on the bin, the beans were blended from Central American countries.

You might want to try some single origin beans from the major regions to get a feel for what you like.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

I thought that it was a case of getting a really fresh bag (very close to the roast), however I have purchased from a local roaster a bag only a day off the roast (tasted stale). Additionally I live next to a market that will roast coffee on the spot in some kind of air roaster (same stale taste).

Which local roaster did you get from? Roos roasters tend to have extra tanning on their coffee. I would like to know which roaster actually uses small micro roaster here in Michigan.
And I would also like to know the taste you are calling "stale". Because day after the roast of most of the beans should not have stale taste. I am not saying there is anything wrong with what you are describing. But it is hard to believe some beans would have stale flavor day after the roast.

 

[ghwh]

Yea please do tell us, would like to know which roaster too.

 

[chupacabra31]

Which local roaster did you get from? Roos roasters tend to have extra tanning on their coffee. I would like to know which roaster actually uses small micro roaster here in Michigan.
And I would also like to know the taste you are calling "stale". Because day after the roast of most of the beans should not have stale taste. I am not saying there is anything wrong with what you are describing. But it is hard to believe some beans would have stale flavor day after the roast.

I will not say, just because of how litigious our society is, but the coffee they claim is fresh roasted always taste stale. I have tried multiple bags, same origin from all corners of the globe. They charge an absolute premium for the stuff and it has the same freshness and quality as a bag of Allegro that is at least 2 weeks off the roast if not greater. Like I said that one bag ruined me forever. I did not know what truly fresh coffee was until, I had this bag.

More later.

 

[PinkRose]

Hello chupacabra31

Welcome to the Coffee Forums.

You made an interesting choice for your user name on this Forum. It caught my attention, because the Chupacabra was recently a storyline on General Hospital.

It looks like you've been searching to duplicate a coffee experience that you had two years ago. It's possible that the coffee beans that you enjoyed were from a particular batch of beans that were perfectly roasted. It's going to be difficult to totally duplicate the flavors that you experienced.

Please keep in mind that the memories of the coffee that you enjoyed may be enhanced by your enjoyment. Sometimes the first experience with something, such as a good cup of coffee or a great meal, is SO good that it can never be duplicated again.

Good luck in your search.

Rose

 

[cestrin]

Two comments: I lived in Ann Arbor and Mighty Good was my favorite local roaster.

Chupacabra, you may just be understanding what "good coffee" tastes like. I would argue that as your palette gets more sensitive to coffee you can taste more of the subtleties leading to a more harsh judgement of what you are tasting. Keep it up!

 

[janry]

How have you been brewing the coffee all along? I know you mentioned using the hotel drip maker one time with good results but you can get good results from drip makers because they are so idiot proof.

Have you been using the same equipment and method during all this time other than the one time at the hotel?

 

[chupacabra31]

How have you been brewing the coffee all along? I know you mentioned using the hotel drip maker one time with good results but you can get good results from drip makers because they are so idiot proof.

Have you been using the same equipment and method during all this time other than the one time at the hotel?

That bag of coffee tasted almost the same from creating a brew with the hario v60 pour over method, clever coffee dripper, and the auto coffee maker.

 

[janry]

That bag of coffee tasted almost the same from creating a brew with the hario v60 pour over method, clever coffee dripper, and the auto coffee maker.

Let me re-phase. Are you still using the CCD? Has anything about your technique changed? Are you sure you are using the same coffee to water ratio? Same water temperature?

Might as well go ahead and ask: How much coffee are you using per brew? How much water?

 

[chupacabra31]

Let me re-phase. Are you still using the CCD? Has anything about your technique changed? Are you sure you are using the same coffee to water ratio? Same water temperature?

Might as well go ahead and ask: How much coffee are you using per brew? How much water?

My point is that it did not matter if it was ccd, crappy hotel drip, haro v60, every brew from this bag came out amazing and unforgettable.

I actually have switched to the aeropress. I use a method that Is recommended by baristas, would love to link it here but I dont have enough post.

The thing is when I had that Allegro bag you could smell just how fresh it was. I have yet to smell a supposedly fresh roasted coffee that smelled this fresh and amazing.

 

[PinkRose]

You may never be able to totally duplicate that wonderful coffee experience that you had two years ago.

The best you can do is continue searching for something that comes close to it.

I predict that you'll eventually start roasting your own coffee, but that will be something to explore in the future.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

You may never be able to totally duplicate that wonderful coffee experience that you had two years ago.

The best you can do is continue searching for something that comes close to it.

I predict that you'll eventually start roasting your own coffee, but that will be something to explore in the future.

I really don't think it is to do with just the coffee itself.
I remember when I had my first cupping party. It was in South America at a small coffee farm. We tried about 4 different coffee from around their region including Blue Mountain.
It was most wonderful coffee experience I have ever had. The wonder of smell, visual and even the tasted can not be ever duplicated. I have done over 200 cupping party since but they were never the same.

Good Luck with your search.....