Looking for help reviewing our coffee.

[4scoffee]

We're looking to open a coffee company in the US with importing coffee from Vietnam. Our green coffee is hand-selected with a combination of high quality robusta and arabica coffee. Currently we are working on 2 type of products: Whole beans and Drip coffee bag
You can see our coffee picture here:
Whole beans: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ukhbo22ijnxph6p/IMG_3282.JPG?dl=0
Drip Coffee: https://www.dropbox.com/s/npxgztrjzr8uubk/IMG_2741.JPG?dl=0
The tutorials is already marked on the box for the Drip Coffee.

We are willing to send free sample to anyone who is interested in giving us a review on our coffee. We are home-roasted coffee so we can adjust the level and the taste of the coffee.
Thanks you very much.
Please contact us through forum message or email us at [email protected] for a free sample under this format:

Name:
Address:
Type of product: (you can get free sample for both of the product types):
Forum ID:
Your email:

Thanks you very much!

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Updated 08/17/2016
About our high quality coffee, I will try my best to simplify our coffee profile:
We are using the roasting machine and brewing system from France (Vietnamese coffee original was introduced by France).
Our farm and facilities are located in Lam Dong which is 1200meter height from the ocean; French scientist have researched and concluded that Lam Dong is one of the best lane to grow coffee.
We have the newest roasting facilities; therefore, we can adjust our coffee combination equation base on your favor such as the level of taste, caffeine, additional flavor (such as sweetened, peanut, vanilla, ...); Or the roasting level (light, medium, dark or Italian Roast type).
We are always love to hear your feedback and try our best to improve!

 

[ensoluna]

Just emailed you my info for sample request.
hope that they are good.
thanks
Alex from Ensoluna S.A.

 

[4scoffee]

Just emailed you my info for sample request.
hope that they are good.
thanks
Alex from Ensoluna S.A.

Your sample is shipped out. Thanks you!

 

[topher]

I sent a request as well. I look forward to tasting them with our team.
Christopher From BWB and Cafe Vidal

 

[4scoffee]

I sent a request as well. I look forward to tasting them with our team.
Christopher From BWB and Cafe Vidal

I have shipped your sample. Thanks you very much!

 

[ensoluna]

hello 4scoffee.
just curious. since you have sent me Vietnam Robusta coffee, (or was it Arabica? not sure), can you tell me below information for me to "cup" and evaluate your coffee?
a. when it was roasted? what date?
b. what is the roasting protocol/level/standard for the sample you sent me?
c. I am REALLY hoping that you did not to additional flavors, right? no vanilla, no butter, no rum...etc?
d. how many grams did you send?
e. around when will I get it here?
f. the most important question : can I use SCAA or CoE cupping standard to "cup" and evaluate your coffee? or should I make Vietnam style cold coffee with condensed milk and see how it taste?

please let me know.
thanks

 

[4scoffee]

hello 4scoffee.
just curious. since you have sent me Vietnam Robusta coffee, (or was it Arabica? not sure), can you tell me below information for me to "cup" and evaluate your coffee?
a. when it was roasted? what date?
b. what is the roasting protocol/level/standard for the sample you sent me?
c. I am REALLY hoping that you did not to additional flavors, right? no vanilla, no butter, no rum...etc?
d. how many grams did you send?
e. around when will I get it here?
f. the most important question : can I use SCAA or CoE cupping standard to "cup" and evaluate your coffee? or should I make Vietnam style cold coffee with condensed milk and see how it taste?

please let me know.
thanks

a. It was roasted on august 08.
b. I need to contact my facility to get an accurate answer for you. So i wont be able to give you an answer until Monday. But we roasted it with medium-dark level with a combination of Moka Arabica and Robusta coffee.
c. We didn't add any additional flavor, but a little bit of butter.
d. I sent you 2 sample of whole beans and 3 samples of the Drip coffee.
e. I sent it on thursday with priority mail so it should get to ur place soon.
f. You can cup however is suitable for your style. I do recommended using condensed milk but it might not be the best way, if you can give it a try. Thats great but if not it is ok too.

My goal is to get as much feedback as possible to improve our coffee quality as well as roasting process. So we do take every feedback seriously. I greatly appreciate your help and please let me know if you have anymore questions.
Thanks you very much!

 

[ensoluna]

thank you. very good reply.
thanks a lot.

 

[ensoluna]

Just now, I got 4scoffee delivered by USPS. First of all, thanks 4scoffee. You kept your promise and thanks again.
I have not taste them yet (& I will do it, but I can not do "cupping" which I will explain later the reason)

Roasting : Not so bad, but I am sure that this one bag contains two different batch of roasting. you can see it right away, exactly half is "light-med roast" and the other half is "dark roast" and I can see oil on the beans. completely two sets of different roast. 4s, can you check on this matter for me?

Defective beans : there are some broken beans, and couple of empty beans, but not so bad, specially compared to Farmers blend. However, still does not meet European export standard regulation. But not so bad for Vietnam coffee.

for the drip coffee : I have seen this many times in Asian countries. it is like instant pour over style, however the main problem is that it is GROUND COFFEE and I highly doubt it will be fresh. Anyway, I will drink and post my comments later on. I put the drip coffee photos, so you can see the instruction on the back of the bag. Very simple and basic.

Variety of beans : 4s, you said that Moka Arabica and Robusta coffee. I can see the Robusta which is bit smaller and rounder beans than Arabica. but I do not see Moka beans. I see regular Arabica beans. I am guessing Catuai or Catimor beans, not Moka. Catuai/Catimor beans are inferior Arabica beans and bigger than Robusta and longer shaped.
4s, have you really seen any moka beans in your life time? I will show you how it looks like. since I can not post max five photos, I will put it on my next posting right after this and explain.

So, meanwhile, please check what kind of Arabica (varietal) you have mixed with Robusta and let us know.

Cupping : I can not cup this. Why? too much of butter flavor, smell. 90% of smell/aroma is butter. I do not know why most of vietnam coffee are being mixed with butter (maybe only for making Vietnam style cold coffee with condensed milk?), but "cupping" will be useless since you have mixed with butter.
anyway, I will make a French press and check it out and let you know.

thanks for sending me the samples.
good day.

 

[ensoluna]

But we roasted it with medium-dark level with a combination of Moka Arabica and Robusta coffee.

So we do take every feedback seriously. I greatly appreciate your help and please let me know if you have anymore questions.
Thanks you very much!

Hello 4scoffee,

Do you see below photo? this is a photo that I took personally in Finca (farm) Santa Felisa last March.
the tiny coffee beans to the right is MOKA BEANS. the left side beans are the regular Arabica beans. I took them together to compare the size of the Bourbon bean vs Moka beans. As you can see, Moka beans are the smallest coffee beans (one of the smallest beans) in the world. much smaller than Robusta beans.

So, from the coffee bag that I opened up, there weren't any real Moka beans.
so, please check it out what varietal of Arabica beans you have used. (By the way, real good moka beans are very very expensive, even more than SOC Bourbon, so I doubt that you have used that beans in the first place)

again, if you ask me, it would be either Catuai or Catimor or even Sarchmor or mix of all inferior Arabica beans. So, please check it out and let me know.
thanks

 

[ensoluna]

for the drip coffee : I have seen this many times in Asian countries. it is like instant pour over style, however the main problem is that it is GROUND COFFEE and I highly doubt it will be fresh. Anyway, I will drink and post my comments later on. I put the drip coffee photos, so you can see the instruction on the back of the bag. Very simple and basic.


View attachment 6165

Just made some coffee with your drip coffee.
mmmm...... sorry to say, but it is between NESTLE INSTANT COFFEE and FOLGERS DRIP COFFEE.
So.... I am going to put some condensed milk and some more sugar and drink it.
again, the problem is that Ground coffee is just not fresh unless you grind fresh roasted beans and make your drip coffee in 30 min of time.

I will do French press tonight or tomorrow morning for you. Hope that it will be better.
thanks

 

[4scoffee]

Just made some coffee with your drip coffee.
mmmm...... sorry to say, but it is between NESTLE INSTANT COFFEE and FOLGERS DRIP COFFEE.
So.... I am going to put some condensed milk and some more sugar and drink it.
again, the problem is that Ground coffee is just not fresh unless you grind fresh roasted beans and make your drip coffee in 30 min of time.

I will do French press tonight or tomorrow morning for you. Hope that it will be better.
thanks

View attachment 6169

Thanks you very much Alex for your time on reviewing our coffee.
I'm contacting my supplier in Vietnam to check on your question.

About the Drip Coffee bag. I think you didn't open it properly, but it was not really matter in my opinion. However, you should just tear off the bag along the "Open Here" line, even using your hand just so you can pour hot water over it better.
Here is a pic of what it should look like:
And When I test it, usually it give better taste when you just pour a little hot water over it to let it bloom and then wait for around 30s-5mins. The longer you wait, the stronger taste it will be. After that you can pour hot water in to let it drip slowly. Vietnamese coffee take a bit longer time to make than usually. Because its style is to pour hot water and enjoy "waiting" for every single drop of the coffee.

Again, thanks you very much Alex. Your review is going to help us improve alot. I really appreciate you taking time to review and give us an honest opinion.

 

[ensoluna]

no problem. I also thank you for giving me the opportunity to try out your coffee.
BTW, I did the pour over exactly how you were suggesting.
anyway, I got two more, so i will give it another try tomorrow.
thanks
PS: please find out for me about Moka beans. & whether they have used two different batches of roasting and mixed.
thanks

 

[ensoluna]

I will do French press tonight or tomorrow morning for you. Hope that it will be better.
thanks

Just now, I made your coffee with V60.
Sorry but honestly to say, your coffee is not for drip style, no V60, no french press...etc
it is good for Vietnam style coffee with condensed milk and other sweet things inside.
there is no other flavors except Robusta coffee flavor, slightly bitter, very plain, no sweetness, bitter aftertaste (very lingering bitter aftertaste), not balanced, and a lot of "butter" flavor since you have mixed the beans with butter.

I was hoping that it would be better, but unfortunately not.
I recommend you to personally compare your coffee with other freshly roasted good Arabica beans that is being sold even here in coffee forum roasters.

sorry that I can not give you better review, but it is what it is.
anyway, if you need any other info, please let me know.
thanks

 

[Mr.Peaberry]

So...I have an interesting question for you Alex. If this coffee was blended for use in Vietnamese style of coffee, i.e. with condensed milk and sweetener, how does a high quality coffee compare when used in that manner? This may just be a case of apples and oranges. Perhaps a strong, bitter coffee is what is needed in order to have any 'presence' at all in the finished beverage, and a high quality arabica gets washed out, so-to-speak, in the mix. Perhaps the use of arabica in the beverage is primarily to appease the specialty coffee crowd. I'm only saying this because there are those here who are advocating for chicory...which isn't coffee at all...as a viable additive to given blends. Maybe this is just a case of preference, but if you'll oblige me and maybe do a comparison by making Vietnam coffee using best beans from Musicphan or JJ or PJS, then let's see if maybe 4scoffee is doing a good job in his own arena.

Peaberry