Vivace Green Bean blend

[liralen]

Roasted yesterday, brewed this morning using my little Mr. Coffee MC40.

Bought at Espresso Vivace at their Broadway store.

Brewing: It's damned picky stuff. I have to get everything exactly right, roast (10 seconds into 2nd crack), grind (variable according to the lack of humidity here), tamp (30 pounds) and then I get glorious golden crema to fill the shot glasses and even then it's not exactly sweet compared to other single variatels or other blends, even. If ANY of it's wrong, or even if I brew it anything past three days (high altitude air sucks the oils right out) after the roast, the stuff gets sour and thin and nothing will coax crema from it. WAY too picky for me and what I'm doing and where I am.

Given that it's blended for their commercial use, at sea level, in Seattle humidity, I can see why it's so darn picky. What I really don't like about it is that some of the beans look like they've been par-roasted already and the differences in size and prep some of the beans get into Full City+ before some of the beans have even gone through a decent amount of first crack. It comes out far more uneven than the Sweet Maria blends and it's sure to be less even than any single varietal.

So a 3 out of 10 for me, as there are a few glories to be had when it's Right.

Comments

[writeanya.livejournal.com]

i am completely speechless in the wake of these tea/coffee posts. (and yet i still comment, heh)

the technical yet poetic nature of them stuns me.

i can relate (somewhat) to the tea schtuff, not at all to the coffee. yet, i must read, and sometimes reread the post, hoping i get it upon repeat.

fascinating!

p.s. i picked up a yin hao jasmine from pete's on monday and it is amazing by my neophyte standards. just thought i'd share. :D

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, comments! :-) Thanks!

I'm glad that they're fascinating rather than dull. I felt that with the new tag stuff I can now just review things as I drink them. When I buy again I should be able to go back and figure out if I want to buy something again or not.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Glad you're sharing, too! I've always been mildly impressed by how Pete's takes care of and brews most of their teas (do not ask a barista with a steam wand to brew a green like your jasmine... they just throw boiler water on the tea, which is great for blacks but kills greens or whites) for a coffee company. Pete's got a great commercial selection.

I know you're in California, are you in the south or the bay or further north?

[writeanya.livejournal.com]

yeah, i had the jasmine at a friend's first and it was like drinking a perfect flower. the aroma was amazing and heady, but not overwhelming. then i had it at pete's (while buying a tin of it) and it was a wee too strong.

i'm glad i can pamper it at home so it is how i like it. i think pete's began in berkeley as a teeny shop and has just managed to make it big. i am a fan, i have to say, for it being as commercially available as it is.

i'm now in so cal -- ventura -- between santa barbara and los angeles. but me heart still resides up in the bay area. have to say i'm fortunate, both places are beautiful in their own way.

:D

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Cool. I was wondering if I should recommend a tea place for you, but I mostly only know of the ones in the Bay Area. :-)

They are both beautiful in their own ways. Both ugly in their own ways, too, and both fascinating in their own ways as well. I grew up in So. Cal, L.A. and San Diego.

Many of my friends are in the Bay Area, but I've never lived there. I was offered the choice between Boulder, CO and San Jose, and I just couldn't quite bring myself to drag John into the concrete and pressure when there were mountains and a beautifully relaxed working place that actually understood software was offered on the other side. I would have loved the Chinese food, diversity, and having friends close by... but so it is. I also had, at that point, a 120 pound dog to care for, too.

The interesting thing has been finding that there are two great tea houses here in Boulder, and a third that is bordering on being pretty good, too. It's fun to see.

[writeanya.livejournal.com]

aw heck...was hoping you'd know one. however, i'll take any bay area recos, too, as i believe we'll end up back there someday. *brief missing ocurring here* ok, better now.

so, i just posted on your last post, but to repeat (sort of) what downs in La-la and San Diego. I was born in Queen of Angeles hospital (as was my mom), then grew up in La Mirada and then down in Vista in North County S.D. My parents still live there. I couldn't get out fast enough, although Leucadia and Encinitas still hold their appeal. Graduated from San Diego State. Since then, have lived in Saugus, Ventura, Marin...and a two-year stint in Columbus, in order to meet William. Heh. Wonder if you and I have been crossing paths in towns across the years.

I have to say, for lush, overt beauty, Marin has it all hands down. But SoCal has more subtle beauty, that I am finally learning to appreciate. Like all things, it takes time. I cannot imagine choosing San Jose, though...a rough 'burbian place to be. I have friends in Morgan Hill, though, and they love it. Husband works for Palm now. Diversity could be better down where we are, but is much better than other areas. Is all how you look at it, I spose.

I have fantasies about landing in Boulder and never leaving, though I am not sure where it comes from. Heh. Will have to visit some day and see what that pull is.

Glad you have found a good niche there...tea houses, to boot!