Tea and Coffee.... (1 Viewer)

[special ed]

You coffee experts have reminded me about a refrain we teen Civil Air Patrol cadets sang in the 1950s we learned from WW2 elders:

Oh, they say that in the (insert your mil service), the coffee's mighty fine,
black as monkey vomit, tastes like turpentine,
Oh, I don't want no more of cadet life,
Gee Ma, I wanna go home..

Of course, there were other verses to fit most every occasion.
As I remember, most were concerning "Airborne Life", however some referred to Pilots, Navigators, bomber pilots or instructors.

 

[Elvis]

You coffee experts have reminded me about a refrain we teen Civil Air Patrol cadets sang in the 1950s we learned from WW2 elders:

Oh, they say that in the (insert your mil service), the coffee's mighty fine,
black as monkey vomit, tastes like turpentine,
Oh, I don't want no more of cadet life,
Gee Ma, I wanna go home..

Of course, there were other verses to fit most every occasion.
As I remember, most were concerning "Airborne Life", however some referred to Pilots, Navigators, bomber pilots or instructors.

I remember, when I was a kid, something about coffee tasting like turpentine. Seems like I learned it from the adults...might've been my dad, who enlisted just a few months after the war ended.

 

[monicac]

My mother bought me Helena Caturra of Offshoot Coffee in Australia
This coffee was served by using mokapot or simply pour-over
Below are from my coffee diary

For black coffee: Notes of berries aroma with a sharp acidity.
For milk-based coffee: Differs slightly from the described apple-like sweetness, leaning more toward tea-like notes instead.
Overall impression: Clean, subtle sweetness.

Another coffee was Guji Masina - Diamond *Rare*
This coffee was served by pour-over only

First, it's clearly a light roast bean, very hard, and the grinder can handle it.
For black coffee, there's a very delicate floral aroma (I didn't expect an Ethiopian variety to lack orange notes; seems like last time, even the Guji didn't have it either). The acidity isn't very strong, perhaps diluted by bypass water? It does have a bit of a lemon tea flavor. I've never smelled elderflower before—sweet and sour. As the temperature drops, the lemon flavor emerges.
For milk-based coffee, it gives a tea-like impression.
After increasing the grind size and retrying, there's a noticeable sweet floral aroma. However, this small water flow tends to cause more bypass water, so the actual flavor might be more intense than it is now. Your notes on the Helena Caturra match what I get from Offshoot too, sharp berry acidity with a clean finish. Bypass water and grind size absolutely mute the florals in a washed Ethiopian, and i came across this machine that handles bean to cup automatically if you ever want consistency without the pour over fuss. Your lemon tea note instead of orange is a common thing with Guji lots, they tend to lean floral and citrus rather than the orange everyone expects. Coarser grind and slower pour usually fixes the sweetness.
Refreshing, clean, typical of washed coffee. The acidity is indeed better.

That's a nice set of tasting notes, I've had a few Ethiopian washed coffees that reminded me of lemon tea more than the orange notes people usually expect. I remember once brewing a Guji and being surprised by how delicate and floral it was, almost like jasmine, with barely any of that citrus punch. I've also noticed that bypass water can really mute the acidity, so I usually try to keep the flow steady and adjust the grind a touch finer if it tastes too weak. Your mention of elderflower makes me curious to try that coffee myself.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

That's a nice set of tasting notes, I've had a few Ethiopian washed coffees that reminded me of lemon tea more than the orange notes people usually expect. I remember once brewing a Guji and being surprised by how delicate and floral it was, almost like jasmine, with barely any of that citrus punch. I've also noticed that bypass water can really mute the acidity, so I usually try to keep the flow steady and adjust the grind a touch finer if it tastes too weak. Your mention of elderflower makes me curious to try that coffee myself.

Glad you like my choice haha

 

[Jadera]

There's this Chinese tea I get in Chinatown every time I'm there, called 黄金大麦茶, which is basically barley tea. It has no caffeine and is apparently really good for your cardiovascular health.