I should probably be writing about Christmas trees, Nisse, and Glögg, but over the last month, there has been a lot of talk about aged coffee, and the more I try and stop thinking about it the more it is taking over my thoughts! I am not referring to Old Brown Java or Monsooned Malabar, I am opening the subject of enjoying coffee at its peak.
Over the course of the last two decades, coffee has improved immeasurably. Part of that journey has been about freshness, however, I think we have gone too far now. Ordering coffee roasted on a Tuesday and brewing it on Thursday, is going to have all of the charm of an abrasive angry teenager. It’s going to be tight, full of CO2, and not its potential self. I am starting to see some of the coffee industries (Big international names) changing the conversation and floating the idea of offering coffee that is 1,2 and 4 weeks from roast.
In 2024, we are going to rethink much of what we do. Part of my plan is not necessarily to roast 2Kgs every time someone orders 250g and bury the rest. How would you feel if you ordered coffee and it reached you a week or two from roast? It would taste better. It would be easier to brew too.
As an example, when some of our customers were coming out of Covid, they had coffee that was 4 months old. I took a number of calls, asking if the coffee was still good. My advice was to open a bag and try the coffee. Those coffees tasted great in espresso! This doesn’t mean that 4 months is the new, new. It does suggest that there is room for change.
Let us know what you think. I don’t want to be directing a ghost ship, but I do want to be doing things better.
