Coffee Tasting Episode 1 | Guatemala Los Cedros Esperanza Gold Label

Welcome to our new series of videos. We will select a coffee, brew it, and share what we think about them. We’ll do it in a group because the coffee experience is not a one-size-fits-all. We all have different palates and preferences. This medium allows us to share how each of us appreciates coffee differently. Today's demonstration is not your typical cupping. We want to brew coffee the way you do at home and discover how different it can be for everyone. We’ll go through the tasting curve, which includes earthy, chocolate, roasted, nutty, spice, sweet, floral, berry, tart, citrus. 

Coffee Selection

We selected our Guatemalan Gold Label because it's a staple here at Sagebrush and one of our best sellers. It's simply one of our favorites. A Latin American coffee is an excellent place to start for coffee tasting because of the coffee profile. It's usually a smooth, flavorful coffee.

Coffee Roast

We roasted our selection to a City Plus level. City Plus may also be referred to as a light-medium roast which means you roast through the entirety of the first crack to somewhere between the first and second crack. We stop the roast toward the first half of the cycle between the first and second crack. City Plus is all about timing.

Brewing Method and Equipment

We chose to use a V60 pour-over because we felt it was the optimal choice for Guatemalan Gold. We ground 28 grams of coffee and brewed it with water heated to 196 degrees. To heat the water, we used a Fellow EKG Kettle and a Baratza Vario to grind the coffee.

Why Not a Chemex or a French Press

A Chemex is often used for complex coffees and a French Press is ideal for bold coffee. Guatemalan Gold is neither bold or complex, which makes the V60 pour-over the best brewing method.

Watch Our Video Below to Learn More!