Posted Wed Aug 25, 2004, 8:29am Subject: Help with Cuban roasts
I've been hooked on the stuff for a long time, usually either Bustelo or Pilon beans, which are unfortunately only to be found in stores whole-bean but sealed lord knows how long ago. I've tried a lot of local roasts, mostly medium espresso blends, but haven't found anything to match the kick of Cuban espresso. I grew up in Miami and moved up to New England, so I'm trying to find any good way to get that same style I had back home, but fresh. Any ideas or suggestions on where to poke around for similar beans? Thanks so much!
Posted Fri Aug 27, 2004, 6:59am Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
You definitely need a darker roast than a medium level espresso roast. Perhaps a Southern Italian roast which if I recall correctly is a bit beyond Full City +. A "Spanish" roast has the beans almost charred - no need to go that far but from what I recall of Bustelo (which was always vacuum packed pre-ground when I had it), it's very dark.
You coudl also check CCM Coffee in Tampa FL. Their prices are really low for roasted beans, I've heard that the quality is decent and there's a large Cuban community in or near that area. If you call them they can suggest which roast level to order.
Posted Fri Aug 27, 2004, 7:07am Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
They do seem quite cheap; I'll check them out. Thanks a lot for the reply, hopefully I'll have something interesting to say about their beans in a week or so.
derailed Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 49 Location: UK Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: gaggia classic Grinder: innova i mini Roaster: heat gun dog bowl
Posted Mon Aug 30, 2004, 1:00pm Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
i was hooked on pilon as well. its got a kick to it. anyway, i found www.javacabana.com i emailed them asking how long from roast before they ship, but they never responded. however, the beans seemed pretty fresh when i got them. i stopped buying from them because im in europe now and i would ship the beans to my family in the states before they would visit. in the end, i would get the beans but they would be stale. now i have my family bring green beans :)
for that cuban taste, is it the bean or the roast that they use. any ideas?
peterthepiper Senior Member Joined: 20 Mar 2004 Posts: 254 Location: Vancouver Expertise: Pro Barista
Grinder: Baratza Virtuoso Drip: Chemex
Posted Mon Aug 30, 2004, 9:19pm Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
I'm currently enjoying a blend of Cuban, Sumatran and Yemen beans, called the "Mudshark" from a roasterie in Nelson, BC, Canada. Excellent stuff, and you can order online from them.
Posted Wed Sep 1, 2004, 9:51am Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
I like Cuban beans; and they're readily available here. I find they make a good espresso base; in a 4:3:2:1 blend a la Jim Schulman they get 4 parts. I like them roasted just to where second crack is threatening to start.
Posted Thu Sep 2, 2004, 9:56am Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
Phaelon - thanks a million!
The CCM beans arrived at my office right before lunch, so I called the house-mate, asked him to turn the Silvia on, and ran home to spend my lunch hour playing with my favorite toys. The beans, which only cost about eight dollars shipped (shipped the day they roast, apparently) arrived in a sealed silver bag with a gas vent. They were a relatively dark roast with a slightly oily finish, and required a coarser grind setting than the beans I get from a local distributor. The first shot was bunk, so i redialed the Rocky and tried again with wonderful results. Very smooth coffee, no bitter aftertaste, and more than a hint of what I'm guessing is called chocolatey flavor (I'm not good at this tasting thing, so I'm looking for other ways of saying 'mmmmm.') Anyway, they're a great value and surprisingly good. Not quite the kick of Pilon or Bustelo, but close enough and much much fresher. Anyone else out there tried their beans?
SavinHillBill Senior Member Joined: 2 Feb 2003 Posts: 26 Location: Tampa Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: La Pavoni Romantica 8 Grinder: Innova i-2
Posted Thu Sep 2, 2004, 12:35pm Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
Lucky for me CCM is only about a mile from my office here in sunny Tampa. I've been using them for over a year and have always been pleased.
If you roast your own, I don't, they have a wider selection of green beans than roasted beans.
They're supposed to be getting a new roaster in the very near future that will broaden their selection of roasted coffee. I've been pushing for Ethiopian.
SavinHillBill Senior Member Joined: 2 Feb 2003 Posts: 26 Location: Tampa Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: La Pavoni Romantica 8 Grinder: Innova i-2
Posted Fri Sep 3, 2004, 11:19am Subject: Re: Help with Cuban roasts
No. I tend to go with single origin Full City Roast, or just shy of espresso.
By the way, I wouldn't be put off by their low prices. These people have been in business for three generations and welcome the opportunity to give you a tour of their facility. I've see the barrels labeled Jamaica Blue Mountain and the bags with Columbian Supremo printed on them.
CCM, as near as I can tell is selling premium coffee at a more than reasonable price.
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