u/BitStunning2009

Coffee: Ratnagiri Estate – Bababudangiri

Roaster: Quick Brown Fox Coffee Roasters

Variety: SLN 9

Process: Thermal Shock Natural + Bioreactor with Lab-Inoculated Microbes

Roast: Filter

Tasting notes: Raspberry • Apricot • Plum

I really wanted to like this one.

When I opened the bag, the aroma was actually fantastic. Very intense, fruity and almost perfumey. It smelled like it was going to be a really interesting cup.
But once I brewed it, something just felt off.

I’m getting the fruit, but to me it comes across as very synthetic rather than naturally fruity. Instead of fresh raspberry, apricot or plum, I’m getting something closer to artificial fruit flavouring. There’s also a slightly strange processed character that I can’t quite put my finger on.

And I don’t want to immediately blame the processing either. This is quite an experimental coffee — thermal shock + bioreactor fermentation with lab-inoculated microbes — so I expected it to be funky and unusual. But there’s a difference between funky and interesting and something that doesn’t quite sit right.

The roast also doesn’t feel completely dialled in to me. Maybe I’m wrong, but the cup doesn’t have the clarity and integration I’d expect from a filter roast.

The packaging didn’t help my impression either. The sticker is already peeling off, and I couldn’t find a roast date on the bag. For an experimental micro-lot like this, I’d really like to know when it was roasted and have a little more information about the lot.

To be clear, I’m not saying Ratnagiri Estate is bad, and I’m not saying Quick Brown Fox is bad. In fact, I’ve heard good things about both, and QBF has several other Ratnagiri coffees in its lineup.
It could simply be this particular lot, the roast, freshness, my brewing, or just my palate.

But after several cups, my conclusion is pretty simple:
Something is definitely off for me with this coffee.

Would I buy it again? No.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 6/10

I’m curious though — has anyone else tried this exact Ratnagiri SLN 9 lot from QBF? I’d genuinely like to know if others got the same synthetic/processed character or if I’m completely missing what this coffee is supposed to be.

Coffee: Vanessa Moreno – Fazenda São Felipe

Roaster: Rösterei VIER × The Commonage (RVTC), Düsseldorf

Origin: Alta Mogiana, São Paulo, Brazil

Process: Natural

Varieties: Yellow Bourbon, Catuaí & Catucaí

Altitude: 1,040 masl

Roast date: 4 August 2026

Brew: Pour-over

Price: 15-16 euros for a 350g bag

This is one of those coffees where the first brew immediately tells you that the roast is fresh.
I’m brewing this on day 7 after roast, and you can actually see how fresh the coffee still is during the pour-over — plenty of activity and degassing, but without the cup tasting overly gassy or underdeveloped.

In the cup, I’m getting milk chocolate and blackberry pretty prominently. The chocolate gives it that familiar Brazilian sweetness and body, while the blackberry adds a really nice fruity layer without making the coffee overly acidic or funky.

Overall, it’s a really nice, balanced Brazilian coffee. There’s enough fruit to keep it interesting, but it still has that comforting chocolate/nutty character that makes Brazilian coffees so easy to drink.
What I also liked about this one is the story behind the producer.

Vanessa Moreno is a fourth-generation coffee producer at Fazenda São Felipe, and after spending time away for her studies, she returned to the family farm and has been working alongside her mother toward more regenerative farming practices, including reforestation and reducing chemical inputs.

RVTC describes this coffee as their modern take on the classic Brazilian profile — essentially taking that chocolate, nutty, full-bodied foundation and adding a more precise fruity dimension. After trying it, I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description.

My verdict: Really enjoyable. Not an explosive or crazy experimental coffee, but beautifully balanced and very well executed.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (8.5/10)

Tasting notes: Milk Chocolate, Blackberry, Hazelnut, Vanilla

Have you tried any coffees from Alta Mogiana recently? I’m finding Brazilian specialty coffee more interesting the more I explore it.

Coffee: Shot Roastery – Costa Rica Black Honey

Origin: Costa Rica

Process: Black Honey

Roast: Light

Shot Roastery, based in Mayfair, London, has built a reputation for sourcing rare coffees and presenting them as ultra-premium offerings. Their packaging, branding, and overall experience definitely reflect that luxury positioning, so I was excited to see if the coffee lived up to it.

This Costa Rican Black Honey is a well-roasted, clean cup with good sweetness and balance. The Black Honey process brings a pleasant syrupy texture and gentle fruit character without being overly funky. It’s an enjoyable coffee and there’s nothing technically wrong with it.

My only issue is the price.

At £95 for 200-250g, I expected something genuinely unforgettable. Instead, I found it to be a very good coffee—but not one that justified such a significant premium. It never had that “wow” moment that makes you immediately want another cup or another bag.

That’s not to say it’s bad—far from it. If this had been priced more in line with other high-end specialty coffees, I probably would have come away with a much more positive impression. But at this price, I couldn’t help comparing it with other exceptional coffees that deliver just as much, if not more, for considerably less.

Would I buy it again? Probably not.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (7/10)

Question for the community: Has anyone else tried coffees from Shot Roastery? I’m curious whether this was just not the right coffee for me, or if others have felt the same about the value proposition.

Coffee: Baboon Roasters – Omkoi Chiangmai Baan Khun Tuen Dry Carbonic

Origin: Omkoi, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Process: Dry Carbonic (Carbonic Maceration)

Roast: Light-Medium

Thailand probably isn’t the first country that comes to mind when you think of specialty coffee, but after trying this, it definitely deserves more attention. Production is relatively small compared to major coffee-producing countries, and a lot of these coffees never make it outside the local specialty scene.

This coffee genuinely exceeded my expectations.
The bag lists Blueberry, Champagne & Sakura, and for once the tasting notes are remarkably accurate. The blueberry is immediately noticeable, followed by a bright, champagne-like acidity and a delicate floral sweetness that reminds me of sakura.

It’s a very clean, juicy cup with great balance and sweetness.

The Dry Carbonic process really seems to enhance the fruit and floral character without becoming overly fermented or funky. It adds complexity while keeping the cup elegant and easy to drink.

This batch was roasted on 11th July, and I started brewing it on 20th July. It was already tasting fantastic with just over a week of rest.
Baboon Roasters also deserve credit—the roast is excellent and lets the origin speak for itself.

Would I buy it again? Without hesitation.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (9.5/10)

Question for the community: Has anyone else tried coffees from Thailand, especially from the Omkoi region? I’d love to hear your recommendations.

First sip: bright. Like properly bright. That grapefruit note on the bag isn’t marketing fluff, it’s right there, upfront. As it cools, it opens up into this really nice blackcurrant sweetness with a clean, lively finish. No muddiness, no bitterness, just crisp and juicy.

Body is medium-light, super drinkable, and honestly feels like the kind of coffee that converts people into liking black coffee.

I brewed it slightly cooler than usual to let the acidity shine, and it paid off. Might push extraction a bit more next time just to see how far I can take those fruit notes.

Curious if anyone else here has tried beans from Java House or Kenyan AA in general — how do you usually brew yours?