All Beans Brew Different

All coffee beans brew differently.

“What do you mean?” 👀

It’s not just Arabica vs Robusta.

Every coffee has its own personality, and it starts long before it hits your grinder — with the origin, altitude, soil, and processing.

From high-elevation farms in the mountains to fields closer to sea level…from the rugged highlands of Ethiopia to the wide, sun-soaked farms of Brazil…from dense, rocky soils to sprawling, fertile fields…each coffee is already becoming itself before it ever gets roasted.

All of that means no two coffees will ever behave exactly the same when you brew them — even if you use the same ratio, grinder, and brewer.

Ethiopian vs Brazilian – same brew, different story

Take Ethiopian and Brazilian coffees, for example:

• Ethiopian beans (often grown at higher elevations) tend to be:

  • Bright, fruity, and floral – think berries, citrus, jasmine.

  • Naturally suited to lighter roasts that keep that lively acidity and aroma.

  • Fantastic in pour over, French Press, or AeroPress when you want clarity and complexity.

• Brazilian beans (usually grown at lower elevations with warmer, more stable climates) are often:

  • Smooth, nutty, chocolatey, and comforting – think cocoa, roasted nuts, subtle sweetness.

  • Often roasted medium to medium-dark to bring out body and sweetness.

  • Amazing in drip, French press, and espresso, especially when you want a rich, cozy cup or a solid base for milk drinks.

Same brew method? You’ll still get totally different cups.

Same coffee, different brew methods? Also completely different cups. ☕

Roasting changes everything (and every bean needs something different)

When I roast, I’m not just “doing a light or dark roast.

”I’m building a roast profile that fits that specific coffee:

• Origin, altitude, and soil tell me what flavors want to show up.

• I adjust heat, time, and airflow so the inside and outside of each bean develop properly.

• Two different coffees roasted “the same way” on paper can behave totally differently in the roaster:

  • One might scorch on the outside and stay under-developed inside.

  • Another might lag behind and never reach the same internal temperature.

So every coffee I roast at Golden Ember has its own profile on purpose.

Brewing: where you come in

I can absolutely recommend a brewing method for each of my coffees…

…but you might fall in love with that same coffee brewed a different way.

When we brew different coffees the same way and taste them side by side, you start to:

• Notice which ones sing as pour overs vs French press.

• Feel which cups you love brighter vs smoother.

• Figure out which coffees need what brewing method for your preferences, not just “the rules.”

And it’s not just the method that matters — it’s the details:

• Grind size:

  • A finer grind slows the water down and usually extracts more — great up to a point, but too fine can make your cup bitter or muddy.

  • A coarser grind lets water flow faster and extracts less — which can taste bright and clean, or weak and sour if it’s too coarse.

• Water temperature:

  • Too cool and your coffee can taste flat, sour, or “hollow.”

  • Too hot and it can turn harsh, bitter, or give you that dry, scratchy feeling on your tongue.

Those tiny tweaks are a big part of why one coffee tastes incredible one day and “meh” the next — even with the same beans.

How the Golden Ember Flight helps you dial it in

This is exactly why I built the Golden Ember Flight Experience the way I did.

When you order a flight, you’re not just getting a row of cute sample bags. You’re getting a complete brewing guide that:

• Breaks down grind size ranges for different brew methods

• Talks about water temperature, ratios, and what to adjust when things taste off

• Gives step-by-step instructions for multiple brewing methods

• Helps you compare different coffees side by side and actually understand what changed

It’s something you can save, refer back to, and scribble notes on as you go — way deeper than what I could ever explain on a little sticker or bag label.

Some of my Luxe event packages even include access to the full brewing guide, so guests can keep learning and experimenting long after the event is over.

Private & public cupping events: taste it together

If you’d rather learn by tasting with other people, that’s where my private and public coffee cupping events come in.

Most of these are hosted in someone’s home — one person opens their space, invites their friends or family, and I bring the coffee and guidance. Every now and then, I’ll also hold a public cupping that anyone can sign up for.

At these events, we always start with the basics:

• Line up multiple coffees

• Brew them in a consistent way (and sometimes show how switching methods changes the cup)

• Taste through them together while I walk you through how origin, roast level, grind size, and water temperature are showing up in your mug

That’s our warm-up.

From there, what happens next depends on the type of event you booked.

Each one has its own theme and flow — whether we’re playing with different flavor profiles, experimenting with recipes, building custom blends, or tying coffee into cocktails and mocktails. The core tasting gives you a foundation, and then the rest of the event is built around that theme.

I keep it simple and approachable — enough detail to give you “ohhh, that makes sense” moments, without turning it into a lecture.

You’ll also go home with a brewing cheat sheet (a quick-reference version of the basics), and in some of the Luxe options you’ll get access to the full brewing guide so you can dig deeper at your own pace.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why does this bag taste flat when I brew it at home?”…this is how you start unlocking why — and how to fix it.

You can:

• Catch a Golden Ember Flight and use the guide to experiment at home, or

• Host a cupping experience at your place (or join a public one) and come learn and taste with me in person.

Current Cupping Event Selections:

• Coffee & Cocktails> Request your date

Either way, once you understand how bean type, roast level, grind size, water temperature, and brew method all work together, your coffee stops being a gamble and starts becoming something you can actually shape to your taste.