youngin’
I’m having a coffee in the neighborhood I grew up in, wearing my favorite pair of vegan pumps.
The barista Luke told me the coffee was young. in coffee language that basically means the coffee is fresh, as in just roasted. coffee consumers are sold on the idea of ‘fresh coffee’ often. imagine eating a just cooked steak or a slab of ribs straight out of the oven or off the grill -this wouldn’t be too pleasing because the food hasn’t cooled, it hasn’t arrived at a temperature of consumption yet.
Buying fresh roasted coffee is great because it ensures you’re not buying something sitting on a shelf for too long and that you can get coffee, a fruit, at an optimum drinking time.
When coffee cools and rests, it’s allowed to degas, to release carbon dioxide and necessary aromatics. somewhere between 7-14 days after a coffee is roasted is where it can generally hit its sweet spot. I like mine to go to 21 days even, depending on the roast.
I enjoyed having this conversation with Luke at the bar. It was my first time having Common Room Roasters, yes it was young and even still, it was highly likely that a tangerine was sitting on a hill of brown sugar crystals in this cup – creating the memory of a gingerbread cookie. I like gingerbread cookies. I’m curious to taste this again when it grows up.
4310 West Jefferson
LA, CA