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Mystery Coffee League (+ some random dog)
Mystery Coffee League (+ some random dog)

Mystery Coffee League (+ some random dog)

$14.00

About Base Coat:

Hey everyone! This is Aidan and Peter; we run a small microroaster coffee project called Base Coat here in Portland, Oregon. We are producer-focused and, when we can, we love to feature lesser-known farms and newer producers that are creating soft and pretty coffees. We roast extra light out of preference (light, delicate, soft, sweet). Aidan also works full-time in production for Pastime Coffee so this project is really about following where our passion and interests lie. For those reasons, we're highly transparent about what we're up to on the roaster end and often share fun A/B tasting experiences that we come across in our sourcing and experimentation! We're really honored to be featured on MCL and love one of the key aspects we think this project supports: having fun with a coffee community. In the vein of fun, we brought along our good coffee friend, Matan (@coffee_is_dadd on Instagram) to source this coffee alongside us.

About Coffee Is Dad:

Hi I’m Matan and go by coffee_is_dadd. I’m an online dawg who is enthusiastic about coffee. It was an honor and delight to work with Base Coat for MCL. In my spare time I enjoy treats, naps and long walks on the beach off-leash. In addition to Matan joining us in sourcing this coffee, we also came up with notes together, ideas for the coffee, and his sister even made the goofy bag art we're excited to release with the coffee. This whole project was built around the idea of having fun with coffee friends.

This one is reminding us of flavor, zest, gusto, and piquancy. This coffee launched on November 1st as part of Drop 12!

Varietal: "cultivar"

Process: dirty dog? washed dog? ...dog covered in honey?

Region: where dogs are found, in some country

Altitude: higher than a dog

Funk: dog-approved/5

Sourced by an importer or exporter, a roaster, ...and a dog?.
Farm and Producer

Nah nah nah, no meta gaming this one!
Coffee Varietal and Processing

It's actually a "cultivar"... probably grown on a hill somewhere.
Cost Transparency

We tasted about 30 different coffees together from more than 6 origins. This was our favorite. More will come when the coffee is unveiled.

Green cost: $???/kg (+$???/kg shipping)
Package and roasting costs: $2.91/bag; $10/kg
Profile and sample use: ~4kg
Approx. Margin: ???%
Brewing and Resting Recommendation

Resting: We recommend waiting 30 days before cracking the bag, but expect the cup to have peak "lack of roast environment character" in the 40-45 days range on pourover. Degas the night before by opening bag and then sealing. We're impatient and think this has tasted "peak flavor" (but still gassy) as early as two weeks after roast too. This is all to say: choose your own battle. Crack the bag early, try brewing and if the gas is a distraction for you, know that it will rest out in 1.5 months. Most importantly, have fun. :)

We've primarily enjoyed this offering as a pourover. We brew for QC:

Temperature range: 198-201°F (More clean coffee gets hotter water)
Water: Tap/Demineralized and Third Wave Water Light Roast
Grind Settings: Typically Medium Coarse (650-750µm)
Target Drawdown Time: 2:45-3:00
Less rest = less pours for us; we typically add a pour every two weeks

Freshly roasted 1 Pour Recipe:
Pour 1/4 water bloom and swirl dripper softly to incorporate bed fully. Wait 1 minute. Pour 3/4 water in spiral motion with 5-7g/s flow rate. With 1/4 water left, slow down flow rate to 3-4g/s. Expect drawdown to be in the 2 - 2:30 minute range for 12 to 15 gram brews.

Rested 4 Pour Recipe:
1. Pour 1/4 water every 30 seconds with medium-high agitiation (5-8g/s). Swirl the dripper on the bloom. Adjust agitation and grind size to hit expected drawdown time of 2:20-2:45 seconds on 12 to 15 gram brews.
Drop Variants

Drops are typically prepared in two formats: a standard 100g / 200g bag offering at your preferred roast level or as a roast experiment.

  • Standard bag lets you support the producer, exporter, and the project without having to buy and drink coffee you're less interested in. You still get to observe and critique our roast methods at your preferred lightness but in larger quantities.
  • Roast experiment lets you participate in 3 blind tastings of 60g bags to evaluate 3 different roast curves. After the drops have been released, profile info and our own sensory feedback will be shared alongside any collected feedback from tasters.

Note that roast level selection does not apply to experiments sent out.
When will I get my order?

This is a side project that isn't in a place to pay our bills at the moment. We're actively trying our best in the two days we work on Base Coat a week to fulfill as quickly as possible. Volume has gone significantly up recently -- a great problem to have -- and we're doing our best to adapt. We roast every two weeks and try to get orders out within a week of your order placement. At latest, it takes us two weeks and if that is the case, expect an extra item in your bag as an apology.

Our times vary on roaster rental availability and our limited roasting schedule. We typically roast on two subsequent days twice a month. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with further information. Delivery times vary on location.
Return policy

Because we are selling an agricultural product with limited shelf life, we do not accept returns. However, our goal is for every customer to be absolutely satisfied with their purchase. If you aren't enjoying the experience, let us know in an Instagram DM and we'll do our best to work with you to make it right!

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