- I am a coffee snob and look for any opportunity to talk about coffee. I select types of green beans that I like and roast them to perfection for my taste for the type of coffee bean. I enjoy the flavor and the whole experience. Going the extra mile, so to speak, makes a huge difference in the final product…leaders who go to the extra effort always produce a higher quality result.
- The knowledge and experience of coffee is like that of wine or single malt scotch. Tasting in itself is a great experience and a social, spiritual, and emotional experience. Just like leadership.
- Knowing how far to go to get a desired result is crucial. There are terms, but knowing the impact of these terms is the secret to success. Many people don’t know the difference and fail without even knowing it.
- Light Cinnamon – very light brown. It kinda tastes like grain. Not in my palate.
- American – Mostly what we get with restaurant or commercial coffees. Just ordinary and not desired.
- City of City Plus – A medium brown with some oil or more oil (plus) that gets my interest for tasting the character of the bean.
- Espresso – Moderate dark brown with lots of oil. My favorite, especially for lattes.
- French – Dark brown, lots of oil, starts to taste burned. Sometimes good for me.
- Italian – Burned and very shiny. I get this when I’m not careful. It’s too far for me.
1. The type of bean is crucial. I have settled on several that please me. Beans from different locations are processed differently, the soil is different, the climate is different, and I’m sure that the source of the bean is different. The wide variety is great, however there are far too many choices to test each one. I have settled on a specific type of bean from Kenya, Tanzania, and Timor as my favorites and have a unique and proprietary blend for espresso. We lead people with different backgrounds, different experiences, different knowledge and different cultural backgrounds. They are all good. Some fit our culture better than others. Knowing how to select the right ones is the key.
My resources:
I get green beans from Coffee Bean Corral.
I roast small batches with the Fresh Roast SR 300 Roaster.
I make my coffee with the Aero Press Coffee and Espresso Maker.
Hugh Ballou
The Transformational Leadership Strategist TM
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