Have you ever tasted Black coffee that tastes like brownies? How about Reeses? Purple nerds? Nacho cheese? If you’re like me, the flavor of bergamot a mystery, but orange Kool-Aid is familiar. Or maybe the more than 80 flavors on the Specialty Coffee Association's flavor wheel are intimidating as hell because you experience your coffee notes as musical notes or believe a poetic phrase would better capture your brew’s flavor.

In this special mid-season-break event, the OG NCE Flavor Squad & I talk about making the flavor wheel and conversation surrounding it more inviting. Hear the perspectives of coffee people at all levels, from barista to at-home coffee lover to green bean importer to coffee educator. It's pretty dope.

It's the Season Finale! In lieu of a coffee experiment, Marvin Duncan (@marvinlikescoffee) tells me what he's learned about the bypass method and extraction in general as part of his Ask Me Anything open invitation. And he's got his receipts, so when he starts talking coffee, I tend to listen up.

Theme Song by kidmental

Tiani of Coffee & Tax and I freeze our coffee beans to find out what's so special about doing so. Some folks swear it makes for longer-lasting coffee, some show it results in a higher level of extraction. But bump all that, how's it taste?? We're about to find out. We also talk about how we're doing and practice a little self-validation.

Theme Song by kidmental

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Just a little compilation of a few other conversations with a few guests--including a fun Instagram Live with Melissa (@elevate_the_mind). 

Theme Music by kidmental

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The last 2 episodes of Black History Month will be compilations of my favorite NCE moments with the guests. 

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Hannibal (@TheBlackBeanNYC) and I make a discovery during this Moka Pot experiment in which we compare a brew in which the espresso bed has been "tamped" to one in which it hasn't. Talk about Breaking News! We also chat about how dang hard it seems to be find coffee shops that truly makes us feel comfortable to sit and sip in.

Music: Shade by Bartholomew Jones

TaTeona Hughes (@xtrasyrup) and I try to figure out how much a virtue patience is when it comes to the French Press brew suggested by YouTube coffee broseph, James Hoffman. We also talk about how it's about time for Black Women in coffee to feel like themselves at work. Because it's exhausting to be someone else all the time, ya know?

Music: No Sugar No Cream by Bartholomew Jones (feat. Renata Henderson, Kara Rodgers, and TXMMY RXCK1T)

Kelin Bradley and I experiment with the effects of sifting our coffee before brewing it pour over style. How much does it affect the clarity? The experience? The TDS? The discussion on this one cannot be defined, so I'll just let you watch and enjoy and hopefully feel as though you can be apart of the conversation.

Music: Energy by Bartholomew Jones

A trip to the ER and life in mini-crisis put a hold on a new episode coming out. Instead, I've put together a little appreciation shout-out to my Patreon supporters! New episodes will be back on track soon!

Erica Jackson (@blkcoffee4life) joins me once again to experiment with Aeropress brews. Blooming your coffee has been shown to increase its extraction in all kinds of brew methods--including immersion. But how does extending the bloom time in an Areopress affect the taste? Erica and I get similar, yet different results (again). We also talk about how we all could sometimes use some help--for work stuffs and emotional support alike.

Music: Cxnnect by Bartholomew Jones of CxffeeBlack