This is one of the best coffees I would recommend to people who are just entering the world of coffee. No particularly punchy note, no sharp acidity, no bitterness whatsoever. Just an extremely sweet and mellow cup that you can pour into a travel mug on your way out and sip at your leisure.
And every cup of it was brewed on my V60 Switch, a brewer that has quietly changed how I make filter coffee at home. More on that, and on the friends responsible for it, below.
About the Roaster
I have already told the story of how I came across Grey Soul Coffee Roasters in my Grey Soul Pink Lemonade review, so I will not make you sit through it twice. If you missed it, go and give it a read.
This time around it is Strawberry In Loop, a medium roast from Chikmagalur, Karnataka, and part of their “#2 Series: Roasters Art”.
If you want to explore their range for yourself, their website is greysoul.coffee. Just to be clear, I do not derive any benefit from sharing this link. No affiliate cut, no free bag. I am sharing it purely so that everyone can enjoy it.
About the Beans
| Bean Characteristics | Description |
| Roast Level | A smidge darker than Medium. |
| Bean Appearance |  |
| Roast Consistency | Very evenly roasted beans. Aroma of very mild, sweet spices, nutmeg of sorts. Perfectly medium, so you get the sweetness, a bit of acidity and no bitterness whatsoever. Mellow, with great body and mouthfeel. |
| Origin | Chikmagalur, Karnataka |
| Varietal & Altitude | Blended Varietals grown at 4500 Feet |
| Process | Various Coffee Processing Techniques |
For the record, the bag describes the cup as milk chocolate covered strawberries with a raspberry aftertaste, and the roast as slightly above medium. On the roast, at least, we are in complete agreement.
Enter the V60 Switch
Before starting this blog, the V60 had always been one of my preferred methods of brewing almost every coffee I got. Simply because there is little wiggle room for things to go wrong. Or so I thought.
The truth is, the taste of a normal V60 depends on your pouring method, water temperature, filter, bed depth and so on. Controlling all of those variables within a fixed time is pretty hard, especially when not all of us own expensive coffee equipment, a gooseneck kettle included.
So, when my friends forgot my V60 at our Airbnb on the last trip and I had to come back home devoid of one of my favourite brewing methods, I did the only reasonable thing. I forced them (emotionally) to buy me the fancy V60 Switch I had always fancied.
Since I started brewing with the Switch, there has been no going back. It is so freaking easy to get a wonderful cup out of it. Close the valve, water in, coffee in, wait, open the valve. Get the grind size approximately right and you will have a beautiful cup in around three minutes. Get it wrong and you will still have a good cup. If pour-overs have always intimidated you (yes, you), this is the brewer to start with.
My V60 Switch Recipe
Recipe: 15g coffee – 210g water (1:14)
Grind: ~24 on the Baratza Encore ESP
Water: ~93°C
| Step No. | Description |
| 1. | Pre-heat the brewer and drain the water after a minute or two. Mine is a glass one and pretty heavy at that, so do not skip this. |
| 2. | Close the Switch and pour in 210g of hot water at around 93°C. |
| 3. | Put your coffee in and start the timer. |
| 4. | Distribute the coffee using a WDT tool (if you are feeling fancy); a normal spoon works just fine. |
| 5. | Wait for the timer to hit 2:15 and open the valve. |
| 6. | The coffee should drain in about 3 minutes. |
About the Brewed Coffee
| Characteristics vis-à-vis Brewing Methods | V60 Switch |
| Recipe | 15g coffee – 210g water (1:14) (Grind ~24 on the Baratza Encore ESP, water ~93°C, valve opened at 2:15) |
| Taste & Texture | Extremely sweet and mellow. Little acidity, which complements the sweetness beautifully, and no bitterness whatsoever. Great body and mouthfeel. |
| Tasting Notes (in order of perception on the palate) | Brown sugar, caramel, and an acidity akin to a very sweet cherry. |
| Visuals |       |
My Honest Review
As soon as I opened the packaging, I was greeted by a sweet, mellow, almost sweet-spice kind of smell, something like nutmeg. That is a very good sign, because it clearly shows the beans have been roasted with great precision. The ground coffee, unlike other medium roasts, is not intense or punchy either. It is mellow and inviting.
In the cup, I do not think anyone would immediately recognise one particular note. There is a little acidity that complements a beautiful sweetness, and no bitterness whatsoever, so it was hard to put my finger on a single defining note. Even then, I got some brown sugar and caramel, and an acidity akin to a very sweet cherry.
The bag promises milk chocolate covered strawberries with a raspberry aftertaste. My palate went towards brown sugar, caramel and sweet cherry instead, so do not go in expecting a strawberry bomb. What you get is a gentle, rounded cup with great body and mouthfeel.
So, yes, I brewed this coffee in my V60 Switch (thanks to my dear friends) and I could not be happier with how it came out. It is such a beautiful coffee.
Who should buy it? Anyone just stepping into the world of coffee, because there is nothing punchy, sharp or bitter here to scare you off. It is also perfect for your morning brew, the kind you pour into a travel mug and sip at your leisure.
Who should skip it? If you are chasing loud fruit and bright, zingy acidity in every sip, the kind of cup I usually go looking for, this is not that coffee. This one is all about sweetness and comfort.
Gear used: Hario V60 Switch, Baratza Encore ESP.
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