The kind of coffee best enjoyed as a filter coffee think V60 or Chemex, where its character really opens up. As an espresso, it feels a bit overwhelming on the palette. Make a cold brew, and now this coffee shines in its most expressive form.
About the Roaster
You know about my love and appreciation for Blue Tokai from my previous blogs. If you don’t, check it out by Clicking Here and going through my previous blog or going to the About Me section.
Blue Tokai has spoiled me with consistency and quality, so my expectations are always sky high even before the first sip. The risk of a brand that usually delivers excellence is that when the cup turns out to be just good, it feels oddly disappointing. This is still a solid coffee, easily better than the overly dark, burnt brews you get at most local cafés, but I had a lot riding on this one and it didn’t quite get there. Scroll down to see what worked, what didn’t, and why this particular coffee brought out my inner critic instead of the fan.
About the Beans
| Bean Characteristics | Description |
|---|---|
| Roast Level | Medium Dark Roast |
| Bean Appearance |  |
| Roast Consistency | Highly consistent roast, with a uniform roast level across all beans. A textbook medium-dark brown. |
About the Brewed Coffee
| Characteristics vis-à-vis Brewing Methods | Espresso | V60 |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe | 18 in – 38g out ~ 30-35 seconds (10 Second Pre-Infusion) | 15g coffee – ~250-300g water Coarse Ground for Filter |
| Taste & Texture | Creamy mouthfeel, heavy and bold. Substantial acidity, Bitter start and finish. | Clean, a bit heavy on the texture. Smooth and silky mouthfeel. Little Sweetness towards the end. No acidity while the coffee was hot. Iced pour over will have some acidity, more enjoyable. Substantial sweetness and little acidity in cold brew. |
| Tasting Notes (in order of perception on the palate) | Bitter Chocolate, Acidic Bitter Lime. Little to no sweetness. | Dark Chocolate, Sweet Lime. |
| Visuals |   |       |
My Honest Review
Coffee reviews usually wrap up quickly, but this one took me a few days to truly understand. Dark and medium dark roasts typically shine as espresso, expressing sweetness and layered flavors with relative ease. Naturally, that’s where I started. I tried everything including tweaking grind size, switching grinders, adjusting dose, playing with brew temperatures, changing ratios, yet I could never quite pull that perfect shot. I got close, but a persistent astringency lingered in every cup. To be clear, it wasn’t a bad espresso at all, in fact, still better than what most cafés serve but I’ve come to expect more from Blue Tokai, and this didn’t quite live up to their usual standard.
Frustrated, I shifted gears and moved to a V60. Things immediately improved. The coffee extracted cleanly, with a pleasant body, mild acidity, and a hint of sweetness, resulting in a very approachable cup. Still, I felt there was more hidden beneath the surface, a sweetness that kept teasing but never fully revealed itself.
That revelation finally came through cold brew. I ground the coffee slightly coarse (around 28–30 on my Baratza Encore ESP), steeped it overnight, and the next morning was genuinely surprised. The astringency had almost disappeared, replaced by a pronounced sweetness and a subtle pineapple-like fruit note (perhaps my palate getting a bit adventurous). The cup was exceptionally smooth and easily the best expression of this coffee.
The downside, of course, is that cold brew demands time and planning, and when you are under the weather or buried in work, a hot cup is often what is really called for. If you are a cold brew lover who enjoys experimenting, this coffee can be rewarding. But if you are looking for something versatile, forgiving, and equally satisfying across multiple brew methods, this may not be the best pick at its price point. Not a bad coffee by any means, just one that demands the right approach, and perhaps more patience than most.
Coming Up…
I have quite a lot on my plate right now, which means coffee reviews are coming in slowly and recipes, even more so. That said, a few new additions have recently joined my coffee gear lineup (huge thanks to my family), and I’m still deep in the experimentation phase such as dialing in a new grinder, chasing the perfect V60 technique, and learning a lot along the way. I’ll be sharing everything I discover right here on the blog very soon. Until then, I genuinely hope you (yes, you) are enjoying the ride as much as I am. Till then, Drink Up!
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