Creating a new blend takes time, effort and inspiration.
In hindsight, coming up with something new and exciting seems easier when it's all new and fresh backed with youthful enthusiasm, wonder and no benchmark to feed any seeds of doubt.
I had never imagined that I would be lacking in confidence and assertiveness when it came to releasing a new AOE coffee blend.
If it tasted good ... it'd be on! ... and we’d go LIVE for all to enjoy.
We'd just smash out a new label, a blend name (usually something connected to something personal like music, cars, family.. whatever I was in the mood for at the time) ... and BAM !!
Let's go!.. next...
You get my vibe here??
We were winning awards nationally and internationally.
All our blends were recognised with either a Bronze, Silver or Gold medal.
We even nailed a "Champion/Gold".
What a buzz!!
No pressure right??
So here I was rolling along into our 25 year anniversary of Art of Espresso.
I am thinking let's do something funky like tees/caps/mugs/limited edition posters.. general merch stuff.
But really, we're not a merch company.
We’re not a rock n roll band either selling tees with tour dates and a new record release.
We're not a graphic design company either selling design skills.
We are coffee roasters.
Of course!!
I mean seriously folks you'd think I was all over this.
But I think laterally not literally.
I like the idea of doing things a little different.
I find "run of the mill' very one dimensional and uninspiring.
I'm inspired by hard workers. Especially creative hard workers.
Folk that are so into their craft it defies logic.
They live, breathe and act differently.
Their works are always works of art in whatever form be it music/books/art/ design/garden/food... the list is endless.
Nothing inspires me more than reading about the unseen hard yards a band had put in the early years before they got "big".
Some folk take more than 10-20 years to become "overnight" successes.
It's funny how the harder they worked , the "luckier" they got!!
I can tell you now ... "luck" is me catching a fish!!
The definition of luck states "success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions"(Oxford Dictionary)
I can live with that.
So here I am, 18 months down the line and I feel I am at a stage where I can confidently say that AOE is about to release its 25 year (actually now 26 year) anniversary blend!
I'm feeling lucky so to speak.
This one is the blend that I have been wanting to create from the day I began roasting way back.
The challenges I kept facing however, kept this baby from hatching too early.
I can "confidently" say that Luck just wasn't in this ingredients list.
I still recall the text message I sent to my mentor, Mr John Russell Storey, forever an inspiration to Gab & I asking for some guidance and advice.
I cannot thank this legend of a human being enough for all he has contributed to our ongoing caffeine journey.
His words of wisdom and encouragement will continue to drive AOE further and further!!
For this however, I just wanted something different.
I wanted to use exemplary coffees.
I wanted a flavour profile that was not at all common and just good.
I wanted insanely amazing.
I wanted AOE written all over it.
No fancy AI written formulaic blurb.
No fancy marketing talking everything up with a heavy dose of BS costing us a fortune.
I wanted it real.
Real flavours.
Real connection with the palate.
Real feedback from the customer.
I wanted a lingering smooth "brown sugar"(great song by the way) finish.
It's taken at least closing in on 2 years to perfect this blend.
In fact.. we have 2 versions because we still cannot decide which is the "hit"!!
So just to let you know why I am writing this to y'all , is to let you know that this new blend with no name is nearly ready for you.
In fact it does have a name as such.
I've roasted close to 20 odd versions of this blend using the best coffees I have been able to source.
In the end it came down to 2 blend versions.
Mind you the 20 odd versions also had versions of them tuned so in actual fact the number of variations of this blend count to nearly 50 versions.
It all kept coming back to the 8th version.
So let’s just call it **Take 8.
Take 8 come down to 2 versions ... Take 8:1 and Take 8:2.
In fact to help finalise the end release we have invited a mix of our wholesale customers and customers alike to help decide the overall "official release" of Take 8.
If you are reading this blog and would like to participate in this exclusive never been done before release , Gabrielle and I formally invite you to message us and let us know you'd like to attend the final tasting before release.
The date is Friday 25th July between 1pm - 3 pm.
Numbers are strictly limited due to space.
We will share the 2 coffees in many variations ..espresso , stovetop and aeropress.
This will give the coffees an opportunity to shine all round.
Please email me at adrian.capra@gmail.com and let me know if you would like to be a part of AOE history!
So here we were with no name, an undecided 2 versions of a new blend, a celebration of 25 years of award winning coffee on the 26th year of trade.. I thought this seems like we have the perfect ingredients to do something special.
Let's just run with it.
Our formula has always been to go all in with no plan B.. why change a winning formula now.
After much deliberation , we could simply not come up with an appropriate name for the new blend.
So we stuck with Take 8.
It's funny but when we would randomly share the blends with customers for feedback, they also would call it .."you know that one you gave me last time"
We'd reply ... "Yes that was the take 8."
"Yes I preferred it to the Take 11 or 26”
Next time the customer would come in they'd ask specifically for the "Take 8".
So Take 8 stuck. Pretty simple really…
In fact here's 8 (random!!!) reasons for *Take 8...
- Take 8 was created, written , roasted and published at 35 Main St. Young (3 + 5 = 8)
- The 8th take/version of this blend seems to be the one we all came back to
-
Xavier bagged the last batch of the original 1st roast and it came to... 888grams!! I have a photo of this!!
- The first ever roast date for Take 8 was the 8th April
- The year being 2024 (which adds up to 8)
- I used 8 different origins of specialty coffee before we settled upon the final 3 coffees which make up this blend
- This is actually AOE's 8th blend created for official release
- Take 8 will be released to the world on Friday 8th August(8th month) at 8 am AEST in 800 gram packs only... and (this one is so random) The Black Keys (one of my most fave bands) release their new album the same day... purely coincidental... but it makes me very happy nonetheless!!
I know... these are seriously random facts but ones I could not ignore and had to share.
Just adding some fun flavour and colour to the blend... “indulging” is a nice way of putting it!
When I look at the journey this new blend has undertaken to become what it is, I am in awe of the work involved to help bring it to life.
My colleagues and loved ones kept challenging me .
My customers kept the feedback so real I could have cried at times.
The frustration I was feeling sometimes stifled my creativity coupled with the challenges the coffee industry was and continues to face.
In the end I felt comforted by the coffee itself. And those around me.
I kept forever returning to that 8th take , reassuring me that this is the one.
With 2 different profiles left the decision is all but done.
--
I do want to take this opportunity to acknowledge some very special souls in my life that contributed to the end product with their input, love and committed passion...
- Mr John Russell Storey for his guidance in help choosing the beautiful coffees we decided to go with.
- My incredible AOE team/family.
- Elisa for going next level with no encouragement at all just free spirited passion and coming up with free-hand drawings for potential labels and logos for the blend… which helped inspire the final result. I’d happily like to see some of these limited drawings used further down the line for merch!!
- Xav and Gab for suggesting and revisiting the roots of AOE with the “rays” you will see in the logo. Xav was with me when I went to Sun records in Memphis and noticed the Sun logo was similar to one of our limited edition blends at the time.
“Make it a permanent feature.. it’s who we are ... coffee and rock n roll.. why not….that’s where it all started” he said.
I couldn’t argue with that! - Emily and Gab for coming up with the final “take” of which is the logo for official release with their creative flair for word and design taking in everything on board of which I was trying to make sense of. Mind you Emily is not a graphic designer just a naturally gifted creative soul who is willing and far more capable with design software than I am.
- Michael from Code Chisel for his “one off random” image he sent as his “take” on it all. It also made the final cut!!
- Melanie Mitchell Tattoo for her contribution and designs which no doubt helped us tune the final version.
AND...
Just because...
A new Take 8 beer is brewing!
Yep!
Together with local legend brewers Steph and Mike Colman from Bulla Creek Brewery, we have collaborated to create a sensational new Dark Ale.
It will be named “Take 8 ... after Dark Ale” and available in cans for you to enjoy.
The release will coincide with the release of Take 8.
So pencil in the 8th August ... it’s going to be a “good” Friday peeps!!!!
The official Take 8 will go LIVE for all forms of coffee brewing and beer to stimulate everything from taste buds to personalities!!
This should be fun.
I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate 26 year (2+6=8..another random) anniversary of all things Art of Espresso.
Embrace life ya’ll and stay beautiful
Adrian
