Day 1 — Onyx Coffee Lab Advent Calendar 2025

Aponte Village Honey — Colombia

The first door of the Onyx Advent Calendar is a lot like opening the first gift of the season—you know it’s small, but you hope it shakes in a promising way. This one absolutely did. Day 1 delivered Colombia Aponte Village Honey, and right from the bag it had that “I’ve been practicing my moisturizers” light-and-earthy vibe. Think cherry wood. Think forest floor… but the classy part of the forest, not the part where raccoons do taxes.

The Weigh-In: Precision, But Make It Festive

The bag said one thing. The scale said 56.7 grams. A whimsical little bonus—like finding an extra fry at the bottom of the takeout bag. Into the hopper it went.

These beans were light. Not “delicate.” Not “spry.” Light as in: if you sneezed, they’d try to leave the room.

Which meant: brittle. And brittle beans tend to grind fast. Like, espresso-machine-thinks-you’re-speedrunning fast.

Dialing In: Zero, Baby

I slammed the grinder to zero—not metaphorically. Literally zero. Coffee nerds may clutch their pearls, but the first shot actually looked… right? Blonding a bit early, sure, but acceptable for a first dance.

Shot one down. The machine humming along. I set it up for a second pull while reading the tasting card like it was ancient scripture:

“2100 meters… ancestral ties to the Inka Empire… drying before washing… vivid clarity, red fruits, bright cherry, florals…”

Basically: a coffee that has a better historical résumé than most people I know.

The Aroma (or Lack Thereof)

Oddly mild on the nose. A shy coffee. No big aromatic swell. More like a quiet nod from across the room. But in the portafilter? It expanded like a marshmallow in the microwave. Wild.

Shot two came ripping through—fast enough that the machine sounded like it might file a complaint. These beans weren’t dry, just light, and light beans move through a grinder like they’re being chased by consequences.

So, time to crank that grind tighter.

Pull Three & The Ritual of Ice

You know the drill. Pull the shots. Pour over ice. Ignore the purists who gasp like Victorian novel characters every time you do it.

The third shot was richer, deeper—finally hitting that sweet spot where grind, dose, and fate align. Darker crema. Slower pull. A proper “we’re doing science” moment.

The Flavor

Here’s where this coffee earns its Day 1 badge.

In the cup: • Light cherry wood • A gentle earthiness • A whisper of dried cherries • And that raw honey note the bag promised… but only after the sip, like a callback joke in a comedy special

The acidity? Barely there. Smooth as a baby goat in a silk robe. 🐐

Verdict

A fantastic opener. Mild but confident. Like a warm-up track from a band that knows the encore is going to melt your face later in the month.

If the rest of the calendar keeps this energy, we’re in for a very caffeinated, very delightful December.