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It Smells Better Than it Taste

A weekly coffee newsletter from Oaks, the Coffee Guy. I roast, brew, and test everything myself, then write honestly about what actually
changed the cup. No recipes to memorize, no gear worship. Just the why behind better coffee, one experiment at a time.

If you have ever wondered whether you are the problem or the coffee is, you will like it here.

Featured

Why I'm doing this (and why it matters for your coffee)

Jan 12, 2026

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5 min read

Why I'm doing this (and why it matters for your coffee)

What I'm actually trying to do here and why it has nothing to do with selling you coffee.

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy
I'm trying to master coffee in a year (and I might fail publicly)

Mar 9, 2026

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9 min read

I'm trying to master coffee in a year (and I might fail publicly)

Why We All Need Something to Push Us Forward

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy

Articles

I Don't Get Geisha's

Jul 6, 2026

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5 min read

I Don't Get Geisha's

On paying two and three times the price for a coffee that's only okay.

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy
The gap is where it happens

Jun 29, 2026

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4 min read

The gap is where it happens

Why the gap between smell and taste is where coffee actually lives.

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy
Hario lied to me

Jun 22, 2026

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4 min read

Hario lied to me

I had the right tool for years. I just wasn't paying attention.

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy
We're adjusters

Jun 15, 2026

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3 min read

We're adjusters

You're already adjusting your coffee. You just didn't know that was the skill.

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy
I made it sweet. It died.

Jun 8, 2026

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5 min read

I made it sweet. It died.

How I engineered exactly what I wanted from light roast, and why it tasted like nothing.

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy
I almost stopped caring about coffee this year

Jun 1, 2026

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4 min read

I almost stopped caring about coffee this year

There's a difference between knowing what you like and knowing why. It took me a year to find it.

Oaks the Coffee Guy
Oaks the Coffee Guy
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It Smells Better Than it Taste
A Newsletter for Everyday Beans Coffee

© 2026 It Smells Better Than it Taste.
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