"Best From" Dates?

[DanM]

I decided to try a new local roaster today and picked up a bag of Carlos Ernesto Guerrero Lara Apaneca El Salvadoran coffee... whatever that means. What caught my eye about the bag is that they note the roast date (4/22), best from (4/25) and to (5/9) dates. I am confused about the from date. Why would I wait 3 days after roasting before drinking?

Thanks!

Dan

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Latin Americans consider that coffee requires a rest period between roasting and drinkng to allow flavour to mature. Hence on commercial Latin American coffees, it[s common to see the rest period defined, since it's different for different beans and roasts.

ETA - Ernesto yada yada Lara is the full name of the cafetero; Apaneca is the bean cultivar.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Panaderia Canadiense (log)

[DanM]

Thanks for the input!! All of their coffees, including African varieties have best from dates. This coffee shop knows the art of a good cup of coffee, so this would make sense.

[Zachary]

Carbon Dioxide. If you brew freshly roasted (like literally out of the cooling bin) coffee, the bloom can overflow your device, and the trapped CO2 forms carbonic acid, which alters the flavor profile of the coffee. Leave it alone for a couple of days and it offgasses (through the one way valve in the front of the bag!), and you're fine.

Thanks,

Zachary

[rotuts]

Sweet Maria's has interesting things to say about this, but i cant find the ref.

then there is HB:

http://www.home-barista.com/coffees/storage-of-roasted-coffee-beans-to-maximize-flavor-t297.html

CO2 behaves differently in espresso vs drip.

[GlorifiedRice]

Dont a lot of Asian products have manufacturing dates. Can someone explain what that means also.

I know but Im unclear of the time limits