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James-
When I read your post I was under the impression that you are living in the UK and are a native English speaker. I realize that, on an international forum such as this, that may not be the case. I apologize for any offense I may have caused regarding your writing.
That said, I agree with Mike when he writes, "if the coffee is hit by water by any brewing method it's brewed coffee." I see that you are making a distinction between brewing methods using pressure ("anything not percolated under pressure") and all the other methods. I think that's a false dichotomy. If you have a cup of water with microscopic floating coffee particles in it then whatever you're drinking out of that cup is, strictly speaking, brewed coffee. Infusing coffee with water by any means is brewing. Typically, the only coffees you could enjoy that aren't brewed are chocolate covered espresso beans. I have also been known to crunch on interesting looking beans I pull out of the house blends where I work...
OK, I've stayed out of this, but now feel I must ask - what do we call, collectively, coffee that has been brewed by french press, drip, vac pot, chemex, clover, etc? I agree with James that it is useful to have a blanket term to refer to the liquid results of these methods that, for the most part, are more similar than they are different.
I know we like having the awareness of the subtle differences in these brews, and are interested in demonstrating this knowledge by making sure that others know that WE KNOW... but are we really interested in banning a very useful term? For what reason?
For the record, I happen to appreciate both perspective that James has on "his craft" and the way that he writes and speaks of it. There is no reason to insult a community member just because you disagree with him, Damion... especially one that has made the sort of contributions that James has to the community.
Since we're derailed anyway might as well continue in the gravel! While I wouldn't say a Press Pot versus Vacuum produces a radical difference in the cup, I would say that it's highly improbable to brew two identical cups Press vs Vac. Both could be equally nice in their own rights yet still distinctly different especially in body and mouthfeel. And in my mind differences in the cup, be they minute or major, because of different brewing method is a part of what makes coffee culinary. Not necessarily one method being better or truer to the bean just different representations of the bean. Cook a ribeye different ways and by golly it'll still be a ribeye steak and still have different end result too!
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