I Take the Death Wish Challenge

Taunting me on my Twitter feed, and throughout my internet is Death Wish Coffee. You may have heard about these folks, they claim to have the world's strongest coffee. Well, just as soon as I can scrape enough pennies from the bottom of my coffee/can/bank, I am ordering some of this coffee, and then we'll see just how strong this is.

This means when I drink it, it better be a 10 on our Cher scale of strength. That's when Cher slaps the crap out of Nicolas Cage in "Moonstruck" and tells him to "snap out of it!"

We will see how strong you are you scary looking coffee.


:-)Charlie

Another Be Polite Talk

A few months ago my assistant manager brought in a canister of Folgers coffee. He wanted to make sure we had coffee in the store for our coffee maker. He offered to make me  some. I didn't want to be rude, so I accepted his offer.

I noticed he didn't drink any. When I asked him why, he told me he likes the smell of coffee but not the taste. So really he got the coffee for me.

I've written in the past about not being rude when someone serves you bad or questionable coffee. So from time to.time, I've had some of the Folgers.

Every now and then I bring in some coffee from home to brew, and he enjoys the smell of that. So all in all everyone is pleased. I bring this up, because coffee lovers do get the snob brand. I understand the humorous comments....or bitchy comments I sometimes make about bad coffee add to the snob factor. I just want to be clear though, we shouldn't make anyone feel bad about the coffee they serve. It's a thoughtful thing to make or bring coffee for someone. Be polite, and drink it.

Charlie

Take a Ride on the EL

For those who have never been to Chicago, all you need to know is there is a thriving coffee culture and community which rivals Seattle or Portland. Heck, CoffeeCon began in Chicago, and is now spreading across the country. Should you find yourself in the Windy City, you might need a map of where the great coffee houses are.

Thanks to cornerofthecafe.com, there is now an EL map to get you to the local coffee establishments. What's the EL you ask? For those not in the know, the EL is the Elevated Train system in Chicago. Parts of it do go underground, but most of it is above ground.

For a look at the map go to.....

http://www.cornerofthecafe.com/chicago-el-map-beta/

My favorite spots are Bow Truss, Intelligentsia, Metropolis, Bridgeport and Star Lounge(Home to Dark Matter Coffee). A good portion of the coffee houses are on the north side. This isn't a surprise, as the more trendy parts of the city are north. Still there are gems all over Chicagoland to visit, and now you have a handy map.

Charlie

Mega Coffee Review

Today I have not one, not two, but three coffees to review....it's a MEGA COFFEE REVIEW!!!


Coffee#1 - Starbucks has a coffee called Breakfast Blend, which we have been trying. Starbucks is not giving a lot of specifics about this coffee, other than it's a light roast, with low acidity, and it comes from various regions.

On their website, they insist they want this coffee to appeal to a "variety of palettes." Typically that means to me....bland. If I want bland, I can drink their dreaded Pike Place coffee....which is like a glorified Dunkin Donuts. So we have brewed this in the French Press, and all in all it's a decent coffee. I tasted a dark nutty flavor, which did not have the usual burnt taste that most Starbucks coffees have. I could tell this was an older coffee. I checked the bag...the "best by" date is June, so I figured it wouldn't be too old a coffee.

They call this a mellow coffee. It is. on the strength scale, this is Cher giving Chaz a love tap on the top of the head.

Coffee#2 - Starbucks Veranda Blend. Starbucks has a "Blonde Roast"which is a light roast coffee. I haven't had this before, but I've wanted to try it. Note to self, don't drink this again. Here is how Starbucks describes this coffee:

In Latin America, coffee farms are often run by families, with their own homes on the same land where their coffee grows. We’ve sipped coffee with these farmers for decades, sitting on their verandas, overlooking the lush beauty of the coffee trees rolling out in the distance. Most times it was a lightly roasted coffee like this one. It took us more than 80 tries to get it right—mellow and flavorful with a nice softness.

80 tries???? Girl, do try again, this is one bad cup of coffee. The barista did a pour over, which in most circles means a pretty decent cup of coffee. At first sip, I tasted a light chocolate flavor, which was soon replaced by a pretty bad after taste. Still I drank it, because I wanted to give it a try. Since it took Starbucks 80 tries to get this right, I figured 80 sips would be enough for me to tell you NOT to drink this coffee. Who cares if' it's strong or not....drink the Pike Place over this. Better yet....get some coffee at 7-11.

Coffee #3 - Fresh Market offers a Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend. Now, Jamaican Blue Mountain is supposed to be one of the best coffees in the world. This was a blend though, so not the real deal. Didn't have the $30 to spend on the real stuff.

This is a light roast coffee, which has a pleasant taste. It has a nice roasty taste, but to be honest, I couldn't tell what the flavors in the coffee were. I've had a few cups, and just don't have this one figured out.

For a light roast, I found that it did wake me up. We'll say it's Cher giving Meryl Streep a bit of a shake in "Silkwood", meaning a 5 on the strength scale.

So there you have it....three coffees. None blew me away....eager to have a coffee really get me going.

Charlie

Au Revoir French Press: Mon Dieu!

Late last week I read a blurb in the coffee news which bothered me. Portland coffee institution Stumptown, who has long served French Press coffee at their Portland locations is going drip. This is pretty big news in the coffee world. Why is this happening?

Stumptown has toyed with this in their expanding markets in New York City and Los Angeles, towns, not known for patient customers. Portland though is a more laid back town. Surely the people there can spend some quality minutes in order to get a really great cup of coffee.
As reported at Spridge.com:

“It’s been a long time coming,” a barista at Stumptown’s Division Cafe told us. The company’s Director of Education Jonathan Seilaff was on hand to monitor and calibrate the Fetco brewers and Ditting grinders.
“We asked our Portland baristas if they wanted to make the change – and they unanimously said yes,” Mr. Sielaff told Sprudge. “We still love French Press, but we like it best fresh. We still brew French Press to order like our Chemex offerings.”

So now French Press will move over to the oddity of the coffee world, and backing away from the mainstream. Thank goodness I know coffee houses which serve some great coffee in a manner coffee was meant to be brewed(Yes....I'm talking to you Bee Coffee Roasters).

Is this the end of the French Press? Are we as a society in that big of a rush? Are K-Cups are Stumptown next?

God I hope not.

Charlie

Coffee News 2-13-2014

Here some stories from the coffee world, with some commentary....

1) Looks like the mega-boyband One Direction may be opening cafes around the world.

http://sprudge.com/important-one-direction-open-themed-coffee-bars-worldwide.html

“The cafés will be very child friendly for younger fans and they’re sure to be stocked up with lots of 1D merchandise,” a source tells the U.K.’s Daily Star. “This could become the lads’ version of Planet Hollywood. That chain was backed by stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger when it launched in 1991.”

Please Lord, DON'T let this happen! Becasue you are cute, can sing without a lot of autotune, doesn't mean you can serve great coffee. It mostly likely means you will serve crap coffee. Why do that the wonderful work farmers do to produce coffee?

2) Coffee with a purpose in Portland. City Hall has a Happy Cup inside, and the company is not only making people happy with coffee, they are providing jobs to those who need a job.

http://sprudge.com/happy-cup-coffee-and-food-carts-at-portland-city-hall-portland.html

Happy Cup employs about 30 adults with developmental disabilities on its production line in three crews who stamp bags, measure out roasted coffee, and work as janitorial staff. At the City Hall café, the company will now also employ two disabled adults per shift, who will begin with tasks like helping batch brew coffee and bussing tables. The goal will be to train some of them to work as full baristas. “This is a great next step for the employees we have who are really dedicated,” says Mr. Bray. “To work at City Hall, they have to have skills like traveling independently to get to the job. They will get to interact with a broad range of the public. This is an ideal way to teach skills that can transfer to other work.”

Makes me want to move to Portland.....as if I needed a reason.

3) This looks like the ultimate coffee tour of New York City. Butterfruit Labs has created a NYC Transit Map, which shows where independent coffee houses are. Brilliant idea!

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2014/02/07/ride-stop-sip-repeat-the-manhattan-subway-station-coffee-map/

"The coffeehouses which made the cut were selected based on their equipment, the type/source of beans used, stop proximity, and reviews from both customers and professionals. Unique spots also got priority. In cases of multiple stores, the original or most popular location of that chain was weighted more heavily. Shops which embraced their neighborhoods feel were also favored. Some locations didn’t have great options, and Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks had be chosen.?

4) Finally in CoffeeCon news....is the coffee university/convention for snobs? According to founder Kevin Sinnott....NO!

"Bottom line: If you’re a PBR beer freak, don’t think you’re not welcome at CoffeeCon. We like coffee. All coffee. All of the time. It’s the quality we’re emphasizing, not the attitude. Come be a part of it. CoffeeCon."

http://coffee-con.com/are-we-coffee-snobs-at-coffeecon/


Charlie

Vienna Calling the Pacific Rim

Most of you are familiar with terms like French Roast, Medium Roast, Espresso Roast. I'll admit I had seen the term Vienna Roast, but never thought about it. What is a Vienna Roast?

Vienna Roast coffee is a more prolonged roast than a typical roast. It's designed to bring  small amount of the oils in the coffee out. It's believed that when these oils come out, it intensifies the flavor of the coffee. Some believe this is a difficult roast to.do, as you don't want to roast too light or too dark.

So how did this roast go over with the coffee this morning? Today we had Whole Foods Organic Pacific Rim Coffee. This is from their 365 label, which is usually considered a step below their Allegro Coffee. This coffee is a blend of Sumatra and Papua New Guinea coffees. Usually a coffee like this has an earthiness I don't like, but this was different.

I've had this coffee before, but this is really the first time I've paid attention to the roast and flavors of the coffee. When I opened the grinder after grinding, it smelled like a light chocolate bar. I took this as a good sign. I brewed it in the French Press. When I sipped it, I was surprised mostly at what it didn't taste like. Because this is a darker, but not officially a dark roast, I was waiting for a strong flavor to hit me. It didn't. This was very mellow.

I tasted the chocolate I smelled out of the grinder, but I noticed some floral essences. This floral quality is most likely what makes the coffee taste mellow. On our 1-10 strength scale,. this is a definte 5. Imagine Cher giving Sonny a love tap on their old variety series, and you have an idea how strong the coffee is.

This is a nice morning coffee if you don't want a jump start to the day. I enjoyed this coffee quite a bit. I could tell it's not fresh, really fresh coffee. It made me wonder what this would taste like just roasted. Always leave them wanting more. That's what I took from this coffee.

Charlie

Casi Cielo Review: Restaurant Coffee

This week Mark and I have been drinking Casi Cielo from Starbucks. This is a seasonal offering, and it comes from Guatemala. According to Starbucks, this coffee was developed for a “fine dining experience” at Seattle’s Canlis restaurant. The notes of this coffee are a blend of citrus and chocolate according to the bag. So how has it fared? The first time we brewed it, I definitely tasted the citrus part. It had a brightness that I typically associate with a citrus essence. That made this darker medium roasted coffee not taste too dark(a.k.a. burnt). The next time we brewed it, I got more of the chocolate in it. Overall a nice balance of flavors. It isn’t a strong coffee. If you are looking for a big old Cher slap in the face, you will only get a mild slap – a 5 on our 1-10 scale. Since the coffee was developed for a restaurant this makes sense. You don’t want a coffee to overpower the meal or dessert. It isn’t a bland coffee though. Typically I prefer the seasonal roasts Starbucks offers, as opposed to the usual roasts. This one is a nice one to have. Give it a try. Charlie

CoffeeCon 2014: Time to Get Ready

Last year I had the pleasure and honor to be an official blogger for CoffeeCon. CoffeeCon? What's that you say? Folks, this is THE coffee event for us coffee lovers. This isn't an industry trade show. It's not a hoity toity event. This is for the average folks like you and me who love coffee and want to learn more about it.

Last year CoffeeCon founder, and all around great coffee lover Kevin Sinnott told a group of us that he wondered how to spread CoffeeCon across America. Well this is the year he's done it. Chicago(April 14), San Francisco(June 7), New York(October 12)  and Los Angeles(November 8) will host a CoffeeCon. Can't make it to one, head to another. What an incredible idea.

So what will you find at CoffeeCon? You'll meet a lot of your fellow coffee lovers, learning a wide range of things; from hot to brew Siphon coffee to how to train your nose and taste buds to determine good coffee. From talking to home roasters to how to throw a cupping party. You will experience outstanding fresh coffee. Personally I'm hoping the coffee infused donuts come back.

Last year I learned so much about coffee roasting, and met some incredible people. A quick search of postings from last year will detail who all I met, and what I learned.

Tickets to get in cost $20. That may seem like a good deal, but it gets better. If you purchase tickets online before February 16, you can get a 40% discount! Now THAT is a deal. There will be fees for some special events like a lecture by coffee guru George Howell.

To learn more about this truly wonderful event head to - www.coffee-con.com

Charlie

French Roast Review: Harvest Cafe Coffee Roasters

Usually when I drink a French Roast, I taste a lot of bitter in the coffee. Typically this is because the coffee has been over roasted, and they flavor is burnt and overpowering. Today I'm writing about a different French Roast.

Harvest Cafe Coffee Roasters is an Indianapolis roaster. I'm slowly going through the local roasters, and giving them a try. This coffee came via Green Bean Grocery, an organic grocery delivery service. The French Roast they offer is organic.

When I opened the bag, I smelled the familiar French Rost aroma - smoky, dark, roasty. The beans were the usual shiny beans I would see in a bag like this. As usual I brewed the coffee via French Press.

Let me be clear there is nothing unusual about this French Roast. My first thought when I sipped it was, "Where's the burnt taste?" This is a mellow roast of a coffee, not what I expected at all. The coffee was smooth going down. Yes, I tasted the smokiness, but it was mellow. If this were a fire in a fireplace, it would be the slow burning, flame fire. There were hints of chocolate to be sure. How strong is this coffee? On our Cher scale(1=a tap and 10 being a Moonstuck, slapping Nicolas Cage), this is a 6. I was stunned that this wasn't a real slap your face silly strong coffee. I liked that.

In short, this is a really good cup of coffee. It isn't the typical French Roast, it sneaks up on you, and trust me, you will love the surpise. Great job Harvest Cafe Coffee Roasters. I'll try more from them....just not the flavored coffees.

http://harvestcafecoffee.com/

Charlie

Three Beans Coffee: Brazil

Last month I reviewed a dark roast coffee from Whole Foods, under their Three Beans label. At the time I said it was a decent inexpensive coffee. Yesterday we purchased a Brazilian version of the coffee. This one is a medium roast. We brewed it this morning, and I want to tell you this isn't a good coffee. Trust me, that is an understatment.

So what is wrong with it? When I opened the can, the coffee smelled good, but I noticed an odd aroma. Once I ground it, and brewed it in the French Press, the odd aroma was odder. The taste is what hit me. This coffee tastes like they grew it with pine needles. Maybe an Evergreen was the shade for this coffee. Who knows. Mark thought it tasted like mold. I wouldn't go that far, nor would I say there is something wrong with the coffee. It just isn't good.

We will try other Three Beans, but this one....never again.

Charlie

Guy Fieri Coffee: Coffee or Dessert?

Over the weekend I read about Food Network celebrity Guy Fieri was coming out with coffee. My first response was to pass around the smelling salts from all the fainting going on. Here are the details.

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/01/29/guy-fieri-finally-bestows-guy-fieri-coffee-upon-america/

These will be single cup servings for your Keurig or similar machine. Did you see the "flavors"? Bananas Foster, Brownie, Caramel Apple Bread Pudding, etc. Folks, this is NOT coffee, this is dessert.  I went on my rant last week about flavored coffee - I hate it. I can't even fathom who will drink this stuff. My best guess is people who really don't like coffee, will gravitate towards this.

My heart goes out to coffee farmers around the world, whose wonderful products will go into this mess of a product.

Charlie