Setting the Bar Low

This week I read an interesting article about Cumberland Farms, a New England change of gas stations/stores and their coffee. The article details the company's newest marketing approach, specifically, how they go head to head with "coffee giant" Dunkin Donuts.  It seems that in blind taste testing between the coffee they serve, and Dunkin Donuts Original Blend, 50% of the drinkers chose Cumberland Farms, or had no preference.


From the article:


“We couldn’t be happier with the results and feedback from this taste test, and it proves our longtime belief that you don’t need to sacrifice great taste to get an affordable cup of coffee,” Cumberland Farms CEO Ari Haseotes said.

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2015/01/09/coffee-purveyor-promotes-blind-taste-test-with-a-50-percent-failure-rate/

Really? 

Now, I've not had the pleasure of trying the Cumberland Farms coffee. Typically I get gas station coffee if: 1) I have only 99 cents in the bank, or 2) I need some bad coffee to slap me awake. Yes, I understand DD coffee is a God in this region, though that mystery still alludes me. But let's take a look at the findings again. 50% said they EITHER preferred the Cumberland Farms or had NO preference. That's a win? 

Mr. Haseotes has set the bar a bit low for his coffee. How much do you want to bet the number of drinkers that preferred his company's coffee was 15%? Now, maybe it's just me, but I would think you would want your product to do better than 15%-50%? This isn't standardized testing after all.

I may need to check out this coffee, and maybe do my own test taste. Hmmmm.......

Charlie

Coffee Review: Allegro's Blue Nile Blend

One of the best coffee assets a coffee lover has is Whole Foods. While the grocery chain is pricey, their coffee is in line with most specialty coffee roasters. They carry several specialty roasters, but they also carry Allegro, which is Whole Foods' coffee roaster. I've had Allegro Coffee many times, and have reviewed their coffees previously. Today I am reviewing their Blue Nile Blend.

Blue Nile Blend comes from a few different coffees from Ethiopia. On their website, Allegro is not very descriptive of the coffee:



Intense berry and spice notes.

From Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee, naturally sun-dried beans from many diverse regions are blended to create this complex coffee.

It's a medium roast, which once I brewed and tried in the French Press would say is on the lighter end of the medium spectrum. According to Whole Foods this coffee was roasted a couple days ago. Since Allegro has a roasting facility in the New York City area, I believe this got right out of the roaster, onto the truck, and into the store. It is a fresh coffee.

As I sip the coffee, I do detect the spice notes. There is a brightness to this coffee, which gives it that spicy kick. The berry flavor is more subdued. I would disagree that it's "intense." In fact, the whole coffee has a very mild flavor and taste to it. It's not an overpowering coffee at all. 

On the Bean Scale of Strength, I would say this is 2 beans out of 5. It's not tea like, but it also doesn't shake you awake in the morning. In fact, I might recommend this as an afternoon coffee. Something you could have around 3 in the afternoon, which might perk you up at work, but not keep you up all night. 

I like this coffee, but I felt like I wanted more from it. This is one of those moments I wish I could talk to a roaster, and find out what they thought, and how did they arrive at this blend and roast. 

wwwallegrocoffee.com

Charlie

La Colombe - the Anticipation

This week I will be trying a coffee roaster I've had my eye on for a while - La Colombe. These days most people know La Colombe for the TV work co-founder Todd Carmichael does on "Dangerous Grounds." The show follows Carmichael as he travels in some of the most dangerous parts of  the world in search of excellent coffee.

La Colombe is more than a vehicle for a reality show. Along with Jean Philippe Iberti, the two men created La Colombe and unveiled their first blends in 1994 in Philadelphia. Their coffees are served in some of the finest restaurants and hotels in the world. Chefs who understand they need excellent coffee paired with their food, seek out their coffee.

This week a Brazil Blue Diamond will make its way to my home, and I am already anticipating this. Yes, this is like Christmas to me. This is why I'm a coffee geek. I'll detail the coffee in my review, but I will tell you this is a coffee comes is a Catuai variety. Catuai is a smaller tree, a hybrid, which was developed to be stronger in the face of the elements. What coffee growers have found it is a pretty sweet coffee. Coffee isn't always thought of as sweet, so I think this will be interesting to try.

So come on delivery man.....get that coffee here!

Charlie

New England Coffee Hunt

Evidently I have now tried Rhode Island's two coffee roasters. There is still much of New England for me to try. Barrington Coffee has been recommended to me, though they have a coffee which costs $180 a lb. I think I'll try one of their cheaper alternatives. Other than that.....I'm on a hunt.

What I'm finding is coffee houses who sell coffee from various roasters. That's fine, and I'm happy to try those. I really want to focus on coffee roasted here in the region, and unique to the region. In Indianapolis, I was spoiled with some pretty incredible coffee roasters. So the adventure begins in earnest.

For readers who are in the New England area, please let me know what your drink, or any suggestions you may have. Greatly appreciated.

Charlie

Bulletproof Coffee

Have you tried Bulletproof Coffee? Do you know what I'm talking about. Seems the new trend in the coffee world is to try Bulletproof Coffee. Take one cup of coffee, add 1-2 teaspoons of butter instead of cream or milk, and you have Bulletproof Coffee.

The claims on this coffee are it promotes weight loss and mental clarity.

I can't speak to the so-called benefits to this. I can speak to coffee though. This sounds disgusting, and a way to ruin a perfectly good cup of coffee. I would think there would be an oily, slimy-ness to the coffee. As for the taste, I like butter, but not in my coffee. I want my coffee to be coffee. The most adventurous I can be with coffee, is a bit of soy creamer in my cup.

Now, I admit I am being closed minded to this. If some of you have tried it, I would be willing to post your thoughts on this drink. You have a long way to go to convince me that coffee and butter are a good tasting combination.

Charlie

Coffee Review: New Harvest Coffee Winter Blend

Many roasters roast a special roast they sell only during the holiday season. In my mind a holiday roast should be a robust, strong, something to really take chill away from you on a winter's morning. It should not be in any way, shape or taste tea like and bright. I want it to taste strong and wake me up.

Today we ventured to New Harvest Coffee Roasters Roasting Facility in Pawtucket, RI. Located in the Hope Artiste Village, this roaster is one of two roasters in RI(or so I'm told). I've reviewed another one of their coffees prior to our move here. I was interested to see how I would like another of their coffees. We got their Winter Roast before they sold
out.

According to New Harvest:

A robust blend: Bakers chocolate, toasted walnut, and a hint of orange sweetness.

I brewed it in the French Press when we got home, as Mark really wanted a cup of coffee to wake him up. This is a darker roast. I specifically wanted a darker roast as we have been on a light roast kick of late. Once it was done brewing, I poured a cup, sat down and took a sip. There is a strong chocolate/nutty flavor. I was hard pressed to find the hint of orange. More than anything I smiled as I sipped my coffee. I really liked this coffee.  Good thing this is a Winter Roast, because this is the coffee I want if I am snowed in for a few days.

On our Bean Scale of Strength, this is 5 out of 5 beans. This is the strong coffee Death Wish Coffee wishes they could be. This one wakes you up, and insists you have a good morning - gosh darn it.

New Harvest is running out of this holiday offering, but if you can get a back or two - do it. This is a really good cup of coffee.

www.newharvestcoffee.com

How to Shop for Coffee at the Grocery

You're walking through your neighborhood grocery store, and you come to the coffee aisle. Oh my goodness there are packages and packages of coffee. You see Starbucks, Folgers, Eight O'Clock, and more independent varieties. Almost all the coffees are ground. Some are whole bean. How do you choose?

First of all go for the whole bean coffee. Now this works better if you have a grinder at home, so make sure you have one. Whole bean though makes for a better cup of coffee. The theme you will read here is fresh. You want the coffee to be as fresh as possible.

Check the bag to see if there is a roasting date or a sell by date. The farther you are away from the sell by date the better. The closer to the roasting date, the better. Coffee's freshness has a limited life. Grinding it speeds up that life. You only want to grind the coffee when you are about to brew it.

Today is January 2, 2015(see how I got the year right). So if the sell by date on the bag of coffee has a date on it within the next month or so - pass. That is old coffee. It won't taste as good. In fact, in some cases it may taste stale.

Now, some grocery stores still have grinders there for you to grind the whole bean. Again, I say invest in a grinder for the home. Unless you are about to brew a bag of the coffee, there is really no reason for you to grind it at the store.

There are a lot of coffees in the store....which one to get? Well there I can't really help you. I can tell you what I stay away from(Folgers and Maxwell House). I have gotten Eight O'Clock coffee, which in a pinch is ok. If you can find a Starbucks whole bean, I suggest that, again check the dates on the bag. My feeling is Starbucks will be the fresher coffee on the shelf.

If I get coffee at the grocery, I like to go to a place like Whole Foods, which will have their Allegro Coffee, which is good, as well as local roasters. I promise you the coffee in those stores will be much fresher and tastier than at the local grocery.

Still don't believe me? Try this out, get a bag of an Allegro whole bean coffee,  grind it and brew it, along with a cup of Folgers. Now you tell me which tastes better.

Charlie