Bean Size

In the last few weeks I've noticed something which concerns me. Those who are more in the know can certainly chime in. Beans I'm buying seem to be smaller than I typically see. Specifically, I refer to coffees originating from Central /South America.

From the various roasters I've bought from, I'm noticing smaller beans. Is this a climate change issue? Am I just picking coffees which are having a smaller than normal size? The first time it happened, was with one of the Allegro blends. Then I noticed it happening with the La Colombe, Stone Creek and Dave's(I got a Brazilian decaf from them).

Is this something coffee lovers should be concerned about? I know we should be concerned about climate change in general, as it's creating disease, and forcing some farmers to grow in higher altitudes. Can anyone out there shed light on this?

Charlie

Coffee Review: Dave's PNG

My search for coffee in the Rhode Island/New England area is an ongoing process. Yesterday I stumbled upon some coffee, I almost missed. Tucked away in a pretty cool neighborhood on S. Main St. in Providence is Dave's Coffee. I almost missed it, because as I was looking for the cafe, I went by it.

Dave's is a certified organic coffee roaster. According to their website, they use a 12 kilo drum roaster, which can roast 30 lbs of coffee. When things are humming, they can roast 700 lbs of coffee a day. This would be the definition of small batch roaster.

The staff could not have been nicer as I was trying to decide what to order. The woman at the counter told me they had a special - 2 bags of coffee for $20. With a blizzard approaching,  I thought it was good to stock up. I got a decaf and a Papua New Guinea. This morning I made the PNG.

This coffee is a medium/darker roast. Upon first sip, I tasted chocolate and a bit of citrus. Like a good many coffees from that part of the world, there is an earthiness to it, but it doesn't overwhelm. In this case, the earthy quality gives this coffee a richness I didn't expect.

This is a pretty strong coffee. On our Bean Scale of Strength, this is 3.5 out of 5. It will wake you up, but won't punch you in the face.

This is an excellent coffee, which I enthusiastically recommend. Sometimes you have to search for a gem, and Dave's is a gem.

Their cafe was delightful. I'm only sorry I was just passing through. This is a fun, laid back place to chill. The staff could not have been nicer.  The guy making Mark's Soy Cappuccino was talking to everyone like he'd known them for years. This is a place where no one is a stranger, and everyone is a friend.

I've been very lucky in Providence, in that I have found not 1, not 2, but 3 excellent coffee roasters. This may be the secret of Providence, it's really a coffee roasters' hub, and no one has known it. Seek out Dave's and get some coffee.

www.davescoffeestore.com

Charlie

Coffee Review: Stone Creek's Ring of Fire

This is one of the more interesting coffee reviews, because I find the story of this coffee so interesting. This blog's 2014 Innovator of the Year was Stone Creek Coffee of Milwaukee. One of the reasons I gave them that honor was the way they have educated the coffee public about the science of coffee. Through that science, they have roasted some amazing coffees.

In January, I got an email that owner Erich Resch and Director of Coffee Christian Ott were heading to Guatemala and Costa Rica, not only to visit farmers, but understand more the science behind the coffee. I was intrigued, and pour over every email I got.

Here is a piece Otto wrote on the company's blog about the pH of the soil used on one farm in Guatemala.

http://www.stonecreekcoffee.com/blog/main/1968/Why_were_curious_about_the_pH_of_soil.aspx

As they went on their journey, Ring of Fire was released. Of course I had to try it.

This coffee comes from Finca San Sebastian in Guatemala, and is raised at 2000m. That is about the highest elevation coffee has been grown. It's a much colder climate, and according to Christian Otto, "Colder temperatures cause the plants and cherries to mature more slowly. To be precise, it slows down respiration, which yields to higher concentrations of sugars and acids." Because of the higher concentration of sugars and acids, what flavors does that bring out?

This morning, I brewed the coffee in the French Press. First sip, I got an amazing lemon taste. If coffee could have a lemonade flavor, this did. Stone Creek says in addition to the lemon, there is a melon and caramel taste. The melon is the aftertaste. The caramel is a rich taste in your mouth. In fact, this is a rich coffee.

On our Bean Scale of Strength, this is a pretty strong coffee - 4 out of 5 beans. To be honest though, the smoothness of the coffee almost fooled me, but this is a strong coffee. It doesn't slap your face, but you know if you have had it.

When I started this blog, I wrote that coffee is both science and art. Stone Creek, time and time again prove my point, that the science behind a coffee, can create something that is artistic and really takes hold of your senses. This coffee is yet another great one from Stone Creek. This is a seasonal offering, and I urge you to get some before it's gone.

www.stonecreekcoffee.com

Charlie

My Favorite Time of Day

The kitchen is dark and quiet, and then flick, the lights go on, and I am ready to start the day. Making the morning coffee is my favorite time of day. I'm willing to bet some of you feel the same way. We all have a ritual or way to make our coffee, and that is really what gets our day started.

First I fill the kettle with water. We have a Bonvita Kettle, which does a great job of heating the water to the ideal coffee temperature. While the water is heating, I get the coffee ready. Some people weigh coffee. We have a coffee scale, and sometimes I use that. I typically though can eyeball the coffee and then I put it in the grinder. If I used a French Press, I do 4 quick grinds, because you don't want a fine grind with the French Press. If I use the Chemex, I do 5 quick grinds. 

Once the water is done, the fun and magic begin. No matter which process, this is my routine. I pour just a little of the water to get the grounds moist. This allows the coffee to bloom. I don't pour additional water for about 10 seconds. Then it's a slow pour, in a circular motion. If I'm using the Chemex, I pour to a certain point, and then let the coffee drip into the carafe. Once that is done, then I pour more.

If I am using the French Press, I slowly pour the water in, and when I am done, I let the coffee sit for 4 minutes. Once the time is up, I stir it a bit, and then I put in the plunger. If the plunger goes down easy, I know I ground the coffee correctly. If it is struggling a bit to go down, then I ground the coffee too fine. 

I pour the coffee in the cups, and put the Splenda and Cream in. Then I head to the bedroom. Mark gets his coffee on his night table and then I put mine on my table. Then we can both drink to our heart's content. The first sip lets me know if it is: 1)good coffee, 2) did I do everything correctly, 3) I'm in coffee heaven. 

I think rituals like this are a nice part of our lives. They are something we do for us, and that's why it's such a pleasurable experience. I like focusing on the coffee, because it allows me to just be in the moment at the start of the day. I don't have to worry about anything. 

Now....I suggest you go make your coffee, and take it easy and sip away.

Charlie

Coffee Review: Allegro's Blend No. 4

This is one of the more interesting named coffees - Blend No. 4. It makes me wonder what blends 1-3 were like. Allegro, the coffee arm of Whole Foods is successful at being a coffee company, within a larger company. That isn't always easy. I am enjoying learning about their coffees though.

In the case of Blend No. 4, this is a blend of East African and Guatemalan coffees in a darker than usual medium roast. Allegro says:



Syrupy and deeply sweet.

The naturally bright and fruit-forward coffees of East Africa and Guatemala are roasted at a slightly darker level in this powerhouse blend, creating a richly satisfying coffee.

Allegro needs to hire someone a bit better to describe their coffees. That told me next to nothing. There is a sweetness to this coffee, where the fruit nature of the East African coffees comes through. The Latin part of the coffee, gives it more of a mocha like flavor. It makes for a very interesting combination that I like quite a bit. 

Last week I reviewed a La Colombe coffee. It isn't fair to drink and review this coffee after having one of the best coffees I've had, because comparisons come to mind. While this is a good coffee, I can't put it in the realm of a great coffee. It's like the QB went for a date with Marcia, and now they have to take out Jan. 

Still this is a very nice coffee. On our Bean Scale of Strength, this is a 3.5 out of 5 beans. It's pretty strong, and will wake you up in the morning.

www.allegrocoffee.com

Charlie

Coffee Economics

We usually don't think about this as we drink our coffee, or sip or latte, but what is the real cost of that drink? Yes, you just paid between $2.00-$5.00 for your beverage, but you know that is not the true price of the drink. After reading a few articles and surveys on this, here are some costs, based on the averages of what I found:

Drink          What You Pay          What it Cost          Profit

Latte               $3.35                         $0.77                $2.58

Drip Coffee    $1.90                         $0.56                $1.34

Vanilla Latte  $3.75                          $1.02               $2.73


If you buy a bag of whole bean coffee(or ground, but I would rather you grind your own), you generally pay between $10-$18 a bag(note that is not per pound - not all companies sell coffee by the pound). The coffee roaster/company buys their coffee at wholesale, so they may pay between $7.50-$10 per pound(average).

For the record, I tend to drink more coffee that I purchase and brew at home, than going to a coffee house. The reason being it will be far cheaper for me to make my own coffee than to go to a local Starbucks. Depending on the coffee I buy, my cost per cup is in the $0.30. That's a great savings over going to the local coffee house a few times a day. Attention K-Cup lovers - your cup of coffee costs about $0.60-$0.70 per cup(not saving much there). If you drink a traditional grocery store canned coffee, your costs are even lower.

Now, let me be clear, I am NOT saying we all need to brew coffee at home and stay away from the coffee house. No no no..... I bring this up, because I think it helps coffee lovers understand what they are paying for.

Coffee companies have a lot of overhead. Rent, payroll, marketing, utilities, all the things that go into a business all cost money. My suggestion is if you are trying to save money, brewing at home is a good option. Otherwise, do what some people I know do, create a coffee budget and stick to it.

I've had friends tell me they think I spend a lot on good coffee, but in reality, that money is a savings over what I would spend if I went out every day.

Something to think about.

Charlie

Coffee Review: La Colombe Brazil Blue Diamond

Yesterday I wrote about a company which sets the bar low for its coffee. Today I write a company which sets the bar high - really high. La Colombe is known for two things: co-counder Todd Carmichael and his around the world coffee adventures, and great coffee. Until this morning I had never had La Colombe coffee.

Brazil Blue Diamond is part of the Workshop single origin coffees. It comes from the Cerrado Minero  region, at 800-1300 meters. It's a Catuai varietal, which was created to be a stronger plant, which could withstand harsh weather conditions. It's a pulled natural process, which means that the coffee went through both a wet and dry process before it was roasted.

La Colombe describes the coffee as.....

Snickers bar, full body, tobacco, layered sweetness

I brewed the coffee in the French Press. As it was brewing I smelled something very sweet. My God, it really did smell like a Snickers Bar. As I took the first sip, I got the immediate tobacco flavor. It wasn't too smokey, but I knew what it was in an instant. The mouthfeel of this coffee has a lot of semi-sweet chocolate in it. This is one of those cups of coffee, that the moment you first sip it, you smile, and you don't want to stop sipping it. 

This coffee is amazing! The cupping notes are simple, but this is a complex coffee, which just tastes wonderful. You want to have another cup, because you want to be sure you drank what you just drank.  

It's a strong coffee. This is a bugle call as the sun comes up. On our Bean Scale of Strength, this is 5 beans out of 5 beans. 

Todd Carmichael's "Dangerous Grounds" serves as a great marketing tool to get you to try La Colombe, but this is a coffee that doesn't really need his adventures to promote it. La Colombe has roasted what I think is one of the best coffees I've had. This company is on my list of coffee companies I will order more from. 

www.lacolombe.com

Charlie