Mugged: Guatemala and Nicaragua [Coda Coffee]

Subject: Coda Coffee Co.
Coffee Mugged: Guatemala Batzchocola and Nicaragua Bella Aurora
Rating [see key]: both 5+

Colorado has been in the news a ton lately, sadly not much of it super positive. But one chipper piece that caught my ear came from the heralds of Roast Magazine, when they recently bestowed upon Denver's Coda Coffee Company the honor of 2014 Macro Roaster of the Year. Not a title given away flippantly, it's a distinction that recognizes Coda for it's hard work and accomplishments (I'm particularly impressed with the coffee carts in the Arizona Cardinals stadium).

Recently, I was honored to have two of their farm 2 cup coffees stop by my abode to spend a little quality time in my belly. They sent out their Guatemala Batzchocola, a coffee from the A'achimbal community, and their Nicaragua Bella Aurora, a former Cup of Excellence coffee. Both I sampled via pourover, french press and siphon.

Going alphabetically, I started with the Guatemalan beans. The pourover smacked of kavo syrup, smoked peanut, strawberry, oats, sarsaparilla and hazelnut with a medium body, proving multifaceted with a various sweet flavors and touch of smokiness. The french press contained smoked peanut, Nutella, strawberry, oats, root beer and caramel popcorn within a medium body; superbly sweet, with rich, sultry flavors. The siphon capped this fine coffee off with hazelnut, roasted peanuts, asian pear, lemon pepper, chicken, spinach and root beer, demonstrating some odd bed fellows but nonetheless, still a sumptuous coffee.

The Nicaraguan proved similarly complex. The pourover doled out heavy chocolate, habenero, smooth cream, seaweed, toasted walnut and noticeable fig. The french press sampled of chocolate, grapefruit, bran, corn tortilla, skim milk and nutmeg, with a medium body and grainy aftertaste. The siphon bellowed out chocolate, noticeable cream, seaweed, peanuts, fig cookie, slight brocolli and biscuit. Overall, the multiple infusions held a diverse and sometimes odd harmony of flavors, but each cup proved delicious.

Thus, if you happen to be near a coffeehouse that serves Coda or you wish to shop online, try out the orange juggernaut of the southwest.


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.  

CC: Fluid Coffee Bar

Subject: Fluid Coffee Bar
Location: Denver, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I've sat through many meetings in my life and a sad hallmark of the majority have been dreary locations and coffee not worth drinking. Quite often in these meetings I quietly wished that my surroundings were that of a vibrant, energetic space with easy access to great coffee.

Thankfully, my hopes were shared. In my past travels, I've found numerous coffee establishments that have constructed private meeting spaces within their borders that allow the average gaggle of folks to assemble in an electrifying space within mere feet of great coffee. In my travels around Denver, I found one such coffeehouse called the Fluid Coffee Bar. Located beneath Uptown Square Apartments, I had caught wind of the place due to its reputation of serving a good cup of Novo Coffee. The space inside is split into the normal cafe, with its vaulted ceilings and comfy seating, and the large wood tables and projector of the rentable meeting space off to the back.

Not in need of a meeting that day, I chose to ingest an espresso of Ojo de Agua and a clover of the Colombian San Sebastian. The espresso, pulled short-to-medium with a light brown crema, held notes of lime, seltzer, hibiscus, sugar, cocoa and rock salt, proving bright, zesty and sweet. The Colombian also triumphed in quality, smacking of molasses, pecan, multigrain bread, granola, fig and a little basil all within a light body.

All in all, Fluid fluidly delivered great coffee and hosts what seems like a great spot to congregate. If you happen to be in need of a meeting space in Denver or just a good cup of coffee, check out the Fluid Coffee Bar.

CC: Metropolis Coffee

Subject: Metropolis Coffee
Location: Denver, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Back in 2007, I had a road trip planned through Denver and naturally, had a list of coffeehouses to hit. Sadly, because of time lost during that fabled road trip, I only made it to one place outside of Denver (Calders Coffee right during their last few days of operation). Additionally, since my scrapbooking stinks, I don't recall all of the spots I had hoped to patronize in Colorado...save one: Denver's Metropolis Coffee. I remember it solely because Metropolis Coffee of Chicago was also on my list, and unlike the Denver Metropolis, I was able to hit Metropolis Chicago (note that the two Metropolises are unrelated).

But finally, after many long years, I was able to hit Metropolis Coffee of Denver at their Golden Triangle location. Sitting in the corner retail space of a swanky apartment building, Metropolis' interior consisted of vaulted ceilings, deep red walls and tons of window space surrounding a nice assortment of seating.

As for coffee, they serve up Herkimer Coffee out of Seattle. While visiting, I ordered an espresso of what I believe was the Espresso Blend (my notes do not name it but my memory recalls it so) and a drip of a Kenyan. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, proved sweetly delicious with notes of rock candy, semisweet chocolate, a little salt, a bit of bourbon and sassafras. The drip of the Kenyan purveyed notes of strawberry, barley, tomato, sugar cookie and a little parsley, a coffee proving light and succulent.

While I am not a fan of waiting, Metropolis Coffee of Denver was well worth it. If you're in town, make sure to stop by this Denver gem.

CC: Crema Coffee House

Subject: Crema Coffee House
Location: Denver, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


One sunny Denver morning, I had the delightful luxury of taking it slow and having a lackadaisical coffee stop before starting my day. Given my geography at the time, I set my sights on a local establishment with an effervescent reputation, Crema Coffee House.

Sitting in a black brick building on a corner lot, Crema has a unique exterior with a lot of sleek design elements that pull forward your eyes to its existence. Inside, the place reverberates with a stylish yet efficiently purposed space, complete with a chandelier, lots of natural light and some interesting art.

Their coffee is as copious as it comes, with numerous roasters on hand such as Counter Culture, Novo, Boxcar, Herkimer and Dogwood. That morning, I had an espresso from Herkimer (their Espresso Blend I believe) and a french press of a Colombian from Novo. The espresso, pulled short with a brown crema, held notes of dark cocoa, a little clove, light sugar, a bit of ginger and a smoky finish, all of which combined to form a sweet and balanced infusion. The Colombian doled out a delicious light-medium bodied brew that smacked of wheat, pear, black tea, banana nut muffin and broth.

All together (now!), Crema provided great coffee, great service and wonderful ambiance; I couldn't have chosen a better spot to start off my slow day. If you're in or around Denver, give Crema your patronage.

CC: Happy Coffee

Subject: Happy Coffee

Location: Denver, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

If I were to move away from the ocean, it would be to a place like Denver. Somehow, the balance of mountains and dozens of great coffee spots easily compensates for the distance from a true oceanic shoreline. 

One coffeehouse that would add to my enticement is Happy Coffee. A local establishment that sits pretty on a corner location on Broadway, they provide great coffee from various coffee roasters like Four Barrel and Heart. One sunny morning, my entourage (the family, an old friend and I) made our way over to the coffeehouse early enough to beat the crowds and have the place to ourselves. The windows gave a spacious feel amidst the minimalist yet warm interior, with the coffee bar smack in the middle giving an air of performance, with the array of seating surrounding as a chic gladiator arena.

As for my coffee, I ordered an espresso of Four Barrel's Friendo Blendo and a pourover of a Heart Guatemalan (a Palencia I believe). The espresso, pulled short with a brown swirled crema, spoke of lemon, sugar, salt, cream and dark cocoa, all harmoniously dancing together to form a delicious alliance. The pourover also rocked, giving notes of wheat, apple juice, cascara, curried broth and vanilla; a pleasantly juicy and complex cup great for AM sipping. 

At the risk of sounding cliche', Happy Coffee deftly lived up to its name. If you happen to be in Denver or close by, stroll down for a great coffee experience.

Mugged: Hartmann Honey [Novo Coffee]

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What does "Mugged" mean?


Subject: Novo Coffee
Coffees Mugged: Hartmann Honey
Rating: 5+ [see key]




Some time ago, when I was heading through Colorado on a bit of a cross country road trip, I stopped south of Denver to stay with a friend in Littleton. Prior to my arrival, I asked him if there were any things to do in Denver, as I had a few hours to kill, to which he assured me there was no reason to set foot into Denver, and Boulder would be a better use of my time.

Looking back now, I am glad I got to see Boulder but in skipping Denver, I bypassed going to Novo Coffee (instead I picked another spot on my list that sadly ended up closing soon after).

Thus I will visit Novo's cafe one day but for now, I'll settle for distant encounters with their coffee east of the Mississippi. One such occasion was on a recent partially compensated GoCoffeeGo order (this is the 2nd of the 3 coffees to be reviewed), whence I received 3/4 lb of Hartmann Honey, a coffee from Volcan, Panama that looked very enticing.

I received the coffee fairly quickly (3-4 days) and dove right in, subjecting it to three different styles of infusion: french press, drip and siphon. I pressed it first, finding to my astonishment that the coffee actually had a strong taste of honey (most coffees only offer hints of such flavor), more akin to a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios (it even had whole grain sweetness!), as well as little fig and a light body.

The drip turned out much lighter, this time with less honey, more nut (like peanuts) and with a stronger, wheaty/grassy sweetness coupled with a bit of dark cocoa.

The vacuum pot produced a little more nuttiness in the front of the cup, still the noticeable honey similar to the drip (i.e. still had the honey nut cheerio taste) and minor facets of wheat grass. A little heavier body was produced.

While I know that this coffee is no longer offered by Novo or GoCoffeeGo (sometimes GoCoffeeGo has different coffees than the roaster offers), Novo does have a coffee from Volcan (as of today, at least) that seems similar to this. If said coffee produces such a quality brew as Hartmann Honey, I would strongly recommend a purchase.