Mugged: Ethiopia, Kenya and Guatemala [Black Oak]

Subject: Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Kenya Kabatha AB 5+

- Ethiopia Konga 5+
- Guatemala San Diego Buena Vista 6+

California wine country is renowned for its many great vineyards, but up until recently, the sea of grapes harbored little else of such high quality. Fortunately the area is growing even more appealing, with quality specialty coffee slowly gaining a stronger foothold in the land of vino. Take Black Oak Coffee Roasters in the town of Ukiah right off the 101; what more could you ask for than a coffee roaster that takes as much care and love in their beans as the best vineyards surrounding put into making their wine?  

Mugged: Ethiopian and El Salvador [Barefoot Coffee]

Subject: Barefoot Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Yirgacheffe Kochere, Ethiopia 6+

- Finca Villagalicia, El Salvador 6+

California is home to many great roasters, some I've known of for as long as I've cared about great coffee. One such entity is Barefoot Coffee Roasters, an operation now out of Santa Clara that has a delicious rapport for serving up delicious beans. Currently they have a mobile coffee van and 2 independently licensed retail locations, and while I hope to visit each spot soon, I was pleasantly surprised to receive two bags of direct trade coffee to try out in my abode: their Yirgacheffe Kochere, a washed Ethiopian coffee known for its vibrant flavors, as well as their Finca Villagalicia, a fine-looking coffee from an El Salvador farm with past Cup of Excellence wins under its belt. I sampled both coffees via pourover, french press and siphon.

The Kochere led the charge, sampling first in the pourover with notes of strawberry jam, fresh pineapple salsa, triple chocolate brownies, some lemon pepper and pie crust, proving rich, bright and full of flavor. The french press held out a glowing array of chocolate brownie, raspberry, strawberry Jolly Rancher, pastry dough, rose petals and a little lemon rind. The siphon ended on a consistent high note, with wisps of raspberry, chocolate truffle, apple pie, whipped cream and walnut, within a slightly deeper body. In summary, a decadent coffee full of fruity explosions and dessert-y glory.

The El Salvador also came out with top honors. The pourover trumpeted out notes of salted caramel, chocolate truffle, sourdough, gala apple, slight celery and a touch of nutmeg within a balanced, medium body. The french press presented chocolate, salted caramel, heavy cream, apple, celery and slight sourdough. The siphon was the final rocket red glare, with chocolate, nougat, sourdough, apple and slight sage blaring out of the medium body. A fine coffee with lots of sweet and deliciously tart flavors deftly intertwined this smooth coffee.

At the risk of sounding overly positive, these coffees were hands down some of the best I've had in past months. If you seek some great coffee from skilled hands, seek out the fine beans of Barefoot.

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

Mugged: Deep Red, Ethiopia and Guatemala [Booskerdoo]

Subject: Booskerdoo Fresh Roasted Coffee Co.
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
  - Deep Red Bells 5+
  - Guatemala Huehuetenango Rainforest Alliance Cert. 4+
  - Ethiopia Sidamo Peaberry (City Roast) 3+

For a state that borders two major metropolitan areas, NJ finally seems to be capitalizing on the large swaths of thirsty coffee drinkers meandering its roads and alleys. I've seen several new roasting faces pop up in the past year (some upcoming posts on some of them) but also current companies continuing to grow their reach.

Booskerdoo of Monmouth Beach is one roaster that seems to be evermore on my radar. Recently, I had the pleasure of trying out three NJ-roasted coffees from Booskerdoo Fresh Roasted Coffee Co in my home lab: their Deep Red Bells blend, Guatemala Huehuetenango and Ethiopian Sidamo Peaberry. Except for the Guatemala for which my vacuum pot malfunctioned and went down for over a week, I sampled each coffee via pourover, french press and siphon.

The Deep Red Bells blend is a seasonal coffee that consists of two different roasts of an Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Worka Coop Unwashed Organic blended together, a method I usually don't see pulled off well, but Deep Red Bells proved the exception. Via drip, it displayed blueberry cobbler, nougat, rosemary and limeade bubblegum, proving bright and juicy with nice sultry notes of cocoa. The french press smacked of blueberry, semisweet chocolate chips, hibiscus, almond croissant, slight vanilla cookie, rosemary and a touch of sour cream in a light/medium body; a multifaceted and bejeweled coffee. The siphon serenaded me with blueberry, nougat, apple juice, rosemary and cream, making for a smooth and silky coffee full of juicy and succulent flavors.

Next up was the Guatemala, a Rainforest Alliance coffee marketed as nutty and rich coffee. The pourover tasted of molasses, pecan pie, ginger snap, pear, skim milk and pizza crust within a medium body. The french press leaned more towards plum, sarsaparilla, sweet potato, blue corn chips and dandelion greens in a malty, medium body with a cake-ish sweetness. While I found the coffee sweet and a touch nutty, their were a few heavier flavors that kind of weighed the coffee down. 

The Ethiopian, last up, made for a mildly intriguing cup. The pourover held white toast, merlot, a pinch of pepper and slight cocoa in a medium body. The french press drummed out blueberry, merlot, pepper, cloves, brisket, med body and smoother and bright with a nice complexity. The siphon detected notes of blueberry, rye, cloves, lemon pepper, brisket and red pepper within med body. For an Ethiopian coffee, the beans had some bright and pleasant facets, but all were a bit overshadowed by a spicy body and a flat, slightly astringent aftertaste

In a short synopsis, I would definitely order two out of the three coffees again (the Ethiopian Peaberry was not my favorite). If you seek some beans, take a gander over to the Booskerdoo, whether you live near Monmouth Beach or you just seek its local flavor.


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

Mugged: Ethiopian [Doma Coffee]

Subject:Doma Coffee Roasting Company

Mugged: Ethiopia Organic

Rating: 5+ [see key]

On the east coast, it's not often you hear about Idaho. And having traversed most of the state on several occasions, the hype certainly doesn't mirror the reality. For starters, Boise and Coeur d'Alene are nifty cities, plus you have tons of natural sites all over the place that make it a truly unique part of the west. 

As far as coffee roasters that call Idaho home, Doma is probably the one that has reached many ears across the globe. It might be because of the press received but I think good coffee, like cream, rises to the top. 

I had the delightful opportunity to recently sample Doma's Ethiopian Organic, a light-roasted coffee that from first waft had promise of being excellent. I sampled the coffee via drip, french press and siphon.

The drip delivered notes of blueberry, milk cocoa, little grass, apple strudel and a tinge of maple syrup and cinnamon. A light and bright coffee with lots of flavor.

The french press was consistent in taste, with resolute blueberry, milk chocolate, apple strudel, nutmeg, a little grass, a smidgen of maple syrup and caramel. Also light and fruity with a light body.

The siphon finished off the infusions with a cup heavier with milk chocolate and less blueberry, but with similar notes of grass, apple strudel and maple syrup. A chocolatey and juicy coffee. 

While Ethiopians tend to be delicious, not every roaster can capture a great coffee and roast it well. Give Doma a try whether you're looking for a good African coffee or something a little different.


note: coffee was not provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback. 
 

Mugged: Ethiopian [Old Soul]

'
 
What does Mugged mean?



Subject: Old Soul Co.
Coffee Mugged: Ethiopian Aleta Wondo Co-op
Rating: 5+ [see key]




While a lot of people seem to appreciate pairing coffee with chocolate or similar sweets, there exists a lot more flavors that go wonderfully with coffee. One of my favorites happens to be fruits, a recently popular but wonderful companion to a bright coffee like a quality Ethiopian.

Often extolled for their lovely acidity, Ethiopian and other East African coffees rank as some of my favorite coffee. One recent addition to my list of quality African coffees was Old Soul's Ethiopian. From the Aleta Wondo Co-op, this coffee I had the pleasure of sampling in the brews of drip, siphon and french press. 

The drip coffee relayed bright blueberry, chocolate, oak barrel, a bit of mint, nuts, dandelion greens and cracker. The body was light to medium and it had a nice, crisp taste to it.

The french press had similar power in the blueberry and mint, but this brew had more of a nougat-like taste along with cilantro and a hint of yerba matte. 

The siphon was the sweetest of the three, holding strong blueberry, chocolate and mint along with oak barrel, buttery cracker and dandelion green all amidst a medium body. 

Overall, Old Soul's Ethiopian proved delicious and would do well to compliment a nice berry tart or chocolate covered strawberry. Give this coffee a try if you're looking for a smooth, bright coffee. 


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

Mugged: PT's Coffee [Ethiopia Lima - Gomma]

'

What does "Mugged" mean?


Subject: PT's Coffee
Coffee Mugged: Ethiopia Lima - Gomma
Rating: 5+ [see key]



Strong credible publicity is all to hard to come by but when you get it, it really makes a difference. Take central US coffee roaster PT's Coffee; for a year or two now I've been dying to try their coffee and I can't say I really know why (some would say that good publicity has that exact effect).

Regardless, I was elated when newly launched Coffee Roasters Club sent me a pound of PT's Ethiopia Lima - Gomma (as well as 2 other coffeess - reviews to come!) to try.

Cracking open the bag (always a glorious experience), the coffee beans appeared lightly roasted, a nice light brown/dark caramel color. I was able to sample the coffee via french press, vacuum press, and drip. The french press twas my first undertaking and it produced a wonderful cup of coffee; a coffee that proved indeed very light but had a nice mellow brightness to it. Although there proved slight notes of chaff (common in lighter coffees), the occasional hints of fruity acidity really compensated. The vacuum press further brought out the sweet tastes of the coffee, taking the fruity accents a bit further (little hints of blueberry showed up in this mug). The drip also proved pleasant; though not nearly as vibrant as the other two brews, the drip still delivered a very sweet and bright coffee.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this light Ethiopian coffee from PT and the success of this batch makes me all the more interested in PT's other coffees. Thus, it goes to show that good product in itself can be the best kind of publicity.