CC: Kaladi Brothers

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Subject: Kaladi Brothers Coffee 

Location: Anchorage, AK

Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 4+ [see key]

If any coffee spot commands attention with the citizens of Anchorage, it seems Kaladi Brothers is king. With ten locations in Anchorage (as well as 4 outside the city limits), I am impressed with the amount of loyalty they have accrued to keep that many coffee locations working. 

Suffice it to say that my trip to Anchorage would remain incomplete without a stop at by one of their shops. While I had a coffee in passing at the New Sagaya coffee stand and a fair espresso at Cafe Ristretto (a cafe that utilizes Kaladi Bros beans), I made for the downtown location for a full evaluative experience. The outside happens to be bit stark (it's a round brick office building), but the inside was quite well decorated and laid out, with an assortment of colors, crystal chandeliers and all kinds of seating amidst the unique interior layout.

From the research I had done, Kaladi as a coffee roaster seems to stick to the older ways ("2nd wave"), aiming for darker roasts, not to mention has a curious method of storing their whole bean coffee in a fridge (at least downtown they do). For my beverages, I ordered an espresso (I did not catch the blend's name) and a drip of their Rwandan. The espresso, pulled medium with brown crema, displayed notes of tobacco, bitter cocoa, cabbage, oak, a little sugar and a wee bit of rhubarb; alas, it was a noticeably burnt and bitter with a heavy potency, but still fairly good. The Rwandan, labeled as a lighter roast, tasted more like a medium-dark roast with flavors of sweet oats, blackberry jam, vanilla, pear and slight almond in a medium-to-heavy body. As for a medium/dark roast, it was also fairly tasty. 

Given the roast level of both the espresso and the coffee, Kaladi did deliver a decent coffee experience (i.e. neither tasted that poorly despite the darkness). If you're into darker roasts or you just want to see what all the Anchorage-ians are drinking, give Kaladi Brothers a visit.

CC: Cafe Del Mundo

What does CC mean?


Subject: Cafe Del Mundo

Location: Anchorage, AK

Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 5+ [see key]

When I had first heard of Anchorage coffee a decade ago, the two cafes that were mentioned to me were Cafe Del Mundo and the Kaladi Brothers. Then a little under a year ago, Kaladi purchased Cafe Del Mundo, though the pledge was to keep the two separate, aiming to keep Cafe Del Mundo the same as it has always been.

With this in mind, I strode through the doors of Anchorage's oldest coffee roaster-and-retail shop, not caring so much as to whether the coffee was still true to the del Mundo ways as I hoped for a solid coffee experience. The cafe itself stood arrayed in a calm,1980s-wood-and-soft-lights manner, with a counter stretching the length of the store and plenty of hearty wooden chairs for patrons to utilize. 

Before I found a seat near two European posters, I ordered myself a drip of their Papua New Guinea and an espresso of their Espresso Blend. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume with blonde crema, held notes of milk chocolate, cream soda, cookie dough as well as some cayenne, notes of basil and a slight burnt character. The shots weren't the best but still offered a respectably balanced and tasty spro. 

Moving on to the Papua New Guinea, the coffee relayed qualities of nuts, grass, honey, slight minestrone with celery, a pinch of sage and raw sugar. A refreshingly delicious brew that proved smooth and easy to savor.

Having later tried Kaladi Brothers (that review will come soon), I can vouch that Cafe Del Mundo is still noticeably different then it's new owner. While I felt the skill in preparation of my coffee was slightly lacking (mainly, the espresso could have been better pulled), I can say that I enjoyed my experience. Give Cafe Del Mundo a visit when you're in town.