Thursday, March 24, 2022

Duchess Coffee


Subject: Duchess Coffee
Location: Brattleboro, VT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Never have I encountered a situation where every lodging option, down to the least appealing motel, were all fully booked, but such was my fate one Friday night in the city of Brattleboro. I was traveling east towards Maine and I hit a wall of fatigue after driving from Columbus, Ohio that morning, so I sought a place to crash for over an hour to no avail. Finally after giving up, I found a parking spot in a shopping center, reclined my seat and snoozed until the sun awoke me. 


Fortunately after a rough night, I found the makings of a glorious morning at Duchess Coffee. Situated on the main avenue through town, Duchess exists in a petite structure outfitted with pull-in parking and some outside seating. Inside, the shop keeps the decor simple and beautiful, with plenty of natural light coming in from the back of the shop. 


As for coffee, they roast their own and focus on American coffees. The day of my visit, I ended up going with an espresso of a single origin Brazil and a drip infusion of a Honduran coffee. The espresso, pulled short/med with brown crema, smacked of chocolate, clementine, berry, melon, mineral water and a touch of fresh mustard greens, proving robust and bright. The drip coffee also provided a refreshing fanfare, with notes of lime, hibiscus, cream, vanilla cake, mango and spinach.


After finishing up my drinks, I left the cafe far more invigorated than I had arrived. The next time you are in Brattleboro or in the area, definitely make a stop at Duchess Coffeee.



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