Showing posts with label Albany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albany. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Stacks Espresso




Subject: Stacks Espresso
Location Visited: 260 Lark St, Albany, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Though Albany has been the crossroads for many trips, it has not always been a dependable area for great coffee. Fortunately, the city is growing its cafe culture and establishments of repute have taken root in the capital city. One such business is Stacks Espresso, a shop with two locations in the city, one of which happened to be not far out of my way on a trip going north.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Mugged: Guatemala Antigua [Daily Grind]



Subject: Daily Grind
Mugged: Guatemalan Antigua
Rating [see key]: 3+


Having been through Albany a few times, I still have had practically zero instances where I was in town with free time for more than an hour. As such, it's hard at times to make effort to seek out the local coffee venues.

One such venue I've not yet reviewed here is Daily Grind, with locations in Troy and downtown Albany. Fortunately, as they're a roaster of their own coffee, they were kind enough to contact me and send out their Guatemalan Antigua for a review. I sampled it via pourover, french press and siphon.

The french press demonstrated notes of honey, caramel, almond milk, a little clove, some pear and a smidgen of cayenne pepper. A hearty yet sweet coffee with a bit of spice.

The pourover was a little less sweet, with notes of honey, bran, pine wood, cloves and sassafras within a medium body. A more acerbic brew but still sweet and hearty.

The siphon was a mixture of the two prior infusions, with notes of vanilla, bran, almond milk, cloves, a bit of pepper and some cayenne in a deeper body, proving sweet and spicy overall.

While I though the coffee to possess some great sweet qualities, I felt it had a bit too much of a pepper and spice quality to its profile (maybe better if roasted less?). All in all, if you're looking for a spicy yet sweet South American from Albany, give Daily Grind's Guatemalan Antigua a go.


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

Monday, April 28, 2008

CC: Professor Java's Coffee Sanctuary

What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject:
Professor Java's Coffee Sanctuary
Location visited: Albany, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]



Frequently the area around airports has always seemed desolate, without a nice place to wait for someone to arrive except for the shoulder of an off-ramp (especially in Philadelphia). Maybe I've not had much luck in my travels but it seems a watering hole would do well to spring up within five minutes of baggage claim.

It wasn't until recently that my wife and I stumbled upon our first real example of a near-airport oasis so long winded-ly dubbed Professor Java's Coffee Sanctuary. The stand-alone coffeehouse happened to not only be located near the Albany airport, but also right across the street from a few airport hotels.

With very convenient parking in the rear, we made our way in the rear entrance into what appeared to be a converted house. The many rooms with ever so many colored walls and various furniture made for a very eclectic and slightly warm interior. The interior also had enough room for three counters; one for free leaf tea, one for whole bean coffee, and the third for the cafe items (which seemed a little disheveled and messy).

The coffee is roasted in-house (there's a drum roaster in the back) and the professor boasts a decent-sized selection. I had a cup of Monsoon Malabar which sampled smooth with an elegant bright sweetness. The espresso on the other hand was a little rough and sharp, though not bad. The tea is free leaf.

All in all, I'd have to say I was mildly impressed. Professor Java's definitely has the location down and fairly decent drip coffee, but it seems they could do a whole lot more with their products and presentation. I'm no business guru, but a coffeehouse with long hours near a big airport only has areas to improve.