Brevede Coffee Co

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Brevede Coffee Co.
Location visited: Lexington, KY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While I cherish the coziness of a coffee shop with a small footprint, I do love stumbling upon a super-spacious cafe every now and then, especially when it's beautifully arrayed. Such fortunes I had when I first drove into Lexington, Kentucky and found a local operation called Brevede.

Scout and Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Scout and Co.
Location Visted: Scout O.N.E in Burlington, VT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While I tend to shy away from rankings (mainly due to their subjective nature that gets passed off as empirical data), I must put Burlington as one of my favorite locations in the USA. I have been to many centers of population, and none combine the majesty of local nature so well with the amenities of a slightly urban area. I can say with utter surety that there are few things that rival a sumptuous cup of coffee sipped along the shores of Lake Champlain. 

Espresso a Mano

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Espresso a Mano
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Despite its relatively close proximity, I don't make it to Pittsburgh as much as I would like. It's like an old college buddy that has a conflicting social schedule who lives too far away to visit without lodging. Fortunately, when the opportunity knocks to make a stop in the Iron City, I make sure to swoop in like an old chum (suddenly and without warning) for a brief respite.

Coava Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Coava Coffee Roasters
Location: Portland, OR [Grand Ave location]
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


While Portland has tons of coffee establishments worthy of a visit, there are a few that have come to embody the city's coffee scene, not only for the quality coffee but also due to the beauty of their abode. Coava Coffee Roasters is one of those spots.

CC: Milstead and Co.

Subject: Milstead and Co.
Location: Seattle, WA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

A lot of folks in the coffee industry are very altruistic when it comes to fellow compatriots of the trade, but no matter how often I see or hear it, I still find it odd to for a barista to recommend another's coffeehouse. Such was the case, this time in Seattle when I was talking to a pro about where to go for coffee in the city, and this chap emphasized that if I were to go nowhere else, I should hit Milstead and Co.

Fortunately, his heavy-handed recommendation lined right up with my plans and I was able to stop by Milstead and Co.'s in their Fremont digs, right down the street from the fabled Troll. With a sleek, minimal exterior with an overtly enticing glow, I walked into their pleasantly huge space, with a coffee bar the size of a racquetball court surrounded by a pleasing assortment of tables and chairs, not to mention a shared zany patio with the History House next door.

The coffee comes from many a spot, and that morning I settled on an aeropress of Coava Coffee's Ethiopia Kilenso Sidama and an espresso of Stumptown's Guatemala Finca El Injerto Bourbon. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, sang of grapefruit, honey, charred oak, a little apple juice and some nutmeg, proving to be overall very potent and deliciously flavorful. The aeropressed Ethiopian also proved delicious, with notes of wheat, blueberry, vanilla french toast, fresh pear and a little black tea and cocoa.

Clearly, Milstead and Co. did great justice to the high marks given by their peers. If you happen to be in Seattle, stop by for a great cup of coffee. 

Mugged: Craft Coffee

Subject: Craft Coffee
Mugged:
- Ethiopia Teklu Dembel of Lone Pine Coffee Roasters
- Guatemala Xeucalvitz of Coava Coffee Roasters
- El Salvador Manzano Natural Process of Topeca Coffee
Rating: 5+ for all [see key]


One of the larger growing trends this past year has been the concept of the 3rd party coffee subscription. The concept of having sommeliers send out top coffees to your door each month appears alluring, but the questions that nagged me were queries of freshness, trust and value. 

Of course the only way to be satisfied in my curiosity was to try out some subscriptions and the folks over at Craft Coffee were splendid enough to kick it off by sending out their October disbursement a few weeks back (...in October). Within the box were three coffees: Lone Pine Coffee Roasters' Ethiopia Teklu Dembel, Coava Coffee Roasters' Guatemala Xeucalvitz and Topeca Coffee's El Salvador Manzano Natural Process. Since each coffee comes in 4 oz. disbursements, I was only able to try each out via pourover and french press. 

The pourover of El Salvador from Topeca imprinted flavors of cocoa, pink lemonade, blueberry, maple, malt, muffin and a dash of oregano. The french press held similar bright flavors of blueberry, pink lemonade, maple, corn muffin, cocoa and oregano. A delicious coffee with bright, sweet notes.

The Ethiopian of Lone Pine also demonstrated a beautiful juicy succulence. The pourover blasted notes of blueberry, pancake, black tea, a little vanilla and gingerbread within a light body and smooth texture. The french press held very similar notes, with a slight nuance resembling soy sauce.

Coava's Guatemalan finished the series strong. The pourover blasted the flavors of sassafras, biscuit, corn, brazil nut and pear amidst a medium body. The french press proved similar, with more of a cashew quality that complimented the sassafras and corn well. A nutty and sweet brew.

With three fine coffees with little to dislike, I would have to say that Craft Coffee offers a great service for the money, especially if you're someone always on the hunt for a new coffee. Give Craft a go.
 

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

CC: Spyhouse Coffee

Subject: Spyhouse Coffee & Espresso

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

When a good friend of mine went out to Minneapolis back in 2010, he came back with a frustrated lament of not being able to find many good coffee spots in the city. Having since scoured the City of Lakes coffee scene in my own adventures, I found his complaint emptier by the coffee stop. 

One of the glorious and slightly accidental finds was Spyhouse Coffee & Espresso on Nicollet Avenue. I had done my research prior to my arrival in the city but I did not find contentment in my final list, so on the fly I did a quick internet search for coffee nearby and BAM, I spotted Spyhouse. The qualifications spoken on their website closed the sale and I soon found myself standing outside their rather spacious corner shop, complete with an outdoor seating area that could charm most to forsake the AC. Moving inside, the digs proved visually enticing as well, with jazzy furniture, great lighting and lots of interesting art pieces. 

The coffee comes from three excellent roasters: Ritual, Verve and Coava. I had Verve's Street Level via espresso and Ritual's Monte Copey Costa Rica via Cafe Solo. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, trumpeted delicious notes of dark cocoa, lemon, ginger, coriander and flecks of spinach and rare steak. The Costa Rican delivered cranberry, vanilla wafer, romaine, peanuts and a little caramel, all combined in a mellow yet vibrant brew. Both drinks proved well-crafted and delicious.

I count my blessings that I was able to experience some great coffee in one of their outfits. Unlike my friend, make it a point to spy out a Spyhouse location when you're in Minneapolis.