Showing posts with label Connecticut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connecticut. Show all posts

Friday, November 17, 2017

Source Coffeehouse




Subject: Source Coffeehouse
Location: Bridgeport, CT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

After a gorgeous weekend relaxing in a New England cabin, the only thing left to round out the experience was a stop by a great coffee house. Fortunately, my path led me through Bridgeport directly past a coffeehouse I had been looking to try since their 2013 inception: Source Coffeehouse.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Lorca



Subject: Lorca
Location: Stamford, CT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If there's a state in which I started off on the wrong foot, it was Connecticut. As one of the first states to grace my youthful eyes, the land debuted as merely a glorified series of congested interstates. No sooner had I entered into Connecticut did I wish to be rid of it on the other side, destined for tourism in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and other points north. Now older and wiser, I have realized how many gems I have missed in the many towns of CT. To make up for lost time, I recently began retracing old road trips but using time-tested logic of seeking local dining establishments instead of truck stops and coffeehouses of repute versus caffeinated drive throughs.

Friday, May 13, 2016

The Coffee Pedaler



Subject: The Coffee Pedaler
Location: New Haven, CT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It's official: cycling and coffee are best buds.

Sure, no truly notarized decree has been made from either the SCAA or the International Olympic Committee, but if you know people whom take one seriously, chances are they are deeply enamored about the other. And unlike other communities that overlap with great coffee (like whittling or medieval anachronism), cycling and coffee have often combined forces for some epic tag teams. You can find coffee bars in bike shops, coffee served off the back of cycles (though to my disappointment, no one has debuted the coffee unicylce yet) and you can even find mobile coffee operations partially powered by pedal-power.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Neat Coffee



Location: Darien, CT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Like the gates of Mordor, so stands the George Washington Bridge guarding passage of Interstate 95. Every time I know I must cross, I literally set off in the wee morning hours like a hobbit trying to avoid orc-like traffic. Thus far, I've been fortunate with this method and aside from sacrificing precious sleep, it has had but one major detraction: it takes me past Neat Coffee in Connecticut long before they open up.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Mugged: Kenyan AA [Willoughby's Coffee]

'
What does "Mugged" mean?


Subject:
Willoughby's Coffee & Tea
Coffees Mugged:
Kenya AA Kagumoini
Rating:
5+ [see key]





Sometimes in the dark, short days of winter a good cup of coffee is the only sunshine you get (yes, that sounds cheesy but I've noticed my love of cheesy phrasing seems to increase amidst lacking sunshine). Thankfully, I had a good run with a great pound of Kenya AA Kagumoini sent to me by Willoughby's Coffee & Tea.

I sampled the coffee in the usual three manors of drip, siphon and french press.

French pressing this Kenyan equated to a smooth cup, with sweet peach and apple flavors first, followed with a pleasant nuttiness, wheat grass and some molasses. I found it a beautiful, bright coffee.

The siphon formed a much sweeter beverage with not as much of the peach/apple sourness, thus the cup had more of the molasses, a good bit of grain, some nutty flavors and still the wheat grass. This particular brew I found to be juicy and smooth.

Dripping, the last method produced the molasses with the noticeable brightness offset by a little more darkness and cocoa. The wheat grass still appeared towards the end; an overall good cup though my least favorite of the three samplings (but still a great cup!).

My days were literally brighter thanks in part to this coffee (i.e. it was really good). If you are yearning for a good Kenyan, give this one a run.


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

Monday, February 01, 2010

Mugged: Guatemalan COE [Willoughby's Coffee]

'

What does "Mugged" mean?


Subject: Willoughby's Coffee & Tea
Coffees Mugged: Guatemalan El Socorro Y Annexos, 2008 Cup of Excellence #4
Rating: 5+ [see key]


Connecticut is yet another nearby state that stands as a stranger to me, kinda like the neighbors three doors down that seem like happening people, but you are never around when they are home. I grew up somewhat close (2 hour drive) and yet, the only time I've stopped in was for a graduate school interview at Yale. As you can deduce, things did not work out for Yale and since then, I haven't been back.

Thus, I was thrilled to get some coffee from a New Haven coffee company called Willoughby's Coffee & Tea. The place had not really made my radar but their cafes look pretty nifty and their coffee offerings intriguing.

The first of the two coffees I tried was a 2008 Cup of Excellence winner from Guatemala. I sampled it in the typical three methods of drip, siphon and french press.

The
drip I dove at first. The ensuing mug demonstrated a coffee smacking of sweet honey and caramel popcorn, with a wheaty aftertaste, a tiny sour kiss and an overall pleasant smoothness. This was by far one the sweetest coffees I've had in a long time.

The siphon had a tad heavier body. This cup possessed more of a chocolate and caramel sweetness as well as bits of fig, date and a milky texture. Different result but still delightful.

The french press generated a lighter coffee similar to the drip, though with much more prevalent caramel and a nice chocolate milk texture and flavor. The fig and ending wheat were still present and some unique notes of spice also showed up; also a great cup.

To say I was satisfied would be putting it lightly. If Willoughby's locations can serve up espresso as well as they can roast coffee, then Connecticut would finally have a true pull for me to visit.

If you're looking for a well-roasted Connecticut coffee, order a pound from Willoughby's.


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