Mugged: Deep Red, Ethiopia and Guatemala [Booskerdoo]

Subject: Booskerdoo Fresh Roasted Coffee Co.
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
  - Deep Red Bells 5+
  - Guatemala Huehuetenango Rainforest Alliance Cert. 4+
  - Ethiopia Sidamo Peaberry (City Roast) 3+

For a state that borders two major metropolitan areas, NJ finally seems to be capitalizing on the large swaths of thirsty coffee drinkers meandering its roads and alleys. I've seen several new roasting faces pop up in the past year (some upcoming posts on some of them) but also current companies continuing to grow their reach.

Booskerdoo of Monmouth Beach is one roaster that seems to be evermore on my radar. Recently, I had the pleasure of trying out three NJ-roasted coffees from Booskerdoo Fresh Roasted Coffee Co in my home lab: their Deep Red Bells blend, Guatemala Huehuetenango and Ethiopian Sidamo Peaberry. Except for the Guatemala for which my vacuum pot malfunctioned and went down for over a week, I sampled each coffee via pourover, french press and siphon.

The Deep Red Bells blend is a seasonal coffee that consists of two different roasts of an Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Worka Coop Unwashed Organic blended together, a method I usually don't see pulled off well, but Deep Red Bells proved the exception. Via drip, it displayed blueberry cobbler, nougat, rosemary and limeade bubblegum, proving bright and juicy with nice sultry notes of cocoa. The french press smacked of blueberry, semisweet chocolate chips, hibiscus, almond croissant, slight vanilla cookie, rosemary and a touch of sour cream in a light/medium body; a multifaceted and bejeweled coffee. The siphon serenaded me with blueberry, nougat, apple juice, rosemary and cream, making for a smooth and silky coffee full of juicy and succulent flavors.

Next up was the Guatemala, a Rainforest Alliance coffee marketed as nutty and rich coffee. The pourover tasted of molasses, pecan pie, ginger snap, pear, skim milk and pizza crust within a medium body. The french press leaned more towards plum, sarsaparilla, sweet potato, blue corn chips and dandelion greens in a malty, medium body with a cake-ish sweetness. While I found the coffee sweet and a touch nutty, their were a few heavier flavors that kind of weighed the coffee down. 

The Ethiopian, last up, made for a mildly intriguing cup. The pourover held white toast, merlot, a pinch of pepper and slight cocoa in a medium body. The french press drummed out blueberry, merlot, pepper, cloves, brisket, med body and smoother and bright with a nice complexity. The siphon detected notes of blueberry, rye, cloves, lemon pepper, brisket and red pepper within med body. For an Ethiopian coffee, the beans had some bright and pleasant facets, but all were a bit overshadowed by a spicy body and a flat, slightly astringent aftertaste

In a short synopsis, I would definitely order two out of the three coffees again (the Ethiopian Peaberry was not my favorite). If you seek some beans, take a gander over to the Booskerdoo, whether you live near Monmouth Beach or you just seek its local flavor.


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

Mugged: Diner and Peru [Booskerdoo]

Subject: Booskerdoo Coffee
Mugged: Jersey Diner and FTO Peru SO
Rating: 4+ for Diner, 3+ for Peru [see key]


Until this past year, it seemed that NJ would never have a high concentration of decent coffee operations. For as long as I have sipped coffee, shops that were able to dole out fresh, not-disgusting beans were spaced out usually too far to go from one to the other without making it a small road trip.

But in traversing the central Jersey beach area, it seems more and more good coffee options are appearing. One such place is Booskerdoo Coffee of Monmouth Beach. Having never been, I was intrigued to receive two pounds of their coffee one recent day; their Jersey Diner-style Blend and FTO Peru. I sampled each via pourover, french press and siphon.

For the Jersey Diner-style, the drip produced notes of buttered toast, apple, Corn Pops, a little lemongrass and cola, capping off a medium-bodied coffee with sweet, wheaty notes. The french press held a similar body and notes of granny smith apples, toast, sweet corn and a little cola. The siphon had a more wheaty kick, with notes of graham cracker, toast, apple, cola and a little sweet corn within a medium body. 

The Peru drip delivered flavors of french toast, maple, cloves and unsweetened cocoa within a heavier body, that overall, while flavorful, was a little too dark. The french press produced a similar profile, with notes of cloves, unsweetened cocoa, maple syrup and a heavy body that seemed almost espresso-esque. The siphon proved a tad sweeter, with chococlate, maple syrup, cloves and oatmeal within a heavy body.

Overall, both coffees sampled decently. While I thought the Jersey Diner blend was better, as it embodied a flavorful brew that I would covet with a nice breakfast, I found the FTO Peru not bad for a darker coffee but little too bitter for a light roast.

If you're in the area or you're looking to try out one of Jersey's coffee roasters, give Booskerdoo a try. 


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