Showing posts with label Sacramento. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sacramento. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Mugged: Brazil [Old Soul]

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What does Mugged mean?




Subject: Old Soul Co. 
Coffee Mugged: Brazil Macaubas
Rating: 5+ [see key]





The final coffee of the three bags of Old Soul I received was their Brazil Macaubas. While much of Brazil usually blasts out a lot of low-grade coffee for your coffee giants, this coffee claimed to be a great, single estate coffee. As usual, I dove in using three different types of coffee infusion to test the coffee.

Using a standard coffee pourover (drip) method, the coffee brewed up notes of caramel, cashew, chocolate chip, potato skin, thyme and a little milkiness in a medium body. A good start.

The french press squeezed out an infusion with flavors more akin to pear, honey, wheat, sunflower seeds as well as a tinge of licorice and spinach. While I found this coffee slightly different then the drip, it had a lot of similarities in profile and was also delicious.

The siphon delivered similar to the french press with notes of clove, honey, peanut chaff and wheat amidst a heavy body. A solid cup.


In the end, I was pleased to conclude that this was indeed a fine coffee from Brazil. If you're looking for a good South American coffee with a delightful sweet and nutty profile, give this coffee a whirl.. 



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

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Mugged: Ethiopian [Old Soul]

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What does Mugged mean?



Subject: Old Soul Co.
Coffee Mugged: Ethiopian Aleta Wondo Co-op
Rating: 5+ [see key]




While a lot of people seem to appreciate pairing coffee with chocolate or similar sweets, there exists a lot more flavors that go wonderfully with coffee. One of my favorites happens to be fruits, a recently popular but wonderful companion to a bright coffee like a quality Ethiopian.

Often extolled for their lovely acidity, Ethiopian and other East African coffees rank as some of my favorite coffee. One recent addition to my list of quality African coffees was Old Soul's Ethiopian. From the Aleta Wondo Co-op, this coffee I had the pleasure of sampling in the brews of drip, siphon and french press. 


The drip coffee relayed bright blueberry, chocolate, oak barrel, a bit of mint, nuts, dandelion greens and cracker. The body was light to medium and it had a nice, crisp taste to it.

The french press had similar power in the blueberry and mint, but this brew had more of a nougat-like taste along with cilantro and a hint of yerba matte. 


The siphon was the sweetest of the three, holding strong blueberry, chocolate and mint along with oak barrel, buttery cracker and dandelion green all amidst a medium body. 


Overall, Old Soul's Ethiopian proved delicious and would do well to compliment a nice berry tart or chocolate covered strawberry. Give this coffee a try if you're looking for a smooth, bright coffee. 


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

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Mugged: Colombia [Old Soul]

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What does Mugged mean?




Subject: Old Soul Co.
Coffee Mugged: Colombia Suarez Estates
Rating: 4+ [see key]




Sacramento proved to me a surprisingly great city when I visited several years ago. An interesting old town area, downtown and of course, lots of good coffee made for a great place to visit (and I'm sure its a hoot to live in). From what I've heard, there's been improvements with the city and its coffee, with places like Old Soul Co., a once small-scale wholesaler turning into a multi-location coffee establishment and bakery in the past five years.

Never having tasted their wares, I was truly intrigued when they sent me out a few different coffees to review. The first up of these coffees was their Colombia Suarez Estates, sampled via french press, drip and siphon.

The drip demonstrated notes of nuttiness, apple, grass, biscuit, bits of pepper, wheat toast and a little tobacco. A good and somewhat mellow cup though the notes of pepper and tobacco proved a little too potent in the profile.

The french press had a similar make-up, with the apple, nuttiness, grass and toast standing alike. But this cup held also unsweetened cocoa, broth and standout curry. A medium bodied, good coffee with a little fleck of pungent bitterness.

The siphon was the least exciting, with the notes of nuttiness, biscuit, wheat toast, tobacco and only a little apple and honey. Not bland but not a trumpeting cup either.

In a nutshell, Old Soul's Colombia proved to be a good coffee but proving a little lackluster with certain prominent flavors such as tobacco and curry. No matter, if you're out for a good Colombian, give Old Soul a go.


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

Friday, August 31, 2007

CC: Infusion Cafe

What's a Coffee Commentary?


Subject:
Infusion Cafe
Location visited:
Sacramento, CA

(1628 K St)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]


Though my fiancee' doesn't believe me, I really hate being late to things. Well that is I hate being late to things I know I shouldn't be late to like weddings, funerals, business appointments, and speaking engagements. But when it gets to things like conferences, who cares when you get there?

Well apparently the people I tend to travel with (but fortunately all of them are very reasonable). While I was staying in Sacramento area, I and several more laid back compatriots decided to skip the morning sessions of a conference we were attending in favor of recuperating from a fairly crazy week of running around, while we let those set on going to the morning sessions go ahead of us.

This new window allowed for a nice coffee stop at Infusion Cafe, a Sacramento coffeehouse that little blue birds had sung several positive melodies about (i.e. I had heard good things). So on the way to the conference, we find it fairly easily in a very neighborly section of Sacramento. The entire structure that houses Infusion really catches your attention with its bright colors and attractive design. The inside further elaborates your senses, with beautiful designs, furniture, and even an illustrious fish tank.

The coffee comes from Zoka out of Seattle, a fairly widely-used roaster who manages to usually produce a stellar coffee (sadly, I had a friend bring me back a bag of Zoka from Seattle earlier that year, and it tasted so-so and a little over-roasted). The coffee in turn sampled well, though if I recollect correctly it did taste a little stale (foul on the barista). The espresso also came out tasty, though I can't remember being wowed as I had expected to be (maybe my expectations over-sensitized my tongue?). The tea was free leaf and while I didn't try it, it looked decent.

Infusion goes on the list of places I want to go to again to give it another go, for I don't think I caught them at their best. If you stop by, let me know what you think.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

CC: Temple Fine Coffee and Tea



What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject:
Temple Fine Coffee and Tea
Location visited: Sacramento, CA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]


A pleasant surprise upon my visit to Sacramento was how nice the place was. I guess I had never really thought about ever visiting Sac until I got there, and hence I guess I had no real expectations of what it would look like. The city has its gems as well as its sadder parts but overall, I liked it.

One particular evening, on a night out to dinner with friends in Old Sac, we had dinner near the river at Rio City Cafe, a seemingly overpriced classic American restaurant that actually turned out to be quite an amazing dinner (such succulent food). After dinner, we played with a sea lion (actually, we just tried to mobilize it from a distance) and then made our way to the nearby Capital area to try out Temple, a local Sac coffeehouse that had received a good deal of praise from various people.

As we arrived, Temple stood out like a little Scandinavian shop (both inside and out) amidst a sea of concrete (I like to imagine vikings reclining in the AM, sipping a morning macchiato before heading out to pillage). The inside was beautifully functional with plenty of seats and a surprising crowd for so late, as we arrived around an hour or so before closing.

Regarding the time, I think we caught the barista after a long day, because I have never in my days seen a barista so curt and cold with the customers (my friends and I decided she probably could use a hug). But nonetheless, mean baristas = no fun.

Onto the coffee, they serve Barefoot Coffee Roasters which according to Californians and national coffee freaks alike, serves up a wonderful cup of coffee and espresso. The coffee tasted fresh and full, with a nice acidity. The espresso, a Guatemalan peaberry, had a bright citrusy tang to it that sampled well from beginning to finish.

The teas, which I didn't catch where they get them from, looked delightful. The variety was decent and if I remember correctly, seemed of fair quality.

Next time I'm in Sac, I am probably going to stop by again as I feel that this particular visit was skewed due to the negativity of the barista (customer service is so crucial). But if you're in town, make sure to stop by and give Temple a try; hopefully you'll get a chipper barista.