Mugged: White Tale Coffee

Subject: White Tale Coffee
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- La Mirella Costa Rica 5+
- Orestes Kenya 6+

Years ago, coffee was only fleetingly associated with the regions it was grown. Sure the geography was identified with such stamps as "100% Colombian" or "The Taste of Hawaii" but rarely were the farmers given more recognition than the small wage they received for their beans. Today, coffee roasters have strived to not only give the coffee farmers their fair recognition, but also the best wage through the establishment of (more) direct relationships. One such roaster out of Colorado that prides itself on telling the whole story is White Tale Coffee.

Mugged: Crema.co

Subject: Crema.co

Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Toby's Estate: Brazil Santa Ines 5+
- Bold Bean: Finca La Esperanza 5+

Coffee subscriptions are becoming more and more a part of the coffee drinker's arsenal. Years ago, you were pretty unique if you were willing to subscribe to one coffee roaster's coffee for a several months, but now, with the numerous subscription services that offer all kinds of coffees from all kinds of roasters, it's increasingly conventional. Chances are that if you like coffee, there's a subscription out there that fits you just right.

Mugged: Bloom Coffee Roasters

Subject: Bloom Coffee Roasters
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Ethiopia Ayele Dula 5+
- Kenya Chania Estate 5+

In the northern expanse of Michigan, a solid coffee is one of the best tools to survive the long winter. Naturally, Michigan has its share of coffee roasters, but only a few really deserve your money. Fortunately for the consumer, these roasters really work hard to keep the lower mitten and upper peninsula of Michigan well-stocked.

Mugged: Petra Roasting Co.

Subject: Petra Roasting Co.
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Ethiopia Hunkute 6+
- Kenya Githiga AA 6+
- Acme Harman 5+

Nearly every part of the world has a customary way to prepare coffee. Naturally in Istanbul, many citizens still look to a piping hot cup of Turkish coffee using a method that has been honed over the centuries. Prepared in an cezve/ibrik using finely-ground coffee, it's something all coffee drinkers should try at one point. 

Mugged: Goshen Coffee's Secret Stash

Subject: Goshen Coffee
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:

- Adame Gorbota, Ethiopian 6+

- Gedeb, Ethiopia 6+

- Kintamani, Bali 6+
- Pedro Melgar, Honduras 5+
- Toribo Vasquez, Honduras 5+

A lot of great things have come out of Illinois. Abraham Lincoln, Portillo's hot dogs and Home Alone (just the first movie) usually top my list. But over the years, I have found another contender amidst the regulars: Goshen Coffee.

Ugly Mug

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Ugly Mug Cafe and Roastery
Location: Ypsilanti, MI
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I first heard about the glory of Ypsilanti almost ten years ago. Naturally I speak of a time-tested coffee establishment called the Ugly Mug, a local coffeehouse and roastery that's been around as long as I've been writing this blog. Clearly I do not often travel to Michigan, as it took me almost a decade to get to the Ugly Mug, but when I finally arrived one warm afternoon I felt elated, like a pilgrim finishing a long journey.

Mugged: Screaming Beans

Subject: Screaming Beans

Coffee Mugged: Tanzania Kilamanjaro, Machare Estate

Rating [see key]: 5+

The Dutch have come up a lot in my year recently. In my travels around the USA, I've come across a lot of old Dutch colonies and monuments. In my readings of books and infrequent cinema perusal, the Netherlands (specifically Frisia) have come up noticeably often. And to top it off, a good friend of mine revealed to me that she is 100% Dutch (i.e. born from two 100% Dutch parents), which may not be all that remarkable for some, but in my neck of the woods it's rare to meet someone who comes from a mono-ethnic background. All together, I am cautiously holding my breath that this means that God has a trip to the Netherlands somewhere in my near future.

Case Study Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Case Study Coffee Roasters
Location: Portland, OR [NE Sandy Blvd shop]
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Long, long ago in the pre-smart phone days, I would use the hunt-with-my-eyes method of locating coffeehouses. Essentially I would do minimal research when visiting a new place and wing it, hoping that in wandering the right neighborhoods, I would spot the diamonds in the rough. Clearly an inferior method, I rarely use the tactic primarily anymore, but still from time to time my eyes can't help but scan the horizon for an uncharted gem.

Mugged: 3fe

Subject: 3fe Coffee
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Nicaragua Finca La Escondida: Perla Negra Red Catuai 5+
- Bolivia Finca David Vilca: Yellow Honey Caturra 6+

Long have I yearned to visit the ancient streets of Dublin. Possessing both rich Irish ancestry and an ardent love of European history, a visit to the Emerald Isle has remained out of my grasp. In the meantime while I plan my foray across the pond, I was recently able to experience the next best thing: fresh, whole bean coffee from one of Ireland's better roasters, 3fe Coffee.

Torque Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Torque Coffee
Location: Vancouver, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

No matter how long I'm in the area of Portland, I always make time for a stop in lovely Vancouver. Sitting pretty along the Columbia River, and but a pebbles skip from the expanses of Portland, this border city of Washington has a lot of gems definitely worth mining.

Mugged: Driftaway Coffee

Subject: Driftaway Coffee
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:

- Profile 1 (Fruity): Rwanda Gitesi 6+

- Profile 2 (Classic): Brazil Fazenda do Serrado 4+
- Profile 3 ( Balanced): Nicaragua Las Nubes Co-op 5+

- Profile 4 (Bold): Honduras San Vicente 4+

It's no secret that there are different types of coffee drinkers. Some like the beautiful nuance and vibrant flavors of a lightly roasted African coffee, brimming with fruit and luscious chocolate. Others like their coffee a bit stiffer and thicker, a brew with a mellow sweetness and smatterings of different flavors. And then there's some folks who like their coffee to bathe their tongue in bitterness and smoke, favoring the dark roasts bearing European country names. 

Peddler Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Peddler Coffee
Location: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

For as long as I've been drinking coffee, I've been a firm believer in imbibing while learning. Clearly any academic or scholarly venue becomes better ten fold with a cup of good coffee in hand. This applied firmly to classes in college, small group Bible discussion, all-night cramming and by far the most pleasant, museum visits. Especially with Philadelphia institutions, I would always make an out-of-the-way stop for some great coffee before wandering the Academy of Natural Sciences or the Franklin Institute.

Mugged: Peru La Convencion [Caffe Vita]

Subject: Caffe Vita
Coffee Mugged: Peru La Convencion
Rating [see key]: 4+

For a brief time in my life, I lived walking distance from a good coffeehouse called Rockford Coffee. Ironically it was also the poorest time in my life, so regular visits were not as regular as I would have liked, but when I could justify it, this coffeehouse was a pleasant haven for quality coffee and enjoying some downtime. Rockford was also my first exposure to Caffe Vita, and in the almost ten years since I first sipped a Vita coffee, I've always had my eye on company developments such as new locations (in 5 cities now) as well as their ever-evolving list of coffees.

Modcup Coffee Co

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Modcup Coffee Co
Location: Jersey City, NJ
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If you've ever sought a beautiful vista of the Manhattan skyline, Jersey City Heights is the place to get it. And while many a bustling NYC tourist won't go out of their way just for a photo opportunity, now one can completely legitimize the stop since Modcup Coffee sits nearly a stones throw from the edge of the palisade.

Kaldi's Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Kaldi's Coffee
Location: Columbia, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

One of the highest hurdles in a business is the ability to adapt with current trends and industry developments. Much like a brakeless car traveling uphill, a business either moves forward or slides back; there is no stalling. In coffee, moving forward often translates into staying abreast on rising trends, growing professionally (especially with skills), new discoveries/rediscoveries and keeping your business looking fresh.

Mugged: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chele'lektu and Aricha [Beanfruit Coffee]

Subject: BeanFruit Coffee Co.
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Aricha Natural Process 5+

- Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chele'lektu 5+


Mississippi remains in my mind as a state unfurled. What I speak of is simply that like many other states in our fair union, the fine state of Mississippi, while full of many other wonderful institutions (such as the rebels of Ole Miss), there exist few coffee establishments of great worth. In the times I have forayed into its lands, not once have I successfully found one. But thanks to grace from above and toil from below, the state of Mississippi has begun sprouting some great coffee companies, with one of the more prominent to my ears being Jackson, Mississippi's Bean Fruit Coffee Co.  

Shortwave Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Shortwave Coffee
Location: Columbia, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


If you were to tell most people that greatness lies in a basement down a Missourian alley, you may be met with a skeptical eyebrow. But as true as the road is full of autumn construction, some alley basements sport some pretty spectacular haunts.

Mugged: Brasil, Colombia and Ethiopia [PHCR]

Subject: Passion House Coffee Roasters 
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Brasil Sertaozinho 5+
- Colombia Matambo AAA 6+
- Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere 5+

I always love getting revisits from great roasters, especially ones from Chicago, as the windy city seems to be home to some of the warmest coffee folks in the industry. Some months ago I got my first real interaction with Passion House Coffee Roasters (a tremendously pleasant one) and as a recent follow-up, I got a full taste of their Ambient-Mainstream-Experimental spectrum with three coffees each championing a genre: their Brasil Sertaozinho representing Ambient, Colombia Matambo volunteering as tribute for Mainstream and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere standing up for Experimental. I brewed each coffee via pourover, french press and siphon.

Mugged: Kona Fancy [Kona Coffee Purveyors]

Subject: Kona Coffee Purveyors
Coffees Mugged: Kona Fancy

Rating [see key]: 4+

Like most people who love travel and tropical paradises, I verily yearn to visit the lovely islands of Hawaii. Especially when my house freezes and plummeted temperatures induce depressions, I pine for the crystal waters and volcanic sand of the Pacific. 

Mugged: Ethiopia Sidamo and Cat's Pajamas [Compelling and Rich]

Subject: Compelling and Rich Specialty Coffee
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:

- Cat's Pajamas Blend 5+

- Ethiopia Sidamo Bokasso Coop 5+

It's refreshing to see folks with drive, passion AND delicious results. Some people throw around some great rhetoric, but unless it's paired with stellar outcomes (or at least some hardy efforts at those outcomes), it's hard to take a company seriously.