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What does "Mugged" mean?Subject: PT's CoffeeCoffee Mugged: Ethiopia Sidamo
Rating: 5+ [see key]
What a better way to start off the day then with a gloriously rich coffee? Let's forget the caffeine aspect; if your coffee doesn't make your eyes roll into the back of your head in ecstasy, then you have either been woefully misled or you're stuck somewhere unable to get a decent cup (my deepest sorrows are with those of you in the latter category).
But for the rest of you able to get your hands on coffee via delivery, my recommendation currently would be PT's Coffee's Ethiopia Sidamo. I just had the luxury of sampling this coffee via french press, vacuum press and drip; each one holding a flavor greatly abundant. Ground, the coffee is rich of all kinds of aromas but the most distinct was the overwhelming flares of blueberry. The vacuum press confirmed the aromas as it hit like a blueberry sledge hammer, complimenting with a nice acidity and a luscious merlot taste on the back. The french press produced similar accents of berries, with hints of a nice brightness and overall smooth taste. The drip had a bit more of a subdued tastes with some cocoa flavors popping out as well as a stronger presence of the merlot.
While I doubt many of you who are reading this frequently ingest bad coffee, if it does happen to be you who sucks the bad black water, I would at the very least recommend treating your tongue one time to such a good coffee as PT's Ethiopia Sidamo.
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What does "Mugged" mean?Subject: PT's CoffeeCoffee Mugged: Kenya AA Ndaro-Ini
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Over the years, I have ingested many a single origin coffee and thus far, I've had great coffee from most major coffee-producing countries. But no area of the world has continually amazed me as the east Africa region.
PT's Coffee recently threw me their Kenya AA Ndaro-Ini to try out and having high expectations as it got a 92 from Coffee Review, I looked forward to trying it out. After grinding, I wafted strong scents of berry and other fruit. I proceeded to sample it via french press, vacuum press and drip. The french press produced a gloriously bright cup, full of raspberry and tangerine, a nice acidity and finished with a natural sugar cane. The vacuum press held a light cup with a little more of an earthy depth and a strong sweetness on the end. The drip, though also similar, produced less complexity but still a strong presence of tart fruit and a sweet finish. All together, my expectations were strongly embraced.
If you're looking for a great direct trade coffee from Kenya, give PT's Coffee's Kenya AA Ndaro-Ini a slurp.
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Recently received a few emails about Got Milk's new campaign utilizing the recipes of industry baristas for lattes and other coffee-related drinks. The motivation, though obvious, makes a lot of sense and makes drinking your milk even more fun!
If you can't look at the above link (due to Flash restrictions), check out the simple HTML version.
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What's does "CC" mean?
Subject: Cafe Corsa
Location visited: LA, CA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Romping around LA proved not as troublesome as I thought. Sure there was traffic at times and sure parking wasn't easy, but compared to other cities, it was quite refreshing.
One beautiful example of travel made easy was a stop made at an LA coffeehouse called Cafe Corsa. Located in a section of the city with mostly metered parking, the cafe sits in a brick shopping center with short-term parking.
The venue itself possesses a cozy look, with a few nice seating areas in the front and along the side. The coffee comes from two roasters: Intelligentsia and Oregon Coast Roasters. I had the Sumatra from Oregon Coast Roasters on their Clover, which ended up a little darker than I like, with a real strong oily presence, but still had some mild brightness and a light cherry tang. The espresso was fair, with a strong bitter sweetness on the front and an unattractive charcoal bite on the back. I did not note the tea.
While the experience didn't prove as great as the convenience, I think that had I gone with the Intelligentsia options, I might have had better fortunes (Oregon Coast Coffee seems to be a roaster of dark coffees).
If you're in the neighborhood needing a quick stop for decent coffee, give Cafe Corsa a stop.
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What does "Mugged" mean?Subject: PT's CoffeeCoffee Mugged: Finca La Felicidad - Guatemalan Antigua
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Recently, a number of coffee roasters have made great strides in creating direct trade with coffee farmers (i.e. cut out the middle man), a move that develops long-term relationships with the farm and ends up benefiting both parties with a greater product and fair pricing across the board (quite often the farm benefits many times more then Fair Trade certified farms).
PT's Coffee would be an example of one such roaster working hard at it. When they recently sent me a bag of Finca La Felicidad - Guatemalan Antigua to try out, I was thrilled to find the coffee comes from such a Direct Trade relationship.
As mentioned on PT's website, the coffee beans did produce a lovely potent buttery aroma. I sampled the coffee via french press, vacuum press and drip. The french press produced a deep chocolate taste, medium smooth body and followed with flecks of spice and molasses. The vacuum press had similar flavors, with the spiciness a little more pronounced and a bit more of an earthy flavor that came out. The drip had a much smoother body and little more subdued expression of the flavors (especially the cocoa).
On the whole, this coffee rocked my socks off. If you're looking for a great South American coffee, try Finca La Felicidad for sure.
What does "Mugged" mean?
