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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Don Francisco's Coffee
Coffees Mugged: French Roast
Rating: 3+ [see key]
By and by, it seems that the hands that produce good coffee also can produce mediocre. I know that some people really prefer their coffee to be super bitter but how are we going to get away from this fad of over-roasted coffee if roasters of all types (I've seen it in most coffee roasters) continue to propitiate the habit?
One such recent situation I can point to would be Don Francisco's French Roast. In sampling their other whole bean coffees of Colombian and Kona, I felt both to be really tasty. Clearly they have no issue producing a decent quality coffee (one of the main reasons to darkly roast a coffee is to cover up defects) so my deduction came to that they're simply catering to a the niche of people that think themselves hardcore when they ask for the dark roast. Alas...
But all that aside, I still strove to evaluate this coffee objectively and so, I put it through the tests of french press, drip and siphon.
The french press produced a coffee with dark chocolate, pepper and some subdued cherry. The darkness of the coffee really cloaked a lot of the flavors here.
The drip delivered a more earthy cup with the subdued cherry still weighted beneath the dark, bitterness of the coffee.
The siphon came out with similar dark characteristics, more cherry, some broth and pepper. With this one you could see the potential of the coffee squirming against the roast level.
As you can deduce, the coffee gave what was predicted; a coffee with some possible potential buried beneath the bitter qualities of a dark roast. I will say that as far as dark roasts go, this one was by no means abhorrent as there were still other flavors present, so if you are looking for a darker coffee, try out Don Francisco's French Roast.
note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.
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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Oren's Daily Roast
Coffees Mugged: Nicaragua Cup of Excellence Los Achiote
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Given the constant coverage of coffee in New York City these past years (such as $12 cups of coffee, Westerners bringing their roasting operations east, etc.), it's easy to forget about places that have been in the area for much longer then New York's late-coming obsession of quality coffee.
I got a shipment from Oren's Daily Roast, a coffee company that's been around since the 1980s and remains a place that I've managed to miss in my occasional rushings around the city (busyness tis a poor excuse). Of the brace of coffees sent, I spun the proverbial wheel of destiny (I spin it for such occasions) and began with Oren's Cup of Excellence from Nicaragua Los Achiotes.
I kicked it off with a filtered brew of the coffee. The result displayed a saucy, rock candy, IPA-ish coffee with bits of caramel, nougat and some wheat grass. A good cup with a bit of a bitter aspect.
The french press was darker, producing a whiskey-esque bitterness and sweetness, some dark chocolate, a little hops, a little grass (less then the drip) and a tiny bit of tea rose. More bitterness and a heavier body in this infusion.
The siphon birthed a more of a caramel, bran-like child with the sauciness of the drip as well as the flavors of wheat grass, nuts, hops and grapes. The least bitter and smoothest of the three methods.
Overall the coffee held to a good quality, though it didn't really strike me as Cup of Excellence level product (for me, the bitter and saucy facets weren't the most enjoyable). Nonetheless, if you're aiming to try one of Oren's Daily Roasts, take a crack at this COE from Nicaragua.
note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.
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What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Boston, MA
Free WiFi ? : no
Rating: 6+ [see key]
Regardless of all the hype, Cambridge is one happening scene. I've been to the area several times and each time I find something interesting.
This trip, it was specifically Harvard Square and a very conveniently-located coffeehouse called Crema Cafe. Positioned right off the T stop in a simple concrete building, this teaming cafe seemed to be quite the local hotspot (especially with the warm weather). Walking through the open front, the cafe opens into a skinny but tall space with the counter to much of the left, a loft in the back and despite an abundance of quality furniture, a pretty packed joint.
Crema serves up George Howell's various brews, of which I had a cup of the Costa Rican La Minata (drip) and their house espresso. The La Minata had characteristics of a bright, juicy apple and a little guava complimented by dark chocolate, roasted tomato and a light oregano. A smooth coffee with a beautiful combination of flavors. The espresso, pulled splendidly short with a nice head (aka crema) and velvety body, held deep chocolate, raspberry, sugar cookie, rum and a tinge of tobacco on the back. Both coffees really represented not only great coffee but good mastery of methods. The tea is free leaf.
Given the delightful experience at Crema, Cambridge remains a favorite haunt when I hit old Boston town, with Crema now on the list of reasons to return. Thus, if you happen to be in the area, give Crema a stir.
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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Don Francisco's Coffee
Coffees Mugged: Sumatra, Breakfast Blend, Espresso and Decaf 100% Colombian
Rating: Espresso is 1+, and 2+ for the rest [see key]
Sometimes when people send coffee for a review, they include unexpected other coffees. Sometimes it's pleasantly welcomed and other times I scratch my head. This most recent shipment from Don Francisco's contained four bags I definitely wasn't expecting of pre-ground coffee that left me puzzled (why would you send pre-ground coffee for a review?). Were the coffees not completely bereft of freshness when they reached me, those coffees actually could have been tasty. Alas...
Thus, wanting to be transparent and a good steward of that which I agreed to do (review the coffee they sent), I made the task of reviewing the four coffees via drip and french press (as it was pre-ground to a finer setting than I would use with my siphon, I left these coffees out of the glass bulb) as fast as I could from the time I unsealed the packing...and here's the long and short of it.
The Sumatra, via french press, produced a dark cherried cup with a good bit of bitterness and a weak body. The drip produced less dark of a cherry, some walnut and less bitterness.
The Breakfast Blend drip held nutty notes, bits of apple, jasmine, a tinge of fig and lingering darkness. The french press held more of a darker taste, some cherry as well as the fig and jasmine.
The Espresso via drip was dark and bitter with but a little black currant showing some brightness. The french press was lighter, with less darkness and less currant. By far the least flavorful of these four coffees.
The 100% Colombian Decaf in drip form held some almond, bright apple and a smooth texture. The french press was a little darker, with the same apple and almond.
Overall, I would venture that for pre-ground coffee, three of the four weren't half bad (the Espresso was really lackluster) though I still don't understand why people still buy coffee chopped for them (it's like buying apples pre-sliced).
Thus, while I can't recommend these coffees, I would venture to try Don Francisco's whole bean offerings.
note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.
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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Kahve Koffee
Coffees Mugged: Verona Blend
Rating: 3+ [see key]
As sad as it may seem, when I see a coffee with an Italian name, I become slightly trepidatious of its quality. That's not because I hate Italian coffee; it's simply that all of the Italian coffee I've crossed has been either massively over-roasted or extremely stale (too many poor roasters trying to cash in on the rich and reputable coffee history of Italy).
Thus, I freely admit that when I received a pound of Kahve Koffee's Verona Blend (I assumed named for the northern Italian city of old) I almost rolled my eyes. Opening the bag displayed a mixed coffee blend of medium to medium-dark roasts (the website spouts that it mixed light and medium roasts).
But my infusions of drip, french press and siphon disintegrated some of my concerns. The french press did produce a bit of a darkness but it held a lot of complexity. There was bits of granola, peanut butter, light cocoa, garlic pepper and an overall sweetness. The darkness seemed to favor the front, the nuttiness the middle and the sweetness on the end.
The drip produced a cup that had a combination of tastes more similar to Dr. Pepper. The coffee was a little less dark and held tinges of granola, cocoa and garlic pepper. The sweetness was a bit stronger here and overall, this brew was much smoother.
The siphon was akin to the drip, similar in its Dr. Pepper taste and its facets of cocoa and nuttiness. There was some vanilla here and though the darkness was still present, it seemed to move to the back and display more subtlety.
Kahve's Verona overall made a good impression but the bitterness plus a mediocre quality made this coffee only so-so. Thus, I wouldn't go as far as to say that Kahve has reconciled my skepticism of Italian-named coffee blends, but its helped me on the road of hope (note that I have nothing against good Italian coffee...just the bad stuff bringing down Italy).
If you are on the lookout for a decent Italian-dubbed coffee blend, sample Kahve Koffee's Verona Blend.
note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.
What does "Mugged" mean?
