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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Fredericksburg, VA
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 5+ [see key]Virginia trips tend to produce long stretches of distance between good coffee stops. Many years ago, before I really got into coffee, I remember going the whole stretch of Interstate 81 through Virginia without one drop of coffee. Ever since, I've tried to make the gaps between coffee places (especially on such huge states as Virginia) a little smaller.
One surprising find was in the city of Fredericksburg, a place called Hyperion Espresso. The area has a lot of history and I had to go right through it on a small road trip, so the prospect of good coffee seemed too good to be true.
Strapped with hope, I careened into Fredericksburg looking for lunch and good coffee. I decided upon Castiglia's for a good meal and than made my way to the large red awning of Hyperion. Along the large paned windows sat a couple metal tables and wood benches with several patrons merrily drinking their coffee. The merriment extended inside to Hyperion's two-level cafe; the top portion mostly seating and the bottom, an oval-shaped room with a non-functioning balcony around the perimeter and a hopping counter.
The coffee comes from Batdorf and Bronson, a skilled roaster out of Atlanta and Olympia. I had their Costa Rican that fine afternoon, a coffee with a little bit of a wheaty taste, hints of pear and croissant as well as a small flare of a spicy jalepeno on the end. The espresso, pulled fairly well, was sweet and bright, with touches of caramel and choc milk and a bit of blood orange on the front. The espresso did seem a little dark but overall both the drip and the espresso were good. The tea I failed to note.
Having found joy in another good coffee find, the road between Washington DC and Richmond seems much more enticing. Whether Fredericksburg is a destination (good stuff to see by the way) or a detour, give Hyperion Espresso a stop.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Washington, DC
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 6+ [see key
*Update 6/22/11Large crowds have a power that few other mediums can harness. Many books have been written on mob mentality, the power of large third party movements (like blogging!) and even the fickle nature of popular opinion. The crowd always demands at least an inspection of what it lends its attention to.
Hence when I came upon the small mob congregating at the Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale, I could not help but be a bit more intrigued by the apparent popularity (a local cafe with bustle usually means they do something right). The cafe sits in a nice tan brick corner space off R Street with a beautiful garden, a spacious patio as well as beautiful doors and windows. The crowd as well as the asthetic appeal continued inside, with a nice wood floor, plenty of tables (all packed) and a nice stream of natural light.
The coffee comes from Counter Culture, a common staple of the DC area these days. I had the Ethiopian Shakisso via drip, a nice grassy coffee with hints of granny apple and a smooth light body. The espresso had a nice tang of raspberry, the sweetness of chocolate milk, a pleasant acidity and a nice finish of honey. Overall, a great pull of espresso and splendid drip. The tea is Rishi.
While the crowd might have been there for a host of reasons, I would like to believe that many of them were there for the superb coffee (but since I didn't do any qualitative collection, I can only guess). If you're around DC, lumber into Big Bear Cafe.
Update 6/22/11
After looking over this review again, I realized I underscored this place as a 5+. It was definitely a 6+ visit (i.e. I had no real hang-ups with it).
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What does "Mugged" mean?Subject: Apres CafeCoffee Mugged: Costa Rican Peaberry
Rating: 3+ [see key]
As many of you may have noticed, July and August are the craziest time of year for me (overtime!). And while that results in a few less blog posts and less time to hunt out good coffee, it really makes the coffee I ingest really hold more of a morale boost than its usual luxury status.
One such coffee that helped push me through such tumultuous times was Apres Cafe's Costa Rican Peaberry. I had good fortunes with their La Esmeralda prior, so I had a good feeling about this coffee as well. Visually, the Costa Rican had a darker look than the La Esmeralda but not too dark to be written off on first glance.
I brewed it via french press first. The brew had a dark and nutty earthiness, with a tinge of cocoa and noticeable bitterness in the back. Via drip, the coffee produced a buttery, smooth taste with much more darkness pronounced along with the hints of cocoa as well as some mild apple. Overall, the Costa Rican managed to spell out a decent coffee roasted a little too long.
Thus, while I felt that the Costa Rican could have proved better, it still held me up amidst my crazy weeks. Give the peaberry a whirl if you're looking for a dark, sweet and earthy Central American coffee.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Amherst, MA
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 5+ [see key]Early morning coffee stops can be a wondrous experience if planned well. Too often, people grab their coffee like a falcon snatching up an unfortunate rodent. But a nice slow stop at a grand cafe really starts the day off right.
Yet sadly, good coffee always seems to elude me in the morning. Thus, when I was last on a business excursion in Massachusetts, I decided to put the morning coffee stop at the forefront and going on a tip, I drove over 45 minutes to a place called Amherst Coffee.
The coffeehouse sits in the main stretch of town in a gorgeous large-windowed building next to a theater. Inside the cafe has a spacious bar on the right, a nice array of wood furniture and an overall inviting ambiance.
Amherst Coffee uses Barrington Coffee Roasting Company, a lovely roaster that produces quite a grand cup of coffee. I ordered the Sumatran (a very bright Sumatran) that had flecks of cranberry and oolong with an overall bold yet smooth taste. The espresso was pulled short and had a sweet whiskey-ish tang, a decent crema and a hint of semi-sweet chocolate. The tea is free leaf and they also exhibit an extensive wine bar.
After grabbing a seat, I managed to take some time to enjoy my morning brew and then, drove quite quickly (yet legally) to my work destination. If you happen to be close or in Amherst, definitely give Amherst Coffee a sampling.
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What does "Mugged" mean?Subject: Crescent Moon Coffee & Tea
Coffee Mugged: El Salvador Los Milagros
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Good coffee produced from a quality farm always hits jolly on the spot. Many times, the desire to do right for the coffee producers and harvesters falls under the tires of horrific roasting (so many coffee companies dedicated to social justice never seem to roast well) and hence, so often the hunt for quality taste overwhelms the quest for coffee traded fairly.
But coffees such as Crescent Moon Coffee & Tea's El Salvador Los Milagros restore my hope that just coffee can be roasted just right. The coffee comes from a woman-owned cooperative that is also USDA organic and bird friendly. I first took notice of it on an Independent Coffee Cooperative flier and made a point to try it out.
Fortunately, I landed a pound and excitedly made my way home to try it out. I had it via french press, vacuum press and drip, each one a bit different but all of them similarly wonderful. The french press proved the most luminous, with a strong taste of honey and hints of flowering grass and apple with a subtle earthiness. The vacuum press and drip also produced similar results, both equally refreshing and lovely.
Overall, I savored every cup of Los Milagros and am glad to see such a tremendous coffee offered all over Philadelphia. If you're looking for a good sustainable Central American coffee, give Crescent Moon's Los Milagros a try.
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