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What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Burnstown, ON
Free WiFi ? : no
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Aside from Canada's many cities, I can't say I've seen a whole lot of our neighbor to the north. Granted I've passed through lots of interesting-looking towns (especially in the Thousand Islands) but it wasn't until a coffee destination turned up a little off my beaten path in Burnstown that I got a chance to take a nice detour on some back roads.
Said coffee destination is called Neat Coffee Shop, a cafe nestled in an old schoolhouse at the main intersection of town. The exterior consists of two buildings, with the most of the cafe in the blue portion (I have no idea really what they do in the brick section). The interior held a nice open space, with some wood furniture, local art and a big Apple desktop for customers.
Neat roasts their coffee in-house, though per their website they also claim to carry 49th Parallel and Fire Roasted Coffee (49th Parallel's Epic Espresso is their espresso blend). They do have a Clover but it was down for repairs, so I ordered a french press of their Ethiopian. The coffee was really bright with notes of raspberry and caramel, as well as some strong dark notes. The espresso, pulled short and served in a shot glass, had a milkshake-ish head followed by a slap of dark bitterness, plus some flavors of cocoa, lemon and a bit of pepper. While I failed to ask if the espresso that day was 49th's Epic, it seemed that the pull was more of the concern then the espresso blend. Their tea was free leaf.
I can't say that Neat was completely worth the detour but it seems that the place has a lot of potential with a few tweaks (they seem to really like their darker roasts). If you're nearby, give Neat a stop.
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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Doi Chaang Coffee
Coffees Mugged: Single Estate Piko's Peaberry
Rating: 2+ [see key]
Quality coffees really aren't that much different than mediocre coffees.
WAIT...what?! That is heresy! Clearly, factors such as the quality of the crop, the way in which said crop was processed and how it is then roasted all separate an amazing coffee from the rest. How could I say that an amazing coffee isn't that much different then a mediocre coffee?!
Well, lets agree that when you get a coffee that is grown, processed and roasted well, my digestive planets align and I swoon like an Elvis impersonator at Graceland. Such coffee stands head and shoulders above lesser coffee.
But mess up one or more of the steps from crop to cup, a quality coffee is lost in a sea of average beans. So it seems was the case with a recent coffee I got from Doi Chaang. The coffee was their peaberry and had an admirable 93 from Coffee Review on the front, so opening it up, I was excited. But when I opened the bag, I noticed a pretty dark coffee and the first thing that hit me was "Ken (from Coffee Review) usually doesn't rate a lot of dark coffees in the 90s" but I dismissed it as pessimism and gave it a go via drip, siphon and french press (later I found that when Ken rated this coffee, it was of a medium roast).
Sadly, the results were less then exciting. The drip produced a dark cup with hints of cocoa, a little bit of orange and a good amount of bitterness over a medium body. The french press was very similar, with bitterness throughout, a deep cocoa and a peppery orange flavor. The siphon had a little lighter body, as well as a little more of a nougat and curry flavor, but overall, still the same. To say the least, the coffee was consistent throughout the various brewings.
Thus, it seems that the darker roasting of this coffee sunk a lot of its finer flavors and needless to say, I would love to try it as a lighter roast. If you are looking for a decent dark coffee of Thailand, give Doi Chaang's Piko's Peaberry a sampling.
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: Ottawa, ON
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Hitting a local spot for a meal doesn't always work out when visiting a city on a cold winter evening. The weather on a recent trip to Ottawa became a hurdle for my wife and I as we braved the raving winds for dinner. But determined to eat a good meal, our fortitude paid off, as we found mighty fine Mexican fare at Ahora Mexican Cuisine.
Next on the list (for me at least) was a decent cup of coffee. We ventured out into the cold on a shaky lead to a place nearby called Xpresso, apparently owned by the same people who own a local Indian restaurant called Shafali. We found the place soon after, with black signs (somewhat hard-to-see-in-the-night) and open windows. Inside there was lots of Indian art amidst a red modern decor and a cozy furniture.
The coffee comes from Reunion Island Coffee, a roaster out of Oakville, Ontario (though Xpresso's website claims they use Intelligentsia). I had the Ethiopian via drip, a light roast with blueberry, chianti and lemon throughout; a tremendously good, fruity cup of coffee with a medium body. The espresso, pulled medium/long despite asking for it short, had chocolate notes followed by a strong bitterness that had a developing salty facet as well as a milk-ish body (i.e. fair shots). The tea was free leaf and Xpresso also had beer and wine options.
Though the experience satisified my desire for some evening coffee, I felt the place had a lot of potential to be even greater. Never the less, if you're in town, give Xpresso a go go.
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What does "Mugged" mean?
Subject: Doi Chaang Coffee
Coffees Mugged: Single Origin Medium
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Farming coffee often seems like such a distant process in regards to roasting. Especially in my consumption, it seems the only times one sees a farm and roastery combo are with Konas and Jamaican Blue.
But now I can add Thailand to my list, as I was sent a few coffees to try from Thailand coffee cooperative Doi Chaang Coffee. According to their website, the company was started when several tribes of the Doi Chaang village united to sell their premium coffee as single origin coffees to the world. So they put a headquarters in Vancouver, BC and seem to have a pretty slick operation. As I have never had coffee from Thailand and I'm a fan of such ambition, I was excited to see what Doi Chaang had to offer.
I sampled their Single Origin Medium roast first, a coffee that was the lightest of the three coffees sent (though still close to dark) and had also won a 90 from Coffee Review. I ingested the coffee via drip, siphon and french press.
The drip proved smooth, had touches of honey and some bits of clove along with a little bitterness provided by the darkish-ness of the beans. The coffee was thorough in the prior flavors but didn't have much else.
The french press developed the flavors a bit more. This brew was much sweeter, still showing honey and bits of cocoa and cloves. There was more brightness and less bitterness in this cup as well.
The vacuum press was the proverbial baby bear's bed as it was just right. Really sweet honey and cocoa with a noticeable grain-like element, followed with a little clove and a really nice brightness (practically no bitterness in this cup). By far, the best of the three methods for this coffee.
To say the least, I was satiated with this coffee, though it would seem like a good idea to roast it a little lighter to negate the bitter effects all together. If you're looking for a decent medium roast, give Doi Chaang's Single Origin Medium a go.
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: Dryden, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]
Community centers, places where the townspeople hang out, seem to be a thing of lore these days. Sure there's your typical fire hall or space that can be rented out for large events, but an actual community center where people can just stop in without incurring a cost seems to be extinct in most lands.
But it just so happens that the town of Dryden, a small town between Ithaca and Cortland, not only has a community center but has a community center cafe that apparently uses volunteers to staff the counter. Curious how a cafe dependent on volunteer labor looked, as well as the fact that I happened to be in the area, equaled out to a quick stop by the DCCC.
The cafe is located on the corner of what seems the town center. The building is a lovely brick structure with open windows. The interior looks kind of like a community center, with out-dated decor and mostly old dorm furniture, but despite the shortcomings, the cafe demonstrated a nice environment (especially by the windows).
They serve Coffee Mania via pump pot and espresso (for ridiculously low prices too!). I ordered a small cup of drip and via their selection of brews brewed, I went for the Brazil Magiana, a sweet coffee that had reminded me of Yoo Hoo, sweet bread and sunflower sprinkled with cayenne pepper and a little sauciness (I think it was a little stale). The espresso, a medium shot with not much crema, smacked of citrus, milk chocolate and beef broth amidst a milky body and a tingle of bitterness on the end. The tea was available in various bagged assortments.
Given the above drinks were fairly decent AND came from unpaid community volunteers, I have to say I stand slightly impressed. This community cafe took the time to use a decent, local roaster and also take their espresso (at least somewhat) seriously. If I could also give out points for heart, I would.
This is a place that deserves business and hopefully with time, will improve greatly. Stop by the Dryden Community Center Cafe.
What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Burnstown, ON
