WIN EXCELLENT COFFEE!

Thanks to the great folks at GoCoffeeGo, we're fixing to give away a free bag of coffee to one lucky winner! 

To boost some local coffee love, all that we're looking for is your favorite local coffee-serving establishment.

Specifically, we're talking about independent, non-chain establishments (i.e. no Dunkin or McDonalds) that serve up a sensational cup of coffee and/or espresso. Also, if you send a picture that you took of said establishment (kinda like the above one), you get a second entry! Additionally, if we get enough quality pics, we might put them up in an album/slideshow (so make it good!).

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ENTER HERE

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Entries will be received up until 11:59 PM on Tuesday, April 24 EST. Then, one lucky winner will be drawn and they will get to pick any coffee from GoCoffeeGo.com!


Other Rules:
- Contest is only open to those 18 and older with a shipping address in the 50 United States. 
- One email entry and one picture entry per person.
- The coffee establishment must currently be operating and a legal business (i.e. your kitchen doesn't count).
- Pictures must be original pictures and the person entering this contest must have full rights of the image.
- The image sent must be in a jpg or png format. Do not send pdfs or other file formats.
- The availability of certain GoCoffeeGo 'Limited Offerings' for this contest is left to the discretion of GoCoffeeGo.
- The coffee chosen from GoCoffeeGo can vary from 8-16 oz. so if you win, look carefully at the bag weight.
- Misleading or false information can lead to disqualification from this contest. 




 God speed!

Mugged: Bailin Gongfu Black Tea [Teavivre]

What does Mugged mean?

Subject: Teavivre 

Mugged: Bailin Gongfu Black Tea

Rating: 5+ [see key]

The other week I decided to grab a Malta to accompany my entree at a local Caribbean eatery. Having never really consumed a full bottle in one sitting, I was surprised at how intense it was. Had it been scaled back a bit, it would have been much better.  

But I finally found the flavor of malt in a well-balanced medley, albeit in a slightly unlikely place: Teavivre's Bailin Gongfu Black Tea. In my infusions, this black tea proved to hold a truly sweet, malty flavor accompanied by a milky mouth-feel, a subtle smokiness, light cocoa and a twang of cinnamon. While this naturally sweet and hearty tea made for a delicious beverage, if you have an aversion to malt you might not be as satisfied. 

Still, whether you're a malt-lover or hater, give this tea a try. It's a perfect compliment to any breakfast or dessert course, proving both satisfying and sweet.

note: tea was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

Mugged: Dragon Well Green Tea [Teavivre]

 

What does Mugged mean?

Subject: Teavivre 

Mugged: Premium grade Dragon Well Green Tea

Rating: 5+ [see key]

 

Anticipation is sometimes almost as good as the object anticipated. Personally, I don't want to think like that but in looking back, I definitely do seem to cherish the planning and waiting for something positive ahead. 

 

On that note, today begins a four part, long-time-coming review of Teavivre's wares that I've been anticipating for some time. I had hoped to get these reviews out sooner but circumstances held me at bay. And of the four teas I was sent to review, I chose to tackle their green tea first.

 

The Premium grade Dragon Well had a much fresher appearance then most greens I've sampled, with flat and vibrantly-colored straight leaves. Though the tea offers a very light color, the flavor is very distinct. The lovely flavors of honey, light spinach, sesame, grass and grapefruit leap from the cup, demonstrating smooth yet sassy infusions that proved both refreshing and soothing. 

Amongst the green teas I've had, this one definitely ranked high as a solidly delicious green tea. Personally, I would utilize this Premium Dragon Well for both hot or cold infusions (the cold could be beautifully accented with some honey or mild citrus). 

note: tea was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

CC: Stable Cafe

What does CC mean?

Subject: Stable Cafe 

Location: San Francisco, CA

Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

As you walk through a city, it's interesting to see how some businesses cooperate to make the most of a space. Granted, it's rare but sometimes, you see a well-executed set-up where two or three businesses share a common space and make it work beautifully.

In my time in San Francisco, I happened upon Stable Cafe, a coffeehouse and eatery that was reputed to serve some superb infusions of De La Paz coffee. When I arrived, I discovered that the space was home to several businesses, including an architect, bike courier and the Three Babes pie counter (their salty honey walnut pie set my tongue a-dancing).

But pie and bikes aside, I was really there for the coffee. The place was designed most appealingly, with a black exterior, large windows and an adjoining patio area. Inside, the cafe is two levels, with exposed wood rafters and an effective capitalization of space for seating.

I ordered an espresso of the Oscillations blend and a drip of the El Sana Morello. The drip produced notes of honey, corn, sassafras, vanilla, maple and a smidgen of beef broth; a tasty cup with a mellow sweetness. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume and with light brown crema, gave off the flavors of dark cocoa, basil, lemon torte, sesame seeds and bran. Both the coffee and espresso were prepared well and aside from minor imperfections, were both delicious.

If you are looking for an inspiring space to grab some good coffee and possibly get some other things done through stellar local businesses, give Stable Cafe a visit. 

Mugged: Traditional Roast [Gevalia]

What does Mugged mean?

Subject: Gevalia Kaffe 

Mugged: Traditional Roast

Rating: 4+ [see key]

While I am a strong advocate for roasters who go above and beyond to not only produce a fine product but also educate the masses on better coffee practices, I will concede that most folks do not seem interested in that yet. Sure, people are more and more treating their coffee like fine wine and craft beer, but most people still consider their big-name coffees something more akin to a brand of ketchup.

But to the credit of some coffee roasters who have long held a stigma of mediocre product in fancy packaging, there is a concerted effort to make better coffee available. Take Gevalia, a long-time producer of coffee from Sweden who is best known for their "buy our coffee online and we'll give you a free coffee maker" approach. While the old coffee-&-coffeepot method still rolls on, they seem to have additionally dove into the practice of selling their beans whole bean with more of an emphasis on quality.

Curious as to how this distantly roasted-&-packaged coffee held up under scrutiny, I accepted the offer to review a bag of their Traditional Roast whole bean. I brewed it in the usual three manners of drip, french press and siphon.

The drip sent out a cup brimming with notes of cocoa, sweet corn, sourpatch kids, tea with cream and rice pudding. The body was light, mellow and the overall flavors were tasty.

The french press held similar notes, with cocoa, honey, wheat, rice pudding, torte and cream amidst a medium body. Also a good cup though not as delicious as the first.

The siphon brewed a coffee with wheat, cocoa, corn chip, rice, cream and a hint of ginger. Also satisfying, though a bit too mellow in flavor potency.

To my chagrin, the only concerns I had about this coffee were that the flavors were a tad muted. But for a coffee coming from Gevalia, I was quite pleased (though since this one was sent right to me, I wonder if/how they manage to keep the coffee fresh with in-store bags). If you're in the market for a decent medium roast from a giant coffee roaster, give Gevali'a's Traditional Roast a try.


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.