CC: New Wave Coffee

Subject: New Wave Coffee

Location: Chicago, IL
Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

While most folks prefer their coffee in the morning, I really think I enjoy my coffee more in the evening. Maybe it's beacuse my taste buds have awoken more fully by night; perhaps it's due to the fact that late-night studying largely birthed my love for coffee. Regardless of the reason, it's always a delight to grab a swell cup of coffee for what lies ahead when the sun goes down. 

Last I was in Chicago, I decided to pay a twilight visit to a cafe called New Wave Coffee, a cafe known to be serving Metropolis Coffee and doing fine things with it. Straddling Milwaukee Ave and Logan Blvd, the place has an entrance on each side with a creamy center containing a pink and blue tile floor, some interesting art pieces and a pleasing mix of random furniture.

For my coffee beverages, I ordered an espresso of the Redline Espresso and a drip of a Costa Rican. The espresso, pulled short with a dark brown marbled crema, held flavors of mellow chocolate, Seagrams, salt, sugar cookie and apples; a delicious showing of Redline. The Costa Rican extended out notes of raspberry, cherry, torte, pie crust, a little hot cocoa and a tad bit almond milk; an overall crowd-pleasing coffee. 

To put it plain, I thought my visit to New Wave proved delightful and fulfilling, especially on the part of the coffee. Surf over to New Wave for good stuff regardless of when you like to imbibe your coffee.

Mugged: 2012 Reserve [Manana Madera]

Subject: Manana Madera Coffee Estate
Mugged: 2012 Reserve

Rating: 4+ [see key]

It’s not often that I get to try the same coffee from the same farm 2 years later, but fortunately there are botique operations out there like the Manana Madera Coffee Estate in Boquete, Panama that grow, harvest and roast their own beans (along with offering a pretty sweet coffee getaway). They had sent me their beans in 2010 for review, and with a pretty favorable rating I was very intrigued to see what this year’s crop would behold. 

One sunny day, I received the coffee in similar packaging as last time, straight from Panama. I tested out the coffee via pourover, french press and siphon, but since I had written my notes of the siphon on a medium I lost (i.e. I accidentally deleted it), only my actual notes on the drip and french press are below.

The pourover held strong notes apple, nutmeg, light smokiness, raspberry and biscuit. A medium/heavy bodied coffee with a pleasant array of flavors, overall ruled by a sweet tartness and hearty notes.

The french press produced varying flavors; a little smokiness, some apple, nutmeg, a little peanut, raspberry and bit of burlap. A light/medium body infusion with a twinge of a carbon on the end, this infusion proved sweet though a tad darker than I would want. 

The siphon I remember being closer to the pourover in flavors with a slightly heavier body, but alas it is only a memory. 

Thus, I would say that despite some smoky characteristics that gave it a tobacco-esque back end, I would say that this Panama proves quite delicious especially if you’re looking for a coffee with flavors of sweet fruits countered with a smoky character. I would not mind sipping this coffee on the patio their plantation villa getaway. If you’re ever on the hunt for a unique Panama coffee from a unique farm, give Manana Madera’s Reserve a try.


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

CC: Espresso Bueno

Subject: Espresso Bueno

Location: Barre, VT

Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

Part of the charm of Vermont is the prominence of small towns and cities that dot the landscape. Places like Barre, a small mining town that even in their industrial peak only held about 10 thousand folks, really beget a simple yet extraordinary existence. 

Like every town and city should have, Barre is home to a reputedly great coffeehouse called Espresso Bueno. Operating out of a brick store front on Main Street, the cafe provides a warm environment of orange and black, full of soothing woods and comfortable chairs. 

As for their beans, they sling coffee from Vermont Artisan Coffee out of Waterbury. The day of my visit I ordered an espresso of their espresso blend and a pourover of their Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. The espresso, pulled short with dark brown crema, trumpeted notes of smooth chocolate, salty grapefruit and a little basil amidst an overall balanced flavor and pleasant mouthfeel. The pourover remitted accents of asian pear, pound cake, hot cocoa, a little oregano and a pinch of wheat; a delicious coffee within a medium body. 

To find that Espresso Bueno proved as scrumptious as their advocates had advocated was that extra bit of sunshine to make a day truly sparkle. If you happen to be in or around Barre, make sure to stop by.
  

Mugged: Coffee Bean Direct

Subject: Coffee Bean Direct
Mugged: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and Nicaragua Organic Fair Trade SHG

Rating: 3+ for both [see key]

A lot of enamor is placed on hand-made products. The fascination with getting a product produced by actual human limbs provides that artisan touch that many consumers love. But from a business perspective, that extra labor only pays off when you can price your products at a higher rate. If you want to get a great product at a lower price, mechanization needs to get involved.

Which brings us to the folks at Coffee Bean Direct who have grown to a point where they chose to take steps to keep their production more efficient and their coffee still affordable. Thus, they have opted to use Kickstarter to help them get a "pouch monster," an $80,000 upgrade to their coffee production. 

To better help paint a more accurate picture of what they have to offer and why you the consumer should pitch in to help this company expand, the folks at Coffee Bean Direct decided to send me out two of their coffees to review: their Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and their Nicaraguan Organic Fair Trade SHG. Both coffees I reviewed via drip, french press and siphon infusions.

The Ethiopian overall produced a coffee with notes of apple, corn, strong cigar, malt and grass, with small differences in each infusion. The drip held strong apple notes with a light lime zest amid a medium body, the french press more corn and caramel with similar body and the siphon was more overt in chocolate notes and with sweeps of vanilla. Overall, a decent coffee though the notes of cigar and akaline elements made this only a fair African coffee.

The Nicaraguan embodied a malty and salty brew across the board, with particular shades of pretzel, pecans and cola. As for minor differences, the drip was thickest with minor notes of spinach and caramel; the french press begot similar notes as the drip though with a lighter and broth-ish flavor; and the siphon held tinges of sassafras and nutmeg. Also a good coffee though it was a little too malty for my liking and the salty aspects didn't pair as well as I would have hoped. 

Thus, while I can't say that their coffee was the best ever, I can say it is substantially better than most coffees you would pay a similar price for at the market. Give Coffee Bean Direct a try and if you feel compelled, help them realize their Kickstarter goal. 


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

CC: Caffe Streets

Subject: Caffe Streets

Location: Chicago, IL

Free WiFi ? : yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

In the world of coffeehouses, most shops look pretty much the same. What I mean is that right now most shops (especially in the same city) seem to use very similar layouts and themes. For all the shrinking the world is doing these days, it is still hard to find truly unique interiors. Of course certain staples like counters, tables and chairs tend to gravitate to a certain trendy uniformity, but it's surprising how many shops fail to set themselves apart with a rocking decor simply because they lack or leave out the creative process. 

But some places do their planning well and put together a memorable shop. When I was last in Chicago, I found such a cafe in Caffe Streets. While the exterior didn't scream anything different than a normal coffeehouse would, the interior drew the eye (and eventually the rest of the body) in with its layers of wood, well-placed plants and its one-of-kind counter that boasted not only fine equipment, but also several street lights that loomed becomingly over the baristas. 

As for the coffee, they served me Los Andes of El Salvador, a single origin espresso from Heart Roasters out of Portland, and a pourover of El Trapiche Colombia from Intelligentsia. The espresso, pulled medium-short with a brown crema, issued notes of lime, powdered sugar, a cigar-like sweetness, butter cracker and balsamic vinegar amidst seaweed salad; a delicious extraction that enamored me with its bright front. The pourover tasted of condensed milk, clover honey, bits of grass, some merlot, vanilla and a smidgen of dandelion, overall smacking of a mellow cup of caffeinated nectar. 

Of course no stylish cafe is complete without great coffee, and Caffe Streets held the full package. If you're in the lovely city of Chicago, swing by to the only shop that offers street light both inside and out.