Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Mugged: Kenya Kagumoini [Klatch]



Subject: Klatch Coffee
Mugged: Kenya Kagumoini Mugaga Cooperative
Rating [see key]: 5+


As an ardent fan of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, I found it most excellent (years ago) to find out that San Dimas, CA was home to a highly reputed coffeehouse and roaster named Klatch Coffee. Over the years, while I could never seem to secure an actual visit to the city, I have had interactions with their coffee in other spots (such as Las Vegas, Seattle's 2012 Coffee Fest and at home), all of them quite scrumptious.

Of course, until I can get to the home of the Wyld Stallyns, I shall continue to check out Klatch's coffee from time to time from far away. Most recently, they were generous enough to send out two coffees for review, the first being their Kenya Kagumoini. A coffee coming from the Mugaga Cooperative, grown around 5,249 ft up, I tend to be a lover of East Africa coffees and took this coffee to town via my pourover, french press and siphon.

The pourover produced a cup brimming with rich cocoa, blackberry, wheat, some grapefruit and a little vanilla wafer. A vibrant and bright coffee with a beautiful complexity.

The french press took the brightness up a notch, with heavy smatterings of pineapple balanced with caramel cookie, nutmeg and chocolate milk, overall making it deeper and brighter.

The siphon was more akin to the drip, with notes of cocoa, blackberry, peach, vanilla wafer, Sprite and a little molasses. While the end note was a bit deeper, twas overall a bright and sweet coffee.

Needless to say, this Kenyan coffee was most triumphant in all it touched and would be a great coffee for any breakfast or late night study session at the Circle K. Give Klatch's Kenya Kagumoini a try if you seek a bright, sweet and fruity coffee.

note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback. note also that I do not apologize for the gratuitous Bill and Ted references, though I am sure such references cause Klatch occasionally to regret their location.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

CC: Cafe Helios



Subject: Cafe Helios
Location: Raleigh, NC
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


While I recognize the need for volume to make the difference in a business, there's something beautiful about a popular cafe momentarily uncrowded. Such was the case when I stopped by Raleigh's well-known Cafe Helios to sample their wares. It was a gloomy weekday morning and due to some fortune on my part I wandered into their bright and jubilant interior right after a good number had left. 

Wasting little time in my coffee order (as hordes come as swiftly as they leave), I ordered for myself an espresso of Counter Culture's Rustico and a drip infusion of their Ecuador El Gavilan. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, emanated deep cocoa, lemon, sea salt, au jus and a little minestrone, proving to be a hearty yet chocolatey brew with a nice balance. The Ecuador coffee sang of delicious milk chocolate, milk, a bit of portabello, buttered biscuit, wheaty ale and raisin within a medium body; a deep coffee with lots of bright and light highlights.

Thanfully, I had a nice chunk of solitary time in order to delight in the calm before the customers started to flow back in. But all things considered, with hand-crafted delicious coffee and a spiffy look, who really cares how many people you share a coffeehouse with? If you're in Raleigh, stop by Cafe Helios for great coffee.


Sunday, February 03, 2013

CC: Hudson Coffee Traders



Subject: Hudson Coffee Traders
Location: Kingston, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

In the grand scope of American history, I feel like we never really talked about pre-British colonies like New Netherland. We never really discuss that despite the failure of the Dutch to hold onto their colony long, two of their original settlements that they started ended up thriving through the centuries (NYC and Albany). And while the third original settlement really doesn't get much limelight any more, the city of Kingston, NY still has its points of interest.

Situated on the Hudson River, Kingston traces its roots back to the 1650s, has been the capital of New York and was burned down during the Revolutionary War. Along with its history and beautiful geography along the Hudson, the city has a few other draws, one of them for me was local coffee operation Hudson Coffee Traders.

Situated on Wall Street, Hudson Coffee Traders sits in a nice stone building with a majestic blue awning and large open windows that lead into a cozy (though a little cluttered) interior that has a back section that reminded me a lot of the Parthenon. As for coffee, they roast their own beans and after looking over the menu, I decided upon an espresso of their Espresso Blend and a drip of their House Blend. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume with marbled crema, held notes of bittersweet cocoa, lemon, garlic toast and sweet ginger, proving to have a nice balance with a decent combination of flavors. As for the drip, the House purveyed flavors of almond croissant, light chocolate, nutmeg, dandelion and a little pork rind all present within a medium body.

While I did not fall head over heels in love with Hudson Coffee Traders, I found the fare pretty scrumptious (i.e. the espresso and drip were both good but still had room for growth). If you happen to be passing through or in town for some local history, stop by this local coffeehouse for a decent cup of coffee.


Monday, January 28, 2013

CC: Boxcar Coffee Roasters


Subject: Boxcar Coffee Roasters
Location: Boulder, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It's not every day that a coffee operation boasts of having a unique means of coffee brewing to offset environmental variables, but when it does, you know it's gonna be an interesting day.

One sleepy Sunday morning, my wife, son and I made our way over to Boulder's Boxcar Coffee Roasters situated a little east on Pearl St of the mall. Since it was early, the street and subsequently the store were slow but that allowed for a little more interaction than usual with the passionate barista. The shop itself exists as a beautiful marriage of Boxcar and a fancy cheese and meat market called Cured, both complimenting the other in the space and providing a great convenience to patrons as well.


Back to the coffee, in talking with the barista he informed me that due to altitude they concocted a special means of brewing their coffee to make it come out perfectly (mainly the water goes to 203 F), and thus have dubbed it "cowboy coffee." Being easily intrigued, I settled on a Brazil SO via the cowboy coffee method and an espresso of their Stella Espresso blend. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, bucked with ginger, chocolate, sweet molasses, fresh bread, a little lavender and some salt; a delicious and robust 'spro. The Brazilian cowboy coffee proved mellow, with notes of honey, saison, croissant, nutmeg and cashew, wholly enveloping me in a sweet, wheaty and nutty ballad.

After spending a bit of time relaxing at a corner table, we walked out greatly sated with the experience. If you're in Boulder, choo choo choose Boxcar for a coffee stop.


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Mugged: DeNossA Signature Blend [Memoria]



Subject: Memoria Coffee
Mugged: DeNossA Signature Blend
Rating [see key]: 3+


A cooperating community of professionals is a great thing, and many an organization has aimed to harness its power for the collective good. In Dallas, a group called Memoria has taken the initiative to create a member-driven community that includes a nice-looking lounge and a spiffy cafe.

In the spirit of entrepreneurship, they offer their own blend of medium-roasted Colombian coffee called the DeNossA Signature Blend. They sent me a pound to try out at home and I sampled it via pourover, french press and siphon.

The drip infusion doled out notes of whole milk, tobacco, pretzel, graham cracker, cherries, lemon pepper and a bit of corn. A sweet brew with a deep body and primarily bitter notes, though some nice brightness peeked through.

The french press held graham cracker, tobacco, pretzel, milk, nutmeg and corn amidst a deep body. Still malty and bitter, but less sweet and more peppery.

The siphon doled out a similar brew, with notes of graham cracker, pretzel, cocoa, nutmeg, milk and corn amidst a heavy body. Still deep and sweet.

While the coffee was a little too dark in roast for my tastes (much closer to a medium-dark roast), the coffee did have positives with some sweet and hearty flavors. If you're looking for a darker Colombian coffee with your networking possibilities, give Memoria's DeNossA Signature Blend a try.

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