Mugged: Various [Crop to Cup]

Subject: Crop to Cup
Mugged: Various (see below)
Rating [see key]:
- Burundi Bukeye 5+
- Uganda Sebei 4+
- Uganda Bugisu 4+


With all of the fun surprises we're finding about our processed food these days, it's no wonder that there's an ever-increasing demand to know more about where our food came from and what went into it. This seems to be one of the reasons why Direct Trade growing in popularity, along with the desire to provide the best price to coffee producers for their stellar coffees.

One company out of Brooklyn focusing exclusively on Direct Trade is Crop to Cup. With a full line of African coffees, they recently sent me out three of their single origins to sample: Uganda Sebei, Burundi Bukeye and Uganda Bugisu. Through a series of infusions, I had each via pourover, french press and siphon.

First up was the Uganda Sebei, a wet-processed coffee from the region of Kapchowra. The pourover produced notes of asian pear, date, sassafras, rye bread, malt and a tiny bit of curry, while the french press proved a bit more chocolatey, also following with date, malt, a little pretzel, spinach and cream in a deeper body. The siphon was similar to the french press in flavors, though a bit more nutty and salty, with the flavors of peanuts, chocolate, malt, pretzel and some spinach. In totality, a coffee with deep cocoa and malt tones with noticeable salt in all of the infusions, yet still sweet and largely smooth in the end.

The Burundi Bukeye was second. One of the original regions for Crop to Cup, this coffee is produced high in the land and is known to sing brightly (and bright it was). The pourover wove a web of blueberry, fig and a little corn, followed by croissant and thyme. The french press brought a cocoa element amidst the strong presence of blueberry, fig, corn chip and croissant amidst a light, juicy body. The siphon finished off with the least berry and the most cocoa, though still delicious with clear soft notes of blueberry, buttery croissant and corn chip. Head and shoulders the best coffee of the three and one of my favorites as of late.

The Uganda Bugisu finished off the coffee trials, another washed community coffee from the land down-mountain from the Sebei coffee. The pourover dealt out notes of pretzel, malt ball, dark cocoa, a little basil and some slight pea within a medium body. The french press had similar flavors but with a bright kick of apple juice, nutmeg and acorn squash with a slight nuttiness akin to almond. The siphon held a little bit more sweetness with a distinct honey taste amidst cocoa, biscuit, nutmeg and a little chianti. Simply put, the coffee was tasty and very multifaceted, but a little too heavy in body at times.

While I definitely loved the Burundi most because of its sweet brightness and pleasant flavors, I thought all three of the coffees proved delicious (albeit each Uganda had some minor aspects I would change). Thus, if you're looking for a great coffee sourced directly from farm relationships in Africa, try out one of Crop to Cup's coffees.


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

CC: Je & Jo

Subject: Je & Jo
Location: Manhattan, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Amongst the many things I hold an affection for, there are three things I love that I rarely see together: great coffee, great ice cream and a small NYC cafe off the beaten path. And praise the Lord above, I found them all manifested in Je & Jo, a small creamery/coffeehouse in Hell's Kitchen.

Located in a small space with enough room for a bar a long the window (par the course for many places in Manhattan), Je & Jo still pulls off an amazingly warm and cozy shop. As for coffee, they serve Cafe Grumpy and offer french press and espresso, of which I respectively got the El Cielito, Santa Barbara Honduras and Heartbreaker Espresso. The Heartbreaker as an espresso was anything but, with notes lime, cinnamon, chocolate, au jus and sage within a short pull with nice brown crema (aka delicioso). The Honduras hit it out of the park as well, manifesting a medium-bodied coffee smacking of wheat, sugar cane, nougat, basil and a bit of broth. As for the ice cream, I had the pleasure of sampling many of their flavors, all of which have proven dynamite.

I really don't know who could turn down a shop like this . If you happen to be in Manhattan whether for a Broadway show or work, make your way over for a delightful respite of coffee and ice cream at Je & Jo.

Mugged: Peru Cenfrocafe [Sunergos]

Subject: Sunergos Coffee
Mugged: Peru Cenfrocafe Microlot
Rating [see key]: 5+

I've only once had the fortune of gracing the great state of Kentucky and yet in that trip, I had the misfortune of visiting over a New Years weekend when I could find not one open coffeehouse. Alas, it was a mixture of poor technology and bad timing that left my sole Kentucky excursion to date a coffee-less one.

Of course I hope to rectify this one day, especially with the growth of good coffee in the state. One coffeehouse/roaster that seems to be doing some spiffy things is Sunergos Coffee out of Louisville. Recently they sent me out a pound of their Peru Cenfrocafe Microlot to take for a spin, which I had the pleasure of doing via pourover, french press and siphon.

The pourover relayed a medium bodied coffee ripe with nougat, honey nut cheerios, sweet cream, apple and Italian bread. A delicious brew reminiscent of dessert, full of chocolate and fruit notes.

Of the french press, it also proved scrumptious, with notes of milk chocolate, elderberry, wheat, a little sage and a little ginger amidst a silky and smooth body.

The siphon was the final hurrah, with more nougat, wheat, sauvignon blanc, raisin, cashew and a little shitake within a medium body. A sweet cup with a dry finish.

Through and through, this Peruvian coffee boasted a splendid profile that would make any breakfast or after-dinner meal delightful. Give Sunergos a try if you're looking for a great cup of coffee.

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

CC: Crema Coffee House

Subject: Crema Coffee House
Location: Denver, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


One sunny Denver morning, I had the delightful luxury of taking it slow and having a lackadaisical coffee stop before starting my day. Given my geography at the time, I set my sights on a local establishment with an effervescent reputation, Crema Coffee House.

Sitting in a black brick building on a corner lot, Crema has a unique exterior with a lot of sleek design elements that pull forward your eyes to its existence. Inside, the place reverberates with a stylish yet efficiently purposed space, complete with a chandelier, lots of natural light and some interesting art.

Their coffee is as copious as it comes, with numerous roasters on hand such as Counter Culture, Novo, Boxcar, Herkimer and Dogwood. That morning, I had an espresso from Herkimer (their Espresso Blend I believe) and a french press of a Colombian from Novo. The espresso, pulled short with a brown crema, held notes of dark cocoa, a little clove, light sugar, a bit of ginger and a smoky finish, all of which combined to form a sweet and balanced infusion. The Colombian doled out a delicious light-medium bodied brew that smacked of wheat, pear, black tea, banana nut muffin and broth.

All together (now!), Crema provided great coffee, great service and wonderful ambiance; I couldn't have chosen a better spot to start off my slow day. If you're in or around Denver, give Crema your patronage.

Irish Coffee

When it comes to putting stuff in my coffee, I'm a bit of a purist. If you've read my posts before and/or you're good with picking up intent from blog titles, you may have deduced that I pretty much always take my coffee black and prefer my espresso straight. Both, if of high caliber, need no additive to make them delicious.

But as proud descendant of the Irish, I occasionally will bend for a bit of whiskey and cream in my brew. Of course it's not because I find whiskey offensive alone (quite the opposite); it's more that the mixture of a correctly concocted Irish coffee makes for a delicious after-dinner treat. And even though it's near impossible to find a well-made Irish coffee out at eateries (mostly still due to the lack of good beans in restaurants), fortunately there's no true limit to what a coffee enthusiast can do in the confines of their home coffee bar.

To that end, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I sought to truly explore what Irish coffee could be. I recently set out to try out some different combinations in the space of my kitchen and with the help of Powers Whiskey, Concannon Irish Whiskey, Gorilla Coffee and Cafe Grumpy, I began the exploration.

Of course, the components should be noted separately. I tried out both coffees straight (in the name of science!) and was pleased with the results. From Gorilla Coffee, I sampled their Gishamwana Rwanda, a rich coffee that held notes of cocoa, raisin, orange and thyme within a creamy, medium body. From Cafe Grumpy, I chose their Santa Teresa Dipilto, Nueva Segovia Nicaragua, a delightful coffee that doled out dark chocolate, citrus, light merlot and some light nuttiness amid a supple medium body. To put it plain, both coffees proved delicious on their own and each held the perfect combination of chocolate and bright complexity to compliment the whiskey.

As for the whiskeys, having deep appreciation for a good glass of whiskey served neat, I tried out both separately as well. Powers held notes of vanilla, caramel and some light sage with a noticeably heavier body than most other whiskeys I've had. Concannon proved a little lighter in essence but proved tasty with notes of pound cake, butterscotch, orange juice and a slight smokiness. Neither drink was the best whiskey ever but their agreeable components coupled with their very affordable price tag swiftly nominate both as great whiskeys for Irish coffee.

Now knowing what I was working with, I went to work. I performed multiple trials, using different ratios of a simple recipe of brown sugar, coffee, whiskey and home-made thick cream (i.e. not fully whipped so it's pourable). In the end, I found a great recipe for someone looking for a just-so-sweet Irish Coffee.

As for the different components, I found they all worked splendidly together. Both coffees provided a silky and cocoa-ish backbone to furnish the sweet, vanilla and bright flavors of either whiskey. Especially with the cream floating on the top to provide the correct trademark taste (remember to pour the thick cream onto the back of a spoon), I found my final recipe a home run (note that it's nothing ground breaking; just minor differences from the original):

Irish Coffee

• 6 oz. of quality coffee brewed a touch stronger (i.e. add about 2-4 grams of freshly ground coffee to your usual water/grounds ratio to accommodate for the upcoming dilution)
• 2 tsp. of brown sugar
• 1.5 oz. of whiskey
• Freshly and lightly whipped heavy cream
• Preheated mug (simply heat your mug by letting hot water sit in it)

1. Brew your coffee in the desired method (I recommend pourover or siphon to keep a cleaner cup), using 2-4 grams more of coffee than usual to make the coffee more potent.
2. Add the brown sugar to the empty mug and then pour in the hot coffee. Stir lightly.
3. Add whiskey.
4. Using the back of a spoon, lightly pour the thick cream over the top the spoon to make the cream float on top (this aspect of the cream is not only a necessity of custom but also a linchpin in the taste of the drink as the other components must pass through the cream on the way to the mouth).

If you're on the lookout for whiskey well-suited for Irish coffee, look to Powers Whiskey or Concannon Irish Whiskey for your spirit. As for the coffee, since the two above won't be around forever, make sure to choose a high quality, well-roasted, sweet dessert-like coffee.


note: coffee and whiskey was provided mostly free of charge and the above article is objective feedback.