Mugged: Guatemala Huehuetenango [Passion House]

Subject: Passion House Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged: Guatemala Huehuetenango
Rating [see key]: 6+


Every time I turn on my internet surfer, it seems the number of coffee roasters has swelled even larger. Like a growing wave, the expanding number of coffee roasters makes my heart leap with joy that more and more people are coming to patronize worthy roasters, but conversely I know that any growth, while healthy, does mean an increased competition for constituents.

But one thing is for sure: with a constantly growing variety of coffee roasters, you will need curators to highlight the glorious. One such coffee entity is Coffee Kind, armed with a litany of great roasters as well as coffee equipment and brewing wisdom. Recently they extended to me a coupon so I could test out their services, and without wasting much timeI took the opportunity to order a delightful-looking Guatemalan from Passion House Coffee Roasters.

Passion House is a pretty new-to-the-scene roaster, based out of Chicago infused with what seems like vats of zeal and coffee skills. Of their many offerings, I ordered from their Ambient Genre the Guatemala Huehuetenango, a blend of various beans produced from the Huehuetenango Highland Coffee Presidium esteemed for their high quality and traceability.

After the coffee's prompt arrival, I sampled the coffee via pourover, french press and siphon. The pourover slung notes of honey, ice wine, cracked wheat, nougat, cashew and a touch of roast fowl, making for a delectable nectar with a cocoa-esque followthrough. The french press also pressed in sweetly, with nougat, cracked wheat, cashew and sweet tea dominating amidst a light body. The siphon rounded out the three with buttered cracker, nougat, cashew, cream, a bit of roast chicken and a basil hint, making for a sweet and dessert-packed coffee.

Few coffees have been as easy to decimate as this fine Guatemalan from Passion House. Coffee Kind proved a valuable presence in the coffee choosing process and with numerous great roasters and gear, they'll be more than happy to help you narrow down your decision.

Next time you seek beans, check out Coffee Kind and Passion House Coffee Roasters.


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

CC: Budin

Subject: Budin
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Access to coffee roasters across the ocean has been something of a head scratcher in the past. Very few shipping and parcel services could economically get you coffee from one continent to the other well within the window of peak freshness. But recently, things have changed in the equation so that certain roasters are able to get their coffee over the pond from Europe to the States for, by comparison, what seems like a song. 

These new shipping realities, as well as the genius of bulk purchasing, have allowed for new swaths of frontier in US coffeehousing. One of the more interesting and recent openings of the past year is Budin, a coffee bar in Brooklyn serving only Scandinavia's finest coffee. Having received publicity from the local press for their unique coffee roasters, their slightly higher-than-domestic-coffee prices and their stylish nordic merchandise, I could not resist a trip to the shop.

I arrived one overcast afternoon to the unassuming, brown-framed shop with a large glass window that peered out into the calm, city street. Inside, the shop is quite voluminous; a long layout easy on the eyes that accommodates a long bar and plenty of tables, complete with the many Scandinavian wares and a patio in the back. For my coffee, I decided upon an espresso of Colombia Tampana from Norway's Tim Wendelboe, and a pourover of Brazil Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza from Sweden's Koppi. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, relayed orange, grapefruit, wheaty beer, hazlenut, cocoa and little barley broth, making for a deliciously bright and sweet extraction. The pourover also bedazzled my tongue, with potent flavors of cherry, Cabernet Franc, dark chocolate, honey, elderflower and rye amidst a mellow, light body. 

Delighted with my coffee and the extremely friendly staff, I left Budin satisfied that I had received my money's worth. If you're looking to try out some great coffee from abroad, make your way to Brooklyn's Budin. 

CC: Cafe Stella

Subject: Cafe Stella
Location: Norfolk, VA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Making my way through lovely Norfolk, I was impressed to find more options for feasting than I had heard prior. Since I was only in town for a smidgen of time, I was forced to take my choices and whittle them down to pick two. The first was a grand sanctuary of southern flavor called Handsome Biscuit, which despite its quaint size was bubbling over with eager customers and made for a grandiose course of chicken and biscuits. 

The second was my coffee stop for the morning, a place that suited my companions in its geography and tentatively suited my qualifications with its foretold reputation. This coffee entity was none other than a brightly arrayed venue dubbed Cafe Stella. Situated on Colonial Avenue with a nice outside patio flanking the central door, I walked in to find a vaulted space full of eclectic furniture and vintage flare, occasionally dotted with intriguing art and populated by what seemed like a never-ceasing bustle of patrons. 

Looking to sip some of their self-roasted coffee, I tried out their espresso blend (the barista gave it no name) and a pourover of their Kenyan. The espresso, pulled short/medium with a brownish crema, ricocheted notes of milk, black pepper, butter cracker, lemon zest and spinach making for a fairly tasty infusion with only minor areas left for improvement. The Kenya held out a vibrant bouquet of Frosted Flakes, blueberry, sweet cream, tomato gravy and lemongrass, making for a syrupy sweet brew with a light body. 

After spending a little time at a wide circular table, my company and I bussed our dishes and walked out satisfied. If you happen to be in Norfolk, stop by Cafe Stella for a cup of coffee. 

Mugged: Black Medicine

Coffee Mugged: Black Medicine
Rating [see key]: 5+


The prepackaged iced coffee craze seems to be at full tilt. More than ever a thirsty iced coffee seeker can find a bottle, growler or keg of iced coffee at a local coffee purveyor so to grab their favorite chilled java for consumption at a much later date.

Yet despite the growing trend amongst great roasters, I have not had a lot of great bottled iced coffee. Many times the bottled brews are something that demands the aid of ice, and sometimes even ice does little to disperse a repugnant aftertaste. Thus when I heard about a bottled iced coffee from California called Black Medicine, I can't say I had high hopes for great flavor when they offered to send some out for review. But of course, I put my thoughts aside and put on my objective lenses to give each of the three bottles a thorough assessment.

It turns out that this blend of three different light-to-medium roasted origins (currently two Ethiopians and one Guatemalan) brewed hot-then-cooled made for an ice coffee that is hard to beat. The Black Medicine actually tasted great, with flavors of oatmeal stout, lemon, orange peel, roasted peanut and a touch of banana, making for a smooth and bright coffee with no funky aftertaste. To be fair, the coffee does have "added Vitamin C" so it's not really a truly pure coffee and so it's hard to say how much of the brightness comes from the additive. Nonetheless, the coffee goes down sweet whether one prefers to sip it over ice or drink straight from the bottle.

While there's tons of prepackaged iced coffee out there, take confidence that there are a good chunk of great options like Black Medicine. Grab a bottle at your participating retailer (especially if you're out in their neck of California) or online.


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

CC: The Warehouse Cafe

Subject: The Warehouse Cafe
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Jersey City used to confuse me. When I was a wee lad, talk of JC came up between two adult relatives and as they bantered, Jersey City was conveyed to my spying ears as the NJ version of New York City (I don't recall what caused this dot connecting; it just happened). My young mind thought that it was amazing that there were two huge metropolises right across from one another. But then again, at that time I was also convinced that there was a live dinosaur buried in the backyard of my friend's house. 

Years later, my perspective on Jersey City has changed for the better and my love of this Jersey haven has grown. Not only is it a city full of history but it's got a lot of little nooks worth a visit. One particular operation to catch my eye as of late was the Warehouse Cafe, a coffeehouse located on the lower level of a historic warehouse that now contains some swanky lofts. The space is actually above street level, providing a nice patio, and with the aid of their large windows, it all seems to blend beautifully inside to the cozy, well-outfitted interior. 

The coffee comes from Intelligentsia, consisting primarily of a custom house blend and Black Cat. With my decision predetermined for lack of choice (sometimes a good thing), I had a cup of the house via drip and an espresso of Black Cat. The drip served notes of tomato, shortbread, lime juice, nougat, cider and a bit of bay leaf, making a for a medium-bodied, well-balanced coffee. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume with brownish-tan crema, held notes ginger, coriander, cocoa and a little spring mix salad; all together a good infusion of Black Cat. 

As for places I will probably refrequent, I can add the Warehouse Cafe to the short list of NJ establishments serving coffee worth drinking.  Next time you happen to be in lovely Jersey City, take a stroll over to the Warehouse.