So much has been going on in these past four months that I’ve neglected the blog. My winter semester at the university took my discretionary time by storm, but more importantly (and more relevant to this blog) my whole perspective on coffee has changed. Let me try to explain Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for category Coffee
Starbucks Guatemala Casi Cielo
Do you remember the first coffee that you loved? Maybe you’ve been drinking coffee for most of your life, but there was a specific blend or single-origin offering that flipped your coffee-fanatic switch. For me, I’m not ashamed to say it was Starbucks Guatemala Casi Cielo. I’ll be the first to admit that Starbucks’ offerings can be far from perfect for the educated coffee intelligentsia, but as someone who was used to grocery grade coffee compost, this whole bean selection blew me away.
The Facts: Starbucks Guatemala Casi Cielo sells for $12.95 per pound at your local Starbucks store. It’s available during the months of January and February. Starbucks creates the blend from several single origin farm in the Antigua Region of Guatemala and roasts the coffee into 2nd crack. It’s definitely not among their darkest roasts, but remember this is Starbucks, so the roast remains in the dark spectrum. The term “Casi Cielo” means “almost heaven” in English. A Chef at the Canlis restaurant in Seattle worked with Starbucks to develop this coffee to be served with fine dining desserts. I believe it’s available year round at the restaurant, but Starbucks offers it to the general public in the first months of each year. On their website Starbucks mentions the collaboration and explains:
Together, we created a remarkable coffee with a depth and versatility perfect for a variety of gourmet entrees and desserts – particularly those with savory herbs or cheeses, rich chocolate or berries.
So let’s find out for ourselves; is Casi Cielo really as great as Starbucks says it is? Read the rest of this entry »
Kenya AA from Coffee Kiss Company
“Kenya AA” seems to be one of those coffees that is known to many people along with Columbia, Sumatra, and Kona. Despite this fact, I haven’t had very many Kenyan coffees. I’ve had Starbucks’ version (which didn’t wow me) and an over extracted french press serving from Roast & Toast, a cafe/roaster in northern Michigan. So naturally, when given the chance to try a Kenya AA from a company with a great track record I was excited. As for pricing, this Kenya AA is reasonable for a specialty coffee.
Info: The beans appeared to be roasted at the light end of “medium” and smelled extremely fresh when I opened the bag. The label states that the coffee delivers “…snap, spiciness, and lemony brightness.” Read the rest of this entry »
A half pound of the latest Starbucks Reserve offering.
Starbucks Reserve El Salvador Montecarlos Estate. Wow, that’s a big name for a coffee so let’s break it down. This coffee is one of four coffees to be released this October as part of Starbucks’ Reserve line. It’s from the country of El Salvador, grown on the Montecarlos Estate farm. Grown in mineral rich soil at very high elevation, this coffee is out to make a name for itself. All of the beans in this lot are of the Pacamara varietal.
What the heck is a Pacamara varietal and what is it doing in my coffee?
Coffee plants come in several different varieties. Think of dog species; cocker spaniel, golden retriever, etc… They are all dogs (or coffee) but there are different types. Pacamara is one of these “species”. It is actually a combination of two other species that has been cultivated over the years. Enough of this coffee geek stuff.
This Montecarlos Estate coffee is grown at 6,000 ft. above sea level on the top of a dormant volcano. Starbucks says the coffee has herbal chocolate notes with a medium body and some acidity.
Beans: Fresh, and slightly nutty smelling compared to most coffees. It’s roasted on the darker side, with spotted oils showing on the outside of the beans. You can tell it’s quite fresh, and I’m sure the one way valve on the bag helps this.
I recently compiled a report for a statistics class that compares coffee from Panera Bread and Bruegger’s. The whole point of this report was to find out which establishment more consistently served their coffee at a proper temperature (160° F according to the SCAA) throughout the day. I thought that since my blog is mostly coffee related that the findings would be of interest.
View the report in PDF format here: Coffee: The Perfect Cup
If you happen to like the report, or think that it sucks, sound off in the comments.
Is Coffee Good For You? Is it Healthy?
Few would argue that coffee is known as the drink of productivity. In every workplace that I’ve been a part of there has been some sort of apparatus to brew and serve coffee to employees. Furthermore, in my experience the coffee has always been available year round, free of charge everywhere that I’ve worked. I don’t think this is uncommon. There is definitely something in our minds that associated working, productivity, and coffee.
But is daily consumption of coffee unhealthy? Some people say yes. They point to caffeine addiction with a scowl on there face. I came across this article called Health Benefits and Risks of Coffee and its Sidekick Caffeine. It makes some great points arguing that coffee is healthy and helps with productivity. I suggest that anyone who enjoys coffee (and you probably do if you are reading this blog) take a look at the article. Being informed is always important.
As I was thinking about this whole topic, I came up with a 5 point list of ways to enjoy your coffee while keeping it healthy at the same time. I think more value comes from enjoying great coffee than being addicted to the low quality stuff. Here is what I came up with: