Italian Roast - It's A Grind Coffee House - San Diego, California

Preparation:    Cuisinart Drip

Scores:  Scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent

Aroma:   8
Balance:  6
Flavor:   6
Smoothness: 8

Likes:
     Dark
     Mild
     Smooth

Dislikes:
     Flavor
     Smokey
     Ashy

Summary:  I really like this little coffee house located off Market Street in downtown San Diego. It had a fun atmosphere and friendly vibe.  I ordered their pre-brewed coffee called Octane and enjoyed its dark bold flavor.  After a few sips I added cream and sugar.  (It was strong!) The staff was friendly and helpful.  (I asked a lot of questions and while they didn't know much about the beans they sell, they eventually found some information and brought it over to me.  The young man smiled and told me that I had to give it back.)  Anyway, on to the Italian beans I bought and brewed......

The information I was given for the Italian Roast described the beans as ultimate in a dark roast and that they are a blend of Indonesian, Central and South American coffees.  They go on to say that the Italian Roast has a distinct Smokey overtone and deep ebony color.  I agree with that, but thought that although I tasted smokey and ashy tones, no other flavors popped out at me. At first taste there was promise, but then the coffee fell flat immediately on my palate.   It was a lackluster finish, and quite frankly, boring.  I then ate some lightly salted mixed nuts with the coffee and it greatly improved my tasting experience.  The nuts added some much needed punch and flavor to balance out the ending weakness this coffee exhibited.


Overall score:   6

Honolulu Coffee - 100 % Kona Coffee - Nothing Less

Aloha!  Greetings from Maui!  It is a beautiful day here in Wailea.  The sun is warm and the breeze is gentle.  We are staying at a resort up on a hill overlooking the ocean.  I am sitting out on the lanai gazing at the whales breaching in the distance and just plain loving life!  And, what better time than to plan on walking over to the Honolulu Coffee Company for a cuppa 100% Kona Coffee! 

This morning at the hotel breakfast a Kona Coffee Blend was served with just 25% Kona Coffee.  It definitely had the "Kona" taste, but it was mixed with other beans from Central and South America.  It had been made earlier in the morning and was kept warm/hot in a very large coffee type container.  I thought it was a little watery and found that I liked it much better with cream and sugar.  After a little investigating I learned it was a medium body and a medium roast.  My opinion is that when coffee is made for so many people in a very large container and sits for several hours, it is going to lose some of the distinctive flavors and qualities it would otherwise possess.

I arrived at the Honolulu Coffee Company eager and ready to order the 100% real stuff.  There were actually two different beans to choose from.  One was Pure Kona Peaberry and the other was Pure Kona Extra Fancy.  After a brief chat with the guy behind the counter I decided to go with the Extra Fancy.  Now, keep in mind that Kona coffee is some of the most expensive coffee in the world.  I think that may be why we see it blended so often with other beans.  (The Peaberry coffee was selling for about $39.00 a pound and the Extra Fancy about $35.00 a pound)

My cup of Extra Fancy was made in a french press and made to perfection.  They let it sit for exactly four minutes before pushing down the press.  For $6.95 I came away with two large cups of extremely hot coffee.  It was the hottest coffee I have ever had.  It took about five minutes before I could sample it without scorching my tongue.  (I couldn't purchase just one cup, by the way.  The french press made two cups.)

The Pure Kona Extra Fancy coffee was amazing to me because it was fresh, fragrant and distinctive.  If you like Kona Coffee than this is the one for you.  It had a somewhat sweet taste but, at the same time it tasted bitter and acidy to me ..... and maybe a bit harsh.  I know it was really great coffee.  You just have to like the qualities of a Kona coffee to really appreciate the uniqueness.

Okay, mission accomplished.  I am off to the beach with a good book.

Triple Dare.....Take My Mind Coffee Thinking Challenge

Are you in a non thinking coffee mode?  Do you get up in the morning and make a pot of coffee with preground beans from the closest grocery store? Or, beans that have been in a can on a store's shelf for years?  (just kidding) That first cup of the morning do you sometimes notice it tastes better (or worse) than usual, but mostly just don't think about it?  Well, my challenge to you is to think.

Do you know that you could most likely be drinking coffee made with rancid coffee beans?  Yummy!  Not really!  And, maybe that bit of a stomach ache isn't from the caffeine or acid of the coffee.  Hmmm!!!!  I challenge you to stop and smell the coffee and then do some thinking!

1.  Try buying some fresh beans from a coffee roster and if you don't have a grinder or don't want to grind, then ask them to do it for you.

2.  Make some coffee with the beans asap with all clean equipment (whatever that may be) and sit down and put some thought into what you taste and just plain try to enjoy. 

Now, a word to the wise:

Please, if you buy the other stuff called coffee in a grocery store, check for a date!!!! Don't buy preground grocery store coffee that has not been vacuum sealed!!! And, don't use the grinder in the grocery store or supermarket!!!!  Most likely, these machines have never been cleaned and are contaminated with rancid oils that will taint your coffees beans.

There is much more to know and learn on this topic, but I want to keep it short and keep your attention.   Stay tuned!!! But, think next time you gulp, swallow or guzzle that cup of coffee in the morning or anytime and realize that appreciating quality coffee beans may just spoil your taste buds forever.  I triple dare you to slow down and challenge your taste buds to an awesome cup of fresh "Joe" and then use your mind and think about the experience.

Next.....off to Hawaii in search of 100% Kona Coffee.   Mahalo!

What I Found Out About Yemen Coffee

 Oh my goodness!!!  There is a lot to know about Yemen coffee!  First of all, it is important to note that Yemen is in the Arab World located on the southern edges of the Arabian Peninsula and to the immediate east of the African continent. 

Yemen coffee has been described as "wild" by some because you never know what you may get. Coffee beans in one sack may not taste the same as in another sack because small farmers in remote mountain villages can get their beans mingled with various other beans from other places when they bring them to market. This can cause many distinctive flavors to get mixed together.  Some farmers even store sacks of beans on the floor of their stone huts for long periods of time and the beans ferment.  This flavor is something that some coffee connoisseurs actually like.  It is described as a thin and tart flavor.  Wow!  That is kind of what I thought!

Another interesting fact I learned today about Yemen coffee is that the coffee grown in their mountains is called Mocha. (Many different spellings)  It was originally shipped through the port of Mocha and that is probably how it got its name.  Also, there are tones of chocolate that caused someone to attach the name to chocolate mixed with coffee.  (My favorite!)

This coffee bean is probably one of the oldest types in the world and for some that makes it very special.

"I'll take one, extra hot, nonfat, tall mocha, with no whip, please." 

Yemen - Legare's - Portland, Oregon

Preparation:  Cuisinart Drip

Scores:  Scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent
Aroma:  6
Balance:   5

Flavor:   4

Smoothness:  5

Likes:
     Fragrance
        

Dislikes:
      Flavor

      Bitter

      Sour Finish
      Pungent

 Summary:  I made this coffee as a mid afternoon treat.  The smell of the whole beans was unremarkable but after grinding the fragrance was interesting and surprising. The aroma was very earthy with a salty and savory flair.  My first tasting exposed pungent and wild flavors, but at the same time this coffee seemed bland.   There was a lingering sour/bitter taste in my mouth.  I definitely felt the acid turning in my stomach. This coffee is different and unique.  I appreciate the history behind it, but didn't really enjoy it all that much. 

Overall score:  4

Prince of Darkness - Ideal Coffee - Toronto, Ontario

Preparation:   Mr. Coffee Drip

Scores:  Scale of 1 - 10 with 10 being excellent

Aroma:  10+
Balance:   8
Flavor:   9
Smoothness:   8

Likes:
    -Fragrance
     Dark
     Mild
     Blackberry
     Extremely smooth

Dislikes:


Summary:  Danny arrived straight from Toronto (well, after brief stops in Chicago, Las Vegas and San Francisco) and presented me with two different kinds of coffee beans from a coffee shop called Ideal Coffee located in Toronto, Ontario.   When I opened the bag of Prince of Darkness whole beans,  I was overcome by a strong and unbelievably fresh smell.  It was potent, intense and decadent.  The fragrance (the smell after grinding and before adding water) was even more dynamic and enticing.  These beans definitely get a 10 in fragrance and 10 + in aroma (after adding water).

This coffee is from Central America and is dark, smooth and easy to drink.  It is not long on the palate and does not bite.  A clean finish.  It is flavorful with notes of blackberry and floral accents.  A nice coffee for the first cup of the morning.


Overall score:  9