Fuck Yeah, This Coffee

A celebration of awesome coffees of all sorts.

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I admit, I feel a little bad posting this coffee here, as it seems almost a little obvious. This is actually the first of Tim Wendelboe's offerings I've been able to try, but I've been privy to his reputation for years. I want to at least acknowledge that this is a tremendously delicious coffee right up front, and this is certainly not a case of appealing to celebrity.

Right at the end of 2013, I visited Box Kite Coffee's new shop in the East Village, with Aaron from FRSHGRND. We soaked up the atmosphere and the construction noise, enjoyed a flight of espressos, and were treated to a free bag of Olke Bire, courtesy of owner Cora Lambert.

This was my first coffee of 2014, and holy hell what a way to kick off the year. The cup is - exactly as Wendelboe describes on his site - teeming with jasmine and bergamot, with a stone fruit sweetness and a light tartness through the finish. I was blown away. I've had some tea-like Ethiopians before, but if this was presented to me blind, I'm not sure I would know it was actually coffee right away. Perhaps that's an exaggeration, but I'm still thoroughly impressed at the unique character of that first cup. This coffee, at the time of brewing, was also almost a month post-roast. Wendelboe has expressed concerns over international shipping before (though he does ship to the US now), and I've got to say I can't even grasp what might be missing these four weeks on. I've had coffees that go stale and flat in 13-18 days, and this is surely not one of them.

I sure as hell kicked my year off with a hearty "Fuck yeah!" over a great cuppa.

If you've got any suggestions for potential FYTC coffees, or want to send a sample my way, be sure to hit me up on Twitter: @SteveRhinehart

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Joe Bean Coffee Roasters

After chatting with Chef Katelyn recently, and realizing I hadn't had a decent Nicaraguan in a while (she's all about Nicaraguan coffee), I decided to take a chance on one of Joe Bean's offerings on the wall in their Rochester cafe. Holy hell, was that a rewarding choice!

At first, I was brewing at a bit of a lower temp, around 197 F, finding the cup a bit plain but pleasant. Popping the temp up to 199, and tightening the grind really made a difference however. Raspberry jam and an almond biscotto, that's how I'd describe it. There's a great sweetness, a really nice berry tartness, and toasty nutty undertones that really polish off the cup. The finish could be a bit longer, but that's only because I'd love it if this coffee lingered a bit. Still, it's a fantastic coffee, and a great offering out of a small city.

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Compass Coffee Roasting - Home Roast on Behmor 1600

Whoa baby, talk about a tough coffee to get into the roaster. At $25 per pound shipped, it was the most expensive green I've ever bought, so I had to muster the courage to apply heat to it. But thank goodness I finally did! What a delicious prize this is, and it's not even the more expensive auction stuff! Roasted on P1 with the occasional opening of the door to temper the heat, this coffee shined as a City/City +. Green, it smelled sweet and floral. Roasted and brewed, the bloom smelled of honey and citrus peel. The nose on the brew was more of the same, with a bit of jasmine, even a whiff of ginger and orange. The taste wasn't as balanced as I would have hoped, but it had a pleasant and juicy acidity, bergamot and white tea, with only a whisper of the honey from before, and a caramel finish. I noticed a bit of vanilla as the cup cooled, but there was also a bit of a carbony defect due to a bit of tipping from the roast. Next time, I'll do my best to do this coffee justice.

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Barismo

An awfully kind and sleep-deprived (the poor woman, she was too nice to be so tired) barista at Dwelltime served my brother and I a shot of this coffee, gratis. While the nose was bursting with complex fruit and floral notes, I got an upfront taste of dry cocoa, that was washed away with a succulent sort of plum tartness, giving way to a light sweetness and spice that lingered through the finish. Great body for such a light roast.

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Madcap Coffee Company

I popped into Cafe Fixe in Brookline, MA today, chatted with Dylan a bit. He offered a cup of this tasty little guy while I hung out, and frankly, I knew from smelling the grinds that it would be showing up here. As an Ethiopian natural, it has the typical vibrant dried fruit notes that I love love love, plus a bit of an oat background (in a good way). Dylan said there'd be cinnamon in the cup, but I didn't quite get that. What I did get, though, was a sweet, juicy, medium-bodied cup of dried cherries, and even a faint hit of mango (honey sweetness + light citrus + floral aroma, basically). Super delicious.

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Handsome Coffee Roasters

Honey and dried fruit on the nose, fairly savory and vegetal (brothy) in taste, with a touch of chocolate and cherry blossom. Awesome, awesome vac pot brew, producing a thinner body but a lingering finish, and a mild sweetness.

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Counter Culture Coffee

This version of Apollo just plain rules! An espresso blend comprised of a bean from Finca Nueva Armenia in Huehuetenango, Guatemala - the blend part comes from the fact it's one bean roasted two ways. I've gotten some super delicious shots out of it, with flavors ranging from a really nice dark chocolate (it called to mind the "Citrus" chocolate bar by TCHO), to one really memorable shot that was seriously peaches and cream*. It loves a small hit of milk, but doesn't quite assert itself much past a cappuccino. I didn't find it to be latte material, but damn if it wasn't the best cortado I've had of late.

*That was a lucky shot. I haven't been able to replicate that flavor at all.

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Handsome Coffee Roasters

Sweet, orange zest (or blueberry at the right temp), a hint of spice, and a floral nose. Brews great as drip, pulls mighty fine as espresso.