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














