I purchased the sheet music to this piece in 2016, intending it to be a personal project that I would record for fun when I had spare time. Naturally, life got in the way and the score sat largely untouched in my practice room until the coronavirus upended all of our lives. The first week […]
Review: LUME rechargeable travel burr grinder and camp light
This review is wildly overdue, but better late than never! Back in 2017, I backed a Kickstarter project for LUME, which billed itself as “The World’s First Travel Coffee Grinder and Camp Light.” I received the product in late 2017/early 2018, but I never got around to testing out the grinder or writing this review […]
“Felt like the end, but it was just the start…”
As one of my requirements for earning my first-degree black belt in taekwondo, my school asks that we write a short personal statement reflecting on what we have learned since beginning our training. I submitted a 450-word statement to them as my official black belt essay (radio edit) but felt the need to more fully […]
Review: Counter Culture Big Trouble Blend Single-Serve Bags (5 pack)
I had a spontaneous trip to Asheville, North Carolina at the end of September. Since I didn’t have a rental car on this trip, I wasn’t anticipating having much access to craft coffee, but serendipitously, my hotel was around the corner from an Earth Fare market (natural foods grocery store), which had an extensive selection […]
Review: Sudden Coffee Intelligentsia Colombia Tres Santos (4-pack, instant coffee)
Instant coffee is not a new concept; it’s been around for decades. However, over the past few years, there’s been an increased interest amongst craft coffee roasters in making convenient yet high-quality coffee options available to customers. When I’m at home, I always grind and brew fresh, but when I’m traveling, sometimes I would like […]
Review: Blue Bottle Coffee Summer Blend (Oakland, California)
Blue Bottle Coffee offers seasonal blends, and I was fortunate enough to pick up a bag of their Summer Blend while it was still available. I first was alerted about this blend through Blue Bottle’s email list, where Blue Bottle’s quality control director, Ben Brewer (really? Is there a more spot-on surname for someone working […]
Review: Blue Bottle Coffee Giant Steps (Oakland, California)
James Freeman, the founder of Blue Bottle, is a former professional clarinet player, and I’ve always appreciated the occasional musical references thrown into the names and descriptions of his company’s coffees (for instance, the “Brahmsian” characteristics of Blue Bottle’s Hayes Valley Espresso). This particular blend was named after John Coltrane’s Giant Steps, and Blue Bottle’s […]
Review: Lüna Coffee Guatemala Huehuetenango Pedro Villatoro Lychee Glow (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Denton, Texas was where I used to call home between 2001-2003, while I was a student at the University of North Texas. The city had a quirky, offbeat vibe while I lived there, and that hasn’t changed, but what has changed is the proliferation of craft coffee shops in the area. Granted, I didn’t really […]
Review: Intelligentsia Coffee Black Cat Analog Espresso (Chicago, Illinois)
The first time I tried Intelligentsia’s Black Cat Analog Espresso was in a coffee shop. I was in Northern California for work back in 2015 and had a beautifully pulled shot at Vero’s Coffee Bar in San Jose. I enjoyed it so much, I use the photo of it that I took as an example […]
Review: Square Mile Coffee Roasters Guatemala Los Suspiros (London, England)
The last time I had tried an espresso from Square Mile Coffee Roasters, it was their excellent Red Brick Espresso Blend, so this time I opted to try this single-origin Guatemalan espresso. Whole bean: Sweet, tangy aroma reminiscent of peach and amaretto. Espresso: Sometimes I really enjoy single-origin espressos and sometimes I just can’t find […]