Verve. This might not be a word I associate strictly with music, but it’s the name of a once-legendary record label, as well as a pretty good now-defunct band from the UK (who later had to change their name to “The Verve,” which still sounds odd in my head… it’s like saying “The Vivacity” or […]
Author: Margaret
Review: Ascension Peruvian Silk Blend (Dallas, Texas)
I don’t visit too many coffee shops in Dallas regularly, but Ascension is one of my favorites when I do go out for a cup. You can taste the great care that they put into their craft in every drink you receive at their cafe. They feature various roasters from time to time (I had […]
Review: Coal Creek Coffee Company Burundi Dukorere Ikawa (Laramie, Wyoming)
Coal Creek Coffee Company is based out of Laramie, WY. I had not heard of this roaster before Alison sent me this bag, but upon visiting their website, I am already inclined to like them for a couple of reasons. One, they have blends with amusing names like Gods Must Be Crazy (which sounds delicious!!) and Troublemaker. Two, they […]
Review: Publik Coffee Roasters El Salvador Calera Blanco (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Thanks again to my friend Alison for sending me this bag! Publik Coffee Roasters took their name from the Dutch word for community, with the idea that coffee is something that brings people together. This bag did not have any tasting notes on it, so I went into this with no preconceived notions about what […]
Review: Huckleberry Roasters Phantom Limb Blend (Denver, Colorado)
The next three reviews are thanks to my lovely friend Alison, who surprised me in the best possible way by sending me a box full of coffee to try! Thank you, Alison!! Huckleberry Roasters, based in Denver, roasts on Mondays and Tuesdays and only ships out whole bean coffee to preserve freshness as long as possible; they […]
Review: thirty-thirty Coffee Co. Kenya Kirinyaga (Peoria, Illinois)
This is the last selection in my most recent shipment from Craft Coffee. I feel like I have been drinking a lot of African coffee lately (and there are still more African coffees to come in the pipeline!), but I am also learning that there is so much variety in the coffees from this continent […]
A general guide to single-origin coffees
One of the more fun but frustrating parts of getting into single-origin specialty coffee is trying to figure out where to start. Let’s say that you have resolved to start buying specialty coffee, and you pop into your local specialty coffee shop. You are overwhelmed by the array of bags on the shelf. What do you […]
Review: Summer Moon Organic Sweet Hearth (Austin, Texas)
My dear friend Julee brought me this bag from a recent trip to Austin, knowing I would be intrigued by the workings of this roaster. Summer Moon Wood-Fired Coffee Roasters is a company that does everything old-school. They built their brick hearth by hand, one brick at a time. They use no electricity or modern technology […]
Review: Lift Coffee Ethiopia Kochere (Riverside, California)
Here is another selection from Craft Coffee. This coffee reminded me a lot of the Three Ships Konga Ethiopia Yirgacheffe that I reviewed back in March. Both are natural-processed Ethiopian heirloom varietals, and the beans are quite lightly roasted and smaller than typically seen. Whole beans: Bright, juicy berry aroma. It smells like a mix of tart […]
Mini review: Intelligentsia Decaf Librarian’s Blend (Chicago, Illinois)
This bag of Intelligentsia was a gift for my friend Julee, but she generously offered to let me have some of the beans in order to do a review. I purposely just took a little bit (after all, I wanted her to enjoy the coffee!), so I was not able to do a full review with […]