On my previous trip to Portland in September, Spella Caffe was on my shortlist of roasters/cafes to visit, but I ran out of time (and I had to cut myself off after acquiring six other bags of coffee!). Thankfully, I had another chance over the Thanksgiving holiday. Spella is a bit of an anomaly in […]
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Review: Cultivar Colombia La Esperanza (Dallas, Texas)
During my last trip to Los Angeles, I had a little time to kill before returning my rental car, so I decided to try out Cognoscenti Coffee on my way to LAX. They had coffee from multiple roasters offered that day, none of which I had tried yet (Commonwealth and Four Barrel among them), and I opted to […]
Review: Red Bird Sumatra Permata Gayo (Bozeman, Montana)
I used to drink a fair amount of Sumatran coffee, before I started branching out to explore other flavors and lighter roasts. I haven’t had a cup of Sumatra in at least a year (probably longer), so I thought it might be nice to revisit it with a new roaster. Red Bird Coffee, based in Bozeman, Montana, is […]
Review: Stumptown Hair Bender espresso (Portland, Oregon)
My first experience with Stumptown beans came years ago during a trip to Portland, Oregon for an audition. Those who know me know that I have a habit of cutting out coffee/caffeinated beverages for a couple of weeks prior to an important audition, so the first cup of coffee I have after the audition is over […]
Review: Klatch Belle Espresso (Upland, California)
Finally! Time to review Klatch Belle. I will say upfront that I am still learning about what makes a “good” espresso, and I am not as experienced with tasting espressos as I am with coffees. However, this was a very enjoyable tasting for me, and I do think that the espresso shots I made at […]