TJ's El Salvadorian Peaberry

I finally brewed some of this coffee purely by itself this morning. Here are some interesting noticeable traits:

The origin is unquestionably Central American; light, fruity firsts in the nose. Banana leaf; hibiscus; crisp; clean; anticipation of feeling one's feet in the mud; bright; faint tangerines. You know that smell you get when you peel off a piece of bark from a redwood tree, and you put the back  of that piece--the part that once was against the tree--up to your nose? That smell. Finishes with an unexpected white cane sugar hint at the sides of the tongue, lemon and orange hints leave the tongue lastly at the front of the mid-palate. 

The product leaves room for improvement, especially in bean quality; however, the roast is consistent and the tastes delightful.

All told: 3.5 out of 5.

-MSH

Tea-Housing Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Peace to you [gobble-gobbles galore].

It was a nice quiet holiday for me. In addition to being thankful for the precarious but fulfilled family situation, and the attendant hand-turkey etravaganza, I found myself taken in by a few new truths; both sides of the same coin.

Firstly, I was reminded how the original settlers of our country, indeed even the political founders themselves, were enamored with tea. Of course, the Boston Tea Party will be quoted unto me here; in response, I offer this: does not the Tea Party prove how important it was to people? Why in the world would you start a conflict by doing something about a substance completely inconsequential; and what kind of "conflict" would result, exactly? So, I enjoyed Assam with my turkey/stuffing/sweet potato/cranberry meal progressions. Like a real pilgrim.

What I've also found is that I have a desire to blend tea. With no knowledge of how to do so. Utterly trial-and-error. A good practice, sometimes off. Any tips would be welcome, naturally, but there's no reason to suppose I shouldn't attempt it on a case-by-case basis. Some people are actually quite good at it, as well, such as (surprisingly) big-enterprise Bigelow. Bigelow has just put out a few mixes that not only combine black and green (and delicate ambition), but also makes one feel festive: natural flavorings for gingerbread and eggnog. I did buy the "Eggnogg'n" style, against my usual purist style, but I found it worth it for the noveltly, especially at recession prices. And I like eggnog. And the box has penguins on it, animals that my son loves. No-brainer. If you wish to try something new, a holiday where you feel at-ease overall is no time to pass the opportunity up. Here's a chat about it. The post's title will give you product details.

In other news, I may be allergic to coffee. Oh well; tea is more peaceful, I no longer have the prospect of a stuffed nose in 90-degree weather, and my thoughts are more exacting. Much turkey, some meditation, and some jazz also help. Yay for dopamine, in whatever form it may come.

Full tummies and restful minds be upon you.

-MSH

Monrovia Coffee Co. and "The Test"

This is my first post in practically three months. That means this post will either by highly good for the subject of the title, or wildly poor. It is not the former.

Everytime a new coffee shop opens up around me, I have a series of tests for it. Most of the time, these tests are unvoiced and subliminal. But this one gave me cause to explain such a process, and now those qualities have been abdicated, if only for a short time.

The first line of testing is relatively simple, though there is reasoning to each step.

1) Show up in the middle of the day. This tells you how the company performs when "no one's watching". Anyone can be on point in the early morning or late afternoon, when the business is busy. And anyone can use that busy timing to excuse poor service, quality or behavior. So, for the Monrovia Coffee Co., I showed up around noon.

2) Order something simple. This will show you not only if they know the coffee basics, but if they know enough to get out of the mentality that pervades this industry, namely "sugared promotion" drinks. For the MCC, I ordered an Americano. It's a espresso and hot water. That's it.

3) Don't wait around by the counter; take a look at the place, make yourself noticeable but not unforgettable. This tells you (a) how they track their customers, and (b) if they remember you. I took a little walk around, waited for about five minutes, and then slowly walked towards the counter. Then I moved to the counter directly. And leaned on it.

4) Tell them it's your first time, and that you're gently "testing it out". This lets them know not only that you're interested directly, but it puts a little pressure on them without expecting too much.

Here are my conclusions:

The company is understaffed; one girl is not enough to handle even an amorphous, relaxed, five person "crowd". The girl took my order, and when I told her #4 above, she flustered immediately. Asked me what I meant by "small" or "tall"; I had to tell her I wanted the lowest-priced size of the Americano.

Then I waited. And I watched her take three more orders. Then I watched her make two sandwiches, get a cookie and a slice of pie. Ten minutes later, I leaned on the counter (breaking rule #3).

She looked at me funnily and then asked me if I had ordered anything! It was a _____ing Americano. She apologized, but the damage was far from fixable at that point. The Americano was already slightly cold, and it was nothing but run-of-the-mill institutional.

In other words, on all four tests: FAILED. Failed MISERABLY.


-msh

Coming Soon!

After what I think I will call my "Blog Summer Break" (which is really just a positive term to cover my laziness and lack of tasting varieties), I have a nice moderate lineup of review ideas. They run the gamut from cheap to pricey, tea to coffee, rare to "grocery-shelf".

-Bigelow's "Green Tea w/ Pomogranate"
-Arabian Mocha-Sanani
-A "Gold Coast" Blend
-Starbucks' "Sumatra"
-Any of the coffee blends from Trader Joe's that I haven't already tried

If you have any ideas or requests yourself, please let me know; I'm always in the mood to try something different!

In the meantime, please enjoy the title-link, and this completely random (though delicious) picture of my "fish 'n' (literal) chips" meal:

The caption in my mind is, "OMG, FISH 'N' CHIPS ARE SO HOTT!"


All the best,
Michael

Apologies...

... for the break. :)

It's been a good vacation, and of course you can tell what I've been distracted by, given my Bay Area bias for baseball. I also haven't had the occasion to purchase more coffee, but I'm due up for a new acquisition.

I'll pick something of my own free volition if no outside input is available, but I'm open. Any suggestions for review are welcome!


All the best,
Michael

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy your holiday; we'll be out a few more days. For your enjoyment:

Unfortunate 4th of July Cards

Thanks for reading! :)


All the best,
Michael

Fancy Pants

With all due humor, The Onion once decided to admit its dependence on mediocre caffeine (because the finest coffees can and should be tasted just the same as tea) and call tea a sissy in print:

Sunday Tea

Enjoy! ;)

Scottish Breakfast

Today it's tea; Scottish Breakfast tea. Frothy, malty, aromatic Scottish Breakfast; delicious without milk or sugar. Take that and like it, Lipton! ;)

Product here; review here.

All the best,
Michael

Pike's Pique?

Perhaps you may remember my ruminating on a certain billboard ad campaign for Starbucks, advertising their latest "daily brew" (16 April). While I still hold to the evaluation of the logic for those ads, I have a new curiosity. Hence the title.

Upon visiting a local installment of the coffee giant in Northridge, CA with some friends, I was treated to a cup (thanks, B). So I asked what they had up. Pike Place roast was mentioned. I asked if they had anything else. I was told that it was not so. I may have appeared a tad confused. Somehow, either Starbucks is really pushing just this blend (which is unfortunate, because people ought to have choices, and if that brew is off, there's nothing else to offer), or they are lacking a sense of identity and need to compensate (because this is their "we have a coffee lovers' coffee" blend). No matter what, I discovered that Pike Place was the ONLY ready-brew the store was offering.

How is this possible? I'm not sure. I only know that it signals, to my passion for coffee, that Starbucks might finally be acknowledging their business' direction, and have become resigned to phasing out of the "Coffee Purist" genre. Ironically.

Campy Coffee

Today's selection was made mostly because of rising costs. It's Safeway's "Espresso Roast". (As you can see, while we would like to think we know our stuff, and we know what stuff is right to do with our coffee, we're not too big on being "stuffy" here.) Sorry: no linkage this time. Talk to your local Vons/Pavilions/Safeway about that.

Now, the main reason why that title above has been chosen is not mainly out of derogation. No! It's actually just my trying to be catchy based on the initial smells from the bean before grinding: timber, baker's chocolate (and chocolate milk), toasted marshmallow, graham, charcoal, peanut, kettle corn, and even a shallow oak leaf. It seriously made me feel like I was camping in a place that didn't require me to rough it.




The only problem with the smell on this bean is that it's a tad weak; the smells are distinctive, but they're not immediate - with the exception of the baker's chocolate. In addition, the smells "hollowed out" halfway through and I had to keep moving around to different areas of the container, which suggests a little bit of unevenness in the processing, including roasting. Nevertheless, the bean might go especially well with chocolate syrup as a homemade "mocha", and in fact because of this I had once thought that [most of] the beans were probably from Arabia directly.

What a great segue that is (thanks me!): Did you know that "mocha" was a term first coined because of the coffee beans that came from the Mocha region of Arabia? Hence, why "mocha" has come to be moderately associated with "chocolate". You can find more about that here, with more historical anecdotes (including how coffee became "Christianized" - hilarious!) and a time-line to boot. Just can't resist needing a link anymore, now can we?!

Humor aside, the rest of the tasting procedure unfortunately left much to be desired. I no longer thought the beans were from Arabia after actually tasting them - they are probably Mexican imports. True, after grinding I had thoughts of marble ice cream, black licorice, and silk ribbon, but I also had images of sidewalk chalk and desert hills. During brewing, the color follows the initial smell in being a bit shallow in the middle, but overall it's darker than the edges of India Peaberry. The froth line is average, meaning the brew was at least successful, and there was a strong first waft of chocolate, but after that the nose completely disappeared. The magnesium is much too strong in this coffee, and it reminds me of concrete. Really. I was starting at a sidewalk the entire tasting time. And in fact, the mouthfeel actually seems no different from the press than it may have had it been put through a drip machine, which is probably the most disappointing point of all. There's not much of an aftertaste, which is nice, but this is because the brew is dry, not smooth. There's little if any oil to speak of.

You see, espresso roasting is supposed to have two goals in mind. (1) Maximizing sweetness and aroma, and (2) minimizing bitterness and acidity. Most who roast for "espresso" potential do #2 while forgetting #1. This is understandable, because of the demand. But this roast went all over the place and therefore only mildly maximized aroma while barely minimizing bitterness. In other words, it didn't do either part fully, and therefore ended up less than mediocre.

In any case, it's a good purchase at around $8/lb. You can tell that I am advising you to buy it if you want to save money, not if you want guaranteed enjoyment. It's certainly not something I would give as a gift, use to woo a beautiful lady, or serve at an important gathering, but I would recommend it for everyday sniffing. And of course, it looks great amongst my clear-plasticized, airtight row of containers on the kitchen counter, which means about 2 beans out of 5.

All the best, of course,
Michael

----------------
Now playing: Jason Mraz - The Dynamo of Volition
via FoxyTunes

Logo Excitement

This morning upon waking up, a nice idea for a logo came. After discussing it with Joe, we have some pre-formed ideas that are pretty exciting, including an anchor dropping into a sea of roasted beans. Something has been sketched, but we want to open it up to you!

If you have ideas, suggestions, or anything of the kind, please feel free to let us know:

captainscaffeine@gmail.com

Here's the initial sketch [all rights reserved, of course. ;)]:




Until next time, sail on.

-Michael

Hybridizing

On my way home from dropping my son off this last afternoon, I had in the car a makeshift brew of the last two bean types we've reviewed here. Halfway through the trip, while sipping it slowly, a certain atmosphere hit me, one that reminded me much of the American "spirit": strong, brash, young, and rough, but invigorating. The fact that both crops are helping the environment, local subsistence economies, or both makes it pretty ethical as well.

I'll taste the two together more officially and evenly soon, perhaps. Certainly seems promising so far...

All the best,
Michael

What makes a peaberry so special

I thought I might enlighten our readers on the creation of peaberry coffees and why they're normally richer and more expensive.

Normally, a coffee cherry contains two beans which develop face to face. According to my ultra-secret coffee sources, about 5% of cherries don't develop two beans, but only one, which looks closed in on itself (a coffee mutation! Egads!).

What's great about this mutation or defect, is that the peaberry bean receives more nutrients and flavor from its cherry. This results in a fantastically rich and powerful individual bean (just like me after I ate my twin brother in the womb!).

These peaberry beans are painstakingly separated from the rest and roasted together to form some of the tastiest coffees imaginable! Next time you have a regular bag of beans, sift through and I guarantee you'll find a few peaberries lumped in with the rest.

India Peaberry!

The day has arrived, and I am excited to bring you this. It's been a day in the making just for the post itself. Joseph also plans on telling us more about peaberries specifically, after this!

As you might see from the Peet's description, India Peaberry was a special online exclusive for the company, because apparently it is the company's favorite from the Indic region. The roast was done on three specific days in this month of June, and was shipped out after roasting immediately thereafter (per the company's extant online-purchasing approach). The shipment came with the roasting date "stamped" on the bag, as well.

According to Peet's the bean comes exclusively from a small, usually tropic portion of India, where the coffee plant is grown independently on the " Elkhill Estate" in the southern portion of the country; so the bean is most likely the product of a lush co-habiting botanical environment, and monsoon precipitation.

The bean itself has a nomenclature that is quite appropriate: the size is much smaller than average, and the bean looks as if it has rounded and cleaved while growing naturally, rather than being halved before roasting. In other words, the bean itself seems to have been roasted whole, to preserve both flavor in the bean and product quality overall because of its natural size. It measures about 1/8" long. I've included pictures at the end of this post in order to compare it to a more "regular" roasted/purchased bean, the previously reviewed "Organic Sumatra-Peru" from Starbucks.

Now, as one might be able to tell, the roast suggests a mostly different texture in the mouth, and perhaps more concentrated flavors. The mouthfeel was a bit less complex than the smell, but the expectations did not lead to disappointment. For the sake of condensing my ridiculous verbiage:

Before Grinding:
dark chocolate, cranberry, bird of paradise, sawdust, licorice, rose leaf, molasses; definitely complex

After Grinding:
strong and peppery tingle; pure, but unclear; dark chocolate enhanced, cherry, redwood, lily, slight carmel; thoughts of Mendocino coast

After Immersion:
much initial froth & bean reaction; 2x as long to rise to the top; looks like mixed beach sand on bottom of grinds; dark, malty brew; deep Siena color; chocolate syrup color toward the edges

After Pressing:
clear redwood, eclair, iron, light tobacco, maltball, incense; some correspondence in smell to Assam teas; smell dissipates after two minutes

Tastes:
burnt brick, chocolate, slight tang, buttermilk biscuit, cod, carrot; smooth taste, absolutely no acid or unnecessary bitterness, grainy feel


All in all, I would recommend this with confidence. 4 out of 5, perhaps even 4.5, seems good. If I were to give it a mental "color association": reddish-brown, perhaps maroon. Not too dark or earthy, but nowhere close to light. I kept picturing this red flower leaf: red at the tips, dotting out to white towards the blossom against a lush green jungle in the background.

But I don't have a name for that.

Joe says I'm "describing an acid trip... no, just a little".


Until next time, keep sipping,
Michael

P.S.-> The "Peaberry" bean is on the left in the second picture, below.

Vindication

I got an e-mail from Peet's today, and although I do enjoy more "independent" companies, they supply my daily cup (coffee or tea) most of the time. The notes were on making "your best cup". So it was a pleasant sight to see that in this e-mail, my storage (airtight, dry, moderate-temperature containers) and brewing preferences were theirs as well:

"Peet's preferred brewing method is the Press Pot. This method gives you the most control and allows 100% of the coffee's flavor to come through. A fine layer of caramel colored froth is the hallmark of a successful brew."

Amen to that. Huzzah. ;)

Humbly,
Michael

Co-Oping

The Indian Peaberry has arrived, thanks to Joseph! I'll be sure to give a review of it later in the week, but for now I wanted to discuss what came in the packaging in addition to the peaberry roast:

"Meet Las Hermanas" it reads; the name of a co-operative group in Nicaragua. It's all women, which is fantastic, and the story seems empowering enough to support. So why bring it up? There is one good thing and two possible worries with a story like this.

Worries:
* This is the only instance of such a group for such a big company, thus merely encouraging everyone to have their "token" disenfranchised story to tell instead of actually helping more of those kinds of people. (See the fact that it's a "Special Offering" on the website.)

* Trader Joe's had already been doing this (see entry "Exploratorio de Peru" on 23 May), and thus this is more about competition than the aforementioned concern for empowering the impoverished.


Positives:
* More co-operatives for the traditionally disenfranchised are being formed and helped through the processes of bigger caffeine distributors.

* People actually getting helped, regardless of the motive.


Time always tells, I guess. But at least there's some good to come of it no matter what.

All the best,
Michael

Regions Illustrated

Coffee growing regions & countries, with a spiffy map of "The Bean Belt", from NatGeo:

Coffee Growing Regions

Squirrelly

Click on the title. It's hilarious.

It's Joseph's Birthday!

Please replace "Johnny" with Joseph in the song lyrics, fully seen via the title-link. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE! Yo, one love.

***
It's [Joseph]'s Birthday

It's [Joseph]'s birthday
It's [Joseph]'s birthday
And we would like to wish him all the very best
It's [Joseph]'s birthday
It's [Joseph]'s birthday
And it's so nice to have you back to be our guest

At [Joseph]'s birthday
At [Joseph]'s birthday
We'd like to wish you all what you would wish yourself
On [Joseph]'s birthday
It's [Joseph]'s birthday
And it's so good to have you back from off the shelf
And it's so good to have...
You back from off the shelf...

The Fruit Rind

The last few days have been exhausting, but wonderful. I had a visit from my sister and her spouse, who is a very kind young woman. She works at Starbucks (in fact just had someone fired by her manager so that she could be promoted to such a position of authority), and was so kind that she used her own markup to buy me a pound of one of their latest coffee releases: Organic Sumatra-Peru(vian). And, given that this blend of Starbucks is about to come "off the shelves", I thought it rather pertinent to taste it for y'all.

I couldn't wait, really, to try it today.

Now, I will admit that the beans were in one of my vacuum-packed containers for about a day before trying it this morning, but I assure you it's a safe area for the vacuum-packing. And, I prepared it the same way as I always do.

I give this preface because although the nose and preparation of the beans is excellent, the actual brew is disappointing. Initially I had the smells of potting soil, macadamias, and palm oil; then a bit later, still before grinding, there existed hibiscus, magnolia, jicama, and what I can only describe as "first rain". After brewing but before tasting, this "first rain" concept was reaffirmed, with riverstones, just a hint of white fish, and finally, just at the tail end, came pine nuts. There was absolutely no tinge to the nose (in other words, nothing that gives the hair an overwhelming, crowding-out tingle or "buzz"), and the entire bean was crisp: something I applaud anywhere I can find it.

However, this may have only served to set the brew up to fail. I won't go quite that far, by saying it has failed, but I will say that the mouth is a huge let-down comparatively. I remember very clearly tasting it, appearing confused, tasting it again, and then simply staring into the cup with the kind of quizzical look on my face that is typical of English expectation, I'm sure. It's acidic and hollow. It feels like the outside of an oyster shell, and fruit rind. This last term I like quite a bit, and have decided that in a nut shell, such is the name for this brew. It's wildly expectant, but misses the mark to the point of almost suggesting the wrong approach entirely. It is like when buying an orange at the store, washing it, and then biting into it flush. One cannot enjoy the promise of the fruit because the rind is in the way, and no one bothered to peel it first.

I have no idea what Starbucks was thinking other than a good market strategy, but they missed the process with this batch, and they either know that smell determines most of the taste (when not tasting for separate senses) and "covered over" the low bean-quality with extra processing, or they want to deter people from organic altogether so that they might continue with a less-expensive means of production. This first option might be confirmed by noting the language of the "Food Pairing" and "Origin Notes" on the product website, which I didn't check until after my own review here was finished. It may make a good everyday brew, and you can still access the product by clickin' on the title. And I understand that sniffs can disappoint the palate, depending on the roasting procedure. But, disheartened, I would not recommend it unless at least mixing in a bit of milk and sugar.

All the best,
Michael

Father's Day Coffee

Father's Day brought many a good thing for me, including a gift from our co-author Joseph. :)

He's convinced me to use it for a rare roasting of Indian "Peaberry" coffee, from Peet's. Because this is such a rarity, certain other products I could have bought will "always" be there, and Joe was the one to provide for the chance, I took him up on it. I'll let you know how it tastes when I receive it in a few days. For now, you can follow the title-link to get a bit more about it. Apparently, they're only roasting for three (rather random) days this month. May want to hurry on it, if you're a gambler at heart. :)

All the best,
Michael

Old Fashioned Tea Tax

On my way home from an appointment yesterday, I went to stock up my tea reserves on a whim at my local grocer's. This was mostly Twinings' fare, who was actually responsible for forming the Ethical Tea Partnership (link to the right). So while Twinings is a major "brand", I have no problem relying on them for my "everyday" stuffs.

In any case, imagine my surprise when for a moment I looked at my receipt and had forgotten that, in the spirit of the Revolutionary War, a tax on tea is still in absentia. I've included a photo of my receipt below, just to prove it. (The "tax" amount comes right next to the asterisks.) Enjoy! :)

All the best,
Michael

Regions for Tea

Hello!

While many people can readily name the three major regions for coffee, I've found that naming the major regions for tea is a bit more difficult. Therefore, I wanted to include this link from a good site, which of course is also through the title-link:

Tea Regions

In case you are not able to read it or do not want more details, the five big growing areas for tea are India, China, Japan, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. :)

All the best,
Michael

The Daily Cup vs. The Daily Commercial

Having just read this for the usual "upkeep" of my knowledge on what seems like a bit of a less-busy day at work, I wanted to post this article so that you would have a good source of information. Studies change, but notice that neither coffee nor tea is bad for you, even slightly above "moderation". Also notice that the usual forms of tea found in a local grocery store (black, and green) fall in the middle average for both caffeine and antioxidant concentrations.

In any case, notice also the contrast with fixing your own cup of coffee/tea and what major-brand companies do to the product before selling it to you: I only put one cube of sugar in each cup, and even then I don't do it much. Snapple likes to put 11 cubes (!) in their "green tea" bottles -- ridiculous! :)

Anyhow, read and be encouraged:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Diet/story?id=2123324


From The Caffeinated Leaf-ery,
Michael

Are you avoiding the lemon?

Tonight comes a great idea out of happenstance with some friends.

I was watching a recent basketball game (which I think was scripting by the refs, mind you) with some good friends this evening. Of course, one is usually offered something to drink. A worthy formality, in my opinion. I was shocked to hear that the couple had tea (mostly because of my own ignorance of the American resurgence for it). It was also of a reputable variety. Without milk, I took a "double bergamot earl grey" bag from Stash. (see title-link)

Now in my own house, bag tea is served (a) only to me, and (b) only in a hurry; this is because (1) I have whole leaf tea, (2) whole leaf tea is of better quality, and (3) I'm obviously a bit of a snot when it comes to my tea-taste. ;)

The reason why I bring this up is because, without any additives of any kind, the double bergamot was perfectly smooth. And not only does this give you a good opportunity to be encouraged to take your tea black, but it also reminded me that I haven't given much "blog time" to the idea of adding lemon to your tea. It's a good practice, especially with more "floral" or "fruit-tinged" teas like Earl Grey (not herbal, although that may work as well). It makes the tea a bit more astringent, but in a pleasant complementary way, so that you don't feel as if you need to "dig around" for that floral or fruited smell you pick up just after the tea is brewed.

The double-bergamot tea does not need lemon, mostly because of the intrinsic complemented taste given by the added oil. (Note: Bergamot is a type of fruit that's horrible to the taste, but emits a fantastic oil from the skin). I would recommend it; perhaps, indeed, for treated guests well. :)

All the best,
Michael

More About Lapsang

Just to let ya'll know my thoughts on it:

It seems that as a "middle" or "gateway" tea (see 29 April, 5 & 9 May), it also made sense to brew it at the exact "middle" time for black and green teas. In other words: because black tea should be brewed for 3-5 minutes and green tea for 5-7, it made perfect sense to brew the Lapsang for 5 minutes.

The results were a bit mixed. The taste was a stronger than the usual, but still not overpowering. So, I think that practice may work in general for lighter black teas... if I find any others. :)

All the best,
Michael

P.S. -> A warm, happy birthday to Craig Deutsch!

Tea & ... Nilla Wafers??

To continue my recent "question-for-a-title" campaign, I phrased it that way. Yes, in fact, I am having tea (English-styled Earl Grey) and Nilla Wafers.

It's good; you ought to try it.

Also, you ought to try clickin' on the title, yo.

All the best,
Michael

Tea for the Inept?

I came across this once in a teablog. Though I'm not really sure I can agree with it because of what's implied in reverse, the quote is interesting enough to ask you about your first reaction:

"Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities, or are become so from wine-drinking, and are not susceptible of influence from so refined a stimulant, will always be the favourite drink of the intellectual... " - Thomas DeQuincy

Hmm. Wish I wasn't questioning the source.


All the best,
Michael

Vote Thy Vote!

If you live in California, today (June 3) is a statewide primary election.

Please get out and vote! :)


All the best,
Michael

Lemon Ants

Before experiencing my Cafe Femenino today, I had lemon-chemical smell for breakfast. Mmm. Ants under the garbage, everywhere. Of course, this took far longer than I usually have in the mornings, especially Sundays.

However, after that smell dissipated (along with the irrational fear that the ants somehow bypassed my glorious clear-airtight-storage technique for my beans, and also bypassed the laws of physics to end up in the grinder after the beans were cut up), I found Cafe Femenino once again a clean, earthy, slightly delicate beverage. This of course is especially fitting given its nomenclature. In less uppity speak: it's still good, and the name makes sense for the coffee's qualities. Hooray!

All the best,
Michael

PS -> Go on, click the title; I know you're curious.

Kona Blends

I usually do not prefer "blends" when it comes to coffee, because they are not really conducive to getting a "KICK" out of a particular region. However, for some reason I find Kona blending a bit of an exception, since it's "guaranteed" to come from the same region: the Hawaiian Islands. The title-link this time will give you some more background on the region, from our friends at Coffee Times.

Now, usually for good Kona one will probably be asked to pay anywhere from $15-23/lb., depending on the income bracket of your county of residence. So naturally, I decided not to go with that and paid $8 for my local grocer's brand.

It was worth the shot. The nose is smooth and floral, and the sip packs a slightly nutty, more fruitful flavor than I expected. Pineapples (seriously), magnolias, sweet grass... you know, that kind of thing. I also get a little bit of cane sugar (yes, without putting any in the cup - I always taste things "black") and banana leaf. Kona has a very balanced take, and is far smoother than some of the "rougher" African regions. Besides, for the thoughts of lazing on a kayak in a bay off the coast of Kauai, they can have my $8.

All the best,
Michael

Memorial Quote

I hope everyone's weekend was a smashing success. I had plenty of fun myself. I also spent Memorial Day thinking mostly about war and the absence of it. After thinking about it in this fashion Sunday evening, there's a quote I'd like one to ponder, if willing. Until then:

QUOTE FOR PONDERING
"Memorial Day is about honoring our dead. It seems to me that the best way to honor our dead is to keep our youth from dying by the same cause."



All the best,
Michael

Exploratorio de Peru

Yesterday on my way home from a meeting I purchased some new coffee at Trader Joe's. Originally, this grocer's trip grew out of a sheer need for dairy products. But once there, I found myself intrigued to try another varietal.

Today I opened the canister for it. Power off the nose, immediately. I am referring to the shade-grown, organic, fair-trade Peruvian "Cafe Femenino". Initially, I had dryly resigned to the fact that I had just been backhand-insulted by the company for purchasing a "feminine" product. Not so. Apparently, this coffee comes directly from an all-women organization of farmers that ensures quality treatment of those working women, including a living wage. I'm all for it. What I didn't expect further was the smell of the beans. Here are some attributes I sniffed up:

banana tree, spiced lavender, heavy cream, palm bark, dark chocolate, stout, daffodil, kahlua, oyster shell, almond, sand pebble

Naturally, this makes it a clever burst of sensory arrangement. It also makes for a decent purchase, at $6.99 here in L.A. I would recommend it, highly.

-Michael

Newness

Also, we have some new "friends" and "Steeping" links. Be kind; reinvigorate their hit counts. :)

-Michael

Ideating

Listen up, Thou O Coffee Purist,

Just because something is excellent in its most raw form does not mean that nothing shalt be added unto it.

Therefore, I have not opposed the idea I had this morning while eating my usual breakfast: I would like a genetic patenting process started for blueberry-tinged coffee. Yes, blueberry-tinged coffee: refreshing, unusual, smooth and just about the highest antioxidant bomb this side of eternity. You'll feel like Hiroshima's unfortunately more fortunate twin. I promise. Sort of.

-Michael

Finally, extraordinary Joe

Hello Caffeine Freaks!
Looks like a new and great development in the world of coffee. Follow the link to read the SF Chronicle article. Great places to indulge yourself in super premium coffee (if you don't mind that annoying yuppie liberal SF wannabe intellectual crowd).

-Green Cadillac Caffeine Bergesen

Coffee Thoughts

Today, I like it.

That is all. ;)


-Michael

The Via Media, for Tea

As some of you may have realized, I just revisited a few teas (Russian Caravan, and Lapsang Souchong). Something that hit me this morning was that the flaws in each one might be compensated by way of a blending. This is particularly amusing because I always happen to naturally incline to a combination of supposedly opposing things, so the idea is far overdue. :)

So, I put one tsp of each in my pot this morning. Result: good. Not better than I expected, but better than I had originally thought. Further blending, including of other combinations, will now commence. I think I'll have more to say about it with time...

All the best,
Michael

Proof...

... that the royal lineage was never based on looks and/or demeanor:





All apologies, Ms. Sutton.

Rusko Revisited

The Russian Caravan came out again for me this morning because, as Joe knows, it is an awfully good taste when one is sick. Since I feel a bit under-the-weather, and Cole is more tired than usual, I think it's good to take a tea-precaution. ;)

Russian Caravan tea (see post made 1/11/08) is a solid middle blend of black teas, supposedly formed by Russian traders on their way back from the Indian Region in the early Medieval period. It turns a crimson color immediately, but does not necessarily require milk to enjoy fully. A bit of pepper comes through, which signals decent care in processing.

Instead of Peet's, the title-link this time will take you to a smaller dealer who offers this same blend. Enjoy! :)

Lapsang Revisited

Disclaimer: This happens to be one of those days where everything seems a bit too "delicate", or I feel a bit too "rough".

After a mutually botched attempt to trade the Lapsang Souchong with Joe at a friend's child-birthday party in the Santa Barbara region (which rocked, by the way), I managed to try the Lapsang again. This time, the cup contained milk. Noticing the external quality that may indicate my problem with this leaf, the tea did not much darken the milk. The milk looks more like it would with a green tea, than a black one. Hence, either I am continuously under-steeping it or the tea, because of it's unique processing, is much more delicate than even a usual black tea. I usually over-steep, in general. Thus, cheerful news:

***
Dear Green Tea Lovers,

If you love it more via negativa because black tea is too strong for you, this tea is a good "gateway" towards appreciating the bold, terse qualities of the processed leaf. Please try it with my compliments.

Sincerely,
Sir Tea and Mr. Obtuse McStuffs (a very American Beagle)
***

My apologies for the surrealism; I'm listening to John Lennon. The title/link this time will take you to Adagio's stash of this leaf variety.


All the best,
Michael

New Links

Below the usual Tea & Coffee list, you'll find my late bluegrass kick's notable songs, as well as a few stations I've put together. I have a problem with bluegrass now; it's like caffeine, Cole and God, apparently: I can't stop talking about it. My apologies. ;)

Bluebottle Coffee Co.

Bluebottle Coffee Co. (see "Weekending", 23 April)

Mmmmm.... like little blue bottles of smooth toffee-nut delight... without the use of glass.

One More Off-Topic, If I Could Please...

This is insane, but I had no idea how much I enjoy progressive bluegrass until Pandora.com. Please do check it out (hint: title/link click-age); it will adapt based on a few initial inputs and you merely "approving" or "disapproving" individual songs. As it turns out, jazz-grass is probably the best qualifying term for my taste.

No, it's not illegal.


Cheers,
Michael

Lapsang Souchong

When I finally opened the tin this afternoon, the smell reminded me of what I like best about a tea: ancient memories, robust attitude, earthy feel, natural appeal. I was sure that my lap would sing Souchong. But that is where it ended.

There is a famous story about how this tea is processed. Heroic soldiers in China, capturing a town; they wanted to put some tea they had stolen on the market, so to speak, but it was not yet dry and so they cast it over a raging fire, probably the one they had been using to consume the rest of the goods they could not have carried with them after destroying the village.

Well in my opinion, they should have never taken it off. The smell is fantastic, but I feel like I've bought pine-water. There's another, less old story about a dog, and Americans now have a certain saying from that story. You know that phrase about a dog that's not worth fearing? "All bark, and no bite"?

That's what this is.

All smell, no palate.

Joe says,
"I personally do like the Lapsang
by itself,
but most people probably would prefer it
in a blend
such as the Scottish Breakfast."

Very poetic, Joe is. He captures my soul with that. Kudos to Joe. Hey Joe, I'll trade ya. ;)


- Michael

P.S.-> As always, clicking on the link will show you the subject of the post. :)

TJ's Organic Fair-Trade French

When I opened up my air-tight cannister this morning, the smell was still fresh and immediate. This I took as a good sign; I was correct. That same smell was smooth and as blackened butter.

Which made the first taste of the brew a bit surprising. It was acidic, pungent and even with a little bit of a spiced "kick" towards the end.

There was very little head on it after being pressed, which to me means that through the grinding process there exists not enough airation. So, this particular roast might be better with the usual drip-grind.

However, the nasal qualities that the beans themselves proved true after a few minutes of "breathing" after brewing. The brew was smooth, saturated just enough with oils, and full. In addition to this, the aftertaste contains hardly any comparative bitterness, leaving this particular bean juice to be quite a gentle refresher.

For the value, both to one's pocketbook and health, this roast is a solid one for the keeping. You can find it at Trader Joe's (for whom I do not work, don't worry), in a blue aluminum-lined can, at the weight of 13oz., and selling at the regular (not sale) price of $5.99 here in L.A.


Happy mornings!

-Michael

Trader Joe's... coffee?

What a treat. I got this suggestion from Joe, because I was looking for a cheaper, more eco-friendly deal for coffee. Well, guess what. Trader Joe's not only has coffee, it's pretty good. They have all kinds of fair-trade, organic, shade-grown coffee roasts. They do have one localized variety: Ethiopian. I bought the organic fair-trade French.

When I opened the can, to put it in my clear container... wow. Rich smells, extremely dark color (as it should look), and oiled. There's still oil on the beans! Wowee. Exciting times. I'll let you know how it tastes soon.

All the best,
Michael

Off-Topic Result

I traded my Levi's for Lee.

This Is Completely Off-Topic

Why are my Levi's (a.k.a.: first-ever maker of solid jeans), from San Francisco, being made in China? Even the Lee's are made in Mexico; but at least they're nice enough to make sure the cotton is American.

OK; thank you. Now resuming on-topic material.

Weekending

This weekend, I traveled a great distance for my sister's wedding. It was beautiful, woodsy and rough-and-tumble. She's happy, and so is everyone else.

During this weekend, I tried two kinds of coffee. One was from my good friend, and fellow author here, Joseph. Since he and his wife Lauren (also a good friend) had some time to visit me while staying over in Pacifica, we went to dinner and enjoyed the rest of the evening in their quaint apartment. Joe gave me a half-pound of something freshly roasted; I believe it had been roasted that day, or the day prior. The beans came from the Blue Bottle Coffee Company. The roast is somewhat light, compared to my usual fare, but the taste this morning was smooth and easy to enjoy. A bit naturally sweet, it reminds me of dry almonds and toffee. And what really makes this brew notable is the light finish. Unlike most of my other cups when I buy beans at a store, the bottom of this cup had bits of the beans still there without any trace of oversaturated fine grounds. All in all, quite enjoyable. I am unsure about the particular roast or bean, but I would venture to guess that Blue Bottle is worth trusting, given the quality of these beans.

The other coffee I had was Starbucks' straight Ethiopian, which is my favorite from them, and Sumatra from the same company, but through a campy institutional maker. Completely acceptable, but not particularly distinguishable. :)

Po' Boy Mochas

My drink of choice today is for the ill-at-ease about "suped up" coffee, and for those who enjoy something novel, yet good.

It basically consists of 2TBSP of chocolate syrup added to your normal coffee cup. You may find it smoother to add the chocolate before pouring in the coffee, for consistency and dispersion's sake, but that's all there is to the practice. However, and this is a big condition, your coffee must be of a dark roast.

Even for Peet's lovers, "Major Dickason's Blend" won't do for this, because even though it is usually darker than the other brands' mid-roasts, it is not itself a dark roast. By "dark", I mean "you so crazy". Or, "I might get fired for this." Or even, "What a slut." In other words: Ethiopian, Italian/French Roast, or anything else that someone might consider "extra bold".

The reason why I suggest this as such is because if the roast is darker, then it is usually more complimentary to receiving a sweet additive, even though the chocolate is another rich flavor.

Anyhow, try that out sometime; it costs maybe $.10 extra per cup, $.05 if you get the "Family Size" bottle.


Pax Arabica,
Michael

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Now playing: Dave Matthews Band - Raven
via FoxyTunes

More Changes

A quick note, though I must admit you would already have noticed if you had come back here by now:

The title and the url location have changed to be more "inclusive" of our habits. ;)


-Michael



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Now playing: Dave Matthews Band - Captain
via FoxyTunes

Starbucks' Latest

Good morning, all!

Since coffee is the beverage for me today in the wee hours, and I randomly added something irrational last night, it seemed good to add something rational about coffee. :)

Perhaps you have noticed Starbucks putting out new advertisements recently; if one is even a minor coffee aficionado, the ads' target is obvious: get those Peet's lovers over here and disperse the mass commercial exodus. Why? The ads proclaim a "coffee for coffee lovers" called "Pike Place Roast". The name is based off of the first location of Starbucks, at Pike's Place in Washington. The problem: The alliteration and words sound awfully familiar to the name of their nearest competitor, and those who go to Peet's often say that they find the coffee there existing in purer form.

Now, I don't blame Starbucks for competing. Competition is what drives the economy. But I do have a few issues with this new "campaigning":

a) I don't much like people or companies who negate competition; it seems much more prudent and secure a notion to offer something in which you are especially different and proficient. By acknowledging competition it implies that the competition is worth your attention, which wouldn't be true if you believed you had a better, or more authentic, product. The ads therefore implicitly acknowledge that the competition (namely, Peet's) is already far better.

b) The ad also implies that Starbucks has not previously had "coffee for coffee lovers". In other words, the ad acknowledges not just that Peet's is better, but that they have become better because Starbucks has failed to offer a good product. If I were a previous Starbucks regular, boy would I feel ripped off. This is not to mention how invalidated or humiliated I might be if I thought their bean juice was better bean juice, or even a better product, prior to these ads showing up.

In my opinion, Starbucks just accelerated their fall from stardom's graces. Expect a stock share plummet, if it hasn't already finished.


-Michael

Note to Drivers

I usually don't post two entries in one day, but this I will, because it's amusing:

Upon driving my son back home this evening, a shipping truck cut me off just as I had finished switching lanes. Naturally, I was a bit upset. So, to be completely irrational: avoid Green Mountain Coffee Company. :)


-Michael

New Polls!

No links this time, kiddo. We got new polls on the page!

To the right there are questions about your favorites. Show the blog-world your preferences. ;)

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Now playing: Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Cornbread
via FoxyTunes

History of U.S. Tea

Hello my fair friends! I am a fairly infrequent writer, it seems. :)

I apologize for the lack of tea-ness lately, but I went on a coffee kick. I drank so much that I ended up stopping for a certain period of time we in the Christian world refer to as "Lent". It was a good experience. In any case, I haven't the faintest idea why I've mentioned nothing of tea lately.

However the Fates would not be denied ("it was in the tea leaves", etc., etc.), and coming across a certain article provoked me to active writing. You can access it by simply clicking on the title of the entry.

The reasons for this provocation are threefold:
a) It's good to see it around;
b) I enjoy historical things;
c) it explains in greater detail what I mentioned in a previous entry about the problem of tea-drinking in America, namely how it seemed to be a subject of tacit disgust for so long.

Some things that I found particularly notable in the beginning of the article (for those who don't want to scour through its length and crude publishing quality):

- tea was introduced to America not by the British, but by the Dutch
- "Colony consumption of tea dwarfed that of the parent country England."


This makes very convincing the statement, "Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater." As one can see, the rebellion against tea could indeed be an unnecessary hold-over of the rightful patriotism of we the people. The rebellion was against the tax on the tea, not because we ought to dislike the product or refuse the product's introducer to this country.

The moral of this entry: If you wish to rebel against the Dutch, by all means avoid thy tea consumption; however, if you want to be a true original Patriot, outdo the British and drink more tea than they. :)

More to follow, I promise...

All the best,
Michael


***
Quote For Pondering:

"I slipped you $50 of cash money." - Joe Morgan

Birthday Times

Bryan David Mark turned 28 today. Happy birthday, B!

Thoughts On Grace

Since I've also decided to try and discuss things, here is the new discusion point:

http://davidwilliamson.blogspot.com/2006/02/breakfast-with-bono-defining-grace.html

Go for it.

Changes Of What.

The word "change" is being tossed around a lot now, especially in political circles. The question naturally may be: Change of what? I certainly would appreciate someone from the Democratic Party at least telling me what they want to change and how. Well, here I am, talking about changing things. So, in a desperate and somewhat humorous attempt to inspire such action, I've labeled each personal change I've made in the post. Enjoy!

Resolution #345: Write more often. (Change #1)

Today I'm drinking Russian Caravan, another classic blend offerred by Peet's. The strange thing is that I am drinking it without any additions at all such as milk or sugar (Change #2). It's quite mellow for an all-black tea, although the astringence is a little stronger than expected after a swallow is down the throat. That is probably my getting used to no milk in the tea.

It is a bit of a wintry tea. Joe was right when he said it "tastes good when I'm sick" - it does seem to cheer up the spirits especially during that time. Think Scottish Breakfast's younger brother, and you have it: pine nuts, oil, perhaps a dry cheese, some kind of thistle. That's the best I can discern; it seems this tea has some non-Western things with which I have not yet become familiar (Change #3). All the better for that! Of course, no change here: the title will link you to more info on the tea itself.

On another note, I've been thinking about renaming the blog to include coffee in the discussions (Change #4). I drink both, and I've noticed that some days I feel like either.

In addition to this, I would also like to include random discussion (Change #5). So, don't be surprised if I get a little talkative. For example:

RADIOHEAD IS COMING TO L.A. IN AUGUST! One of my favorite bands, in addition to Dave Matthews, the Foo Fighters, and a select few others, I heard the news on KROQ this morning from the guitarist's own mouth - though we're not sure where the locale is.

More soon. ;)