Back in March the site was due to be renewed. I thought long and hard about shutting the site down because quite frankly I have lost interest in constantly posting coffee reviews. I have lost sight of the reasons I started this blog in the first place and it just felt right to leave. When it came down to actually closing the doors on this blog I realized I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. There are so many reasons that kept me from taking the plunge. Now that I renewed site for the next year I still can’t seem to post anything worthy enough which is why I have been on an unintentional hiatus.

I am currently enjoying coffee without the lingering need to jot down notes for a review and let me tell you how amazing that feels. The “review coffee and get on to the next one” mindset I used to follow is a huge weight off my shoulders.

Let me just say that I don’t intend to leave, not yet at least. And if that day comes then I promise to let you know, but at this time I am still here and I will try and post some stuff on here, but as to what I don’t know.

You can follow me on twitter, @CoffeeAdventure and instagram, j_ferguson87 for all my coffee adventures of course.

A little bit ago I mentioned of a new celebrity coffee series so to speak. David Kennedy a guitarist of most recent of bands, Angels & Airwaves is an avid coffee lover. His passion for coffee is strong enough that it has him starting his own coffee company, James Coffee Co.

I’ve always had some concerns with celebrity coffee companies. My concern is that there are celebrities just using their name to make a profit wherever possible and very few like Laughing Man Coffee by Hugh Jackman who I’d say are more into the coffee than their name being put on the label. I am happy to find that David Kennedy’s new venture seems not the case. From the video below, it seems that David has not only a passion for coffee itself, but also the hard work that go into making a cup of coffee.

Thoughts

Clever Dripper:
27/400g • Grind beans on medium side or #24 on Virtuoso • Pour in enough water to saturate • Start timer and let bloom for 30 seconds • Pour remaining water in and steep for 2 minutes • Quick stir • Drain • Total time: 2:30-3:00

When the coffee arrived I opened the bag and discovered flecks of oil upon the beans (note the photo below). I was beginning to feel unsure if I’d like this coffee or not. The uneasiness set in, but I threw the coffee in the Kalita Dripper and went on brewing. Turned out the Kalita was an awful choice for this coffee. It brought out flavors that would have had me throwing out the coffee right then and there — But I didn’t.

When it comes to heavier bodied coffees I find the Clever Dripper seems to handle those types of coffees much better. So into the Clever Dripper it went, and what came out was much better than what the Kalita gave me.

This coffee is heavy bodied, rich, and quite pungent in that the aromas really hit your nose making quite an impression. Heavy cocoa fills your nose with spices of cinnamon, maybe even some pepper. The spices are hard to make out. Underneath is a very mild smokiness. I can even detect some fruity notes, but its hard to distinguish what exactly I smell. Otherwise, the aroma carries a hefty amount of cocoa and spice with mild attributes of tobacco and fruit.

The coffee packs a punch! Each sip is filled with a creamy cocoa sweetness, a hefty amount of spice, mild smokiness which comes and goes, and fruit notes as it cools. What gets me is how even as heavy as this coffee is, it leaves a clean finish in your mouth.

As the coffee began to age, the mild smokiness I first noticed only seem to grow stronger which left me with unpleasant feelings. I noticed this in the week to two week old range.

Full bodied rich and creamy, this cup has flavors of cocoa with a hint cinnamon. Also makes for a delicious single origin espresso! ~ James Coffee Co.

Verdict

This coffee ended up not being nearly as bad as I thought. More so, I actually surprised myself by actually liking it in the end. James Coffee Co might not please everyone, but for those who like the heavier bodied coffees with deep flavors, this one will be sure to please.

Downside to this coffee is the unpleasant smokiness that only grew as the coffee aged.

If you plan on ordering, don’t do like me and let it sit around longer than a week or this coffee at its roast level will begin to taste quite awful.

Info About This Coffee
Region: Municipio Villa Canales, Guatemala.
Altitude: 3,800 to 4300 ft
Cost: Sold out!

Ceremony Coffee Roasters are back at it again with their experiments. This time they’ve added a twist with Barrel Conditioned Series “BCS” #7. Instead of the past experiments using a wine barrel, Ceremony Coffee Roasters have added a twist to the most recent experiment by using a bourbon barrel instead. This experiment consists of 150lbs of precious green Ethiopian Yirgacheffe which was then put into a bourbon barrel from A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Virginia for an unknown amount of time.

I’ve been quite a fan with their experiments using wine barrels so you can imagine how excited I might have been to see what would become of this batch having been put in a bourbon barrel.

Okay! Let’s get to it…

Thoughts

I’ve been through half this bag already and from the first cup to now have had quite the mixed feelings about it. It has been a love hate relationship lately between us. First I blamed the brewing methods, then myself, and then my ratios. I blamed everything for this coffee for not being up to par with my expectations I had before opening the bag.

I finally threw out all expectations and took this coffee for face value.

This coffee is at times incredibly delicate. The aroma, however, is much more pronounced with a pound cake or angel food cake like sweetness, dried pineapple, along with strawberry and lemon hints. The aroma is somewhat reminiscent of bourbon, but the bourbon doesn’t become really pronounced until later on.

The taste is incredibly delicate and light which is what has had me so frustrated. I upped my ratio by 2 grams from my baseline to see what would happen. What happen is it gave this coffee just a little more oomph, but the real magic of this coffee was when it became close to room temperature that I actually enjoyed this the best. This is really where the coffee came alive.

Light sugar sweetness like angel food cake, juicy pineapple, lemon acidity, warm sensation on tongue. Wait, what? If you are familiar with bourbon, which I am sure some of you are, you’ll know this feeling quite well. This warming sensation that starts on the tongue and follows down your throat makes me feel like I just took a shot of bourbon.

This caught me by surprise as I expected a mild taste of bourbon in the coffee, but not to feel the warming sensation as if I had a shot of bourbon and then a shot of coffee to wash it down.

Damn this is good! It’s really good!

Kalita Dripper:
29/400g • Grind beans on medium side or #22 on Virtuoso • Pour in enough water to saturate • Start timer and let bloom for 30 seconds • Pulse pour for 3:00 • Drain for 1:00 minute • Total time: 4:30

vanilla, floral, and pineapple aromatics. Sugar cane, dates, and pound cake in a complex cup with lemon acidity. ~ Ceremony Coffee Roasters

Verdict

I am glad I didn’t come out hating this… My original feelings toward this coffee were not good, but I am glad that I got this coffee figured out and I am happy to say that at $25 per 12 oz, this coffee is definitely worth splurging on. You know you have a little splurge session every so often with coffee. Treat yourself nice and go buy a bag of this before it sells out already.

Hurry!

Info About This Coffee
Region: Bourbon Barrel
Varietal: Ethiopian Heirlooms
Processing: Fully Washed + Barrel Conditioned
Cost: $25 per 12oz.

You can read more about this coffee and purchase here.

Ceremony Coffee roasters have outdone themselves again! My first experiences with the BCS series was batch #2, Mexico Santa Teresa stored in a Cabernet Franc barrel. It was unbelievably amazing tasting. I can’t forget the aroma either — Raspberry filled doughnuts, wine, grapes, mild hints of the barrel it was stored in. Just beautiful!

I was so blown away that I bought BSC #3 which was Colombia Pedregal, though stored in a different wine barrel. This particular batch didn’t leave much of an impression with me. It’s been awhile now since I’ve had any of the series again. They’ve gotten so popular that at times they have sold out within hours. I am glad to be back with series #6 which showcases why experimenting with storing green coffee in used wine barrels can have a spectacular outcome.

Thoughts

150 pounds of Colombia Pedregal stored in a neutral Port barrel from Great Frogs Winery for an unknown amount of time.

Clever Dripper:
28/420g • Grind beans on medium side or #24 on Virtuoso • Pour in enough water to saturate • Start timer and let bloom for 30 seconds • Pour remaining water in and steep for 2 minutes • Quick stir • Drain • Total time: 2:30-3:00

I have found the Clever does the best with this type of coffee. With the other various brewing methods, something always feels washed out whether it be most of the sweetness, body, or overall clarity. With the Clever Dripper, it seems to come out with more of a punch, but overall showcases the best of this coffee.

Wine-like; jammy aroma that comes bursting out the moment hot water touches the grounds. Underneath is a buttery richness that comes crawling out at first, but then only grows with time. Raisins and bourbon hints can be found throughout brewing as well.

I found myself agreeing with the notes on the bag a lot, as well as adding some of my notes in there too. The cup is rich, rich, rich. Definitely best in small batches and in small sips. Never come across a coffee until now that I wanted to sip on so slowly. The cup is very buttery sweet with wine-like and even bourbon hints. Cup gets quite jam like as it cools reminding me of concord grape jam. I even found some dried fruit notes like raisins, although very mild.

Grape jam and currant aromatics. Bourbon, dried dates, raisins in a balanced, sweet cup. ~ Ceremony Coffee Roasters

Info About This Coffee
Roaster: Ceremony Coffee Roasters
Coffee: Barrel Conditioned Series ‘BCS’ #6 Colombia Pedregal
Farm/Farmer: Several Small Producers
Altitude: 1750-1950 masl
Varietal: Caturra and Typica
Processing: Fully Washed + Barrel Conditioned
Roast Level: Light
Price: SOLD OUT

They have a few coffees up on the site currently to choose from so I ended up impulse ordering and got myself some of the Guatemala San Antonio. Really excited to see if this company meets the standards of other coffee companies out there or if it falls short and becomes just another celebrity coffee company to avoid.

I’ll be reporting back in the next few weeks to tell you just how good or bad it is.

Enjoy!

I first heard about Regular Coffee when it was announced on Kickstarter. The folks behind Regular Coffee were looking for some help to fund the start-up of this new venture. I immediately backed the project because why wouldn’t I? It wouldn’t be long before I retracted my backing status when I dove into learning more about the company. I came across the below quote and starting to become unsure that I would enjoy this coffee.

We like coffee. Hell, who doesn’t? And yeah, we can tell the difference between gas station battery acid and a fresh roasted gourmet cuppa. What we don’t like is standing in line behind some be-spectacled coffee shop lurker while he interrogates a nose-in-the-air barista about growing altitudes and roasting temperatures.

We don’t need ten different choices of bean or eight different ways to brew ‘em. We just want a good cup of coffee so we can get on with our day. And go to work. At a job! You ever hear of those, Mr. Lurker?

Anyway, if the joe is strong enough to get us through the day, and tasty enough to enjoy with the Sunday morning paper, what more do you need? ~ Regular Coffee

It wasn’t that I was against the company or what they stood for, but more that I was scared that they’re goal to appeal to people who wanted something better than the stale store bought coffee, but who aren’t ready to jump into the higher end of coffee would be successful.

I mean, what’s a good cup anyways? How do you stop at just good?

I may have turned down my chance at backing them but I became a little more open-minded to give them a try when I was one of the bloggers they wanted to send a sample of their coffee to try. So I accepted their sample and waited until it arrived.

I realize here that not everyone will appreciate the Michigan based coffee company, Regular Coffee and what they stand for. Some might turn up their noses at a company just looking to sell good coffee and not great, but maybe this company will open the doors and become the stepping stone that people need, the push to help them evolve into better coffee, and into great coffee.

Thoughts

The coffee that arrived was maybe an 6-8oz sample of Guatemalan beans sourced from a variety of smallholder farmers in Huehuetenango. I am not sure if this will be the only coffee they’ll use or if they will switch it up every so often.

Looking at the outside of the canister you are given some measurements to help guide you while brewing. Inside the canister I was given a pocket sized book featuring various brewing methods followed by how-to guides for each one as well as a sticker and mini print.

Getting to the coffee now…

When I first opened the bag I found the beans didn’t give off anything spectacular, though I did find it heavy of chocolate.

The aroma when I first began brewing gave off a thick, and heavy chocolate play. Soon a spice and very mild earthy tones began to come out slowly and then later would come rushing out. It smelt like a Sumatran coffee, only not like the Sumatran’s we have come to know. I kept sniffing and found myself more and more intrigued…

The taste a lot better. A thick chocolate note started out on my tongue. The coffee had a heavy mouthfeel and a buttery sweetness. On the side was a hefty amount of spice and a lingering tobacco that only came out every so often. The cup became quite juicy as it cooled tasting of apples, and blackberries. I also found floral tones and cane sugar as well.

Regular Coffee is currently sourced from the Huehuetenango region in Guatemala… It has a very pleasant butterscotch sweetness with a surprising red berry acidity and is extremely balanced. ~ Regular Coffee

Verdict

Well, I see they hit their mark for “good” coffee. This coffee is nowhere near spectacular, or even great, but even as just “good,” this coffee has enough to offer that I think it could appeal to a variety of coffee folks. It’s a perfect coffee for those half awake mornings. It’s the kind of coffee that’s simple, yet flavorful enough to help you get the day started.

Despite my first impressions and feelings, I’d give this company two thumbs up. I don’t think they’ll have a problem finding the right people for this coffee. I can say that if any of my friends or family are looking into bettering their coffee at home then I know what direction to point them in without overwhelming them.

A subscription to Regular coffee is $20/mo for 1.5lbs which is a great deal.

The question here is will you be buying or possibly sending your friends and family ready for better coffee a subscription service of Regular coffee? Share your thoughts!

It’s a very sad day when you wake up to find that you have run out of coffee. Even worse when the depression sets in… You’re depressed and feeling down like the world is going to end. In your mind it has because what’s worse than finding out you’ve run out of coffee?

I know what you’re thinking — I should have planned for that moment and had new coffee on its way right? Been there done that. I had ordered coffee about a week ahead of running out and of course my bad luck would kick in because that order is MIA. I won’t divulge much into it because I am not hear to bash a roaster or even get mad. Shit happens!

So instead of letting those caffeine withdrawals kick in, I am drinking tea this week. Yeah, I said it. I am drinking tea.

Until next time… Or until I get some coffee in this house. See ya!

Back in January I got an email from fellow coffee bloggers/lovers (@CornerOfTheCafe, @Randy_Levine, @MaxwellAMooney, @SoundGuyAndy, @Jennifer_Chen, & @_Simple_Simon) about doing a coffee exchange. I was already sold on the idea the minute I read the email. Within a couple of days we all had the details straightened out and had broken into two teams of four since shipping costs these days will just about kill you now.

Needless to say, a fellow coffee lover on my team, David Nettleton @ddavidn sent our team a full bag of Olympia Coffee’s San Sebastian Reserva. I was ecstatic having never tried them and more so for having a full bag to experiment with. Unfortunately this was the week I got a touch of the flu and ended up losing my sense of taste for a few days. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t taste worth anything so I made a promise to order this coffee as soon as I was over this wretched flu.

Here we are today with a fresh bag of San Sebastian Reserva…

Thoughts

Kalita Dripper:
25/381.2g • Grind beans on medium side or #22 on Virtuoso • Pour in enough water to saturate • Start timer and let bloom for 30 seconds • Pulse pour for 2:30 • Drain for 45 seconds • Total time: 3:45

While brewing this coffee hints at baked apples and caramel and then blows up in your face and becomes more pronounced with baked apple crisp with caramel drizzled over top. The coffee has a light aroma, maybe more on the delicate side. Underneath, the baked apples and caramel I smell a cane like sugar sweetness with vanilla undertones.

The first sip is quite amazing. It’s smooth, velvety and has a delicacy about it as it lightly dances across your tongue. Baked apples with cinnamon spice and a caramel drizzle coat my tongue. After each sip there is a crisp acidity– like a green apple acidity and a spice that lingers well into the aftertaste and can even be felt halfway down my throat. The spice is like a cinnamon spice.

Flavors of caramel, baked apple, and panela, all with a creamy body and crisp acidity ~ Olympia Coffee

Verdict
What a beautiful coffee!

I had played around with other brewing methods, but found myself always coming back to the Kalita with it. I am so happy to have been able to try some coffee out from this roasting company, but more so being able to try this wonderful coffee before it sells out.

Info About This Coffee
Region: Huila, Colombia
Farm/Farmer: Several Producers
Altitude: Above 1,700 meters
Varietal: Caturra, Colombia, Castillo
Processing: Washed

You can read more about this coffee and purchase here.

Nothing says a new year like some new coffees from Barefoot Coffee. Along with the cold brew they sent me which I reviewed a few weeks ago, they also sent me two coffees. One being from Guatemala which I’ll be reviewing today, and the other hailing El Salvador.

Thoughts

Chemex:
30/402g • Grind beans on medium side or #20 on Virtuoso • Pour in enough water to saturate • Start timer and let bloom for 30 seconds • Center pour for 2:00 • Let drain for 1 minute • Total time: 3:30

Heavy on the tongue. Velvety mouthfeel with a thick syrupy chocolate goodness. Underneath are crisp granny smith apples with hints of pears and a touch of spice. As the cup cools the apple note I first tasted starts to transform into more of a cinnamon coated apple play.

Kalita Dripper:
24/363.3g • Grind beans on medium side or #22 on Virtuoso • Pour in enough water to saturate • Start timer and let bloom for 30 seconds • Pulse pour for 2:30 • Drain for 45 seconds • Total time: 3:45

The Kalita Dripper showcases much of the same as the Chemex, but with more sparkle. The body of this Guatemala is still relatively thick and heavy on the tongue. Like a thick semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate fudge brownie which runs over your tongue and just sits there. Underneath the chocolate fudge play is a green apple like acidity which comes crawling out. It’s a mild-like acidity that carries enough sparkle to blend extremely well with this heavy chocolate play. What gets me is this apple cinnamon spice which at times is very light and other times is relatively heavy. This apple cinnamon spice reminds me so much of apple crisp but without the crisp topping on top.

Chocolate ganache body with hints of dulce de leche create a well-structured cup. Crisp acidity with an incredibly clean finish. ~ Barefoot Coffee

Verdict

The Kalita seemed to give this coffee more clarity, but then that just could be that I’m still a newbie at bewing with the Able Kone.

Overall, another solid coffee from Barefoot. This one reminds me very much of another Guatemala I had last year. It was Barefoot’s Guatemala Aguacate Amarillo which was also very heavy on chocolate and carried a very similar apple cinnamon like spice.

Info About This Coffee

Region: Huehuetenago
Farm/Farmer: Finca Vista Hermosa / Edwin Martinez
Altitude: 1650 masl
Varietal: Bourbon
Processing: Washed
Harvest Season/Date: 2012

You can read more about this coffee and purchase here.

I’m ringing in the new year with a second take for Barefoot Coffee’s cold brew. Last year was the first time trying their cold brew since it released and unfortunately it wasn’t that appealing. The cold brew carried smoky characteristics that left me with an unsatisfying impression.

Thankfully the folks at Barefoot were kind enough to send me a new bottle this year. They left me feeling excited and still slightly nervous try it again as the bottle I first had should have never tasted the way it did.

Thoughts

I was slightly nervous cracking open this bottle. I didn’t want to taste a repeat of last year. Though, part of me was excited to see what this cold brew was supposed to taste like. I popped open the bottle and poured some into a glass. I prepared for that first whiff, half expecting a smoky surprise again, but instead finding that wasn’t the case.

Hallelujah… A chocolate delight emerged from my glass. Sweet, yet creamy milk chocolate filled my nostrils. This cold brew was nothing other than a wave of rich chocolate delight.

On the taste, it is once again a chocolate delight. I swished the coffee around in my mouth and no smokiness anywhere. This cold brew begins with a milk chocolate taste and finishes with more of a rich dark chocolate as it trickles down your throat.

The cold brew is smooth, perfectly balanced, and has no bitterness in sight. A very hard to savor kind of cold brew.

Our hand crafted Cold Brew is made from our finest Direct Trade beans. The cold pressed 18 hour extraction results in a rich, chocolaty burst of deliciousness. ~ Barefoot Coffee Roasters

Verdict

I can’t figure out why the first bottle I had tasted the way it did. I am just glad that I didn’t write off this cold brew completely. Now I can retract my previous thoughts and tell you guys that this cold brew is definitely worth checking out.

So do yourself a favor and order a bottle or a case.

You can read more about this coffee and purchase here.