Equal Exchange

Recently I found myself at New Seasons trying to decide whether or not I wanted to get more Stumptown Hair Bender beans or pick up something different. The selection at New Seasons is impressive, to say the less, and after "eeny, meeny, miney, mo'ing" I chose Equal Exchange's Organic Espresso blend...and I picked up a bag of the Hair Bender, just in case.

Not knowing if Equal Exchange's espresso was supposed to be "chocolatey," or "bright," or "with hints of caramel," I opened the bag up and ran a test shot. As a straight shot I was pleasantly surprised. It is a rarity that I feel as if I can drink just a shot of espresso. Normally they are too strong for me. I prefer to cut it with milk...just the right amount, of course...but he digs them and calls me "pansy." As if. I saved the shot hoping he would make it home for lunch in time to give the first pull a taste, however he ran late and the espresso got cold. So it was cappuccino's all around instead! It's the way it should be, really.

Equal Exchange describes their Organic Espresso as such: "Our rendition of a Northern Italian favorite. Caramel sweet flavor with a touch of blueberry, a bit of dark chocolate, vibrant body and a “kick-in-the-pants” wake-up call for a finish. This classic espresso has blossomed in our new roaster, and is racking up rave reviews from customers across the country."

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: Doesn't taste "coffee" enough. Too fruity and too weak.

HER SIDE: Wow! That is BRIGHT! I'm getting the whole "kick in the pants" reference now. Very fruity, not enough roasty/chocolatey flavors going on. I think this would be a refreshing blend for summer, yet I definitely like the more darker, roastier, chocolatey, caramel notes over fruity, floral, and bright ones. And yes I realize I just made up some words. That's how I roll.

49th Parallel Coffee Roasters

Hello neighbors to the north ( a.k.a. Canada)! Your motto kicks ass - "Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love." How can you have bad coffee with a saying so awesome? Answer--You can't! "He" heard about 49th Parallel Roasters from one of his coffee podcasts and ordered up a pound of the Epic Espresso and a pound of the India Elkhill Estate Peaberry. Although UPS screwed up the delivery of it...AGAIN...our wait was worth it. I pulled a test shot and took a sip...tasty. Not bitter, not acidic, very smooth. 49th Parallel describes their Epic Espresso as a "well crafted espresso displaying a wonderful balance and acidity. Incredibly creamy and very sweet with a lingering syrupy finish." It was very creamy with a big fat "head" on it at the test pull. When mixed with milk it brought forth even more sweetness.

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: This one is very mild and sweet with a hint of chocolate. I prefer mine to taste more "coffee-like." Wasn't as complex as some of the ones we've tried in the past. Not sure I'd buy this one again for the price.

HER SIDE: I tasted caramel notes on the finish of this one and that surprised me. Not that it tasted like caramel but that I actually tasted it. Personally I really enjoyed this blend. I liked the mildness, the creaminess, and the sweetness. I didn't taste as much chocolate as "he" did, however. Guess I'll have to treat myself to this one on special occasions...like Tuesdays...or when the sun is shining.

Strictly Organic

I really do enjoy Strictly Organic coffee and their place is very cool. I also like the wide selection of goodies, sandwiches, and salads they offer. As it's been awhile since I had a cappuccino from Strictly Organic I thought it was high time to get down there and get me one. I have to say that I was pretty disappointed in finding out that the smallest size they offer is 12 ozs. Unfortunately that's pretty typical in most cafe's in the states. More on that later, though.

Despite the tall size and tons of milk, I could still actually taste the espresso and I liked it a lot. There was a certain note of something I couldn't place and I haven't decided if I care for it yet, however. Still, I would love to get some of their beans when we run out of the Hairbender and make our own cappuccinos with it. I think with the proper mix it would make a great cuppa.

In looking at their website I see that they have two types of espresso. I'm not sure which one I tried but both sound equally tasty. Either way I plan to grab a bag in the very near future.

Ito En does Coffee in a bottle

Pretty bottle, isn't it? Makes you want to crack it open and sample the Japenese goodness within and think of simpler times. First I should preface all of this by saying that Ito En makes some of the best bottled teas I've had. Their Jasmine rocks, as does their Hojicha (which I can't find on their website), and are two of my absolute favorites. So when I saw a bottled coffee from them I figured it was worth trying. Of course part of me has a hard time relating Japan with espresso, but nevertheless it drew me in.

On first sip I will say it's pretty watery and a tad weak in the coffee flavoring. To me it tastes like the Starbucks bottled coffees (not the Iced Coffee, mind you). Too sweet, not enough coffee punch, but not bilge water either. The can does say it can be served either hot or cold but the thought of heating up an already cold coffee beverage never crossed my mind, so I didn't try it that way. Maybe it would've been better. Er, maybe not.

Supposedly it is freshly brewed Brazilian and Tanzanian coffee beans in the French Roast style. Well, me and French Roast don't particularly get along as usually the beans are annihilated in the roasting process. Not if it's done right, mind you, yet it often times isn't. Especially when it's "commercially" roasted. Those nasty cigarette smelling coffee beans we got from Costco were French Roast. They are to this day beyond oily which is surprising to me as one would think ALL of the oils were burnt out of the beans in the burning (roasting) process, yet there it is - leaving nasty residues all over everything it touches. I curse them everytime I use them and yet I'm too cheap to replace them. At least they don't smell as bad as they used to. Notice I said AS bad. They still stink.

Where was I? Ah yes, coffee in a can.

I'd pass on this one. Again, it's not horrible or nasty, but it ain't good either. I think I'll stick to the teas from Ito En. They've got those down pat.

BibiCaffe - "the bubbly espresso"

I saw some of this at Newport Market and finally picked one up to give it a go. I will admit that I had misgivings from the get-go but tried it with an open mind. After all, it is actually made and imported from Italy so it has to be at least a little decent, right? Famous last words. Typically I will try just about any cold coffee drink at least once. Many of them taste the same to me...crappy coffee, sweet, and not like something I'd want to drink again. Although, I hate to admit that I actually like Starbucks Iced Coffee in a can. While I'm not a big fan of the "can" taste, I like the drink itself. ssshhh...don't tell anyone! Where was I? Ah yes, BibiCaffe. So I cracked open the bottle and took a sip. I can't say that I enjoyed that first one, or the second, or even the third. Something about it seemed, I don't know...wrong. There was a definite espresso taste yet it was carbonated. A tad too sweet for me, yet even that wasn't the problem. No matter how many times I tried it, I couldn't get past the fact that there were bubbles in the coffee. I can deal with cold coffee but...bubbly? I thought I could enjoy it. I was wrong.

"He" tried it and said it tasted like CocaCola Blak. I could see that. The website describes it as: "a sparkling espresso drink with hints of vanilla and caramel. One taste and you’ll know BibiCaffè is in a class by itself. This distinctly refreshing and versatile beverage offers a great-tasting alternative to existing coffee and energy drinks."

hmmm...I don't know about all of that now. I definitely did not like it and "he" was neutral about it, but at least we gave it a shot. I think I'll stick to my espresso being non-carbonated from here on out.

Rocket's Dark Star

Like something out of a George Lucas movie, the third in our series of the sampler pack from Rocket Coffee Roasters, is entitled Dark Star. Labeled as a "Northern Italian" espresso we were very excited to try this one and boy were we not disappointed. Unlike it's predecessor (the Caffe' del Razzo), this blend was rich, thick, chocolatey, and even a tad bit spicey. At the first pull it was thick and creamy like a nitro-tapped beer. Beautiful! Although most espressos pull this way in the beginning there are varying degrees of thickness that you start to notice the more blends you try. Watching the crema and espresso merge into the cup is really cool. Cool for weirdos like us, mind you, but cool nonetheless. Thankfully I set up the calibration for this blend, lest "he" waste more of it, and had it nailed quickly. Each cup was enjoyed immensely by both of us. Unfortunately we are at the tail end of our 1 lb. journey with the Dark Star, yet it's been a great one. Highly recommend you espresso lovers try this one out.

Rocket writes: "This blend consists of 3 different Arabica coffees roasted to a medium darkness. Rich, buttery smooth and full of body with hints of chocolate and ripe berries. This complex blend is wonderfully suited for a straight espresso and works incredibly well in a latte or cappuccino!"

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: This one is really good. Tough call between the Hairbender and the Dark Star. Chocolatey, rich, and roasty. Like a good craft beer.

HER SIDE: Wow! Very tasty! I'm not picking up on the berries but I am definitely tasting the chocolate. Very rich and roasty, I'm getting the "good craft beer" analogy for sure. This one may be my absolute fav. Either way, it's ranking right up there with the Hairbender.

I'm so gonna miss this one but will definitely be re-ordering!

Rocket's Caffe' del Razzo

Rocket Coffee Roasters second espresso in the pack of three we got is called Caffe' del Razzo. When we ran out of the Classic Espresso "he" chose this blend and gave it a whirl. I had to laugh at him though. Some of you may know that when you put new beans in you have to run test shots through to ensure you have the proper grind and water temperature all in the name of getting the right amount of espresso and crema in the alloted timeframe. Usually I can calibrate things within one pull. I'm just that good. Okay, okay...maybe it's more like I'm nowhere near as anal about this kind of stuff as "he" is. Don't get me wrong...I make sure that I have the right amount of espresso pulled and that the taste is good. But "he," oh lawdy. I swear, the man went through half the bag to "get it right" as he was sure that my way was fraught with all kinds of wrong. I let him have his fun and watched as he diligently timed each pull, tasted it, dumped it out, and repeated the entire process. Sometimes there just isn't much on cable these days and you have to get your entertainment from SOMEWHERE! Finally he was sure he had everything where it needed to be and the tasting began.

On to the good stuff: Rocket describes their Caffe' del Razzo blend as being "blended from incredibly balanced coffees from three of the world's major growing regions. Excellent balance between body and acidity with a sweet spiciness makes this an ideal espresso shot and it truly shines thru in milk."

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: At first I thought this one was pretty decent but I've since decided it's too temperamental. Kind of like the Redline blend. Not a fan.

HER SIDE: Meh, it's okay. Nothing that's blowing my mind. I wouldn't re-order it. I agree that it can be a pain to pull. Shots have been too bitter at times, just right at others, and sometimes acidic. Not digging it either.

I told ya it wasn't much to write about but there it is. And you waited all of this time for that? I know, I know...

Rocket Coffee Roasters

The deal of the century. Rocket Coffee offers three pounds of three different types of espresso for a really good price. In their pack comes the Classic Espresso blend, DarkStar blend, and the Caffe' del Razzo blend. (I will include Rocket's descriptions of each type when we sample them.)

For the first tasting we went with the Classic Espresso. Rocket describes it as such: "This classic espresso blend is composed of four different coffees, all of them of the highest quality Arabica. Humongous amounts of crema and a buttery smooth, big body, this espresso is honey sweet with dominating chocolate, exotic spice and cherry fruit notes. This is a well balanced blend that is powerful and complex yet finishes clean. A truly superb shot of espresso!"

Well, let's just say that neither "He" nor I have ever been able to taste all of the super awesome sounding notes that the real coffee tasters pick up on, but man do we wish we could. It definitely pulls us to buy the stuff when in the end we know we're not gonna taste even a 1/4 of what we "should." Nevertheless, here's our reviews:

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: I taste cherry, vanilla, and squash. ("She" interjects--"No you don't.") It smells very sweet. Can't say that I taste any of the stuff they mentioned but it's good. Wait...I taste cherry when I swirl it around for just a brief second. More tasting. Oh yeah, definitely tasting the cherries. I like it.

HER SIDE: I can't taste any of the things they described either. ("He" interjects--"That's because you don't know how to taste coffee.") Anyways. I taste the cherries now that it has cooled ever so slightly. Tasting some more. Thinking I might have an aftertaste of cocoa as it sits on my palate. More tasting after "He" says he is DEFINITELY tasting cherries now. I just taste bitterness. Soooooooo not an espresso connoisseur. Bring me my cappuccino! I still like this one, I just prefer it to have milk in it.

Oh yeah baby!

It's espresso time! The doorbell rang today and there on my front porch was manna. THREE POUNDS of it! I'm crazy, I know but it was such a great deal. We get to sample all the different espresso blends from this roaster for a very good price. I couldn't pass it up. I will kick myself later when the beans start to get a little old and the flavor changes yet for now I will stay in denial saying it was worth it for the adventurous sides of us. The sides that love trying new things out even if it's not always prudent.

I couldn't have timed it better as I ran out of our Stumptown beans today. Now we have to pick out which one to try first. There are three very distinct mixes all with descriptions that make my mouth water just reading them. I'm like a kid at Christmas, I tell ya!

Reviews coming soon!

Caffe Fresco's Ambrosia

Life has kept us busy and thus away from blogging, but it hasn't stopped us from partaking of espresso. That would be impossible. However, in looking back at Caffe Fresco's website to copy what they wrote about their Ambrosia blend, it appears we did not brew it at the temp they recommend. Instead, we went by other recommendations at a coffee forum. So now this has left me wondering, naturally, how much this affected our pulls. I did have a tough time again with this bean yet nothing like the Redline. "He" had nary an issue--of course--yet I'm thinking it might be wise to hold off on this review after a second go-round. We are unfortunately out of the Ambrosia beans so I apologize for seeming to tempt you guys only to find out we aren't sharing all that much. I will say that it was a nice blend even if we ran it too cold. In the meantime, their website is linked above like always and the Ambrosia is extremely highly rated by others so I would think it's worth checking out no matter what. Hopefully we'll get back to this one soon.

Metropolis Coffee - Redline Espresso

We had a tough time choosing who should be up next for the sampling table, but after reading about this blend both "He" and I decided to give this one a shot. The beans arrived on Friday as slated but we weren't able to pull any until today. Metropolis Coffee is based in Chicago and offers up several different tempting brews. Of course we went with their espresso blend, the Redline. This one pulls thick like the other favs and is as dark as Obsidian Stout from Deschutes Brewery. Metropolis hooked me with their description of the Redline as such:

"Redline Espresso is a truly distinctive and rewarding blend. Its richness runs down the center like a racing stripe, leaving a trail of cocoa, honey, lavender, and a mild merlot-like fruit in the finish. The flavors translate perfectly in milk and are even amplified in sweetness making for a marvelous latte or cappuccino."

They further describe the brewed beans as a Medium Roast with flavors of chocolate, fruit, spice, and honey. The body is rich, well constructed, neat and the acidity is focused and centered. Again, my palate is not nearly that honed yet and I am once again suffering from the blasted head cold that is plaguing the area, but I do get the richness and some of the flavors. On to our thoughts...

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: Tastes sweeter than DoubleShots Ambergris but I'll have to make a few more before I decide if it's as good as Stumptown or not.

HER SIDE: I'll have to get back to this one. I made two cappuccinos but both turned out bitter which is a first for me. I'll have to make some adjustments and post later. Bummer.
UPDATED: Finally made a non-bitter cup and have to say that I'm not a big fan of this one. It seems to be very temperamental in that I have a hard time brewing it just right. I taste chocolate but the flavor reminds me of cocoa...like the powder/baking kind. Rich, earthy, but no sweetness. This one is my least favorite of all the ones we've tried.

DoubleShot Ambergris Espresso Blend

Okay, first it must be said that I really love listening to Brian's podcasts. The first time I heard one was when "He" and I had to go to Portland and "He" played some for me. Apparently a big coffee giant was going after Brian's company and it really opened my eyes to how selfish, insane, and silly big commerce can be. From that moment I vowed never to set foot into another large coorperation coffee joint again--"He" did too. I digress...so we had been wanting to try some of the "gallon can" espresso for awhile and finally ordered some. Brian was out of beans but sent some to us as soon as he could. Thankfully it was right before the weekend as we were jonesing for some tasty coffee and neither one of us wanted to wait until Monday. When it arrived we opened the paint can and inhaled the lovely scent of really good beans.

DoubleShot describes the Ambergris Blend as such: "A well-balanced, exceptionally smooth shot that comes on with an intial burst of chocolate and fruity aromas. A blueberry sweetness counterbalances the explosion of acidity at first sip, subsiding into a buttery pool on the palette. Flavors of caramel and muted vanilla linger on. Strangely reminiscent of the eccentric junior high home room teacher who wafted Jungle Gardenia perfume all the way down the hallway."

That last part is nice, baby.

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: Still waiting because he's slow this week (a.k.a. been tied up playing Rainbow Six online)

HER SIDE: Man, I love this blend. I loved it from the moment I stuck my nose deep into the can and smelled the beans. Granted, I don't have quite as defined a palate as most, I'm sure, but I know what I like and I like this. It ranks right up there with the Stumptown Hair Bender and it pulls like BlackCat--very gooey, yummy, makes you yearn for more. I did notice that it is not nearly as acidic as some but then maybe that's my pulling technique and/or tasting skills becoming stronger. Either way put this one down as one of my top 10 favs thus far.

Backporch Coffee Roasters Brazil & Espresso Blend

No website for these guys yet, but the above pic will take you to their blog where you can learn more about them. They are newer in town and both "he" and I were excited to see a local roaster popping up. I went in one day to be served by Dave, one of the owners, and he was very happy when I ordered a straight double shot--nothing fancy. Unfortunately I had to get it to go and I remembered why I hate getting anything coffee to go--paper cups. What I could taste of the espresso was nice yet I mainly tasted paper cup. This is, obviously, not Backporch's fault and "he" and I have decided that we should just find an alternative to paper cups and save the world from having their yummy coffee "ruined." Just as soon as we finish the whole world peace thing...

I was able to get some of their espresso blend, then when we went back for more they were running low as it was Christmas and man were they packed! Sad for us but we were very happy to see they had no beans to spare. Dave told us later that he had to come back on Christmas and roast more beans as they sold out completely. Sweet--well, except for the working on Christmas part. For that second sampling we were told to try the Brazil as a straight shot. Now, normally we like a blend but since we didn't have much choice and are always up for trying something new, we went for it.

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: (Espresso Blend) Good flavor, nice pull, good stuff.

HIS SIDE: (Brazil) Eh...not so much for espresso. The Kenyan Peabody is excellent but our other grinder sucks so I get way too much "powder."

HER SIDE: (Espresso Blend) Ditto to his side. I am impressed with this one for sure. Not to mention the fact that this stuff was FRESH! Roasted exactly two days before we bought it. Can't get any better than that.

HER SIDE: (Brazil) It passes for when I'm out of a true espresso blend but I definitely prefer a blend over a straight. I think this would make excellent coffee just haven't had a chance to try it that way yet. It should be noted that I burnt my tongue for the first tasting so it wasn't the best way to try a new bean but subsequent tastings yielded the same results--good coffee but kinda boring espresso.

Stumptown Hair Bender Espresso Blend

We had been reading about these guys ever since we started getting serious about espresso, so imagine our excitement when we had to drive to Portland and knew the highlight of our trip would be going to one of their shops. We specifically picked a hotel near there which ended up being a good thing as when we arrived there was a sign on the door saying they were closing early for their Christmas party. We had 15 mins. to drink down one of our tastiest cups yet. Well worth it--we just plan to spend more time there when we go back. Of course we didn't leave empty-handed. We bought a pound of the Hair Bender and lovingly transported it back home where it was ground up fresh and brewed to near perfection. The one thing "he" and I noticed was that after we drank our cuppas at Stumptown neither one of us had that "bitter tongue" thing going on and instead had a very pleasant aftertaste that lingered for quite awhile. Just recently we discovered The Sparrow Bakery serves Stumptown coffee so we plan to break in and steal all their beans as soon as we create our masks. (Note: that is a joke people)

Stumptown describes their Hair Bender Espresso Blend as such: "This blend consists of five different coffees from the three major growing regions of the world. Rich, complex and full of body, Hair Bender makes a spectacular cup. We use this blend for espresso in our cafés and roastery."

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: Much stronger coffee flavor than any we've tried thus far. This is one of my favorites. I was surprised at the aftertaste and will be buying more of this soon.

HER SIDE: Way less bitter/acidic than our others have been. Either we're getting better at pulling or this is just idiot-proof espresso. No matter, I'm digging this blend and will be hounding "him" to buy some more.

Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso Blend

Anyone who reads coffee/espresso enthusiasts forums will run across this delightful blend. When we initially got our machine and grinder we used whatever espresso they had sent with it so we could practice pulling, getting the settings right on the grinder and machine, and just plain learning. Black Cat was our first truly good blend in which we started sampling with. Compared to the other beans this one pulled thick and showed perfect tiger striping. The taste did not disappoint either. We would happily buy more of this!

Intelligentsia describes the Black Cat Espresso Blend thusly: "A combination of coffees from Latin and South America, the Black Cat blend is a result of our fanatical quest to build the perfect espresso blend. Exceedingly heavy in body with dominant notes of chocolate, caramel, and dried fruit, this blend is complex and powerful with a lingering sweet finish. Black Cat produces a sublime shot of espresso, and is equally dazzling for traditional coffee."

Our thoughts

HIS SIDE: Compared to what we've had in the past, this stuff puts it to shame.

HER SIDE: They weren't kidding when they said it pulled "gooey." It was so thick and creamy that I almost thought we did something wrong given our previous attempts. The taste was nice but I think our technique ruined a lot of it given we were still working on timing and ran out of beans before we got that all down. I would love to try this again when we know what we're doing.