Sadness

Today I drank the very last batch of the Dark Star. We are now sans espresso for a bit. "He" went to Thump this weekend to buy some beans but found out that since they aren't getting a shipment until Wed. that they aren't selling any beans. I don't blame them a bit yet I'm bummed, of course. Looks like I'll either have to go without my beloved cappuccino tomorrow or maybe get out and try someplace new. That doesn't sound like a bad idea actually.

Now we'll have to decide on who to try next after our Stumptown beans run out. I can go a day or two without a cuppa, but have no desire to be without espresso for a week or so (which is usually how long it takes to get a batch 'o beans), hence why we'll pick up some beans locally for now. There are a couple of front-runners that we're looking at to sample next. One was recommended by Brent and we'd like to give them a whirl. So, now the real fun begins. Oh the anticipation!

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...

Cuppas missing in action

Oh how remiss we've been. Or rather, how remiss I'VE been since "he" never blogs. If I die this blog is so going down in flames. Men.

I have been meaning and wanting to blog about our last two types of espresso that we got from Rocket but illness has stood in the way of that. Turns out I have some sort of auto-immune disease/inflammatory arthritis thing going on and man is it ever kicking my ass. Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe the fatigue I have, nor can I put into words how much pain I'm in. Alas, I have let my beloved espresso reviews fall by the wayside. However, I am back for now ready to partake of our coffee experiences. The first will be boring because hey, the espresso wasn't much to write about, but the second...oh the second. I loved it.

Once again I apologize for disappearing and am hoping the steroids I'm currently on give me an extra kick (sans extra hair please) and I'm back to my old self. A girl can hope right?!

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!

We are still alive

And still drinking coffee! We just haven't bought anything new lately and thus haven't had much to blog about. I am ordering some new espresso today (YEAH!) so keep checking back for tasting results. For the past month or so we've been enjoying some lovely Stumptown espresso but have started itching for a new bean. Being the ever-loving-triers-of-new-coffee we can't stick with one type for too long.

On to some blogging...

Thoughts on Starbucks. I used to love their coffee, or rather their blended drinks. The Caramel Macchiato's were my fav. I craved them and winced at the amount of calories I knew I was consuming. The caramelly goodness was almost irresistible to my sweet tooth. Then I started drinking good coffee and all of that changed. Nevertheless, I continued to be a paying customer at Starbucks as I adored their mugs--still do. Fresh, fun, funky, sized just right, colorful, ecclectic. Seriously, I have an addiction with cute coffee cups. I would come home with a new one and "He" would say, "Another one? Where are you going to put it?" I never knew but I always found a place. I would then lovingly use that mug until I found another one that I lusted after even more. Still, I didn't forget the past mugs and rotated them like a good collector. Unfortunately I learned about the ugly corporate side of Starbucks and have vowed to never give them another cent of my money again. This presents a quandary for me. On the one hand I am dying to go in and drool over the cups (and maybe give in to said weakness and bring one home). On the other hand I am so against everything the big giant stands for that I blanch at the thought of stepping in to the store. I realize our local stores haven't personally harmed any of the small town coffee shops that have been run over by their HQ, but they are a part of the larger picture. So alas, I fight my inner coffee cup fetish with doing what's "right." This makes "Him" quite happy, though. Our shelves are overflowing with my treasures. Maybe it's better this way.

Course I did see the cutest little mug in Fred Meyer's the other day...........