http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/> Indiana County's Original Microroaster en-us Andre and I sat down to evaluate two African coffees. I wanted to share the results with you. I gave the ethiopian a 96 out of a possible 100. It is definitely one of the most perfect coffees. It is the only country that coffee is native to. Ethiopian is quite possibly the cleanest coffee with overwhelming blueberry tones, subtle milk chocolate tones. Andre said: a lively, spicy round body coffee that permeates the mouth... For Kenya there is definitely a very pleasant acidity, extremely deep, musty (in a good way), subtle pleasant bitter tones of a dark chocolate, some berries on the break of the crust. Andre noticed: a heavy, deep, dark coffee, that sits nicely at the back of the tongue... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:50:00 +0000 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/60 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/60 Andre and I spent some time cupping yesterday. We sampled three coffees. The point was to find nuance difference in alternative coffees. The three coffees we used were: Colombian (the new Don Telmo), Costa Rican (La Amistad), and Nicaraguan (the FTO selva). The flavors that we experienced were staggering. The Colombian was incredibly bright, clear hints of chocolate, caramel, very balanced, with a very rich finish. Andre noted floral tones that were reminiscent of wild flowers. The Costa Rican was amazing in its tones of pipe tobacco and darker sweets (molasses and maple), gentle acidity, smooth, round (and creamy), subtle fruits. Andre noted that the flavor goes straight up and plumes. The Nicaraguan was nutty, chocolatey, complex, citrus fruit, short ending, and rich. Andre noted that the taste swirls, and there was overwhelming brownie aroma in the fragrance. He concludes: a brownie, chocolate, citrus-zing. Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:52:00 +0000 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/59 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/59 I have finalized the third espresso blend for our shop. We have decided to call it: Espresso Novena - if you haven't been one of the lucky few to try it - come in and give it a shot. If you mention this blog - I will offer you a single on me. I have been working on this blend as a reaction to one of my favorite coffee shops in NYC that has a similar blend. It has no indonesian coffees in it -- in contrast - our other two blends are so heavily reliant on indo. Additionally, we received a new shipment of coffees and I am proud to announce two special offerings: 1)Colombian Mesa de Los Santos (Don Telmo) this is a strictly Bourbon coffee. That means that the coffee trees are Coffea Arabica Bourbon (our typical offerings are Coffea Arabica Typica) - we have been able to offer a few others from time to time. This is a very special bird (and other critter) friendly, shade grown, org. You can learn more about this coffee at their website: http://www.cafemesadelossantos.com/ This will be offered on the clover later in the day tomorrow. 2)Costa Rican La Amistad another exciting offering - this is a shade-grown, bird friendly, and org. coffee - you can learn more about this coffee by visiting: http://www.laamistad.com/ingles/ingles.html I am eager to have some cupping notes from this coffee - I won't be able to evaluate until tomorrow morning... Wed, 21 May 2008 02:38:00 +0000 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/58 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/58 One of the nice things (among many) of the clover is that we can sample coffees that were once thought to be too expensive to buy a pound of to take home. Therefore, for a limited time the two most traditionally expensive coffees that we offer are available (in short supply) this week on the clover. Come in and experience island life as we sip Jamaican and Hawaiian coffees. These coffees are still pretty pricey as regular drip coffees are concerned - but well worth it - just ask behind the bar. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:45:00 +0000 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/57 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/57 In a time when perfection is being sought for espresso, it is about time that brewed coffee gets in the limelight. The uber-coffee geeks are seeking what is the perfect temperature to brew espresso, how much ground coffee in the portafilter, how hard to tamp the coffee puck, or how much water should go through the puck- the pursuit goes on and on. So, we think brewed coffee - ah, that should be simple! But wait - shouldn't we be paying attention to all of these parameters when it comes to brewing? YES WE SHOULD. and finally we have the tool - The Clover. The Clover allows us to make a perfect, custom made coffee ONE CUP AT A TIME. Proper brewing temperature, the time that the coffee and water is together, the grind size, and the amount of coffee vs. the water. Come in and try it. We are offering some of the Cup of Excellence coffees as a single cups - so that it is a bit smaller investment. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:10:00 +0000 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/56 http://thecommonplacecoffeehouse.com/blog/show/56