Tag: Coffee Review

Onyx Coffee Lab El Salvador Finca Santa Rosa lot 17

El Salvador Finca Santa Rosa lot 17 from Onyx Coffee Lab (mistobox.com)

The El Salvador Finca Santa Rosa lot 17 was carefully roasted for you by Onyx Coffee Lab. This honey processed coffee was sourced from the growing region of El Salvador and was produced by the Jorge Raul Rivera at 1,650 meters. We love this coffee brewed as a pour over, like the Chemex or V60, to highlight its nuanced notes of praline, maple and Gala apple acidity and balanced overall quality.

I'm not sure I have the palate to detect the "praline, maple and Gala apple acidity". I did not taste any fruit at all. I'm not a Chemex expert but I have brewed many enjoyable cups of light roasted Ethiopians in the last year. I am using a basic brewing guide which isn't much different than the one from MistoBox.

Rating: 2⁄5
Country: EL SALVADOR
Altitude: 1,650 METERS
Variety: PACAMARA
Process: HONEY PROCESSED
Producer: JORGE RAUL RIVERA

Buy the Cup Ethiopian Sidamo

Vitaliy, roaster and owner of Buy the Cup in Rocky Hill, has experimented with some new beans. The latest is Ethiopian Sidamo. Some of the world’s finest coffees, such as Harrar and Yirgacheffee, originate in Ethiopia and are named for the region of origin. You can count Sidamo among them.

Ah. I love my morning cup of coffee. Whether I brew with a French Press or Chemex, I enjoy the 4-5 minutes each morning when I am focused on nothing else except the steep and the pour. And then when it's ready, that first sip is like waking up with the warm sun shining through the curtains while the Caribbean trade winds blow gently across your face. Ah!

Vitaliy, roaster, and owner of Buy the Cup in Rocky Hill, New Jersey, has been experimenting with some new beans. The latest is Ethiopian Sidamo. Some of the world’s finest coffees, such as Harrar and Yirgacheffee, originate in Ethiopia and are named after the region of origin. You can count Sidamo among them.

I dropped in this morning and picked up a pound of the Sidamo. Vitaliy is friendly, and we chatted about some other coffee beans he is bringing into the store soon. I brewed the Sidamo in my Chemex using a paper filter. My wife and I agree that the drink was smooth, fruity - as Ethiopian coffees tend to be - and stands up well to cream. I drink my coffee black, so you'll have to take my wife's word on that bit. I tasted dark chocolate.

Roaster: Rockaffe

Drift Away Coffee

For the last few weeks, I have enjoyed coffee from Drift Away Coffee in Brooklyn, New York. Drift Away has a subscription program.

I am not a coffee connoisseur, but I do enjoy a good cup of joe and have invested time and money to making a better cup. I usually get my beans locally either from Rojo's Roastery in Princeton or Buy the Cup in Rocky Hill. But I grew bored with the offerings and wanted to try something new.

For the last few weeks, I have enjoyed coffee from Drift Away Coffee in Brooklyn, New York. Drift Away has a subscription program.

My initial concern with coffee subscription programs is getting something I don't like. Drift Away has made the process of setting up easy while reducing the chances that the drinkers are delivered something they dislike. There is a $4 fee to set up the account, and the first delivery is the Rise & Grind tasting kit containing a 1 oz sampling of four different coffees. These four single-origin coffees have distinct taste profiles: Fruity, Classic, Balanced & Bold. The tasting kit including a description of each taste profile, the origin of the coffees and a scorecard for each. I prefer light roasted Ethiopian coffees with a slightly fruity character. Most Americans seem to prefer darker full bodies roasts. I think that's because they add cream and sugar.

Drift Away Coffee | 14 November, 2015 Apple iPhone 6 | 4.15 mm (39 mm 35mmFF) | f/2.2 | ISO 50

Once I was done a tasting and ranked the samples, I recorded the information on their website. Once I chose my favourites, I will only get coffees that match my taste.

The second delivery is two weeks after the Rise & Grind tasting kit is delivered, but every delivery after that is based on the frequency I choose. I opted for delivery every two weeks. Drift Away roast each week on Saturday and ships on Monday. Every other Thursday, a new 11 oz bag (Doppio) of freshly roasted coffee beans chosen to suit my taste arrives via the postal service. The Doppio is just the right size to make coffee for two for a week.

I have no complaints. So far, all deliveries have been on time, and I enjoyed the coffees I have received. The cool thing is that Drift Away is adding new coffees all the time. At any time, I can change my subscription to have coffee delivered more or less often. I can change my taste profile to medium roast or darker. I have options.

So far I have had the Rwanda Dukunde Kawa – Musasa and Tanzania Mbozi – Kanji Lalji Farm, both of which brew well in my French Press and Chemex.