Rites of Spring #4 - Queen Kong Nyeri Kenyan AA from RocketFuelCoffee.Com · Friday March 26, 2010 by colin newell
Coffee of Kenya – noted for its cooperative system of production, processing, milling, marketing, and auctioning. For the average North American consumer, Kenya is one of the most recognized next to Colombia and Brazil – It stands out because of its flavor profile; overarching astringency – bright lemon flavors – medium body – snappy flavors with some hints of orange, citrus and, of all things, cedar wood.
About 70% of Kenyan coffee is produced by small scale share holders in this burgeoning and historic agro-dependent society.
And no self-respecting purveyor of exotic coffees would complete their inventory of great coffees without the inclusion of at least one great Kenyan.
Lisa Rotenberg of RocketFuelCoffee.com has a nose for great coffees and picked Gikanda Farmers Coop Nyeri regions signature Kenya AA as her African representative.
And she picked well – The coffee has a wonderfully appealing lemon crispness with hints of oak, spice and hints of blueberry. For me it is not the in your face pucker up in the cup that I normally associate with bold Kenyan coffees – and I like that. It is more complex than the average AA and is worth the investment.
More of an afternoon and dinner coffee, Kenyan Nyeri “Queen Kong” from RocketFuelCoffee.Com wins on balance, nuance and subtlety.
Thanks Lisa. Good work!
Rites of Spring #3 - El Socorro coffee from RocketFuelCoffee.Com · Wednesday March 24, 2010 by colin newell
We are brewing Guatemalan El Socorro y Anexos coffee in our lab today.
From a sample from RocketFuelCoffee.com of Toronto – arguably one of Canada’s premiere suppliers of 100% exotic specialty arabica coffees.
El Socorro y Anexos has been awarded the prestigious Presidential Award Cup of Excellence (COE #4). And that says something. A tremendous amount of care and attention has gone into this coffee.
We found the coffee rich with a deep & fruity body – reminiscent of plums, dates and darker fruit.
This is a perfectly balanced cup with no distractions or surprises – a big morning coffee suited to drinking black (as if anyone would be silly enough to defile this with sugar or cream.)
Our morning brews tend to be drip from a Newco OCS-8 thermal carafe brewer – a clear ruler among coffee brewers.
This afternoon we will follow up with a large 4-minute Bodum press.
Afternoon report
4 minute press revealed a much more subdued cup with less fruit volume and more flower notes… some hibiscus and spice (sage, cinnamon).
Overall impression This is a superb example of a well tended Guatemalan coffee. Perfect for coffee drinkers who like the flexibility of a bold filter brew or a sedate and balanced French Press. Top marks!
Rites of Spring 2010 - number 2 - punish the environment · Monday March 22, 2010 by colin newell
March 23, 1988 – Walking behind a couple of young people (visiting here from somewhere in the Pacific Rim…) enjoying the brilliant Victoria B.C. early Spring like weather… Not far behind, I have INXS playing on my Sony Walkman – a late 80’s relic that plays cassette tape modules. The couple are chowing down on bananas – an odd choice for a Spring evening. Much to my surprise, they drop the banana peels at their sides onto the sidewalk… without a second glance. In a moment of spontaneous indignation, I pick up the dangerous fallen slippery peels and toss them in their direction, uttering a witty and original… “Dudes…” or something to that effect. Okay, maybe something more offensive. They were speechless… but the sidewalk was now peel-less.
March 23, 2010 – Tim’s Horton’s is now launching another round of Roll up the Rim to Win – an orgy of pollution. 31 million prizes the website claims – I imagine that it works out to about 100 million paper cups – many of those served empty for the sole purpose of letting Canadian red necks and yuppies alike enjoy the brief joy of rolling a piece of wax paper.
Sacred like hockey and maple syrup, few people challenge this ridiculous bit of commerce… but I say to you, risking a storm of e-mail…
What a fucking stupid idea Roll up the Rim to Win is.
Just one of those stupid things that we see from time to time that are just so stupid… and not enough of us wonder why.
Soon sidewalks across Canada will be littered with this pathetically silly waste of paper.
Way to go Tim Horton’s.
Here is a past rant on the subject of Tim Horton’s relentless war on the Canadian environment.
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Rites of Spring 2010 - looking for some great coffee house staff · Saturday March 20, 2010 by colin newell
When you are Shane Devereaux, arguably the reigning king of downtown Victoria coffee cool, your mere presence in any doorway is generally an indicator that you are guarding the latest caffeinated portal to hipness.
And it is with that abstract observation that we are pleased to announce that soon, very soon, there will be another dose of HABIT arriving on the shores of our collective cerebral cortex – ready for a stiff tapping at that…
On Yates street. At the new (and highly anticipated) Atrium complex.
Along with the likes of Zambri’s, PIG and some other ultra-sexy businesses.
And Shane is looking for a few good women and men. To join a team of coffee super-beings. Who love coffee. Who love people. Who love combining the two. Who are ready to be family members. Who have food and coffee culture passion measured in gigawatts.
Do you have that right stuff?
If you do and you are prepared to participate in the mind-orgy of now… Well then send an e-mail to the Shane-meister at habitcoffee@gmail.com
And may the cool be with you.
