I’m almost out of coffee… and that is NOT a good thing. Unfortunately, as a former barista and wannabe-coffee connoisseur, I can’t buy any “regular” brands of coffee beans ( *bucks, Dunkin Donuts, etc). It’s against my religion, or something. That means I’ll have to go out of my way, through some really inconvenient means, and find a decent bag of coffee beans. In the past few weeks I’ve tried 3 different brands of coffee and have been satisfied with all 3… which is a problem. I’m terrible at making simple decisions.
Coffee #1: Caffe Vita’s Caffe del Sol. I got a small bag of these beans for free at Coffee Fest 2008 (Yes, I am a nerd - don’t hate). Although Caffe del Sol is an espresso blend (Latin American +African +Indonesian beans), the Caffe Vita rep told me it would taste great as a press. He was so right. I could just smack myself for not grabbing more bags while I was there. Caffe Vita is based in Washington (the state) which is absolutely not a short metro ride away. It would cost me $13 + shipping costs for a one-pound bag of these lovely beans. Is it worth it?
Coffee #2: Counter Culture Coffee’s ANYTHING. I love this company - Murky Coffee uses and sells their beans. The coffee I first fell in love with was something from Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (it sucks that I can’t remember any other details; there are a billion farms in Yirgacheffe) and I loved that bright, kinda fruity flavor. Since that fateful day in November 2006, my tastebuds have changed and I no longer adore most African coffees like I used to - I have moved onto the Latin American region. A couple of my favorites now are Guatemala Huehuetenango Finca Nueva Armenia and Colombia Cauca La Golondrina ‘Super Lot’. I’m into the not-as-bright-and-fruity (to put it simply) flavors now. These 2 fit the bill. Unfortunately, my Murky store is dead, but there’s another Murky still truckin’ along in Arlington - which means my only shipping costs would be the metro ride to get there. Plus, I’m pretty sure I’d still get a 20% discount (since I haven’t officially quit, I think). So: $10 - $2 + the metro ride to VA = the price I would pay for just one 12 oz. bag. I wonder if that’s worth it…
Coffee #3: Baltimore Coffee & Tea’s Costa Rican Tarazzu. I’m actually drinking it right now, and it’s just delightful. I heard of BC&T from a friend of a friend (a guy who is more of a coffee connoisseur than I am), so I decided to make the trip up to Annapolis (I like driving adventures) to see the place before devoting $15 to a bag of beans. I wasn’t impressed with the staff, but they definitely have quite the selection of coffee beans. Anyway - I really like the Costa Rican Tarazzu - a lot. I’d definitely buy these beans again. I doubt it’s worth another driving adventure (I can’t really afford gas anymore, since I’m unemployed), but I’d feel comfortable making an online purchase. That would set me back $9.89 + $6 for shipping. Hmm…
I have approximately 5 more french presses left before I run out of beans. Yikes.
Ligia said,
1 April, 2008 @ 10:39 pm
As you mentioned your liking Tarrazu Coffee, and dislike of driving far to get it, I’d like to introduce to you CoffeeTico Services, an on-line store that imports Costa Rica’s best Tarrazu coffee and espresso coffee directly from Cafe Rey in Costa Rica. We are located here in Maryland! Check out our website: http://www.coffeetico.com
Jo said,
3 April, 2008 @ 9:54 pm
We have a wonderful coffee farm in Jinotega, Nicaragua that grows only Arabica coffees. Our farm which was established by the Germans in the late 1880’s is called Santa Fe. We are roasting our coffee in our convection system roaster in Denver and would love to send you 1 pound to try. Please let us know if you are interested and how to ship it to you. Gourmet Coffee Bean - 303.922.1238.
Within 3 months we should have a website for future orders. We can tell you the year/lot and give you the type of roast you like. We would love to have you as a new customer. The Rondons! Jo and Carlos