Coffee Review: Stauf’s Kenya AA Lenana

August 12, 2010 at 2:38 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | 1 Comment
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We enjoy drinking coffee with friends and getting to know one another better.  We try to share all of the coffee we receive for reviewing with friends and co-workers. Sometimes we have friends over to drink coffee with and sometimes we give beans to them so they can brew it at home. We ask them to tell us how they liked the coffee after they have had it. So it was good to be able to have some friends over to share this Kenya AA Lenana from Stauf’s (www.staufs.com).

The Stauf’s Kenya AA Lenana  is described as having a uniquely clean finish with the taste and aroma of blueberries and tobacco. It has a medium-light body and a crisp acidity. It came as a whole bean full city roast. It is named after one of the three peaks of Mount Kenya and is grown at altitudes of 4500 feet and above. We all thought the aroma in the bag was pretty good, a mix of fruit and smoke. We were looking forward to brewing it.

We had two groups of friends over at different times and the first brewer choice for each was the Chemex coffee maker because they had never tried coffee brewed that way before. Two even drank their coffee black because they wanted to try a new coffee drinking experience. We thought it had a somewhat sweet, fruitlike flavor. It has a light body and a mildly crisp acidity with a good aftertaste. It went well with the fruit-topped cake we had for desert.

Next we tried the French Press which seems to be the most common brewer that people get after the auto-drip. Here the aroma and flavor were stronger, but acidity is still mild. The body seemed more medium here, just a little bit heavier. Another sugar and cream user drank his cup black and enjoyed it. This is really an enjoyable cup of coffee in the press.

Most of our friends just brew coffee in an auto-drip and they don’t own a grinder. So we help them learn about grinding whole beans, different brewing methods and fresh roasted coffee. Usually they are surprised at how good fresh roasted coffee tastes, even the ones that think that “coffee is coffee.” It is funny to see the smile on their faces when they take that first sip of freshly ground and brewed coffee. From the auto-drip this Kenyan has a mild, naturally sweet flavor. The flavor doesn’t seem to last long in your mouth, but it is a good cup of coffee.

If you would like to try a good mild coffee, this Kenya AA Lenana from Stauf’s might be the one for you. We enjoyed good coffee, good food and good conversation. It was a good coffee brewing and drinking experience. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Until next time remember to stop and enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee With A Mission!

August 2, 2010 at 11:05 am | Posted in Coffee Reviews | 2 Comments
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Coffee with a mission! That’s the slogan of  Hemisphere Coffee Roasters (www.hemispherecoffeeroasters.com). This week’s coffee is light/medium roast called Café Diego. It is grown by Diego Chavarria in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. People from Rosedale Mennonite Missions met Diego in the 1970’s while doing work in the area. They became friends and started working together. In 2006 HCR purchased a full container of Café Diego, paying twice what they were currently receiving. With the profit the men are empowered to pay their workers better, sustain the farm, and hire pastors for their workers and their families. Six churches are now supported from ongoing coffee purchases.

The Café Diego is described as having a good acidity and chocolaty undertones. It is grown at high altitudes in old shade canopy. The bean is hard and has wonderful characteristics. One of the things we enjoy about doing the coffee reviews is sharing coffee with friends who don’t normally drink coffee made from fresh ground beans. We get to try new coffees and help friends find out just how easy it is to grind whole beans and then use a different brewer. It is about the relationships with people. It seems to be that way with HCR too.

This light/medium roasted Café Diego has an earthy and fruity aroma. When brewed in the French Press it has a medium body, not too heavy or too light. The taste seems to hit the middle of the tongue and there is a bittersweet chocolate flavor. It has a natural sweetness. We enjoyed the flavor of this coffee.

Next up was the AeroPress brewer and it seemed to intensify the flavors. The AeroPress is unique in that you can brew and drink the coffee like an espresso or add water to the cup and drink it like American coffee. We brewed it and tasted it espresso style and it wasn’t overpowering. Neither Kim nor I really like espresso, so we added some water and it still had a surprisingly good deep flavor.

We also used the auto-drip and filled a thermos for a short trip to some used bookstores and antique stores. The coffee had a good roast flavor and hints of dark chocolate. The acidity is low and there is a pleasant aftertaste.

We liked this coffee from any of the brewers we used and would give it two thumbs up. We are not experts about coffee but we are willing to break out of old routines and brew coffee in different ways. We like tasting the differences that each brewing method presents to us. If you haven’t tried a whole bean coffee, give it a try, you can do it and you will be glad you did.

If you want to try some good coffee and help missionaries and missions work at the same time we suggest you try this Café Diego or any of the coffees from Hemisphere Coffee Roasters. You’ll be glad you did. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Until next time enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Stauf’s Dominican Republic Cafe Femenino

July 26, 2010 at 3:04 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | Leave a comment
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We enjoyed our visit to Stauf’s Coffee Shop (www.staufs.com) and you can read about it in the coffee shop reviews category. We have not tried a coffee from the Dominican Republic yet so we were looking forward to trying this one that was roasted by Stauf’s. It is described as a bold, full body, with smoky malt and dark chocolate flavors. It finishes clean with a subtle zest of citrus and lower acidity. It came to us as a whole bean full city roast.

The Café Femenino beans are the first and only beans grown exclusively by women farmers. This program is designed to help girls and women get an education and to come out of poverty. The Café Femenino line is helping women in different countries improve their lives and lifestyles. Stauf’s is also committing 20% of the sales to the Griswold Residency of YWCA Columbus, Ohio. This helps provide women in transition with affordable housing.

First up was the French Press and there is a nutty aroma that greets you when you open the bag. After it is brewed it has a flower like aroma in the cup. It has a sweet smooth flavor and medium body that hits the front half of your tongue. There is a clean, fruity, naturally sweet aftertaste.

Next up was the Chemex coffee maker and the aroma in the cup was more fruity and floral. There is a bright clean flavor with a snappy zing to the middle of the tongue. The naturally sweet flavor is more pronounced here. This coffee paired well with almonds, dried figs and dark chocolate.

We enjoyed this coffee in the auto-drip also. The nutty aroma and good flavor were still there. If you are on a diet and want to get away from any type of sweetener you will probably like this coffee because it tastes real good black. The natural sweetness and fruity aftertaste are very pleasing. It goes well with a high fiber, low fat snack. We’d give this coffee two thumbs up in any brewing style.

If you want to help out some good causes (www.cafefemenino.com and www.ywcacolumbus.org) while drinking a flavorful coffee we suggest you try this Dominican Republic Café Femenino from Stauf’s Coffee Roasters. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Until next time remember to stop and enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Rwandan Bukonya Ikawa

July 22, 2010 at 5:24 am | Posted in Coffee Reviews | Leave a comment
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Those of us who like to try different coffees enjoy differences presented by the roasters, the types of roasts and the beans themselves. We like to try the coffee that comes from different regions, countries, or specific farms. As we grow in discerning flavors we begin to get more confident and specific in what we like and don’t like. Bottom line is that we like coffee and enjoy the adventure of tasting the flavor of the next cup.

But could there be more? I think there can and maybe it starts with helping the farmers in different countries who actually grow the coffee. This Rwandan Bukonya Ikawa is from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee (www.drinkcoffeedogood.com) and is described “as a sweet, aromatic melon medium that rides on top of the full chocolate undertones for a complex and delightful brew. Some are roasted to a solid medium and others to a rich dark.”

Land of a Thousand Hills was started to partner with coffee growers, coffee drinkers, coffee shops and churches to embrace a commitment to Community Trade and give back to the farmers who produce the coffee beans. They hope to use the coffee as a way to build community and connect people in a purposeful and tangible way. They care about helping people who live in one of the world’s poorest countries be empowered by being paid a fair living wage for their work. There are other things they do to help the farmers grow and develop and I would encourage you to check out their story and site. I’ll share more when we review their decaf.

We brewed this coffee in the Clever Coffee Dripper first. It seems to have a spicy, citrus aroma. The acidity is mild and the body is light to medium. The flavor seems to stay on both the front half and sides of the tongue. The aftertaste is kind of spicy and chocolaty.

Next was the Chemex coffee maker and deep roasted flavor comes out here. Kim liked this coffee paired with chocolate. It makes you think while you are drinking it because it is complex. There is something there that I can’t quite put my finger on, but I like it.

Then we tried it in the French Press and the aroma is more pronounced. It really smells good when you grind the beans and pour the water into the press. The deep roasted flavor stands out the strongest of either brew here. My mind is working as I try to figure out what I taste. Kim thought it went well with cinnamon graham crackers and chocolate. I’m only a man, but I think she wants me to get her some chocolate!  

We also brewed this coffee in the auto-drip and liked it there also. I realized that we must have liked this coffee because it was gone in less than a week. I went to make some and all that was there was an empty bag. It was there and then it was gone, but it was a good coffee drinking experience. Two thumbs up.

We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. If you want to try a good Rwandan coffee and do good at the same time we suggest you try this Bukonya Ikawa. Until next time remember to stop and enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Nicaraguan Maragogype

July 10, 2010 at 3:25 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | Leave a comment
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This coffee is from Hemisphere Coffee Roasters (www.hemispherecoffees.com) and is described as a dark roast with lemon and chocolate notes. It is a unique smooth coffee that grows very scarcely in Central America. Many farmers have stopped cultivating it because doesn’t produce well.

Hemisphere Coffee Roasters (HCR) was started out of work with Rosedale Mennonite Missions with a vision to assist coffee farmers and their communities. Many of the farmers live in areas of extreme poverty and the relationships between the farmers and HCR is a practical way to help the farmers and their communities profit from the sale of the beans. In 2008 HCR worked to start a non-profit, Care Cup International (www.carecupinternational.com) to further assist the farmers through grants and agricultural consulting. In future blog posts I’ll share more about HCR and CCI, but I do want to encourage you to check them out.

Our first brew was with the French Press and there is a nice aroma that comes from these dark roasted beans. They have a deep roasted smell in the bag and after being ground. There is a distinct lemon flavor that spreads all over the tongue with a mild acidity. The body of the coffee is smooth and light. You really notice this coffee when you taste it. Two thumbs up.

We went with the auto-drip next and Kim remarked how good the aroma was when she came down stairs. Overall the flavor is well balanced and deep. There is a smooth feel and good aftertaste. This is a memorable cup of coffee. We would give it two thumbs up again.

Finally we used the Chemex coffee maker and there was a clean deep roasted flavor to enjoy. The taste of lemon was there along with a bittersweet or dark chocolate. It has a nice aftertaste and this is kind of where the dark chocolate comes out. As we sat down and talked about this coffee both of us simply liked the flavor we tasted. Two thumbs up again.

Kim liked drinking this coffee as she was eating some Asian food. It also tastes good with a chocolate oat bar. I made a cup in the single cup brewer and it tasted really good there as well. Both of us could say that we liked this coffee very much. If you have never tried a Nicaraguan coffee we highly recommend this Maragogype from Hemisphere Coffee Roasters. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Until next time, stop and enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Higher Ground Roasters Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

June 26, 2010 at 4:07 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | 2 Comments
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This Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from Higher Ground Roasters (www.highergroundroasters.com) is a dark roasted whole bean coffee. It is described as being highly aromatic with a perfect balance of acidity, wine like subtleties, hints of wild berries and a smooth finish. It is also shade grown and preserves the habit. Higher Ground is an environmentally friendly coffee roaster.

I decided to use the auto-drip as our first brewer and instead of preparing it before going to bed I made the coffee first thing in the morning. I still like squeezing the bag and smelling the aroma of the coffee beans then looking into the bag and seeing the beans themselves. That doesn’t get old to me. The coffee gives off an earthy, fruity aroma. It has a light feel in the mouth and a tangy berrylike aftertaste. Two thumbs up.

The French Press was the second brewer choice and it makes the coffee a bit stronger, but no bitterness in at all. The body feels a little heavier but still medium. You can taste berry and there is a moderate acidity. Kim thought it paired well with cinnamon sugar graham crackers. Two thumbs up again.

The Chemex coffee brewer was our third style. Here you get a light to medium body and clean taste with berry and citrus flavors. It has more of a complex flavor here, almost like it starts out one way and then changes. It makes you think about what you are drinking in a good way. It seems to be a fragrant, vibrant coffee. Two thumbs up.

If you have never tried an Ethiopian coffee you can’t go wrong starting with this one. It gave us a good coffee drinking experience. If you are looking for a coffee roaster that is environmentally friendly and produces good coffee Higher Grounds Roasters is what you are looking for. Until next time, enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Higher Ground Roasters, Mexican Chiapas

June 19, 2010 at 5:08 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | 1 Comment
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We tried coffee from Higher Ground (www.highergroundroasters.com) once before when we visited The Hub Coffee Shop. We were looking forward to brewing and tasting this Mexican Chiapas. It is grown in the Sierra Madre mountain range. It is described as being a complex and balanced cup with overtones of spices and fruit. It has a light to medium body with mild acidity. It is a Fair Trade organic coffee also.

We don’t usually drink light roasts but I was immediately impressed with the aroma when I opened the bag. I was reminded of peanut butter. It has a very nutty aroma which seemed to be enhanced after it was ground. The auto-drip was up for use first and this light coffee gives off a good aroma. It does have a sweet, bright taste which hits the tip of your tongue and then moves over the tongue. The body is light and the taste is good. Two thumbs up.

The next brewer we used was the French Press. Both of us liked the mildly stronger taste here. The body is still light and there seemed to be a tangy aftertaste. For breakfast Kim had organic Jewish Rye bread toasted with peanut butter and orange marmalade. She thought the rye flavor, nuttiness and citrus sweetness were enhanced by the coffee. I just thought it tasted good. Two thumbs up again.

Then we brewed the Chiapas in the Chemex coffeemaker. I must say I like the smell of these beans. I like peanut butter and that is what the aroma reminds me of. It seems when we use the Chemex that I talk about what a clean cup of coffee we get. The body is light and the taste is slightly nutty and sweet. No sweetener or cream is needed with this coffee. Two thumbs up.

Then Kim tried the coffee brewed in an AeroPress brewer. All the flavors we liked were there and the coffee was much stronger and not bitter at all. She thought it paired nicely with an Asian dish she made and that it made the pickled radish stand out.

Overall we were surprised at how much we liked this light roast Mexican Chiapas. We tend to go for darker roasts but the aroma, taste and feel of this coffee makes for a good tasting experience. If you like light roasts or want to try one you can’t go wrong here. We recieved this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Remember to stop and enjoy some coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Vietnamese Legendee Classic

June 18, 2010 at 8:04 am | Posted in Coffee Reviews | Leave a comment
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The coffee we are trying this week is Legendee Classic Whole Bean from Trung Nguyen (http://www.trung-nguyen-online.com). It is described as being grown in Vietnam and as one of the best coffees made in Vietnam today. It is a blend of peaberries and robusta with a correspondingly darker flavor that ices well. The Vietnamese roasting style uses a small amount of clarified butter oil to assist in the slow, circulating roasting process.

One of our favorite restaurants serves only Vietnamese food. We found it about three years ago and the first time there we had Vietnamese style coffee. We liked it so much we went out and bought the single cup coffee brewers and the specific coffee that the restaurant used. We have since made our version at home many times with each other and with friends. So we were looking forward to trying this coffee.

First up was the auto-drip and when I opened the bag there is a spicy aroma that meets you. The beans are two different shades as some of the beans are roasted darker than the others. The directions that came with the coffee suggest using 50% to 25% less coffee than you normally use per 6 ounces of water because Vietnamese coffees are very rich and make more brewed coffee than American brands.

This coffee is intriguing and I wasn’t sure what flavors I tasted with the first sip. There is a buttery taste, but it isn’t overpowering. The coffee has a deep roasted flavor but is not bitter at all and lasts after you swallow it. As the coffee cooled it had a slightly nutty taste. As an iced coffee the buttery taste was gone and the nutty, tangy flavor remained. Kim liked the coffee but I wasn’t sure if I did. We would give it one thumb up.

Next up was the French Press and again there is a distinct aroma that is good.  It must be the spice blend, but I almost taste something like licorice and I don’t like licorice. Kim liked the coffee and even took some to work to make in her Vietnamese coffee cup brewer and to share with her co-workers. Kim thought the coffee went really well with a noodle, veggie and tofu dish that she made. She thought the sauce and coffee enhanced each other’s flavors. One thumb up again.

Lastly was the Chemex coffee brewer and I was hoping it would clean the taste up for me. My first sip gets my attention, but I just don’t like the spices that I taste. It seems that the more I drink this coffee the less I like it, but on the flip side, the more Kim drinks it the more she likes it. Only one thumb up again.

One negative to me was how you have to clean the coffee grinder after each time of grinding these beans. The strong aroma lingers also. Some of our friends who like Vietnamese food are really looking forward to trying it. If you are interested in trying a Vietnamese coffee this Legendee Classic Whole Bean is for you. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Until next time, enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Brazil Daterra Decaf

June 12, 2010 at 2:33 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | 1 Comment
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This is our third coffee from Coffee Labs Roasters (www.coffeelabsroasters@mac.com or www.coffeelabs.com) and we were looking forward to trying it. The other two we had friends try with us and they liked them, so this time we decided to brew, taste and review this coffee a little different. We actually ended up using four different brewing methods over a few days.

We planned on enjoying the coffee with friends and none of these friends brew their coffee with anything but an auto-drip machine. So that is what we used. They are all used to drinking grocery store pre-ground coffee and buying whatever is on sale. One friend says he doesn’t like decaf and can tell the difference. It would be a good test group and I love a challenge.

I asked them to smell the beans in the bag and then after I ground them. They kind of liked this exercise and then we talked as the coffee brewed. After pouring everyone a cup I asked them to taste the coffee before they added cream and sugar. Of all seven of us, only one person used cream and sugar. Everyone liked the taste and they were surprised at how good it was for a decaf. We know that decaf does get a bad rap and that’s one reason why we keep looking for that excellent decaf.

The non-decaf drinker couldn’t believe it was a decaf. He thought it was strong, had a good flavor and he wanted another cup. Someone else thought it was a smooth, even cup of coffee and it had a good taste. They would buy this if they had a grinder. Another friend thought it had a little bit of a smokey taste, but not burnt. Overall everyone liked it and I hope we showed them how easy it is to take good well roasted beans, grind them and brew fresh coffee.

At home Kim and I then brewed it in the French Press. There is a smokey and slight chocolaty taste to the coffee. It isn’t really sweet but doesn’t need any sweetener added to it. It has an even feel in your mouth and a mild aroma. The beans look dark, but the coffee does not taste like a dark roast. It is quite surprising. We would give it two thumbs up.

Then we brewed it in the Chemex and the natural coffee flavor shined here. It has a mild aroma and to me a little bittersweet taste. This would be a good complement to eating a sweet desert. It has a nice taste that makes you think about what you are drinking. Two thumbs up again.

Then we tried a new brewer we just got called the AeroPress Brewing System. It brews espresso style coffee, but you can add water to the coffee cup to make American coffee. We have to get used to this brewer and we will have a review of it up on the blog soon. This reminded me of the Chemex only much stronger. The espresso we made was very strong and not bitter at all. I know some of you think we’re crazy for making espresso with decaf. The coffee flavor really came through with this brewer. Two thumbs up again.

So we brewed the Brazil Decaf four different ways and thoroughly enjoyed it. We shared it with friends and all of them enjoyed it. If you are looking for a city plus to full city roast water processed decaf this Brazil Daterra from Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY would be a very good choice.

We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. We’ll keep exploring new places and trying decafs looking for that excellent cup of late afternoon or evening coffee. I’ll keep writing about our coffee tasting experiences too. So until next time, stop and enjoy the coffee and conversation.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review – Ethiopian Harrar Decaf

June 8, 2010 at 8:58 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | 1 Comment
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On our continuing search for a good decaf we were looking forward to trying this coffee. It was roasted by Johnny Milton, Jr. (www.baristaonduty.com) in Georgia. He is a nano-roaster roasting very small batches and made to order roasts. This particular roast is a water process decaf medium roast. It is packaged in unique jars and the jar we received was enough for two cups. On the jar it was written that it was born 1-11-10 and pan roasted and hand crafted. I found out from his blog that he is a 3rd generation farmer and Marine. What’s not to like about this guy?

Because there was only enough for two cups we decided to brew the coffee using the French Press. We thought this style would help us extract the entire flavor from the coffee. The beans have a mild aroma even after grinding. I put the ground beans in the press and added the proper amount of water, stirred it up and smelled the aroma. Next was waiting for coffee to be poured.

I poured two cups and we sat down to taste. We really had to think about this coffee as we drank it. We also didn’t have the comfort zone of two more different brews. So we drank slowly and talked about what we tasted. This is a complex coffee, it’s almost like there are different flavors. It has a medium body and is a little dry in the mouth. After you swallowed the taste did not seem to linger too long.

But there was a kind of fruitiness also. We had a hard time distinguishing, but maybe blueberry was what we tasted. So we drank and tasted slowly discussing the coffee. Kim thought it would go good with a heavy dessert because it seems light. If you prefer mild coffees you will enjoy this one. This roast of Ethiopian Harrar would be a good afternoon or early evening coffee.

We usually like a little bolder coffee but this is a good coffee and we would give it two thumbs up and 3.25 out of 5. We wished we had more to brew and we would definitely share it with friends. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

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