Coffee Review: Boston Stoker’s Costa Rican La Minita

December 16, 2010 at 2:58 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | Leave a comment
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This was one of the coffees that we cupped when we stopped at the Boston Stoker (www.bostonstoker.com) coffee shop in Troy Ohio. It is described as having a sweet aroma, full body, balanced acidity and a clean aftertaste. I can tell you we were impressed with the taste when we cupped it and we were looking forward to brewing it at home.

It has a good strong aroma from the bag that is somewhat sweet, with hints of chocolate. When it was brewing in the auto-drip Kim could smell the aroma upstairs. The taste is bright with a mild to medium acidity. The flavor seems to go over the front half of the tongue. It seemed to have a touch of citrus, with a medium to full body. Kim thought it paired very good with both chocolate and vanilla.

There seems to be a somewhat nutty aroma after grinding the beans. In the French Press the flavors and body were fuller and deeper. The taste of lemon is more pronounced. The coffee is little sweet and a little tart, but very balanced. Kim was eating oatmeal bread toast with peanut butter and cherry jelly and thought they paired well with the taste of the coffee.

After brewing with the Chemex coffee maker you get a clean smooth taste with a touch of citrus. There is a lingering tartness, not overly tart but there. It is almost as if the coffee is sweet and sour. I’ll bet it would make a good iced coffee. Here the flavor seems almost to the back of the mouth. All the flavors mixed well and taste very good. Kim thought it tasted good with almonds, figs, dates and apricots.

This La Minita from Boston Stoker is a very good tasting cup of coffee. We enjoyed drinking it and sharing it with friends. The reaction from our friends was very good too. If you would like to try a new coffee for the holiday’s we suggest you give this Costa Rican La Minita a try. We think you will like it.

We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. When you are travelling remember to look for local coffee roasters to visit. You might find an unexpected gem like we did. Until next time remember to stop and enjoy the coffee and conversations.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review: Cafe Volio Founder’s Blend

November 18, 2010 at 4:22 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | Leave a comment
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I started to tell you about our trip to the West Side Market. If you are ever in or near Cleveland, Ohio it is well worth your time to stop there. The Café Volio coffee shop is tucked in the produce section of the market. We met one of the representatives of Café Volio and talked with him.

They only roast and sell Costa Rican coffee. They have been in business since 1938 and you can learn more about them at: www.cafevolio.com. At their stand they have a little machine and they give away free samples. Let me tell you that coffee is good, real good. It was a cool day and that little cup of coffee started our visit at the market in a good way.

We were drinking the Founder’s Blend and it comes in both whole bean and ground. It is a medium-dark roast with a deep dark color. Our first brew was in the auto-drip. There is a deep dark color to this coffee, but it is not over roasted. It has a smooth taste with some bittersweet chocolate undertones. There’s also a hint of tartness.

We then tried the coffee brewed in the Chemex coffee maker. You see this deep dark color and yet the aroma is somewhat mild. It has a smooth, full body and it tasted bright on the sides of the tongue and the front of the palette. Along with the bittersweet chocolate we thought we noticed a little spiciness too.

The French Press was up last and the bittersweet flavor stands out. The color of the brewed coffee is so dark that we were surprised at how smooth it tasted. The mixture of bittersweet chocolate, spices and tartness is a very good combination. Kim thought it paired well with chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon.

If you have read any of our reviews you know we like to share coffee with our friends. Sometimes we give beans away and sometimes we grind the beans and give the ground coffee away. Other times we have friends over to drink coffee and sometimes we take coffee and a brewer to a party to share it. Usually we ask friends if they would like to take some coffee home. Each of our friends that tried this coffee liked it.

If you have never tried Costa Rican coffee before or want to try a different coffee we suggest you try the Founder’s Blend from Café Volio. We think you will like it. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Until next time, remember to stop and enjoy the coffee and conversations.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

Coffee Review: Cafe Volio Costa Rican

November 1, 2010 at 3:59 pm | Posted in Coffee Reviews | Leave a comment
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While on vacation recently Kim and I went to the West Side Market in Cleveland Ohio. We had a very good time. If you like farmers markets you would love this place. There are a lot of vendors and a lot of good food to try. Even if you are not familiar with Cleveland or urban driving the market is easy to get to. It is well worth a side trip.

One of the vendors we found tucked in among the produce was Volio Coffee (www.cafevolio.com). This spot is a hidden gem and is the only coffee among the produce vendors. They only roast and sell Costa Rican coffee. You can purchase whole bean or ground. While you talk with their representative you can enjoy a free cup of fresh made coffee too! We will be brewing and reviewing that style of coffee later, but let me tell you it was………

When we got home Kim wanted to try their light roast coffee first. It is 100% Costa Rican Arabica Coffee. The aroma coming from the auto-drip was good.  It spread throughout the kitchen and nearby rooms. The coffee had a bright, tart, citrus like taste. It was a little acidic but smooth with a light body. This coffee gets your attention in a good way.

Next up was the Chemex coffee maker and here the tartness was evened out. The citrus undertones are more pronounced and we thought it could almost make you pucker. The aftertaste lingers toward the back of the roof of the mouth. I made a little extra to try when it cooled down because we wanted to taste the flavor profile. Both of us thought this Costa Rican light roast would make an excellent cold or iced coffee.

Finally we used the French Press and the body seems fuller here. There is a natural sweetness and a good roast flavor. There is a touch of citrus and slight tartness. Kim thought this brew tasted good with both lemon curd and almonds. I don’t normally drink light roasts, but I was glad we tried this one. It has a good flavor and is one we would drink again.

If you like light roasts or want to try one for the first time we suggest you give this one a try. We don’t think you will be disappointed. We received this coffee for free and offer objective feedback. Until next time remember to stop and enjoy the coffee and conversations.

Much GRACE and peace to you,

Bill and Kim

Romans 15:13; Psalm 34:1-10

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