Coffee reviews

Blends/Multiple / Caribou Coffee / Coffee reviews / Retail and specialty roasters

Coffee review: Caribou Rainforest Blend

Plainspoken Coffee. A Coffee Review for Ordinary People by Ordinary People, #3.

Today, a more pedestrian coffee, the organic and Fair Trade Rainforest Blend from Caribou Coffee, a Starbucks rival in many northern states.  Caribou not only has better coffee, in my opinion, but clearly has a stronger commitment to sustainability.  As I wrote about before, Caribou is on its way to having half of its beans Rainforest Alliance certified.  It also supports Coffee Kids, Grounds for Health (women’s health in coffee producing counties), the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and helped build a medical clinic in Guatemala.


The coffee: This blend is certified Fair Trade and organic, and is labeled as shade grown.  The web site states the beans are from Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil.

The beans: It is given a roast darkness of “6” on a 10-point scale.

Brewed: The first sip brought us all a surprising “zing” that Coal Tit accurately described as “juicy.”  Contrary to logic, this effect was hard to detect when a gold filter was used, but seemed to show up better with an unbleached paper filter after several trials. I find complex coffees really intriguing, but for the most part, on a daily basis I do not want to be mindful of my coffee.  I want it to taste good, but I don’t want to pay attention to it every time I sip it.  The Rainforest blend fit the bill.  Star[bucks]ling found it to be sweet, bright, and crisp.  Really, you can’t say a lot more than that.  But after our previous more flavorful coffee tastings, he went on to try to come up with more subtle tastes. “You don’t get any kind of wood?” he asked.  Uh, no.  But good for you!

Bottom line: We expected this to be a pretty ho-hum, good but without any distinguishing characteristics.  We were wrong and pleasantly surprised.  Pleasant is a good word, not complex or fascinating, but just distinct enough to be interesting, very balanced, clean and mild, a nice everyday coffee.

When to drink this coffee (field oriented): All day long, doing spring migration counts or breeding bird census work, even on warm days.

We’re rating this 3.5 motmots. This average came about from lower scores from people who like more forthright flavors, and high scores from those who reward friendly coffees they can drink all day.

Africa / Coffee reviews

Coffee review: Rocket Coffee Company Ethiopian Sidamo

Plainspoken Coffee. A Coffee Review for Ordinary People by Ordinary People, #2.

The main reason I launched the C&C tasting panel was because Larry of Rocket Coffee Roasters in Phoenix wrote to me and generously offered a sample for review. He sent an organic, Fair Trade Ethiopian Sidamo, roasted on May 25.  It got delayed due to the holiday weekend, and we convened our first panel on June 1.

The coffee: Most coffee in Ethiopia is grown in shade, at least half in medium or heavy shade. I’m pretty sure all Ethiopian organic/FT coffees are from the Oromia cooperative, and all their coffees are said to be forest-grown. This is a dry-processed bean — I believe all the Ethiopians I’ve tasted so far have been washed. The dry processed beans are supposed to have more body and earthiness than their counterparts.

The beans: The roast looked a bit past full city, with a mix of some lighter beans in with the dark. For the life of me, I could not place the smell of the beans when we opened the bag.  Star[bucks]ling immediately said, “Cherries!” Risky Kingbird thought it smelled sweet.  I didn’t even think it smelled like coffee. It had a musty odor to me, which I later found out is not unusual in a dry process Ethiopian.  Karen (“PhillyVireo”), a former coffee vendor, immediately identified it as an Ethiopian before we told her what it was.

Brewed: Piping hot, both  Star[bucks]ling and Risky Kingbird thought it had a tea-llike taste. “It’s almost like having a tea bag in your coffee!” Star[bucks]ling said.  Meanwhile, I was sort of speechless.  This coffee was so distinct I didn’t know how to describe it.  It only took a minute or two before the flavors developed and we all had the same Eureka moment: Berries.  Lots and lots of full berry flavor. Risky Kingbird did not like the aftertaste, but the rest of us found it extremely nice, and very long lasting.

In a french press: None of us liked this coffee better in a french press. We found it mellower, but less distinctive; the berry flavor just didn’t come through. Several of us immediately tasted what we could only describe as cardboard (wood? paper?).  Risky Kingbird, CrackedCorvid, and PhillyVireo thought it brighter as a french press, while Star[bucks]ling and I found it heavy.

More professional opinions: Rocket describes this bean as “A true and classic representation of the best Ethiopian. Blackberries, currants and deep, dark chocolate provide exotic flavor and a medium body.”  A Sweet Marias review of a dry Sidamo described it as funky and a bit musty, or earthy with fresh leather (I think this was the “cardboard” smell/taste I detected. Coffee Review offers a nice discussion of characteristics of wet and dry processed Ethiopians.

Bottom line: Complex implies a variety of overlapping flavors, perhaps identifiable to more sophisticated drinkers.  To us, “deep” seemed a better description, lovely fruity notes that began softly, climbed in intensity, then waned gracefully, lingered pleasantly — a smooth berry symphony.  Maybe not an everyday coffee, but surely a good choice when you want something different.

We’re rating this 3.5 motmots; the average was a bit higher than that, but I can’t make any more fractional motmots.

When to drink this coffee (field oriented): Owing to the nice body and grand, fruity flavor, the Rocket Coffee Roaster’s Ethiopian Sidamo had a dessert feel to us.  Drink it after a long day in the field, during the evening’s group meeting comparing notes and compiling data around a rough wooden table, with the coffee matching relaxed, satisfied, and mellow moods.

Coffee reviews / Indo-Pacific / Retail and specialty roasters / Starbucks

Coffee Review: Starbucks Black Apron: Sulawesi Kopi Kampung

Plainspoken Coffee. A Coffee Review for Ordinary People by Ordinary People, #1.

The new C&C tasting panel decided to cut our teeth (so to speak) on Starbucks’ newest Black Apron offering: Sulawesi Kopi Kampung. We chose this for our first test run mainly because The Star[bucks]ling got some on employee comp.

The coffee: Sourced from northern Toraja, in central Sulawesi, an area of lush forest where coffee (often typica) is usually grown under shade.  It is a semi-washed bean.

The beans: It looked like a full city roast, perhaps a bit beyond, as nearly all beans showed some oils.  Sweet Maria’s suggests this may be too dark a roast for a Sulawesi, not surprising from Starbucks.  We opened the bag and took a sniff.  We all agreed it had a distinctive smell. BirdBarista thought they smelled spicy or earthy.  ConLeche immediately said smoky, “like burning leaves.”  Nighthawk also detected a smoky smell, but none of us thought it unpleasant.

In a french press: First, we tried a french press.  The consensus was that this was a very distinctive coffee, with a lot of character.  It had good body, and we thought it was “intriguing,” as we tried to come up with good descriptors.  The flavors of coffees frequently develop as it cools, and it only took a few minutes before our generally favorable impressions began to change.  Star[bucks]ling and BirdBarista began to detect rubber notes.  Really.  The mouthfeel went from lingering and smooth to lingering and “hairy.”  BirdBarista: ”I definitely taste tires.”  Sweet Maria’s described semi-washed beans from Toraja as ”deep and brooding.”  This seemed apt.

Brewed: We may have steeped it too long or made it too strong in the french press, because we really didn’t care for it at all prepared that way. This is a mistake any average joe could make making a cup of joe, so we consider this part of the review valid.  However, the next two days we tried the Kopi Kampung as ordinary drip coffee in the office coffeemaker through an unbleached paper filter.

The results were much better.  It was much “friendlier,” while still retaining a unique character.  The Risky Kingbird liked it.  Nighthawk was quite enthusiastic.  He described it as “pungent and vigorous,” and said it really ”jumps at your palate.”  ConLeche found it hearty, but he said milk neutralized the character.  Once again, as it cooled, we found bitter notes emerging, but overall in the pot it was a much more approachable coffee.  Both Star[bucks]ling and another Starbucks barista, CoalTit (Charbucks, coal, get it?) found it quickly became flat on the palate, the spicy and smoky notes becoming more pronounced.

The verdict was that this was an okay and very distinctive coffee, but perhaps not an every day coffee (good thing, at $13 for a half-pound).  Star[bucks]ling said, ”I wouldn’t want to wake to it.”  It just develops a weird taste after a short period of time.  Surprisingly, we let it sit in the pot for 30 minutes, and it didn’t taste any more bitter after cooking all that time.

When to drink this coffee (field oriented): Mid-afternoon, during a long stakeout watching bird behavior at the nest, when you need to be jarred alert and distracted from your cramped thighs and mosquito bites.

And we’re rating this 2.5 motmots. UPDATE: Coffee Review has posted their comments.

Coffee reviews

Meet the C&C tasting panel

I’ve done a few reviews here at C&C, but admit that I have a pretty untrained palate.  So my reviews have none of the sophistication and elegant adjectives found on major coffee review sites.  On the other hand, I think I represent most coffee drinkers, who would also struggle attempting to describe the subtle flavors in coffee.

I do want to provide reviews of sustainable coffees.  I’d like them to be honest, yet accessible to the average coffee drinker.  So I have assembled a panel of coffee tasters, folks who really like coffee, but have no particular expertise.  We’ll review various beans, earnestly trying to incorporate some standard taste descriptors, as well as our own impressions.  I’ll link to more elaborate and advanced reviews for balance.  With any luck, we will at least be able to discern obvious flavor flaws, such as those caused by, say, toe jam*.

This panel is drawn from coworkers and friends.  We’re all professional or volunteer field biologists, naturalists, and the like. Our hours are often very early or odd, so we not only love coffee, we rely on it. Oh, and we have a weird sense of humor.  We’ll try to be serious.  Without further ado… Introducing the C&C coffee tasters:

  • Yours truly, Julie (“BirdBarista”).  I’m an ornithologist, and have evolved from a dark roast to a light roast fan. I love a sweet, classic, Latin American coffee, as well as a nice Kenyan.
  • Greg (“The Star[bucks]ling”). College student, my right-hand field assistant, and a barista at The Mermaid.
  • Mike (“Risky Kingbird”). Environmental center manager/naturalist. Home roaster, and probably the most serious coffee guy among us.
  • Fred (“Con Leche”).  Volunteer field assistant.  Earned his nickname during a recent trip in a Latin American country that was experiencing a milk shortage, therefore pissing off everybody with his persistant cafe con leche requests.
  • Rick (“Nighthawk”).  Natural areas supervisor.  More of a fan of light roasts.
  • Darrin (“Kingfisher”).  Volunteer field assistant. Resident expert on lattes, caps, and other concoctions.

We may be joined by others at times (e.g., whoever is handy).  Our first group review is coming up, so stay tuned!

Blends/Multiple / Coffee reviews

Review: Good Coffee Co.

Every month, I like to try out a new shade-grown coffee.  This month, it was from the Good Coffee Company of South Carolina, which sells only Rainforest Alliance certified coffee. Since their coffees are available in 8 oz. packages, I tried two: El Salvador and their Costa Rica/Brazil blend.  I wish more roasters would offer small packages like this for folks to try, especially online vendors.  I don’t like to buy several pounds of coffee if I might not like it, not to mention I can’t drink that much in a week and hate to evaluate stale coffee. But just buying one pound and paying shipping is pretty pricing.  The option of buying several small bags is really appealing to me.

I ordered these beans as dark roasts.  A peek at the beans when they arrived showed a lighter color than what I’m used to seeing in a “dark roast.”  Only a few beans with oils barely showing on the surface, and a flat, milk-chocolate brown color.  The roast description on the Good Coffee site is a close match to this…I should have read it first! I tried the El Salvador first, noted to be of mild acidity and medium body.  I thought it was really nice when prepared as a strong cup in an Aeropress.

The Costa Rica/Brazil blend was described as an “Experimental blend. This product is a blend of our 05-06 crop RA Costa Rican SHB and Brazil NY2 Screen 19 coffees with a dash of RA Guatemalan and Kenya AA for balance.”  The beans were roasted to an identical medium, not dark, roast like the El Salvador, but I actually liked it a little better, and it was especially good in the Aeropress.   Both of these coffees “aged” better than a dark roast, I must admit, whether cooking in the pot or sitting in a thermal mug.  Since I like strong coffees, I actually liked them better a little old.  They also made a fine blend with a darker roast.

Coffee reviews / Latin America

Review: Cafe Femenino (Peru)

I first tried Cafe Femenino from Grounds for Change.  I liked it so much that I have a standing monthly order.  Grounds for Change categorizes this as a “medium bodied coffee with a fine acidity, sweet aroma and hints of baker’s chocolate that are accentuated by a slow, dark roast.”  I’ve since turned on several of my dark-roast friends to this coffee, who have become dedicated fans as well.  It is just a superb, complex, flavorful cup.

That Cafe Femenino is a great coffee, as well as certified organic and Fair Trade, and listed as shade-grown, is enough to make this my favorite cup.  However, there is also a fantastic back-story to this bean.  The Cafe Femenino Coffee Project is run entirely by women, who oversee all aspects of the coffee farming as well as marketing and sales, in an area of the world where there are few leadership roles for women and where oppression and abuse are shockingly high.  The project empowers women, and they also receive an additional two cents per pound over the Fair Trade price for their beans.  See the Roast Magazine link below for the full story.

I prefer to buy my Cafe Femenino from Grounds for Change, which donates an additional 25 cents per pound directly back to the women.  However, it is also available from a variety of other roasters, including Birds and Beans (Toronto, American Roast, the lightest I’ve seen available; green beans available, too), Caffe Ibis (Utah, roast not specified), Creemore Coffee Company (Toronto, medium and French roasts), MokaJoe (Washington, roast not specified), and Sacred Grounds (California, full city and French).

More info: