my favorite is the Venezuelan Vendetta™

I roast my coffee to full city+. I stop it right as second crack begins @ around 430F. French roast covers the origins a bit too much for me and a full city roast doesn't quite have the body. French roast is good from cheapo drip machines, but I find it lacking for the french press, which is how I brew.

Sumatra could be my favorite, except it doesn't go well with gars for me. Because of the strong body, it tends to cover some of the cigar flavor instead of complimenting it. But something like a Camacho does stand up well with Sumatra. It is a fantastic morning coffee, but too much for me in the afternoon or evening single cup.

Sorry I assumed you were talking about a lackluster coffee shop. I'm used to people talking about a coffee shop and referring to Starbucks. When I say coffee house, I refer to places like Intelligentsia, which is the only place in Chitown that adheres to the strict SCAA guidelines for perfect coffee.

OK, I'm a coffee snob. I'll admit it. I'd love to try some of that blend. Let's work something out!

cexshun: next time i go in, i'll check to see if we still have any. although, i'm beginning to wonder if you might be above these beans (and i don't mean that in a bad way, whatsoever - you just know a lot about beans). i do work for a chain, but its not starbucks.

what folks don't know is that starbucks' beans aren't that good at all.

consumer reports just did a ranking of columbian blends. starbucks was way down the list, like #11.

I'm learning to be a coffee snob! LOL Just this year realized that most coffee ya can buy is crap!!

But I have so much to learn!


Dave

Another chain besides Starbucks? Could it be Peet's? Peet's makes decent coffee. Although it's not quite home roasted good, it's very good for chain coffee.

Dave, I can teach you everything you want to know about being a coffee geek. When I say science, I'm not exaggerating. There's an entire chemistry to make the perfect cup. 90% of making a good cup of coffee is good quality beans(freshness is key) and water temperature. The other factors are grind and storage of already brewed coffee(hot plates are bad). I can make gourmet restaraunt quality coffee with a sock and boiling water.

Wow, we really got off track on this trade thread. Perhaps someone should start a misc topic about coffee.

Nope, not Peets.

Its called Caribou. Minneapolis based. Somehow, its now the 2nd largest. Their Columbia was #1, according to Consumer Reports - but I don't dig Columbia.

I only work there a few hours a week to make up for the debt I accrued while laid off this summer. Wanted a place where'd I'd get a nice freebie - and I'll take free coffee anyday.

Anyway, send me your snailer, and I'll see what I can send to you. If you don't like it, no biggie.

ryantpederson at yahoo.

man, you guys really get into yer coffee!
i just buy the pre ground folgers in a can.

i probly don't know what i'm missin. gonna hafta try some -o- that stuff you guys talk about.

blackfoot - send me your snailer and let me know if you have a grinder or not (assuming you don't).

ryan
ryantpederson at yahoo.

and let me clarify, i can tell that cexshun knows about 10x more about coffee than yours truly.

I'm a little backed up on filling coffee giveaways right now, so I really can't offer anything. Give me a week or 2 to catch up on all of my roasting. Man, I need a much bigger roaster! Must update the xmas list.

I used to drink Foldgers in a can. Then I started ordering gourmet Kona coffee from Hawaii @ $22 a pound. Then I found if I roasted my own, I can get raw coffee at 1/4 that price. Now, when I have to drink foldgers, it barely tolerable.

what a threadjack.

My wife likes Folgers but since she started drinking what I make now she only buys the Folgers in whole bean - it is better than the ground stuff.

Walk down Hanover Street in Bostons North End and go into any shop you pass by (with the exception of White Hen Pantry) and ask for a coffee, whatever they give you will be the best you have ever had, and chances are the guy serving it dosen't speak anything but Italian. Just don't let them talk you into trying the bitters.
John L

Hanover St. - one of my favs. I recommend Saraceno Ristorante for nice dinner, Monica's for pizza (Regina's is good too), and of course Mike's Pastry for dessert.

Then stroll over to the Green Dragon for a pint.

Now THAT'S a night.

Ryan is right, caribou much better than starbucks.
GLEN

Ryan, you hit the nail on the head. Mikes is a daily stop and the reason I gain ten pounds everytime I'm in Boston. Monicas is great and Galleria Umberto is the perfect lunch place. What is the Italian coffee shop on the east side of the street, across from Victorias I belive? It's so good but I can't think of the name.
John L

now look at all the people talking about coffee beans.
now that we know who is into coffee beans, lets keep a post or two going, and do a few bean trades every now and then.

hdking

HDKing,

yes, I agree, we should have some coffee trades a few times a week.
The whole problem is the availability. I have no source for beans that comes close to the choices I have on cbid alone for cigars.
I would have gars or other things to trade, but often times the prices are skewed. Is any cigar worth more to you than a pound of the best coffee you've ever had?
I'm not just talking about flavor, I'm talking about effect as well.
I have had coffee from Jamaica that was a drug, no two ways about it. Given the choice between it and other more infamous substances that cost a hundred a gram, I'd choose that Jamaican coffee every time. It was a psychedelic, four to six hour trip. Happy, perky, not nervous or jagged. Amazing.
Once again, what is that worth compared to a cigar, or other coffee? I have no idea.
We do need to have a coffee thing here, if cbid will let us.
I think it is in everyones' best interest to bring the level of quality up in everybodys coffee experience.
Too many people jagged on bad joe and cigs! They need great coffee and cigars! (A little scotch and wine on the side wouldn't hurt, either!)

Count me in
ericdanovich at aol dot com

MMM, Jamacain Blue Mountain!!! A little beyond my price range.

Am I allowed to give out my coffee supplier since cbid sells coffee at times? They have coffee available raw, but they can roast it for an additional fee. Their selection is as large as cbid's cigar selection. Each coffee is independantly reviewed and scored on a scale comparative to the cA scale. A description is also given.

somebody from cbid will have to say if it is ok to post suppliers of coffee.

hdking

good question since they do sell beans on cbid. one of the most knowledgeable on coffee is the Slimboli man himself. He buys more green beans than anyone I know. If you do some searches you will find several coffee threads.