Seattle Coffee Works, Seattle, USA - Part 2

Did I say how nice the people were at Seattle Coffee Works? Well they were super nice and after chatting them for a while and explaining a bit about the blog and my love of the old black stuff another coffee suddenly materialised.

It was the very last cup made from their Guatemalan beans. This was the end of it and they were generously giving it to us. 


Now I'm not actually a huge fan of Guatemalan coffee's and I often find them too tart for my liking but one can't turn down a free cup of joe. So here is a mini review of this coffee. 

The Guatemalan came as a black Americano and had a good layer of crema on it. The aroma hinted of acidity. It gave the front of the pallet plenty of bosh, hitting hard and drawing my tongue and lips tight over my upper teeth. 


There was clearly lemon and other citrus notes going on, perhaps a little cherry. But the acidity was well balanced and the great thing was that it pulled back from being too sour just at the right time. 


The tartness on the way down met in ascension the coffee's sweetness and was then joined by the lingering flavour of spring flowers. It was quite simply a lovely coffee and won me over to this type of bean. 

• Black Americano, drink in
• (free) $2.50?
• Medium
• Tart fruits and sweetness
• Fine crema
• Size: Small 6oz
• Beans:  Guatemalan 

A classic and great introductory Guatemalan bringing fruity sour notes, sweetness and petals.

Map
Twitter: @Drinkingman
Blog: http://blog.seattlecoffeeworks.com/
http://www.seattlecoffeeworks.com/
Contact : service@seattlecoffeeworks.com

Seattle Coffee Works, Seattle, USA - Part 1

I was lucky enough to go to Seattle for a work trip. Home of the great Satan of coffee "Starbucks" it is also a city of coffee lovers. Tapping my Seattle contacts for information I was told the one place I had to visit was the Seattle Coffee Works.

We got off the plane, rented our ridiculous SUV and drove straight to down town Seattle to find this place before it closed. We didn't have long but it was pretty clear I was going to cry if we didn't make it and so we did. In the end it was extremely easy to find on Pike Street thanks to a bloody enormous sign of a man drinking joe.

It is a large place broken into two main parts, the cafe area and the slow bar. It was too late to sample some of their chemistry set looking drip devices so instead we went for a normal round, me with my Americano.

The shop decor is bare brick walls with light wood furniture giving it an airy relaxed vibe. When we visited it was close to closing so there were not many people in but due to the layout one imagines that it still keeps the relaxed pace even when full.

One of the baristas who introduced herself to us as the "Guvnor" had a good old chat about their place and what they had on offer, we talked about the blog and coffee in general. They were all very friendly which was a great way to start our trip.

This photo is obviously not her but this is our barrista. He was ace but I forgot his name. Sorry.

Their espresso blend is quite a melting pot. Made up of mainly Brazilian, and some Indonesian (I think Sulawesi) and then with a touch of something from India and a little Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. 

When the coffee came it had a great sheen of oil and a good long lasting aroma but what was most striking was how black it was in colour.


The flavour was really broad and deep without being too strong. It was incredibly smooth and filled my mouth with a wonderful playful nuttiness with hints of sweetness. 


The deep flavour had a great chewy quality with low acidity and no bitterness and no fuzz on the finish. 

• Black Americano, drink in
• $2.50
• Medium
• Smooth and nutty
• Light crema
• Size: Small 6oz. 
• Beans: Seattle Coffee Works Espresso Blend

Superb coffee expertly made that is very drinkable yet with a full set of flavours, depth and complexity. 


Map
Twitter: @Drinkingman
http://www.seattlecoffeeworks.com/
Blog: http://blog.seattlecoffeeworks.com/
Contact : service@seattlecoffeeworks.com

Brazil Daterra Estate, Zabu Coffee

The Daterra Estate in Brazil is one of the largest in the world, this coffee is single estate 100% Arabica beans. As well as being rainforest Alliance certified you will be happy to know that you are drinking from an estate with a huge investment in sustainability and who work hard at striking a balance with the nature around them. 

These Brazilian beans were extremely dark and very oily, they looked as if you could give them a gentle squeeze and you would have raw coffee in your mug. As well as this alluring look they gave off a very strong, deep pungent aroma.


After brewing none of that strong aroma was lost and now the black gold was shrouded within a layer of thick dark crema. 


The taste hit hard, it was strong with a tight bitterness and then beautifully melted away to something quite sublime and mellow. Rex said it was like going through a "crust", these Cornish eh? but he was bang on with that, we broke through.

After the initial rush those ebony beans left us with a confectioners store on our pallets. It had the sweetness and creaminess of a high cocoa content chocolate bar with the lightest shavings of hazelnut. All these flavours politely lined up and could be enjoyed together in rich balanced harmony.


To finish the after taste gave us something slightly tart as it developed a little acidity over time.

The Zabu Brazil Daterra Estate Coffee is one of two halves. Opening with a nearly overpowering haymaker to savor and some well placed bitter body blows it soon follows us with a tender embrace and the taste of fattening luxury. Here it brings the smooth creamy sweetness one dreams of from a quality brew.


We recommend this as a superior after dinner (or heavy lunch) coffee. One that can cut through and complement the meal just consumed and leave you set up to tackle whatever the evening still has to offer. 

Supplier: Zabu Coffee

Web: www.zabucoffee.com

Contact: mailto:CustomerService@ZabuCoffee.co.uk

Twitter: @zabucoffee

Zabu on Facebook

How do we taste the coffee? Go here.

Zabu House Blend

 The Zabu Coffee House Blend uses a mix of Brazilian, Colombian and Costa Rican and is made from  100% Arabica beans. It is also a Rainforest Alliance certified coffee. More details of the beans origin can be found from Zabu Coffee.

Sniffing straight from the pouch the beans had a good strong traditional coffee aroma with a gentle hint of acidity. They were light golden brown with a beautiful iridescent sheen like a beetle.

On grinding there was not a huge difference to aroma and the grounds had a almost woody texture.

After espressing (pressing?) the coffee had surprising little aroma compared to the roasted whole beans but the flavour on tasting was all there. On the first sip there was light tangy acidity on the front of the pallet, as these faded it gave way to a pleasant, mild nutty hazelnut aftertaste. 

There was a pleasingly balanced sweetness throughout which complimented the earlier acidity. Not overly rich in flavour the golden beans had given out a medium bodied smooth tasting coffee with no bitterness or fuzziness on the finish.

The Zabu Coffee House Blend is an extremely drinkable brew and one which I returned to ravenously till the bag was gone. It presents a pleasing cumulation of flavours yet does not surprise with anything jarring or difficult to handle, all the way from the initial sip to the glowing aftertaste. 

A great everyday coffee and recommended as a solid gateway blend for those new to real coffee.

Supplier: Zabu Coffee

Web: www.zabucoffee.com

Contact: mailto:CustomerService@ZabuCoffee.co.uk

Twitter: @zabucoffee

Zabu on Facebook

How do we taste the coffee? Go here.

New to DFJ - Bean Reviews

They have been long promised and now they are finally here. The Damn Fine Joe Bean Reviews. 


In these posts we will look at and taste beans from independent suppliers and roasters from around the world.

To kick off the project the good people at Zabu Coffee sent me 5 samples of their choicest coffee beans plus corresponding tasting notes.

For this first selection of bean reviews I visited my old friend Rex at his East London home and armed with an SLR, an Aeropress and a great thirst we set to work. 

In hindsight we should have spaced it out over a few sessions. Don’t taste 5 coffee’s in a row! Although the beans stood up to tasting my cycle ride home was a little bit dangerous.

If you want to see how we do the bean reviews in detail then please go to this page:
http://damnfinejoe.blogspot.com/p/coffee-bean-reviews.html


Like all the reviews please note there is subjectivity to our taste and likings. Please refer to the brands website to their official tasting notes. 

Federation Coffee, Brixton Village Market, Brixton, South London, UK

Brixton Market has changed incredibly in recent times, ok not all of it, you can still get your fish heads but a huge part is now a gastronomic wonder land of tiny restaurants, grocers and coffee houses. I was blown away when I visited the other week and I wanted to get sampling as my tummy rumbled.

I was visiting Federation Coffee who I had reliably been informed do the best coffee in Brixton. The small cafe has a few seats on the inside and then the sides of the building are lined with benches, chairs and tables.

Inside although busy and a hive of activity was kept light and airy by the surrounding large windows. Outside offered a little more action with the market bustling around so that is where we camped down.

Apparently they have 4 Barristas always on to keep things moving in the market and this is supported by my Americano arriving quickly & smartly. It had a light swirly crema and my first sip gave me some lightly soured notes of cherry with a good broad strength without overpowering things. The cherry faded into a warmer, sweeter flavour, a heavy coffee taste with cinnamon tones. Although no bitterness was found there was just a trace of fur at the end.

The coffee was so good I moved onto a Double Mac (£1.80) which I took with a chocolate and orange cake. The Mac was super thick, super strong and not made with much froth, it was like a giant layer of crema. It was very good but with no lunch in me and two coffee's down I certainly could feel it.

Update: Federation had at the time of writing opened a roastery in Brixton and the coffees were all made with their own espresso blend; Contraband.

• Black Americano, drink in.
• £2:00
• Strong
• Muted cherry
• Light crema
• Size: Medium
• Beans: Contraband 

A top tier coffee, made skilfully and bringing great flavour with lots going on to enjoy.

Map

info@federationcoffee.com

http://federationcoffee.com/

Twitter: @federationcoffe

Blue Mountain Cafe, Sydenham, South London, UK

You can find the Blue Mountain Cafe near the station at the top end of Sydenham high street. My old pal Graham Russell (previously a Sydenham lad now an expat in Australia) swore by their brew. I didn't always agree with Graham when it came to coffee but I was always happy to try out his recommendations. 

The Blue Mountain is a deli style cafe with a cold counter full of pies and pasties and lots of cake and a kitchen serving many things but on a cold winter day I would suggest the soup. All the food looked and smelt great, a home cooked counter of wonder. 

The walls of the cafe are groaning with produce both served and for sale, one side is a ceiling high shelving unit full of goodness and the other has a single unit full of fresh vegetables that the chef routinely pops from the back to harvest.

Aside from the produce on display the rest of the cafe was made up of strong yellow walls and wooden furniture, it was bright but still had a friendly and relaxed ambience. Some old rock tracks played on the stereo and the staff worked fast and smiled. It had a good vibe.

The coffee came suspiciously quickly and didn’t have a great aroma when it got to my table. It was also quite light brown in colour rather than the near black. I eyed it suspiciously and when it had sufficiently cooled I put my lips to work.

What I found was a mid strength coffee with a full flavour. That fullness had breadth rather than peaks but was good nether the less. It was not at all bitter or gritty but it was quite murky, not at all crisp. 

There were some lovely sweet tones coming through but sadly that murk tinge raised itself again near the end. I doubt there are many better coffee places in Sydenham and this one provides a solid drink alongside good food and atmosphere.  

• Black Americano, drink in.
• £1.95
• Medium Strength
• Broad flavour
• Light crema
• Size: Small

An above average coffee that confounded expectations and could be enjoyed in a pleasant well stocked environment.

Map

http://www.bluemo.co.uk/  - Although this seems to be for the older East Dulwich branch.