Pure Coffee Blog

Mugged: Geisha [Sea Island]

2012-01-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Sea Island Coffee Mugged: Geisha, Costa Rica Rating: 4+ [see key] It's hard to believe that coffee trees used to be confined to East Africa, especially in today's world economy where a place with the right climate will grow coffee on at least one farm. Some places, like the island of Java, trace it's coffee trees to about the 17th

CC: De La Paz

2012-01-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

What does CC mean? Subject: De La Paz Coffee Roasters Location: San Francisco, CA Free WiFi ? : yes Rating: 6+ [see key] There have been countless times when my travel plans and coffeehouse hours have not lined up. Usually late afternoons, nights and holidays play the culprit, though it always seems to be a weird mix of factors (the owners are getting married on a Wednesday)

Mugged: High Jump [Deep Cello]

2012-01-08T22:09:00.000-05:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Deep Cello Mugged: High Jump Rating: 4+ [see key] Of all the sports I played throughout my life, Track & Field was my favorite. As a javelin thrower and shot putter, I would get to spend nice spring days chucking objects around a field with little pressure other then to make sure my throws were comparable to the upcoming

CC: The Cup

2012-01-01T23:42:00.002-05:00

What does CC mean? Subject: The Cup Location: Las Vegas, NV Free WiFi ? : yes Rating: 4+ [see key] My final coffee stop in Sin City was a place that was also located in the Crystals, a shop located very discreetly in the back first floor called the Cup. Rumored to me by one source to have decent espresso, it took me a walk or two around the Crystals to actually find it but

Can a Super Automatic Produce Good Espresso?

2011-12-22T20:57:00.002-05:00

Many coffee lovers either own or covet their own home espresso operation. To have stellar shots and scintillating lattes in the comfort of one's living quarters is almost as good as having your own personal butler-barista (kind of like Kato in the recent Green Hornet film). Yet many folks who strongly love espresso seem to go without an espresso machine simply because to get a quality

Mugged: Brazil [Peter Asher]

2011-12-19T00:02:00.000-05:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Peter Asher Coffee and Tea Mugged: Brazil Bob-O-Link Rating: 4+ [see key] Rounding off one of the busier coffee review periods of my year was Peter Asher Coffee and Tea. A coffee roaster that's been roasting for twenty years, I was glad to meet their acquaintance and review two of their coffees. The first up is their Brazil

CC: Santa Claus House

2011-12-12T22:11:00.000-05:00

What does CC mean? Subject: Santa Claus House Location: North Pole, AK Free WiFi ? : no Rating: 4+ [see key] It's not often that I get astonished by an unexpected coffee find, but I guess Santa knew exactly what I wanted when I visited his house on a trip to the North Pole (Alaska). The day had a few things on the list and what trip to the center of

Mugged: Ethiopian Sidamo [Kifu]

2011-12-04T21:37:00.001-05:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Kifu Coffee Roasters Mugged: Ethiopian Sidamo Korate Rating: 5+ [see key] If there's anything that warms my heart, it's a microroaster that roasts good beans and gives back to the community. Take Kentucky's Kifu Coffee Roasters, a coffee company created out of a non-profit coffee fundraiser that turned into a for-profit

Mugged: Sumatra Kopi Luwak [Sea Island]

2011-11-27T20:05:00.000-05:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Sea Island Coffee Mugged: Sumatra Kopi Musang Rating: 4+ [see key] While I normally strongly push for buying locally, every once in a while it's interesting to get a product from afar. Similarly, I normally review coffees within the continent but to spice up my pace, I was afforded the chance recently to review some coffee from Sea Island

CC: Dogwood Coffee

2011-11-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

What does CC mean? Subject: Dogwood Coffee Location: Minneapolis, MN Free WiFi ? : yes Rating: 6+ [see key] A rainy, early morning can really slow down the energy levels. Its on such mornings that a promise of a good coffee stop effectively gets a kick in my jig and roar in my belly. One such morning in the Twin Cities, I made plans to make my first stop at a local coffee

Mugged: Kona [Brewklyn Grind]

2011-11-13T21:35:00.001-05:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Brewklyn Grind Coffee & Tea Mugged: Brewklyn Kona Rating: 4+ [see key] While Hawaii and Brooklyn are two of the farthest apart points in the US (check a map), you can get a dose of each in Brewklyn's Kona. The second of the two coffees I had the pleasure of reviewing from Brewklyn Grind (here's the first), I made quick work of this coffee

CC: Sightglass Coffee

2011-11-06T21:56:00.000-05:00

What does CC mean? Subject: Sightglass Coffee Location: San Francisco, CA Free WiFi ? : no Rating: 6+ [see key] Finally I was able to make it back to San Francisco, a feat that has taken me since the spring of 2007 to duplicate. And in this time, the city has exploded with numerous quality coffee prospects, some more on tongue tips than others. One that I had heard great

Mugged: Peru [Target]

2011-11-03T17:15:00.001-04:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Target Mugged: Peru San Ignacio Rating: 4+ [see key] In my second whirl of Target's Direct Trade coffee, I took their Peru San Ignacio for a spin. As I mentioned in the first review, these direct trade coffees from Target are certainly a step in the right direction as far as fair trade is concerned. Yet being a big chain, the question of

Mugged: Colombia [Superba]

2011-10-30T22:30:00.003-04:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Superba Coffee Mugged: Colombia San Agustin Rating: 4+ [see key] While intriguing origins don't usually really affect the taste of the coffee, it sure makes drinking the coffee more of an experience. Take San Agustin in Colombia, a municipality that has a lot of pre-1492 archeology such as stone sculptures and artifacts. Knowing that the

CC: Black Sheep

2011-10-26T19:32:00.000-04:00

What does CC mean? Subject: Black Sheep Coffee Cafe Location: South St. Paul, MN Free WiFi ? : yes Rating: 6+ [see key] Of all the mammals to be used in a coffeehouse name, goats seem to be the most popular (due to the legend of coffee's origin by a goat herder) but right on the goat's heels, I would hypothesize is it's fellow Bovidae-ite, the sheep (note that these are

Mugged: Ethiopian [Brewklyn Grind]

2011-10-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Brewklyn Grind Coffee and Tea Mugged: Ethiopia Queen City Harrar Rating: 4+ [see key] Though I'm a big fan of superb coffee all over the country, I find an extra sprinkling of joy when I find a quality coffee operation in the Northeast. Aside from the proximity and buying relatively local, it does my heart good to see more and more exposure to

Mugged: Costa Rica [Superba]

2011-10-19T22:51:00.000-04:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Superba Coffee Mugged: Costa Rica Santa Laura Rating: 5+ [see key] Costa Rica has always held my intrigue as a mystical place, though (sadly?) it all traces back to a fictitious route, when I read Jurassic Park as a teen. Since then, I have come to know folks and learn a great deal about this lovely isthmus of a country. Of course, one of my chief

Mugged: Singletrack [Rocky Mountain Roastery]

2011-10-16T22:45:00.000-04:00

What does Mugged mean? Subject: Rocky Mountain Roastery Mugged: Singletrack Rating: 3+ [see key] Whether it's all of the Coors Light ads that aired during my childhood or just my love for mountains, I always wanted to live somewhere like Colorado. Sure, I did live in beautiful Bozeman, Montana for almost a year, but my short stint there only made said desire more

CC: SteamDot

2011-10-12T21:11:00.000-04:00

What does CC mean? Subject: SteamDot Location: Anchorage, AK Free WiFi ? : yes Rating: 4+ [see key] While ambiance is not everything, it's always welcome, especially when not expected. One of my earlier stops in Alaska was a place in the southern portion of Anchorage called SteamDot. A coffee roaster that popped up in some of my initial searches, SteamDot appeared to be a

Mugged: El Salvador [Target]

2011-10-06T07:45:00.000-04:00

' What does Mugged mean? Subject: Target Mugged: El Salvador Buena Vista Rating: 4+ [see key] The concept of well-roasted coffee obtained through socially responsible methods is something that is not new to the coffee world. Yet this concept was all but unreachable to retail giants until recently, when Target became one of the first to take the dive into the small niche

Happy National Coffee Day!

2011-09-29T08:36:00.001-04:00

CC: Three Fish

2011-09-28T17:15:00.000-04:00

' What does CC mean? Subject: Three Fish Location: Ocean City, NJ Free WiFi ? :yes Rating: 4+ [see key] As the summer came to a close last week, I finally got around to posting about another summertime coffee venue in lovely Ocean City. Though it will probably be too late for this season, it will hopefully give folks something to look forward to for next summer. Three Fish

Mugged: All Day Light Roast [Deep Cello]

2011-09-21T19:37:00.001-04:00

' What does Mugged mean? Subject: Deep Cello Coffee Mugged: All Day Light Roast Rating: 4+ [see key] While I love all types of musical implements, few have such a deep effect on me as a well-played cello. One of the few instruments that can weave a harmony so powerfully and so sweetly, it surprises me that there are not more cello players out there (at least in my

Mugged: Guatemala [Rogue Coffee]

2011-09-18T21:54:00.000-04:00

' What does Mugged mean? Subject: Rogue Coffee Roasters Coffee Mugged: Guatemala Finca Bourbon Rating: 3+ [see key] Oregon is a state that continually fascinates me the more I explore it. Sure, most people (myself included) rave about Portland but as it is with most states, there are tons of curious spots to discover off the beaten path, like south Oregon's Rogue

CC: Social House

2011-09-14T23:41:00.000-04:00

' What does CC mean? Subject: Social House Location: Las Vegas, NV Free WiFi ? :yes Rating: 6+ [see key] Vegas is definitely a land of where appetites fare strongly. Between the buffets, endless oceans of gambling and the various shows, there's plenty to take in. Yet for all of their indulgent opportunities, Las Vegas is but beginning to blossom with their quality