Blacksmith Coffee Roastery - Blacksmith Coffee Roastery Blog

New Study Released on the Health Benefits of Coffee

2012-05-17T13:38:00-05:00

Getty Images

A new study finds that coffee drinkers are at lower risk of death from a myriad of health problems when compared to non-coffee drinkers.

And it may not be caffeine that is the protective ingredient. Those who drank caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee had similar health results, which suggests there is some other component in the coffee, not the caffeine, that plays a role in protecting one's health.

Several studies have found that coffee reduces the risk of several other medical conditions, including stroke, depression, dementia and several other cancers.

More than half of American adults drink some form of coffee each day, according to the National Coffee Association, and caffeine is the most frequently consumed stimulant in the world.

Despite the promising benefits, Dr. Cheryl Williams, a registered dietician with the Emory Heart & Vascular Center in Atlanta, said she would advise patients that coffee does indeed contain properties that may promote health, but it also has properties that can negatively affect health. Caffeine can raise blood pressure, she said, and boiled coffee lipids may increase already-high blood cholesterol.

"Overall, more research needs to be done to truly understand the compounds in coffee and their biological activity and effect on health," said Williams.

Drinking coffee is "fine," said Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

"It can be part of a healthy diet and lifestyle and may even contribute to such a lifestyle," said Ayoob. "I wouldn't want it to push out nutritious foods, but in and of itself, there is no reason to suggest that drinking coffee is negative, and it may be beneficial."

The study authors did note that coffee drinking was also associated with smoking, poor diets and alcohol consumption, but Ayoob noted that this doesn't necessarily mean coffee is bad for your health like some of the others.

"You're picking up on a long-term lifestyle, for better or worse," said Ayoob. "[But] just because coffee drinking is accompanies smoking, inactivity, etc. doesn't mean it's bad, it means coffee is hanging around some bad company."

ABC News' Dr. Veronica Sikka contributed to this report.

via abcnews.go.com

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Cowboy hat smuggler jailed at Norway border

2012-05-16T10:02:00-05:00

via thelocal.se

The Wild West is still alive and well on the wilderness border of.....
Sweden and Norway!

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Introducing Costa Rica Tarrazu El Conquistador

2012-03-15T12:07:40-05:00

From the Coopedota coffee cooperative, Costa Rica El Conquistador comes from the valley of the Dota sub-region of Tarrazú.

700 or so cooperating families surrounding the remote town of Santa Maria de Dota use great care to grow their special coffee in the bowl shaped valley they farm.

Growing at altitudes between 5000-6000 feet, the beans are fairly small, and very dense, resulting in its heavy body and rich flavor noted for possessing wine-like acidity and a spicy, dark-chocolate fruit finish.

In fact, this coffee is prized in Europe and, for many years, has primarily shipped to a single roaster in Germany. Thankfully, we were able to get some here in Little Sweden!

Though grown in Tarrazú, El Conquistador is very different from other Costa Rican coffees. This can be attributed to Dota's unique soils, high altitudes and the extreme care in cultivation by the cooperative members who grow it.

As previously stated, it is markedly different from other Costa Ricans. Most obvious is the fact that it is does not have a pronounced nutty profile common to other Tarrazú coffees.

Its velvety body, clean cup and magnificently deep flavor makes it a standout among strictly hard bean grade Central American coffees.

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Free Coffee Consumption Calculator

2012-03-14T17:17:44-05:00

If you've ever found yourself wondering how to make that bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain last until next payday, you'll appreciate this free online coffee consumption calculator:

HowLongWillMyCoffeeLast.com is not just a novelty app, but is seriously a great example of a simple, yet practical tool for the coffee enthusiast.

How to Make Mediterranean Coffee

2012-03-14T17:16:26-05:00

How to Make Mediterranean Coffee

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Do you like exotic coffees? Not gourmet, like at the expensive coffee shop on every corner and in every bookstore in town. This is something you can make at home. It is very good and it is a nice soothing type of coffee.

Ingredients

3 tbsp coarse ground coffee
2 tsp sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp anise seed
pinch of dried orange peel
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)

Steps

Add to your slow cooker 6 - 8 cups water, 3 Tbsp coarse ground coffee, cinnamon, cocoa, and anise, saving the sugar and orange for last.
Turn the slow cooker on low and set for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add the sugar and a pinch of orange zest, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Pour into mugs and garnish with a twist of orange.

Tips

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can use a sauce-pan set on low. Just watch that it doesn't boil. 195° is the optimal temperature.
Feel free to modify the ingredients as you like. This is not a rigid recipe.
You can omit the sugar in the cooking stage and add it in the mugs.
Cinnamon sticks work well. Add 2 whole, unbroken sticks to the pot, then one each to the mugs.

Warnings

Stir occasionally. Sometimes the cinnamon will burn if it clumps in the bottom.

Things You'll Need

2-quart Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot, or Saucepan
6 mugs

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Mediterranean Coffee. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

New Salina Coffee Shop on Kickstarter

2012-03-07T11:15:00-06:00

Raising money for a small business can be extremely challenging anytime, but this current economic climate, it's very tough. Social lending sites like Prosper.com are an option for borrowers who may not be able to get a traditional bank loan. For artists and visionaries, another option is Kickstarter.

Right up the road in Salina, a really cool new bookstore/coffeeshop called Ad Astra Books & Coffee House opened this past November and they've created a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the next phase of their plan.

Here's a video they put together:

More about Ad Astra Books and Coffeehouse:

We are a worker-owned cooperative.

This means that: 1) We are the staff. 2) Once there are profits, they will be split equally between members, with a large percentage going directly into store improvements and new programming. 3) The health of Ad Astra is not dependent on one or two people. Our cooperative is designed to grow and change as old members move on and new members come in. If we can make it through our first year, we should last for decades after. 4) No one is in it for the money. At best we hope to make a living wage and to build something of lasting importance for our community. 5) Our highest priority is the cultural vibrancy of Kansas. Your support will allow us to complete our vision to become one of the best bookstores and coffee houses in Kansas.

Your donation will be used to purchase lighting and sound equipment for speakers, live music, and other events, create a state-wide marketing program to let everyone know we exist, to establish a magazine and newspaper inventory, and purchase other odds and ends we might need to get us through our first year in business.

We are artists, activists, writers, musicians and artisans. We believe that independent bookstores are a human right and serve coffee made from beans roasted to perfection just days before, which is not a human right but a luxury we support.

Despite the fact that Ad Astra is serving Blacksmith Coffee, essentially becoming our sole outlet in Salina, we are very excited to support their Kickstarter endeavor. The vibe they have created in their neat location at 141 N. Santa Fe in Salina is really funky and authentic. It feels like a 1970's vintage cafe in Boulder or San Franciso.

Whether you can donate a couple bucks, or even more, they will really appreciate your contribution! Not only for the sake of their business, but for the venue it creates for creative types throughout the region.

You can visit their webpage at: www.adastrabooksandcoffee.com

or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/adastrabooksandcoffee

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The Real Cost of Keurig K-Cup Coffee and How to Save $$$ on Your K-Cup Coffee

2012-02-24T16:18:59-06:00

According to this interesting NY Times article that appeared on Feb.7th, coffee from prepackaged single-serve coffees used in single-cup coffee brewers like the Keurig are ridiculously expensive when calculated on a per pound basis.

As you can see, prepackaged K-Cups and pods are expensive! Furthermore, the quality of the prepackaged coffees is all over the map.

Our advice....if you are using a Keurig or other single-cup coffee brewer, instead of using prepackaged pods, get a refillable K-Cup. Not only will it save you money, but it will allow you to enjoy a much fresher, higher quality and greater selection of coffee!

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Free Coffee Consumption Calculator

2012-02-10T08:55:00-06:00

If you've ever found yourself wondering how to make that bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain last until next payday, you'll appreciate this free online coffee consumption calculator:

HowLongWillMyCoffeeLast.com is not just a novelty app, but is seriously a great example of a simple, yet practical tool for the coffee enthusiast.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

How to Make Mediterranean Coffee

2012-01-11T12:09:00-06:00

How to Make Mediterranean Coffee

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Ingredients

3 tbsp coarse ground coffee
2 tsp sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp anise seed
pinch of dried orange peel
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)

Steps

Add to your slow cooker 6 - 8 cups water, 3 Tbsp coarse ground coffee, cinnamon, cocoa, and anise, saving the sugar and orange for last.
Turn the slow cooker on low and set for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add the sugar and a pinch of orange zest, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Pour into mugs and garnish with a twist of orange.

Tips

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can use a sauce-pan set on low. Just watch that it doesn't boil. 195° is the optimal temperature.
Feel free to modify the ingredients as you like. This is not a rigid recipe.
You can omit the sugar in the cooking stage and add it in the mugs.
Cinnamon sticks work well. Add 2 whole, unbroken sticks to the pot, then one each to the mugs.

Warnings

Stir occasionally. Sometimes the cinnamon will burn if it clumps in the bottom.

Things You'll Need

2-quart Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot, or Saucepan
6 mugs

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Swedish Coffee - Sunny Side Up!

2011-12-04T07:30:39-06:00

What is Swedish Coffee?

This question is one of the most commonly asked questions we get from visitors to Blacksmith Coffee Roastery. Due to our location in Little Sweden, USA - Lindsborg, Kansas, everything has its own Swedish flair.

This weekend, October 7th - 9th, Svensk Hyllningsfest brought Lindsborg alive in all it's Swedishness. As you would imagine, Swedish coffee was a common topic of conversation. In light of this, we thought it would be worthwhile to discuss what Swedish coffee really is for our readers who weren't able to make it out for the festivities. First, here are three things that it's NOT.....

Coffee that is grown in Sweden
Coffee that is weak
Coffee made with eggs

Coffee Doesn't Grow in Sweden

Since coffee doesn't grow in Sweden, by definition, Swedish coffee refers to the cultural style of blending and roasting coffee that is commonly found in Sweden. In Sweden, as well as the rest of Northern Europe, coffee is a dominant part of daily life. Coffee roasters larger and small, take great pride in sourcing high quality beans and blending them according to each individual bean's specific characteristics.

Depending on the blend profile that is sought after, the roaster will identify certain flavors, aromas, and mouthfeel characteristics in each bean profile that he feels will compliment other beans in the blend and resonate in the final cup that is produced, without conflicting with other traits that might negatively affect the overall profile.

In other words, if you have a bean that's chocolatey, and another one that is fruity, and a different one that posseses a certain spiciness or very smooth mouthfeel, and you blend them together in the right proportions, you can theoretically make a kind of supercoffee blend tasting better than each of it's individual parts.

This is both an art and a skill, and the Northern Europeans are masters at it. Sweden's great coffee companies, like Löfbergs Lila , Zoégas, and Arvid Nordquist, all take blending coffee seriously and do a fine job at it. Again, the goal is the end result - the flavor and overall cupping experience.

Contrast this with the typical American canned coffee brand, whose primary focus in blending coffee is not on delivering the ultimate flavor and cupping experience possible, but rather on how to use the cheapest beans possible and blend them in such a way as to create a coffee that is "good enough" to deliver to market at the highest profit margin possible.

Swedes may not grow coffee, but they definitely know how to blend and roast it!

Swedish Coffee Ain't Weak

It's always funny to talk with Swedish folks who come to Lindsborg to visit. The prevailing attitude is usually that Americans brew their coffee too weak.

Throughout Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries, you'll find a coffee press, stovetop espresso maker or even an Aeropress is much more common than an automatic coffee maker. One of the many benefits of manual coffee preparation is the ability to contol the extraction process much better than you can with an automatic drip brewer.

As a result, coffee can be made strong, like it should be, without it becoming too bitter to drink. This bitterness issue is the primary reason most Americans cringe at the thought of the international brewing standard of 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water.

**And about that Swedish Egg Coffee....**

Since Swedish Egg Coffee is the unofficial official beverage of Lindsborg, it might upset many of our friends and neighbors to say this, but Swedish Egg Coffee is not particularly Swedish. I've asked dozens of real Swedes if they've ever heard of Swedish Egg Coffee and have yet to find one who has a clue what I'm talking about. Most respond with the question, "Why would you put egg in coffee?" Thus lies the mystery surrounding the Swedishness of egg coffee.

After a little research, some conclusions can be drawn. Nearly every Scandinavian people group has an egg coffee recipe in their cultural legacy. The Finnish call theirs Kahvi, or Finnish Egg Cleared Coffee, the Danes have Danish Boiled Egg Coffee, and the Norwegians have Norwegian Egg Coffee. Though preparation methods vary, the two consistent ingredients, as you would imagine, are coffee and eggs. The other interesting thing is that modern Finns, Danes and Norwegians seem to know little to nothing about their egg coffee traditions either.

The real story behind egg coffee

Egg offers natural filtration properties in that it clarifies water and leaches out minerals, metals and other undesirables. Here in the Smoky Valley, old timers have shared accounts of their childhood memories of Grandpa working from sunup to sundown in the heat of the summer, always with a thermos of Swedish Egg coffee at his side. The well water in this area is noted for being rust colored and iron laden. Long term locals remember when city tap water was more brown than clear. Taking this into consideration, it's easy to understand why homesteaders used egg to make their coffee. Not only because it would make the coffee taste better, but it would make the water more palatable too.

Besides the prominence of Scandinavian egg coffee recipes, in the Old West, cowboys out on the range would often pull their extracted Joe off of the campfire and add an egg, which would not only filter out some of the funk in the water, but it would help the grounds to settle to the bottom of the pot prior to pouring. Thus, fewer grounds in the cup. Different method, same fundamental benefits.

Speaking of the Old West and Egg Coffee....
Long before modern packaging capabilities, coffee would be shipped from the Port - usually New Orleans, to merchants throughout the country. However, this was usually shipped in raw, green form and retailers usually sold it the same way, for their customers to roast at home.

Out on the range, many Cookies would roast their own coffee in a skillet for the cowboy's favorite beverage. But, unless the Chuckwagon had a flour mill to grind wheat, they would usually enlist the willing labor of the crew to grind the roasted beans. Their favorite grinding utensil being the butt end of the handle of their six shooter!

When Arbuckles packaged coffee came along, they were among the first packaged coffee brands in the U.S. and kind of became the official coffee of the Old West. If you look at John Arbuckle's patent for his roasted coffee process, you'll see it calls for eggs. Though there's little doubt that his method was primarily designed to keep the roasted coffee fresh longer, the egg component would certainly have provided many of the same benefits experienced in other egg coffee recipes.

Bottom line, Swedish Egg coffee is a beverage Swedish American ancestors can proudly claim as a tradition passed down from their foremothers. It is a testimony to the hardships of life on the prairie, without good drinking water, or modern conveniences. Though its Swedishness may be disputed, one thing can't be denied - the customs of the immigrant, even those customs that may have more to do with the realities of immigrating and enduring, are maybe more important than whether Egg Coffee is really Swedish or not. Maybe a more fitting name for it would be Swedish-American Immigrant Egg Coffee.

How Does it Taste?

Many coffee drinkers find egg coffee to be rather weak and unspiring. However, if you can refrain from judging it like you would a premium specialty coffee, and experience the mild, yet pleasing flavor it possesses, you can appreciate why some people romanticize egg coffee, regardless of their heritage. It also helps explain why modern decendents of the Swedish homesteaders who settled this area tend to prefer their non-egg coffee brewed weaker than their distant Swedish cousins across the Atlantic. When observing the almost ceremonial preparation of egg coffee, it reminds one of a tea ceremony, which could explain why its milder flavor profile is not surprising.

Swedish Egg Coffee Recipe

If you're interested in trying your hand at brewing egg coffee for yourself, here's a great recipe provided by Kathryn Frantz, Lindsborg's official Swedish Egg coffee expert. Kathryn's recipe is mild, yet flavorful and a real treat! One thing I really like about her recipe is that the grounds/egg mixture is added to the water, just off of boil. Many egg coffee recipes call for brewing at or above the boiling point. Not only does this destroy some of the coffee's flavor profile, but boiling coffee negates its natural health benefits. By following Kathryn's recipe, you can enjoy egg coffee, with all the flavor of the coffee and benefit from the natural antioxidant properties as well!

For a Small Gathering use:

1 level tablespoon of coffee for each cup - Swedish Mörkrost is perfect!
A little of one beaten egg for each cup
Bring water to a boil. An enameled pot makes the best coffee. Turn down heat.
Mix coffee with beaten egg and add tap water until the consistency is like gravy.
Add mixture to the hot water and stir gently. Let the coffee brew several minutes.
Turn off the heat then pierce the coffee and egg mixture to release more flavor.
Pour a little cold water into the pot to settle grounds.
Spoon out the egg and coffee grounds floating on top and serve!

How to Drink Egg Coffee - Dricka På Fat, Like a Real Old-Time Swede

Regardless of egg coffee's Swedishness, one tradition that isn't disputed is the unusual way many Swedes from yesteryear used to drink their coffee. We've heard several tales from locals and real Swedes alike about ancestors who would drink their coffee -Dricka på fat, which means "drink from a saucer".

Usually the ritual would involve pouring coffee directly from the cup into the saucer. Then, it would be sipped - sometimes rather noisily! To cool it a bit, Grandpa would blow on the hot coffee and slowly slurp it in.

To sweeten the experience, Grandma would take a sugar cube between her teeth and slowly sip her coffee from a saucer, through the sugar. This was known as Dricka på bit meaning "drink with a lump of sugar".

Though not likely seen much amongst the more sophisticated city dwellers of the day, this method of drinking coffee was not uncommon amongst the Swedish homesteaders here in the Smoky Valley as well as their country cousins over in Värmland.

Introducing Australia Mountain Top Estate Bin 478

2011-12-04T07:27:50-06:00

Australia Mountain Top Estate's Bin 478 is the finest estate coffee grown in Australia and comes from the nation's leading coffee plantation & processor.

We are thrilled that we were able to get a hold of some of this fine coffee from Bin 478 and are really excited to offer it! Knowing that Mountain Top Estate coffees have been used by World Barista Champions, and are known globally to be superb espressos and coffees, we can't wait to find out how much our Distinctive Collection enthusiasts will enjoy this!

Australia Mountain Top Estate Coffee is grown in the fertile foothills of Mt. Warning near Australia’s east coast. This is the first spot on the mainland to receive morning sunlight. Coffee growing here benefits from a unique micro-climate of high altitude and deep, rich volcanic soils.

Due to slow rising morning mists and long gentle winters that allow for slow ripening and complex flavor development of the beans over a period lasting 11 months, the coffees develop very distinctive and rich flavors. Such growing conditions, combined with leading edge production and creative farm management practices that compare with Australia’s world-class wineries, it's no wonder Mountain Top Estate Coffees are so wonderful!

The Northern New South Wales growing region is located almost 1000 miles south of the Tropic of Capricorn, making this the southernmost coffee grown in the world! Because Australia lacks many of the pests and diseases prevalent in other parts of the world, their coffees benefit greatly.

Mountain Top Estate farms follow a sustainable approach to farming and all farmers employ advanced agronomic management strategies and do not use ANY pesticides, fungicides or fumigants in the production of their 100% Australian grown coffee.

"Bin Lots" from Mountain Top Estate are Australia's most distinctive coffees - these small, exclusive Bin Lots are not only the best individual batches of coffee from any given season; they are some of the most distinctive coffees that Australia produces.

About Mountain Top Estate - Bin 478

Derived from a semi-washed process, this is a delicate, yet bright and well-balanced style of coffee with soft acidity, mellow sweetness and an even body. It is a Fancy grade coffee, with zero primary defects, meaning it is very, very high-quality coffee. We roast this to a City + roast so it's a rich medium roast, but this degree preserves the many subtle fruity flavors and floral aromas that would otherwise be roasted out at a darker roast.

What does Semi-Washed Process Mean?

It simply means that this is a coffee processed from the pinkish to red-colored cherry fruit only. The cherry is pulped and washed through a mechanical demuscilager machine, similar to the semi-washed and washed coffees from Central and South America. It generally has a clean cup, with sweetness and acidity the predominate characteristics.

How Does it Taste?

As it is with all coffees, the flavors experienced in the cup are greatly effected by how the coffee cherries are harvested. In the case of Bin 478, it was harvested in the first pass of the season. The cherries were sourced from a very small load of red and purple cherries and benefited from a meticulous wet process. The purple colored cherries add to the sweetness of the cup, and the prime red cherries add to the complexity in flavor from acidity to sweetness.

This coffee shows a deep complex fragrance of blueberry and cherry, with notes of apricot, lemon and lime. The intriguing but soft body offers a buttery mouth feel that leaves the palate feeling smooth. The aftertaste is long, and sweet, highlighted by clean fruity flavors of blueberries and cherries.

A complex acidity of lemons and citrus fruits coupled with a clean fruity sweetness, gives this coffee a unique and lingering cup quality of ripe grapes.

Finally all elements complement each other very well to produce an extremely well balanced coffee!

We have a limited quantity of Bin 478 and we'll be roasting it in small batches until we run out. Don't miss the chance to try this wonderful exotic coffee from Down Under!

If you are interested in getting your hands on some of Bin 478 from Mountain Top Estate, click HERE or go to: http://blacksmithcoffee.com/products/australia-mountain-top-estate-extra-fancy

Thanks again for reading and thanks for drinking Blacksmith Coffee!

The Ultimate Cyber Monday Exotic Coffee Sampler Pack

2011-11-28T12:18:00-06:00

AVAILABLE ONE DAY ONLY! CYBER MONDAY (11/28)

Introducing the Ultimate Exotic Coffee Sampler Pack
The Ultimate Exotic Coffee Sampler Pack is one 8oz bag each of four of the finest exotic coffees grown in the world. When we say exotic, we mean, not available anywhere else.........in the world!

The regular price on these coffees would be $72, so for $50, this is the coffee deal of the year! Here's what you get....

Nepal Mt. Everest Supreme - This is the northernmost coffee grown in the world and certainly one of the finest. We have offered this before to our fine customers and the feedback has been amazing. Everyone has been asking, "When can we get more Mt. Everest Supreme?" Well, here you go! To learn more about Nepal Mt. Everest Supreme click here
Australia Mtn. Top Estate Bin 478 - This is the southernmost coffee grown in the world. When we offered this a couple months ago, the initial frenzy to buy more was immediate. Bin 478 is arguably the finest coffee grown in Australia, and definitely is a must have for exotic coffee enthusiasts. To learn more about Australia Mtn. Top Estate Bin 478 click here
Maui Mokka - Kanaapali Estate - This is the only plantation in the world that is commercially growing this mokka variety bean. To find it anywhere else, would require a serious hike into the heart of Africa to find it in the wild. Due to their small, roundish beans, Maui Mokka is often mistaken as a small peaberry. There are 8100 beans in a pound of Maui Mokka compared to an average arabica's 3000 beans/pound, so "small" is the operative word. However, Maui Mokka defies the assumption that "the larger the bean, the better the cup." Described as the "champagne" of coffee, Maui Mokka's flavor profile is noted for being intensely sweet, with a citrusy acidity and light body. Combined with its subtle, flowery aroma and wine-like quality, the comparison to Dom Perignon is certainly merited. This is the first time we've ever offered Maui Mokka and supplies are limited. We are offering it as part of the Ultimate Exotic Coffee Pack before offering it separately.
Jamaica Blue Mountain - Clifton Mount Estate - The Clifton Mount Estate is the oldest coffee plantation in the Jamaica Blue Mountains and one of Jamaica's only true Single-Estate coffees. Most JBM coffee is a blend of various growers beans. However, the Clifton Mount Estate, which has been continuously producing since 1750, is so meticulous in the way they are growing, harvesting and processing their exquisite coffee, that it is recognized in Europe and Japan as being the very best Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Clifton Mount is the oldest functioning coffee estate in Jamaica and is recognized as producing the finest quality world renowned Blue Mountain Coffee. Clifton Mount Estate Blue Mountain coffee is about as perfectly balanced as a coffee can be. It's noted for possessing a creamy, sweet aftertaste with hints of chocolate and floral undertones that perfectly complete its rich, medium-bodied, rounded profile. If you've experienced other JBM's you need to try Clifton Mount Estate. If you've never had a "real" Blue Mountain coffee before, you're in for a real treat! Supplies are very limited. We are offering it as part of this sampler before offering it separately next week. Buyers of the Utlimate Exotic Coffee Sampler Pack will be among the first Americans to ever experience Clifton Mount Estate Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee!

How the Deal Works

No minimums
Limited Quantities Available - When they're sold out, they're sold out!
We will ship on our before December 14th, so purchasers will receive coffee by December 20
All coffees are whole bean. If you need anything ground, please add a note when you checkout
In addition to these coffees, we will be offering a couple other Distinctive Collection coffees before December 14th. We will combine shipping with this purchase in the event that you buy from those offerings before December 14. More information will be provided as those coffees are offered.
For customers who whould like to pick up their order, a local pickup option is also available.

Offer expires at 11:59pm on Cyber Monday (11/28) night.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

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Swedish Coffee - Sunny Side Up!

2011-10-10T18:25:38-05:00

What is Swedish Coffee?

This weekend, October 7th - 9th, Svensk Hyllningsfest brought Lindsborg alive in all it's Swedishness. As you would imagine, Swedish coffee was a common topic of conversation. In light of this, we thought it would be worthwhile to discuss what Swedish coffee really is for our readers who weren't able to make it out for the festivities. First, here are three things that it's NOT.....

Coffee that is grown in Sweden
Coffee that is weak
Coffee made with eggs

Coffee Doesn't Grow in Sweden

Depending on the blend profile that is sought after, the roaster will identify certain flavors, aromas, and mouthfeel characteristics in each bean profile that he feels will compliment other beans in the blend and resonate in the final cup that is produced, without conflicting with other traits that might negatively affect the overall profile.

In other words, if you have a bean that's chocolatey, and another one that is fruity, and a different one that posseses a certain spiciness or very smooth mouthfeel, and you blend them together in the right proportions, you can theoretically make a kind of supercoffee blend tasting better than each of it's individual parts.

This is both an art and a skill, and the Northern Europeans are masters at it. Sweden's great coffee companies, like Löfbergs Lila , Zoégas, and Arvid Nordquist, all take blending coffee seriously and do a fine job at it. Again, the goal is the end result - the flavor and overall cupping experience.

Contrast this with the typical American canned coffee brand, whose primary focus in blending coffee is not on delivering the ultimate flavor and cupping experience possible, but rather on how to use the cheapest beans possible and blend them in such a way as to create a coffee that is "good enough" to deliver to market at the highest profit margin possible.

Swedes may not grow coffee, but they definitely know how to blend and roast it!

Swedish Coffee Ain't Weak

It's always funny to talk with Swedish folks who come to Lindsborg to visit. The prevailing attitude is usually that Americans brew their coffee too weak.

Throughout Sweden and the other Scandinavian countries, you'll find a coffee press, stovetop espresso maker or even an Aeropress is much more common than an automatic coffee maker. One of the many benefits of manual coffee preparation is the ability to contol the extraction process much better than you can with an automatic drip brewer.

As a result, coffee can be made strong, like it should be, without it becoming too bitter to drink. This bitterness issue is the primary reason most Americans cringe at the thought of the international brewing standard of 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water.

**And about that Swedish Egg Coffee....**

The real story behind egg coffee

Besides the prominence of Scandinavian egg coffee recipes, in the Old West, cowboys out on the range would often pull their extracted Joe off of the campfire and add an egg, which would not only filter out some of the funk in the water, but it would help the grounds to settle to the bottom of the pot prior to pouring. Thus, fewer grounds in the cup. Different method, same fundamental benefits.

Speaking of the Old West and Egg Coffee....
Long before modern packaging capabilities, coffee would be shipped from the Port - usually New Orleans, to merchants throughout the country. However, this was usually shipped in raw, green form and retailers usually sold it the same way, for their customers to roast at home.

Bottom line, Swedish Egg coffee is a beverage Swedish American ancestors can proudly claim as a tradition passed down from their foremothers. It is a testimony to the hardships of life on the prairie, without good drinking water, or modern conveniences. Though its Swedishness may be disputed, one thing can't be denied - the customs of the immigrant, even those customs that may have more to do with the realities of immigrating and enduring, are maybe more important than whether Egg Coffee is really Swedish or not. Maybe a more fitting name for it would be Swedish-American Immigrant Egg Coffee.

How Does it Taste?

Swedish Egg Coffee Recipe

For a Small Gathering use:

1 level tablespoon of coffee for each cup - Swedish Mörkrost is perfect!
A little of one beaten egg for each cup
Bring water to a boil. An enameled pot makes the best coffee. Turn down heat.
Mix coffee with beaten egg and add tap water until the consistency is like gravy.
Add mixture to the hot water and stir gently. Let the coffee brew several minutes.
Turn off the heat then pierce the coffee and egg mixture to release more flavor.
Pour a little cold water into the pot to settle grounds.
Spoon out the egg and coffee grounds floating on top and serve!

How to Drink Egg Coffee - Dricka På Fat, Like a Real Old-Time Swede

Usually the ritual would involve pouring coffee directly from the cup into the saucer. Then, it would be sipped - sometimes rather noisily! To cool it a bit, Grandpa would blow on the hot coffee and slowly slurp it in.

To sweeten the experience, Grandma would take a sugar cube between her teeth and slowly sip her coffee from a saucer, through the sugar. This was known as Dricka på bit meaning "drink with a lump of sugar".

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Just Call Us Greensmith Coffee

2011-09-30T11:31:00-05:00

If you've been downtown lately, you've noticed a lot of construction work going on around the blacksmith shop. Last week we had to rearrange the roast schedule to allow the removal of the old roof. With old coffee bags covering everything in the shop to protect it from falling debris, we were amazed to see blue sky through the ceiling as workers removed the old metal roof on the building! Even more amazing was when we heard a loud crack and looked up to see a leg coming through the roof! Fortunately the rest of the body attached to the leg didn't follow!

In any case, the leg belonged to one of several construction workers who replaced the roof and proceed to affix solar panels to it. Thus making the Holmberg & Johnson Blacksmith and Wagonshop a truly green building, and allowing Blacksmith Coffee Roastery to source over 70% of the electrical energy we need from the sun!

We're about 99.9% sure that we occupy the only solar powered blacksmith shop in the country. It's amazing how far solar technology has come since the 1970's when panels were HUGE. The panels on the new metal roof actually fit between the metal joints. Unless you know a lot about the solar industry, it would be easy to walk by and never even notice there are any solar panels there!

As we have focused extensively on non-electric, off-the-grid coffee brewing products and techniques, going solar is a logical conclusion. We are very thankful to Cedar Sentinel Rock, LLC, who owns the building, for investing in these green building initiatives that we will benefit from!

Minimizing our carbon footprint in the process of roasting Blacksmith Coffee means that you, as the consumer, are helping both the environment and the economy by helping us reduce our load on the grid. The cool thing is, when were aren't using energy ourselves, whatever solar energy is harvested will go back onto the grid.

You could say Blacksmith Coffee is green but that could get confusing as raw unroasted coffee is referred to as being "green" coffee. To avoid a "who's on first" moment, we'll just say that Blacksmith Coffee is always green, even when it's roasted!

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Clean Your Coffee Grinder....with Rice!

2011-06-13T15:33:56-05:00

For the serious coffee drinker, whole bean coffee is the preferred way to buy premium coffee. Grinding coffee beans immediately before brewing results in a more flavorful cup, with a broader spectrum of flavors present than is usually possible with coffee that was preground.

However, due to the natural oils present in coffee, over time, residue will accumulate in all the hidden crevices inside the grinding mechanism. Including the burrs themselves. The results are that your grinder can slow down over time. Also, when old, trapped coffee grounds suddenly release into the batch you just freshly ground, you can get some interesting flavors polluting your coffee. Even worse, if your grinder has been used to grind flavored coffee, those flavors will usually pollute future, non-flavored batches.

Unfortunately, many grinders do not come apart very easily to allow the user to clean them thoroughly to prevent this from happening.

So, what is one to do? Since your coffee grinder's burrs are steel, you don't want to clean them with water or they'll rust. There are aftermarket grinder cleaners out there, but for a quick, easy and cheap solution, clean your grinder with rice. Though, you can clean a blade grinder with rice, usually the grinding surfaces can be reached with a brush or rag. We have displayed the process, from start to finish with a basic burr grinder. Fortunately, this model comes apart so you can see the results of the cleaning.

How to Clean a Coffee Grinder with Rice

Start with a Dirty Grinder

Notice the upper and lower burrs are coated with leftover coffee grounds from who knows how long?

Here's a closeup of the dirty lower burrs

Now it's time to clean! Measure out a 1/4 cup of uncooked white rice. Cheap rice is fine. You'd don't need any Uncle Ben's or fancy long-grained rice for this project!

Pour the uncooked rice directly into the hopper just like you would with coffee beans. Set your grinder to a medium grind setting. There are differing opinions on how fine to grind the rice for cleaning. Some prefer to grind the rice very fine, but others have reported damaging their grinder with an ultra-fine setting. We just stick with a medium setting and go coarser with subsequent grinds until the ground rice comes clean.

You'll notice chunks of ground residue and old grounds mixed in with your fresh ground rice. It kind of looks like salt and pepper. It will take two or more 1/4 cup batches of rice to get your grinder clean. But you'll notice each subsequent batch is "whiter" than the first.

When the rice is all "white" you're done. Discard the ground rice in your compost bin, feed the chickens, or ???? (Let us know if you have a better use for them!) At this point, we like to run about a 1/4 cup of medium or lighter roasted coffee through the grinder to release any leftover rice residue. The lighter roasts aren't as "oily" or sticky so they won't sabotage the cleaning you just did.

Now you can clean the rest of the grinder pieces. Your plastic pieces, like the grounds container and lid, can be washed in the dishwasher. Anything metal needs to be cleaned with a brush or compressed air. If you have an air compressor or a can of compressed air you use to clean your keyboard, just blow out any remaining particles left in your grinder. Wipe down the rest of the grinder with a damp cloth or paper towel and reassemble.

Don't the burrs look better?

Here's a closeup of the clean top burr. Not only do they look better, but the rice actually sharpens the burrs, improving the performance of your grinder.

Voila! Now your grinder is clean and ready for that fresh bag of Jamaica Blue Mountain!

Final note: Though we use rice to clean our grinders, and learned this trick from other highly respected coffee industry professionals, not everyone is fond of this method. The biggest argument against it being that rice has it's own sugary oils that can adhere to your burrs. Others claim that some grinder motors have actually locked up when rice was ground. We haven't felt the first argument was noticeable and never experience a seized up motor when grinding rice. But, these are some extra considerations for you. We don't want you upset with us if you find your favorite Guatemalan now tastes like Chicken Lo Mein, or your grinder breaks.

P.S. Don't grind Chicken Lo Mein in your coffee grinder! Only use uncooked white rice! :-)

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-06-02T15:09:43-05:00

For all of us here in the U.S., Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the sacrifice and service of those heroes who have fought for the liberties we enjoy today. We would like to thank those of you who have served our great nation, and those who have watched and waited for a spouse or child or parent or sibling go off to war and pray they return safely. To all of you, we raise our mug!

We would also like to extend our heartfelt condolences to everyone in Joplin, Missouri and throughout the midwest and southern states who have experienced such loss in the recent tornadoes and flooding. You are in the thoughts and prayers of all of us who roast, package and drink Blacksmith Coffee.

Please join us in making a donation to the Salvation Army to directly help relief efforts in Joplin.

Use Your Coffee Mug to Sharpen Your Knife

2011-03-30T12:55:00-05:00

Just in case you're ever in a situation where you need a knife sharpened, and all you have available is your trusty porcelain coffee mug!

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Happy Vffeldagen! It's international Waffle Day!

2011-03-25T09:31:00-05:00

If you happen to make it to Lindsborg today, you'll find everything is turning up waffles! Believe it or not, today - March 25, is International Waffle Day.

Originated in Sweden (of course), Vårfrudagen (Our Lady Day) occurs nine months to the day before Christmas - the day the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she was pregnant. As the holiday progressed, it also began to commemorate the first day of Spring.

So what do waffles have to do with anything? Well, in Sweden, on March 25th the women would set aside their winter chores like chopping wood and knitting, and began their spring tasks.. The greatest of which is preparing waffles! Våffeldagen sounds enough like Vårfrudagen that it's easy to see how it became a fun day, and what isn't as fun as waffles?

Today in Little Sweden, USA you will also find lots of waffle-related fun including:

The opportunity to spend the day in Lindsborg eating waffles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (All joking aside, there are some very tasty waffles here in the Borg!)
Be a party to våffelgames and våffelgrams.
Receive free waffle "topping tastings" at the Hemslöjd
Spend the evening and try v shots at the Öl Stuga!

We will be open today from 9:30 to 2:00 offering sampes of one of our strangest creations yet....

Waffle Flavored Coffee.

Våffel on down and tell us how you like it. Hope to see you soon!

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Great Brewers of the World - Clever Coffee Dripper

2011-03-21T14:34:57-05:00

A worthy submission onto the list of great brewers of the world. The Clever Coffee Dripper is the newest addition to our catalog of fine pourover drippers.

Here's how it works.

The design of this brewer is simple enough, you have a cone-shaped vessel in which coffee (or tea) can be brewed. At the bottom of the vessel there is a valve attached to a platform.

When the platform is down, the valve is closed, when it is pushed up (by placing the brewer on top of a cup), the valve opens, allowing the brew to exit at the bottom.

Basically the valve stays closed unless you place it on top of a cup or jug or something similar – then it opens.

How much coffee can you brew with the Clever?

Directions on the box claim that the Clever Coffee Dripper can make 10, 15, or 30 ounces of coffee. We got a crash course in brewing a lot of coffee fast with the Clever dripper at a coffee tasting/presentation we gave a few weeks ago. We needed to brew coffee samples for a room with at least 80 people in it. Now, we weren't brewing to fill a big latte cup or anything, as we were doing a sampling event. However, two Clever drippers worked beautifully for this function.

Brewing 15 or 30 ounce portions (the latter requires filling the unit twice) proved very effective, and with some refining, a person can really dial in their favorite extraction qualities with the Clever, without making a huge mess. Brewing 10 ounces is super easy, as you don't have to think about making a mess. 15 ounces is a little trickier, but not difficult, but the amount of fluid lifted the grounds dangerously close to the rim. For 30 ounces you must fill it twice with water, making the first half of the coffee turn out too strong, the second too weak. Just be sure to mix them together in your carafe so the end result turns out exactly the way Goldilocks likes it - just right!

Our Clever Coffee Dripper Brew Method

Boil water in kettle. We use the Hario Buono which is the greatest pourover kettle known to mankind.
Place white paper filter in Clever and fill with boiling water. Then discard water. This removes any paper dust and minimizes the paper flavor that you will otherwise notice in your brew.
Weigh out 33grams of your favorite whole bean coffee
Grind coffee beans to a fine grind (finer than medium, coarser than espresso)
Set timer to 4 minutes. We found the Frieling french press timer is perfect for the Clever as it clips right to the handle and only measures 4 minutes.
Pour water to the top of the paper filter. (# 4 size) This will roughly equate to 530ml - the manufacturer's recommendation.
At 1:45 on your timer, stir the coffee. We used a spoon to carefully depress the blooming grounds prior to stirring.
When timer goes off, set Clever on your favorite carafe and wait for the brew to thoroughly drain from the vessel.
Discard filter/grounds and rinse Clever.
Drink your fresh brewed Clever coffee and enjoy!

Filters for the Clever Coffee Dripper

Filters make a difference. It will use a standard #4 or #6 cone shaped paper filter. (Equiv. to a Hario 03 filter). White filters result in less of a papery taste than unbleached filters. And don't bother trying to use a Swiss Gold filter with the Clever. It doesn't really work too well.

The shape of the platform the Clever rests on allows you to set it on any cup, thermos or carafe with tops between 1.5" and 3.75" in diameter.

Cleaning: Do not allow residue to build up in the filter; lightly scrub the cone with very hot water and a sponge or brush, taking care to clean shut-off mechanism lightly from the top. If necessary, use a detergent-free cleaner designed for carafes and filter cones. When we get buildup in a filter cone, we soak it in a strong espresso machine cleaner (Urnex Cafiza) and very hot water for 5 minutes, scrub with a brush and rinse with very hot water.

A couple of nice extras that are included with the Clever Coffee Dripper include a drip plate to rest it on during/after brewing and a lid to keep the brew hot during extraction.

How Much Does it Cost?

This may be the best part of all. At BlacksmithCoffee.com we sell the Clever Coffee Dripper for $14.25

BTW, you may want to turn down the volume as the background music is a bit annoying.

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR CLEVER COFFEE DRIPPER

Great brewers of the world - Clever Coffee Dripper

2011-03-14T17:02:00-05:00

A worthy submission onto the list of great brewers of the world. The Clever Coffee Dripper is the newest addition to our catalog of fine pourover drippers.

Here's how it works.

The design of this brewer is simple enough, you have a cone-shaped vessel in which coffee (or tea) can be brewed. At the bottom of the vessel there is a valve attached to a platform. When the platform is down the valve is closed, when it is pushed up (by placing the brewer on top of a cup), the valve opens, allowing the brew to exit at the bottom.

Basically the valve stays closed unless you place it on top of a cup or jug or something similar – then it opens.

How much coffee can you brew with the Clever?

Our Clever Coffee Dripper Brew Method

Boil water in kettle. We use the Hario Buono which is the greatest pourover kettle known to mankind.
Place white paper filter in Clever and fill with boiling water. Then discard water. This removes any paper dust and minimizes the paper flavor that you will otherwise notice in your brew.
Weigh out 33grams of your favorite whole bean coffee
Grind coffee beans to a fine grind (finer than medium, coarser than espresso)
Set timer to 4 minutes. We found the Frieling french press timer is perfect for the Clever as it clips right to the handle and only measures 4 minutes.
Pour water to the top of the paper filter. (# 4 size) This will roughly equate to 530ml - the manufacturer's recommendation.
At 1:45 on your timer, stir the coffee. We used a spoon to carefully depress the blooming grounds prior to stirring.
When timer goes off, set Clever on your favorite carafe and wait for the brew to thoroughly drain from the vessel.
Discard filter/grounds and rinse Clever.
Drink your fresh brewed Clever coffee and enjoy!

Filters for the Clever Coffee Dripper

The shape of the platform the Clever rests on allows you to set it on any cup, thermos or carafe with tops between 1.5" and 3.75" in diameter.

A couple of nice extras that are included with the Clever Coffee Dripper include a drip plate to rest it on during/after brewing and a lid to keep the brew hot during extraction.

How Much Does it Cost?

This may be the best part of all. At BlacksmithCoffee.com we sell the Clever Coffee Dripper for $14.25

BTW, you may want to turn down the volume as the background music is a bit annoying.

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR CLEVER COFFEE DRIPPER

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Coming Soon - Electric Hario Buono Kettle

2011-02-24T17:00:12-06:00

Anyone who's used the Hario Buono kettle becomes a big fan of it's elegant design and amazing pouring characteristics! The only thing it lacks is the ability to heat its own water. That is, until now (or very soon)! We will be receiving a shipment of the first electric Buono's in the U.S. when they cross our shores in April.

From what we understand the capacity is 800ml, which is 400ml smaller than the non-electric version. However, it has an automatic shutoff so it will be safe, convenient and elegant! Price is expected to be in low to mid $90's. We'll keep you posted.

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Coming Soon - Electric Hario Buono Kettle

2011-02-24T17:00:12-06:00

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Interactive Map of Global Coffee Consumption

2011-02-23T11:36:02-06:00

Our friend, Jim Richardson, emailed us a link to this cool map the other day. If you're a map geek like I am, you can spend a lot of time really studying how much coffee everyone is drinking in all your favorite countries around the world.

Not surprisingly, our Scandinavian friends and family drink a ton of coffee! One thing that is cause for concern is to see how very little coffee China and India consume in proportion to their total population, knowing that as demand for specialty coffee in those nations increases, we'll see prices climb for several years. At least until, and if, global production increases to keep up.

via chartsbin.com

Introducing Congo Kivu Bourbon

2011-02-23T11:35:05-06:00

Often compared to the finest coffees of Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo - formerly known as Zaire, has a rich coffee growing tradition. Unfortunately, war and strife has plagued the nation for many years and consequently, coffee production has fallen dramatically. The very fact that it is available is an encouraging sign that the people in this struggling nation are rebuilding.

We are pleased to offer Congo Kivu Bourbon. This wonderful bourbon variety coffee from the Congo that will truly awaken the senses! It grows around Lake Kivu at an altitude about one mile above sea level.

We roast it to a full city roast, and the resulting aroma is almost intoxicating! You'll notice the smell of berries and cocoa and even vanilla! The cup is quite bright, a bit winy in fact, yet the earthy, cocoa flavor that develops gives it a very full body. But the finish is pretty sweet in a molasses sort of way and there's a hint of macadamia nut present too.

There is a LOT going on in this coffee! Complex is almost an understatement. This coffee has some wild characteristics and won't appeal to everyone, but to those who like bright African coffees it's remarkable rich body is sure to be a winner!

Interactive Map of Global Coffee Consumption

2011-02-23T11:18:00-06:00

via chartsbin.com

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Announcing....Congo Kivu Bourbon

2011-01-29T19:32:00-06:00

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Happy MLK Day!

2011-01-17T10:45:00-06:00

U2_-_Pride_(In_The_Name_Of_Love).mp3 Listen on Posterous

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Jamaica Blue Mountain Available for Christmas

2010-12-01T19:14:22-06:00

Jamaican Blue Mountain - Mavis Bank Coffee is Here!

With great joy, (and relief!) we just received a barrel of authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee from the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory.

As you may remember from our previous invitation-only roasts, we're quite fond of this rare coffee and many customers have asked when we'd have some more.

If your Christmas just won't be Merry without this wonderful, exotic coffee - Rejoice! A limited quantity will be roasted and shipped on Thursday, December 9th. That way, you'll be sure to have it in time for your Christmas breakfast!

If you're new to this fine coffee, here's why it's so special (and expensive):

Jamaica has a rich coffee tradition. Historically, the high altitude of the Blue Mountains in eastern Jamaica produced exceptional coffee…….arguably the best in the world. However, for numerous reasons, the Blue Mountain name has been polluted by fraudulent products that don’t deserve the name. Even casual coffee drinkers are aware of the Jamaica Blue Mountain name, thought it’s mostly applied to low-grade, overpriced blends.

Today there is one estate that produces the same quality coffee that gave Blue Mountain coffee its stellar reputation…..it’s coffee bearing the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory mark. First of all, Mavis Bank coffee is 100% pure Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee. Most of their plantations produce coffee that is grown at altitudes between 4000 and 5000 feet. They harvest and process this delicate coffee at this altitude too, taking tremendous pride and care which is critical in maintaining its quality.

What is it like?

As with many fine things in life, defining the taste and character of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is subjective. Everyone likes it, but individual observations vary wildly. Even eating the beans results in interesting observations....One visitor from our first JBM roast commented that the roasted bean tasted like a "chocolate covered espresso bean without the chocolate, but all the flavor. "

The aroma of the roasted beans was also exceptional, and truly hard to describe! It’s like this particular coffee possesses all the potential favorable characteristics a coffee can possess. The aroma is amazing with hints of chocolate, citrus, berries, and flowers.

The taste? Let’s just say, it provided a depth of flavor that was comprehensively exquisite! Since the Blue Mountain beans take 10 months to mature, they just soak up all the flavors available in the environment around them. All the aromas described above manifested themselves in perceptible flavors as well. Plus, there were notes of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, bananas, and even sugar cane, mentioned by folks that have tasted it. Probably my favorite description was from someone who said that it possessed subtle “hints of white wedding cake….frosting and all.”

We've ordered Mavis Bank Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee to roast and package on Thursday, December 9th. The roast style on this coffee is important because it’s a relatively delicate bean. It will be a Full City roast to preserve the distinctive herbal notes, some interesting subtle nutty flavors and hint of tropical fruit. This coffee is exceptionally well balanced with a good body, mild acidity and overall profile. Its not going to beat you over the head with exotic flavors, its just a very complete, balanced and smooth coffee.

Your Chance to Get “Real” Jamaican Blue Mountain

Because of its limited supply, its reputation, and the fact that 80% – 90% of this coffee goes to Japan, it’s not cheap. However, our price is as low as any you'll find online for authentic Mavis Bank Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee and we will be offering 1 pound bags for $40.

If you would like to order, we encourage you to do so asap. There is a 3 bag purchase limit, but we expect this roast will sell out.

Two Ways To Order

Call our toll free order line: 1-800-576-5280 we can take any major credit card over the phone or email you an electronic invoice to pay online if you prefer.

Order Online at http://blacksmithcoffee.com/products/jamaican-blue-mountain-mavis-bank

I’m not sure if we'll be able to get another barrel before Christmas, so if you’ve been interested in trying what many consider to be the very best coffee in the world, don’t miss your chance! If we sell out fast, we might be able to get one more barrel before Christmas, but it would be foolish to promise that. If we do (sell out) and we can (get more JBM before Christmas) we'll let you know.

So How Do You Brew Such a Fine Coffee?

Brew it strong! This is a fabulous coffee and to experience all the flavor it possesses you really have to abide by the recommended international brewing ratio of 2 tbsp/6 oz of fresh water.

If you can, brew it in a press or a vacuum brewer. We’ve now brewed it five different ways and the quality of the brew in order was Vacuum Brewer, French Press, Pour Over Drip Brewer, Aeropress (upside down method) and Automatic Drip Brewer. This coffee really seems to blossom when it’s brewed between 200 - 205 degrees. The top four methods where all brewed around this temperature and they were much more dynamic tasting than the Mr. Coffee method. Of course, Mr. Coffee’s don’t brew much above 180 degrees. Having said this, if you do brew it in a Mr. Coffee, (or any automatic drip brewer) grind the beans a little finer than you normally do. We found that a fine grind worked best when brewing in an automatic drip brewer. Also, if using an automatic drip brewer, 8 cups is the ideal quantity to make to ensure that your extraction time is between 4 to 5 minutes. Especially important if using international brewing standard.

Smell it. Before you drink it, be sure to take the time to enjoy all the aromas that are produced during brewing.

Enjoy the brew by drinking it slowly.

Bottom line – Jamaica Blue Mountain - Mavis Bank processed coffee is one stellar coffee! Yes, it’s expensive, but if you would like to try a very rare, very smooth, well balanced island coffee, there’s none better!

We hope you and yours have a wonderful Holiday Season! Thanks for drinking Blacksmith Coffee!

Announcing our 2010 Christmas Blend

2010-11-15T11:31:25-06:00

Every year we come up with a Christmas Blend that captures the feeling of the season. Our 2010 Christmas Blend is the perfect combination of your favorite Christmas flavors like chocolate, walnut, cinnamon, citrus, and even a very subtle hint of mint.

The label is derived from a 19th century Finnish greeting card with the greeting, "Hauskaa Joulua" which means Merry Christmas in Finnish.

This limited edition blend is packaged in festive red bags and like last year, it is packaged in industry standard 12oz portions.

Also, its available either whole bean or ground to your liking.

It's sure to make the Season just a little brighter, just like a child receiving a Dala Horse on a dark artic winter's day!

(Dala Horse not included, it's just presented for dramatic effect!)

Why Coffee Prices are Going Up

2010-11-11T17:32:30-06:00

It's been an interesting few months watching the price of coffee climb higher and higher. We've tried to absorb those increases hoping the market would go back down. But alas, it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon and the futures index price has reached a 14 year high.

For our customers who enjoy buying Blacksmith Coffee at their favorite grocery store, you will probably be seeing a price increase very soon, if you haven't already, as we've had to increase our wholesale prices to our stores. But, you'll notice other brands prices going up too....or their bags getting smaller.

Blacksmith Coffee customers have told us that they like our 14oz portion sizes, so we won't be changing that. Let's face it, nobody is really fooled when the package gets smaller, but the price doesn't! So,14oz will remain our standard bag size.

Not only will you notice packaged coffee prices increasing, you'll start seeing it at your favorite local coffee shop too. From Starbucks to Rome, cafes worldwide are raising drink prices to keep up with the markets.

So why are coffee prices reaching such high levels?

Answer: It depends on who you talk to. If you listen to the talking heads, or get your news from the mainstream media, they'll tell you that it's due to bad weather and stock hoarding in major producing nations. If that were true, I think we could expect prices to come back down when the weather improves and somebody decides to sell their coffee reserves, right?

But, I don't buy it. There's always bad weather somewhere and ag producing nations are forever trying to control the supply side of their market to keep prices elevated.

Why I believe coffee prices are going up and they aren't going to come back down.... First of all, it's not really about the supply side. Major analysts keep talking about supply issues - weather, stockpiles, lack of cherry pickers, blah, blah, blah.

The real reason coffee costs more, and always will is because of one thing......

GLOBAL DEMAND is increasing as emerging economies "discover" the joy of coffee. I say "discover" because in many third world countries, robusta bean coffee has been heavily consumed in the form of instant coffee. That's because it's cheap. As the global middle class increases in size, so will it's tastes, and that includes coffee. After all, who really prefers the taste of instant coffee to a high quality arabica bean coffee?

I don't know why, but I haven't really heard anyone in the mainstream media address these three important realities:

China's burgeoning middle class has discovered specialty coffee and it's consumption is on the rise.
India has discovered specialty coffee and it's consumption is on the rise.
Brazil has discovered specialty coffee and it's consumption is on the rise.

Interestingly, North America's coffee consumption is on the decline. I would surmise that is because our middle class is declining too.

So what do higher prices mean for the discriminating coffee drinker?

Simply put, it means prepare to pay more for coffee from now on. Prepare to find you favorite single-origin coffee harder to find than ever before. Some of our customers have been asking us when we're going to get more India Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold in. Problem is, it hasn't been available for six months or more. (More is finally coming soon however! :-) Bottom line: The world is finding out how wonderful great coffee is, and they're willing to pay more to enjoy it.

On a positive note, even at higher prices, premium coffee is still a cheap beverage considering how good it is. Depending on how strong you make your coffee, you will yield between 30 to 50 cups per pound of coffee. So even if you take our sporadicly available Jamaican Blue Mountain - Mavis Bank coffee into account, at $40/pound, you are looking at between .80 cents and $1.33/cup for what is arguably the finest coffee in the world. That's still less than a bottle of water from a vending machine!

If you'd like to read more about this topic than the links already provided, an excellent article on the situation is this Reuters article.

Thanks for reading and thanks for drinking Blacksmith Coffee!