El Presidente Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I had a great morning today blending coffee with great mate and coffee king Dean Merlo It has always been a dream of mine to release my own coffee tailored specifically to cigars. Today was about going through the cupping exercise which in many ways resembles cigar blending. 4 cups each of course ground light roast single origin. (we had 4 varieties today..4 cups of each). Step one to assess aroma of the course ground and look at the qualities of the coarse grind. Step two is adding water in each cup at a set temp allowing the grind to form a loose cap. Step three (3 minutes later) is to peel back the coating (with a spoon) and get your nose in nice and close....soaking in the aroma. Notes Step four (3 minutes later) is to use the tablespoon to taste the coffee. More Notes. Next step for me is to do the same with another 20 coffees over the coming weeks and then the blending commences. I really enjoyed this morning dealing with serious professionals in a benchmark coffee facility. One of those days where you learn so much about coffee taste, grading, blending. A long process but one which I hope will end up with something special. The final outcome will be put on the deck by way of a tasting for local cigar lovers. They can pick the blend they like the most. For the coffee lovers, what is your favourite coffee by way of brand and the way you have it? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polarbear Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Darwin is not what you'd call a Coffee hub but I've found the black label Vittoria blend to be my fave brew A strong cup of black (2 suagrs) coffee from my French Press with a good cigar is my fav way to spend a Saturday/Sunday morning Hopefully when you nail a blend down I hope you will have some spare for us non QLD folk. I'd love to try it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookite Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 The high-end coffee in Chicago comes from Intelligentsia, but I'm a huge fan of a blend called "Starlight" from Caribou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Presidente Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Hopefully when you nail a blend down I hope you will have some spare for us non QLD folk. I'd love to try it Long way to go mate but it will certainly be available Oz wide and if there is interest, throughout Asia/North America and Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanislaw Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Oh, rob that sounds fantastic and I'm sure we are all coffee drinkers who would have loved to have kept you company today, heheheh I love coffee, Intelligensia is on my list as well I love dallmayr from Germany for a daily drip coffee, illy for espresso at home, bustelo for the "poor man" style (in a strainer) and locally there is a company in tarrytown, NY called coffee labs that makes fantastic fresh roast coffee.... One good thing about the hipster culture is they love great coffee and NYC is full of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeafLover Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Any monkeys and monkey poop involved? jk I'm in for a lb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I love caramelized, dark, double roasted coffee. My coffee must have a good kick and lots of strong flavours. I get mine local, but would definitely like to try "El Presidente's Blend". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poisonowns Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I go to a place near me named Dutch Brothers. They're all small independently owned kind of hippielike coffee stands. They know what I like and every time I order they make it seem like I made the best selection ever lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabes Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Living near SF excellent coffee flows like water. Unfortunately I don't know enough to recommend something more local. I love coffee when it's roasted light to medium. Any farther and it becomes homogenous. Brew method depends on mood. Mostly pourover, a chemex is always a good choice. Aeropress is a favorite, but don't follow the recipe on the box. I usually have two or three different beams to choose from. Different origins and terroir have different personalities. Most of the time when I'm enjoying a cigar, I will smoke about a half inch, then decide which coffee and brew method will pair best. When I get the match right it takes it all to a new level. Best of luck to you Rob in this endeavor. I expect it to be very rewarding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golfdude888 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I second Fuzz' comments as I enjoy my coffee with a nice cigar by the verandah watching the world go by. I'd definitely try the "El Presidente's Blend" as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleDD Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Intelligentsia, El Diablo Dark Roast, my everyday morning cup. I only wish there were more of them in the suburbs of Chicago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyGunz Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Have you seen Arturo Fuente have recently made a coffee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImTripN2 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 A long time BOTL and all around great guy in Tucson Az has a mail order business called Polar Bear Coffee, and a couple years ago he turned me on to the pleasure of roasting my own coffee. Now I buy the the green coffee beans wholesale and roast them at home to my preference, and there is nothing finer than fresh roasted premium coffee. A little messy and time consuming, but well worth it. Usually I make a drink, fire up a nice cigar and roast on the patio so it's not so bad. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marker Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I really love cuban espresso. Cubita in the really fine ground bag works well. In Kcups I like dark roasts. Obsidian, Dark Magic, Caribou medium roast. Once in a while a sumatra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainQuintero Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I love coffee but I'm a total heathen; my mugs are filled half milk, half coffee with a single sugar. Can never tell the difference between brands due to the amount of milk. :S but I love it so much 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpmurrin Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 i like my coffee black and bitter and from Peets in the San Francisco bay area. Almost always a dark Italian roast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtvrtas Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I love coffee, and it's my favorite drink option with a cigar. When out and about locally, I purchase from a place named Kean Coffee in Newport Beach; however, my favorite comes from Espresso Vivace in Seattle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUBANO Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Gotta have my Bustelo coffee every day. Cafe con Leche goes well with a cigar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaDisco Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I like a single terroir in my coffee if at all possible. I know it's tough to find in this day and age, but I enjoy the experiment of tasting specific a specific specie, from a specific place, roasted in different ways. Sort of like preferring estate wine over a virtual, or single malt instead of blended scotch. Did you guys know that Arabica has twice as many genes as Robusto? Kinda weird. You'd think they'd end up being two completely different plants rather than just two versions of coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 The cigar community is target rich with home roasters. I have home roasted for a long time now, but I am not active currently. It takes commitment and since I can buy good roasted beans to make my daily coffee, I don't roast much anymore. There is noting like an acidic home roasted Ethiopian coffee to really smack your taste buds. I used to like to roast several different beans from different locations and blend them. Good stuff! Green coffee is better than most commercial coffee roasts and it is less expensive than most 'gourmet' coffee. You just need the time and the patience to master roasting and keep in interest in it to succeed. Cheers! -Piggy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srbbones Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I like Tanzanian Peaberry. Nutty and smooth. Peets is a good source 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rob Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 What Piggy said is spot on. Its a great interest of mine, and one that is very rewarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemsworth Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I also roast my own coffee. I have actually acquired a taste for the lighter roasts nowadays. Nothing can beat home roasting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I use lavazza qualita oro at home. Buy the beans whole and grind them myself. Brew with an aeropress (inverted method). Would be interested in trying what you come up with Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marper331 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I get lots of use from my nespresso machine and keurig. Had lots of Jamaican blue mountain coffee last year while I was on vacation and it was very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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