Pat And John Curry

In the coffee world, there’s a lot of roasters and coffee shops that are doing good. There’s many coffee companies that are working to improve the lives the farmers that grow our coffee. There’s more than a few coffee roasters that donate a percentage of their profits to non-profit organizations. Of course, every company is out to make money so that they can support themselves, but I can’t think of an industry where there are so many people and companies out there trying to help other people and improve the world.

One of those companies, is owned by Pat and John Curry. They run a coffee roasting company based out of Augusta, Georgia called Buona Caffee. They’re a relatively new company that started back in 2009, but they’re already doing big things from spreading the word of good coffee to helping bring clean water to some of the poorest countries in the world.

For every 12-ounce bag they sell, they donate 50 cents to Children’s Safe Drinking Water, a program that provides water purification packets to such organizations as World Vision, CARE, and U.S. AID. The donation from two bags of coffee will give a child clean drinking water for 50 days.

Anyways, enough of me rambling. Enjoy this week’s podcast featuring Pat and John from Buona Caffe…

Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or the Podcast RSS.

Podcast Notes:

Learn more about Buona Coffe.

Find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks to Pat and John for taking the time to talk with me. If you would like to be featured in a future podcast or know someone who would make a great guest, please shoot me a message via the contact form.

Sorry about the quality of the editing, it was a great interview but to make it fit into the format, I had to do a lot of editing. I know the editing wasn’t perfect (or anywhere near perfect), but it’s one of the many things that I’m working on to improve about the podcast.

DSOC Podcast 3: Buona Caffe: Doing Good And Roasting Awesome Coffee is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Student. This is what I consider myself. A student of life. A student of parenting. A student of coffee. My husband began that coffee tutelage, and I’ve since begun to study coffee on my own. And the warning I’ve read here on Daily Shot of Coffee so many times before sounded loudly in my head as I removed the bag of Gevalia from the mail packaging.“Coffee begins to go stale within 15 minutes of grinding….”

The Drink: Gevalia Kaffe Traditional Roast
Type: Ground Medium
Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 coffee mugs

Being one of the new kids on the block, I struggled with giving this, my second bag of coffee for review, such a low rating, but the more I drank, the more I questioned if I could even give Gevalia Kaffee Traditional Roast 2 mugs.

An exceptional smooth, never bitter coffee.

Smooth and perfectly balanced. This is our most beloved blend. There’s a reason this Swedish-inspired roast takes the crown.

Smooth, perfectly Balanced.

These were the promises I read on the package of ground medium roast Gevalia coffee. Even before I read them, though, I wondered what I was in for when I couldn’t even smell the coffee upon opening the box. Yet another strike registered when finding out the coffee was not whole bean. But I knew there had to be some redeeming qualities about this coffee. After all it was offered up for review. So with decisive positivity (Is that a word?), I immediately went to brewing a pot for my husband and me in our trusty Mr. Coffee drip machine.

When I opened the package the first time, I had a hard time picking up on the scent. I eventually dubbed what I was smelling as a muted chocolate and nuttiness. It didn’t tell me much about what I should taste. The first sip was powerful. Powerful like that hard sneeze that makes your brain hurt, powerful. There was a definite kick on the tongue, a distinct citrus taste, and the coffee itself was thick and syrupy. And there was something else I couldn’t quite make out. It was almost pungent, too sweet. And that was before adding a bit of heavy cream and organic agave nectar. I couldn’t figure out if that elusive taste was offensive or just different. It was almost not worth finishing that first cup, but I kept sipping, trying to figure out what I was tasting. Still a certain aspect of that citrusy kick eluded me. Needless to say, I was really not looking forward to the next cup.

The next morning, with the second cup in hand, I really began searching for what I had missed the previous afternoon. Floral? Maybe. Almost like a Sweettart? Mmm, maybe not. Then my husband mentioned dark chocolate, and the light bulb came on. That muted chocolate I had picked up on when I first opened the bag? That was the elusive aspect of the citrusy bite. It was as if they had used 100% Cacao with a heavy dose of too sweet citrus in the roasting process. Heaven forbid one add any kind of sweetener. My agave, added after numerous sips to determine if the brew was worth finishing, made the sweetness even more unbearable.

If you are interested in trying the Gevalia Kaffe Traditional Roast, you can find it at the Gevalia website. You have the choice of regular, decaf, whole bean or ground. An 8 ounce bag is $6.99.

I love chocolate. I love chocolate and citrus together. I would be interested in trying this Gevalia Kaffe Traditional Roast in whole bean form to see if the tastes would be more balanced, more smooth. To see if it warranted its description of taking the crown. At this point, I would not recommend sitting down to a cup of ground Gevalia Kaffe Traditional Roast. It seemed like a waste of my greatly anticipated morning pick-me-up.

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Fine Print.

From Pre-Ground Trepidation to Tastebud Travesty: Gevalia Kaffe Traditional is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

This is a guest post by Marina Salsbury. Learn more about how you can guest post for Daily Shot Of Coffee.

Coffee shares some similarities with Scotch Whiskey. No, coffee is not going to bring you into an imbibed buzz; rather, coffee, like Scotch, is available in a single origin or a blend. Each style of coffee has its own distinct and special qualities. These stir up quite a bit of coffee conversation as to what is better, the single bean or the blend.

When talking about a blend with coffee, what happens is a mixing and blending or different types of bean from different geographic locales. For example, “Breakfast Blends” may be comprised of a dark roasted bean from Central America along with softer and blonder beans from the foothills of the Andes.

Single origin coffee is just that; beans from one geographic region like Kenya or Sumatra, as examples. Single bean coffees, depending on the region they are from are often more expensive than blends because many of the more specialized beans come at a higher price.

But how does a blend or single origin effect the farmer, coffee company or the coffee drinker?

There are differing social impacts for either type of coffee. There are regions where inexpensive plantations use exploitive methods to harvest the beans. Many grocery store brands use these beans, most frequently sold as blends, thus keeping the costs low for the general consumer. This comes at the cost of flavor and freshness though, as the beans are stored for lengthy periods and are put through industrial roasts.

The Quebec and Ontario based “Second Cup” maintains an ethic to use fair trade coffee and roast in less industrial ways. According to Second Cup, this is a more equitable method of getting the beans as the local farmers get a better profit for a more “green” way of harvesting.

This is all well and good, but how do the gourmet blends fare against the tastes of single blends? As reported by Starbucks, single origin coffee gets the best reviews from those who seek out a darker and more robust dark roast while blends are given great reviews for morning coffees and mellower drinks.

According to MBA Online, finding a balance between brand equity and product quality is an important aspect of marketing. John Moore, who has worked with Starbucks and Whole Foods asserted that “when a company makes money, makes employees happy, and makes customers happy, it makes a strong brand.”

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Marina Salsbury planned on becoming a teacher since high school, but found her way instead into online writing after college. She writes all around the Web about everything from education to exercise.

Photo by puuikibeach.

Coffee: Blend or Single Origin? is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

The Drink: Coffee Del Sol El Salvador Alicia
Type: Whole Bean Microlot
Overall Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

I’ve heard that Lady Gaga loves her coffee, I know because I get alerts sent to my email whenever a new a coffee related story is published online, but I had no idea that she was growing her own coffee in El Salvador.

Okay, maybe it’s not the same Lady Gaga. Maybe it’s the Lady Gaga of coffee, the nickname that Aida Batlle, a fifth generation coffee farmer has earned (I didn’t make it up) because her crops are among the most sought after like a platinum record.

Not too long ago, I had a chance to check out Batlle’s latest hit, the Alicia Microlot roasted by Coffee Del Sol. A microlot is a small number of “hand picked” green coffee beans, usually the top quality that a farmer or cooperative produces. Literally the cream of the crop.

I worried that it was all just hype, but my mouth started to water as I let the aroma float out of my mug and into my nose. There was scents of dark chocolate, Cinnamon Toast Crunch (yes, the cereal) and a hint of smoke.

I was hooked from the first sip. There was a nutty, chocolate flavor that mixed with a sweetness that reminded me of strawberry syrup. It was a very smoothy, very drinkable cup of coffee.

Twelve ounces of roasted beans from the Alicia Microlot is $13 via Coffee Del Sol.

Overall, Coffee Del Sol El Salvador Alicia is a simple, yet very delicious cup of coffee. It earned a four on the Daily Shot Of Coffee rating scale, mainly because I could see myself drinking a lot of this coffee.

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P.S. If you’re a coffee company/roaster and you would like to see your coffee reviewed, please visit the contact page.

Fine Print.

Lady Gaga’s Coffee: Coffee Del Sol El Salvador Alicia is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

This week Alex Beecher, the writer behind the coffee blog Baristing. I’ve been a fan of his writing since I first stumbled across his blog back in 2010. Since then I’ve been checking in from time to time and enjoying his words and point of view. I like his blog because it isn’t just another blog with coffee reviews. It’s his writing that makes his blog stand out. Anyways, enough of me rambling, let’s get on to the interview.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what your role is in the coffee industry?
I’m a 23-year-old guy, recently graduated from the University of Kansas, with a degree in English. I spend between 35 and 50 hours a week at the coffee bar I manage, and split my time otherwise between reading and running.

How did you get into the coffee business?
Completely by accident. I worked in a campus food court, which had a coffee bar. They were short one day, and I was told to help. I failed, probably, and only managed to get in the way. But despite that, I was instantly hooked. Milk steaming seamed at that point the most interesting thing in the world.

Did you need any special training prior to starting?
I may have needed it, but I certainly didn’t get it. Youtube and coffee blogs trained me, as I sought some level of competency. At that point, it was just a matter of trial and error. Those early customers were my guinea pigs; I only hope my drinks weren’t too awful.

What’s your favorite thing about being a barista?
The craft and the people. I know that’s two things, but I just can’t choose. I love that every drink is a process, and that I get to produce a tangible product that takes some measure of skill and technique to get right. But I could never be a roaster, because the interaction provided by customers is essential.

What’s something that you know now, but wish you knew when you were starting out?
Not a thing. That coffee and the preparation thereof is an endlessly deep rabbit hole appeals to me immensely. To have knowledge planted, rather than discovered, would be like having a movie spoiled.

Any funny stories happen while you’ve been a barista?
Many. Though there have been more dramatic occasions, for me, nothing tops an older lady politely telling me that I “got foam on her cappuccino”.

Any advice you have for someone looking to become a barista?
Get a liberal arts degree. But seriously, there are infinite paths, with only one thing in common: Enthusiasm. As someone who does get to hire people, that’s the one thing I look for above all else. To be a good barista, you have to want to be a good barista. To work for NASA, they may want a degree in aerospace engineering. To play in the NBA, it helps to be 6’6 and have a 40-inch vertical. But anyone can steam perfect milk, provided they care enough to learn. Love coffee, love people, and convey that to anyone who happens to be hiring.

What’s your favorite coffee?
Coffee, to me, is a beverage greatly enhanced by context. A double espresso, pulled by an attentive and dedicated barista, consumed from a ceramic demitasse at the bar, is as good as it gets. Also, good company and conversation make anything taste better. If I have to pick one bean though, it’s Yirgacheffe, almost every time.

I know you have a blog, can you tell us where to find it and a little bit about it?
http://baristing.blogspot.com/ I started the blog when my facebook friends grew agitated by my frequent coffee related status updates. It remains very stream of consciousness, with nothing like a purpose or a message. At best, I hope it inspires people to think about coffee as something more than a caffeine delivery vessel, and those who prepare it as more than customer service automatons. Though that sounds suspiciously like a purpose.

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Are you in the coffee biz? Want to talk coffee and help future baristas, roasters and more people that love coffee? Hit me up via the contact form. I would love to chat.

Interview With Alex From Baristing: What You Can Learn From An Accidental Barista is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

I came across this list: Best Sellers in Coffee, Tea & Espresso On Amazon earlier this month and I thought it would be fun to do a quick recap of the list once a month. I think it’s interesting to see what made the list (replacement filters and carafes?), what methods of making coffee are popular (Aeropress, French Press, Stovetop Espresso Maker), etc.

With each item on the list, I threw in my two cents about it at the end.

#1 Cuisinart DCC-RWF1 Replacement Coffeemaker Water Filters, Set of 2
by Cuisinart
4.5 out of 5 stars (190)
List Price: $14.99
Price: $5.84
You Save: $9.15 (61%)
25 used & new from $4.45
Really, this was number one? Apparently people that shop on Amazon love their replacement water filters. Not what I was guessing would be number one, but okay.

#2 Krups 203-42 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel blades, Black
by Krups
4.3 out of 5 stars (728)
List Price: $24.00
Price: $19.99
You Save: $4.01 (17%)
26 used & new from $17.39
A simple, yet effective coffee grinder. It’s by no means the best coffee grinder out there, but it’s a great price and a perfect entry level coffee grinder.

#3 Aerobie AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
by Aerobie
4.6 out of 5 stars (1,048)
List Price: $29.99
Price: $25.95
You Save: $4.04 (13%)
I think it’s awesome that the Aeropress made the list. I loved this simple way to make a single serving of coffee, it makes coffee that’s extremely smooth and flavorful.

#4 Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter
by Keurig
3.3 out of 5 stars (963)
Price: $18.99
31 used & new from $9.99
I’ve been using my Keurig a whole lot less, but when I do I’m usually using a reusable filter. It’s not the best cup of coffee, but I like using my own coffee and the results are generally better than 90% of the K-Cups that I’ve tried.

#5 Senseo Dark Roast Coffee, 18-Count Pods (Pack of 6)
by Senseo
4.3 out of 5 stars (125)
List Price: $33.26
Price: $29.27
You Save: $3.99 (12%)
11 new from $27.99
Another random entry on the best sellers list. Of everything coffee that Amazon sells, I’m surprised this one made the list.

#6 Cuisinart DCC-1200PRC 12-Cup Replacement Carafe-Black
by Cuisinart
3.9 out of 5 stars (221)
List Price: $33.00
Price: $21.89
You Save: $11.11 (34%)
22 used & new from $17.95
It looks like a lot of people are break their glass carafes! At least that’s the only reason that I could figure out that a replacement carafe made the list.

#7 Proctor Silex K2070Y 1 Liter Electric Kettle
by Proctor Silex
4.1 out of 5 stars (675)
Price: $15.99
26 used & new from $10.99
I’ve been debating getting an electric kettle for my French Press. This is a pretty good price for one.

#8 Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal
by Cuisinart
3.9 out of 5 stars (2,660)
List Price: $145.00
Price: $67.59
You Save: $77.41 (53%)
58 used & new from $28.99
This is a nice coffee maker, but my favorite version was the one with the built in grinder. With or without, Cuisinart makes some above average drip coffee makers.

#9 Bodum Brazil 8 cup French Press Coffee Maker, 34 oz, Black
by Bodum
4.4 out of 5 stars (354)
List Price: $27.00
Price: $19.74
You Save: $7.26 (27%)
This is the very similar to the French Press that I use on an almost daily basis. I love it, simple but makes awesome coffee.

#10 Bialetti 6800 Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker
by Bialetti
4.6 out of 5 stars (241)
List Price: $29.99
Price: $22.00
You Save: $7.99 (27%)
34 used & new from $17.00
Awesome to see that this made the list! I had no idea that stovetop espresso makers were so popular.

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Side note, links in the above article are my affiliate links. In other words, I get a small commission if you buy something from Amazon after you click on the link. It’s not a lot, but it does help the Daily Shot Of Coffee engines running.

Want more info about coffee equipment? Stay tuned via our Facebook and Twitter.

Best Sellers in Coffee, Tea & Espresso On Amazon: January 2012 is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Welcome to the January edition of Fresh Brews, a round up of everything awesome to weird in the coffee world and blogosphere. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you may remember me putting together a round up weekly. Writing the round up weekly was a little too overwhelming, so now I’m working on a monthly recap of my favorite coffee news articles and blog posts. You can find these articles and other blog posts on a more frequent basis via the Daily Shot Of Coffee Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Muddy Dog Coffee: 10 Ways to drink better coffee in 2012
If your new years resolution was to drink better coffee, Muddy Dog Coffee wrote the perfect article for you. If your new years resolution wasn’t to drink better coffee, what’s wrong with you? Just joking.

Eat Drink Better 17 Things You Didn’t Know about Coffee
I know way too much about coffee, but this neat-o info graphic showed me a couple of things that I didn’t know.

National Geogrpahic: How Coffee Changed America
Tea gets all of the spot light in American history, but it was our friend coffee that changed America for the better. Don’t believe me, check out this article/infographic.

The Salt: Drink Coffee? Off With Your Head!
Part 2 of our little history lesson. Coffee is widely accepted in our culture now, but in the past drinking coffee could land you in jail or worse.

I Need Coffee: Roast Your Own Coffee
If you’ve been debating roasting your own beans, here’s an article that will guide you through the process. I’ve been thinking about roasting my own coffee for years now, I think in 2012 I’ll finally have to make some time try it.

Baristing: Review of Reviewing
Over at Baristing, Alex examines who asks us coffee reviewers (and reviewers in general) to review and why should we do it in the first place.

Passion For The Pint: How To Use Coffee In Your Next Homebrew
A little bit of a shameless plug for my other blog, but if you’re into homebrewing and you’re reading Daily Shot Of Coffee, here’s an article that you can probably use.

Creative Loafing: Spice up your morning
If you’re coffee is getting a little boring, the fine folks over at Creative Loafing have some ways to spice up your coffee life.

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Stay connected via Facebook and Twitter for all sorts of random coffee geekery.

Photo by Swiv.

Fresh Brews: Things You Don’t Know About Coffee, Roasting Your Own Coffee And More is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

This is a guest post by Sharon Hurley. Learn more about how you can guest post for Daily Shot Of Coffee.

Freshly brewed coffee is an amazing sensory experience, but dealing with the coffee grounds left behind is much less interesting. Most of us just throw those in the bin, but if you do that you could be missing a trick, as there are lots of ways to use them around the home. Here are a few tips.

Keep the Bugs at Bay

Coffee grounds are great for pest control. In particular, ants don’t like them so if you want to keep ants out of your house and off your plants, then use coffee grounds. For plants, mix the coffee grounds with hot water and then pour over any anthills that you find. This also gets rid of certain kinds of worms, snails, slugs and other insects. If you put coffee grounds in front of the entrances to your home then no ants should come in. It even works on fleas, it seems, though your dog might look at you a bit strangely if you pour coffee over him.

Garden Benefits

Still in the garden, coffee grounds are a great addition to fertilizer and will help your plants really grow. Anything that grows in acidic soil will benefit from the addition of coffee grounds which will help to make the soil richer. Pick your plants carefully, though; you wouldn’t want to kill your ficus! Coffee grounds also help with the growth of certain types of vegetables. Stick some coffee grounds in with your carrot seeds and see what happens. And there’s an added benefit too – if your garden is covered in coffee grounds, it will deter any cats who see it as a large litter tray.

Around the Home

Coffee grounds are great for masking odours – even if you end up with the smell of coffee instead, that’s a major improvement, isn’t it? If you have smells in your freezer or anywhere, drying the coffee grounds and keeping them handy will make the place smell much nicer. Coffee grounds also work to camouflage scratches on your furniture. In the kitchen, consider using coffee grounds instead your usual barbecue mix to create tasty smoked food. And coffee grounds are also great for dyeing or staining fabric (deliberately, rather than accidentally).

Healthy Coffee Options

Turning to health, the abrasive qualities of coffee grounds make them a great exfoliant. Instead of paying big money for expensive creams, just take your used coffee grounds and give your skin a treatment. Coffee grounds are also said to be a great hair conditioner and, mixed with other substances, useful for dealing with cellulite. See? You may never have to throw away your coffee grounds again.

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Freelance writer Sharon Hurley loves the idea of keeping bugs at bay with coffee grounds.  She writes for Eden Springs, the UK’s no. 1 bottled water cooler supplier who also offer office coffee machine rental.

Photo by How can I recycle this.

Four Amazing Things to Do With Coffee Grounds is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

One of the first coffee shops that really blew me away was Intelligentsia in Chicago. I remember visiting it and think it was like traveling to Mecca. Opening the doors to their shop was like opening the doors to a brand new world.

And for me it was a brand new world at the time. It was the first place that I could go for a shot of espresso and really enjoy it. It was the first place that I could really soak up the magical world of coffee and marvel at all of the different coffees they carried and all of the different ways that they could brew those beans.

To this day, anytime I head back to Chicago to visit, I try to find time to visit their shop near Millennium Park.

So, it’s pretty safe to say that I was excited when NeedCaffeine.com, the only non-Intellgentsia distributor of their coffee online offered to send me some of their coffee to review. Unfortunately that excitement was muted when I opened up the box.

The Drink: Intelligentsia Lil’ Bit Lighter Blend Coffee
Type: Ground Blend
Overall Rating: 3.25 Out Of 5

The grin on my face shrunk as I took out the bag of Lil’ Bit Lighter Blend and I saw that it was pre-ground. I was still looking forward to trying it, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be the same as whole bean. I know I may sound a little bit like a spoiled child, but using whole beans and grinding it yourself right before you brew your coffee does make a difference.

Here’s an experiment to try: Buy two bags of the exact same coffee, one whole bean and one pre-ground. Brew them both up and I bet that you’ll be able to taste a difference. I’ll bet that the whole bean coffee will be more flavorful and enjoyable.

But that’s neither here or there now. (I just have to make a note to myself to always ask to review whole bean coffee in the future.) Now, I just have to move on do the review. I brewed it using a pour over, and read a little bit about the coffee. It still sounded like an interesting coffee.

Dominated by chocolate and a lingering finish of caramel and pecan, this full bodied cup enlivens the palate with fig, dried mango, and crisp acidity.
-NeedCaffeine description

As soon as I put the cup of coffee in front of my nose, I picked up on the nutty flavor. There was also a sweetness, that reminded kettle corn. I picked up on hints of grapefruit, honey and some spices. There was a lot going on, but it smelled toned down.

The nutty flavor came out in the sip too. There it mixed with a grapefruit flavor that came with a hint of tartness in an otherwise very smooth sip coffee. There was a fruity, wine like flavor in the background.

A 16 ounce bag of Intelligentsia Lil’ Bit Lighter Blend Coffee is $14.69 via Need Caffeine and is available in whole bean or ground.

Intelligentsia Lil’ Bit Lighter Blend Coffee was good, but it wasn’t great. I just felt like there could’ve been more to it. It earned just a slightly above average rating of 3.25 on the Daily Shot Of Coffee scale.

The Drink: Intelligentsia Flying Blend Coffee
Type: Ground Blend
Overall Rating: 3.25 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

Next up was the Intelligentsia Flying Blend. I’ll have to admit, I was a little bit curious about this one because there was no description about the beans or where they are from other than that they were grown at 1250-1800 meters and were from Latin America. However, just because I don’t know the origin of the beans, doesn’t mean that I’m just going to throw the coffee out. If it tastes good, where the beans are from matter a whole lot less.

A harmonious and versatile blend that offers a full, earth body with chocolate tones, hints of fruit and toffee.
-NeedCaffeine description

Flying Blend started off with a sweet honey like aroma. In the background there was an earthiness and the smell of vegetables. However, it was difficult to really pick up on exactly what I was smelling, I probably spent a few minutes just sniffing my coffee.

The flavors were a little hard to determine too, like they were all muted and blended together. I did pick up on a earthy and nutty flavor at the start of the sip. Towards the end their was a honey and wine like flavor.

It was an extremely smooth, clean cup of coffee.

Sixteen ounces of the Flying Blend is $14.69 via the NeedCaffeine website.

Overall, I liked the Flying Blend from Intelligentsia, but I didn’t love it. It ended up with a 3.25 rating also. It was good, but I think it was probably a lot better right after it was ground.

The Drink: Intelligentsia Infinite Festival Coffee
Type: Ground Blend
Overall Rating: 3.5 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

The third and final coffee that NeedCaffeine sent my way was the Intelligentsia Infinite Festival Coffee.

It was also pre-ground, but I did notice something on this bag (the other two also had it) that there was a roasted on date. My coffee was roasted on 1/11/2012. That’s something a lot of coffee roasters (even those who just sell whole bean) seem to be afraid to put on their labels, so they get a huge thumbs up for that.

A harmonious and versatile blend that offers a full, earth body with chocolate tones, hints of fruit and toffee.
-NeedCaffeine Description

The Infinite Festival Blend greeted my nose with a wine like aroma. I also picked up on a sweet, milk chocolate. It was good, but it still seemed like it was muted.

As far as flavors, I picked up on an earthiness, cigar like flavor (imagine chewing on the end of a fine cigar) and a wine flavor. It was a smooth sip, with just a hint of citrus tartness towards the end. It was a fun coffee to drink, but it tasted a little mellowed out.

Intelligentsia Infinite Festival Coffee is $14.45 for a pound.

Overall, Intelligentsia Infinite Festival Coffee was my favorite one in this group. It was a good coffee and earned a respectable 3.5 on the 5 point scale. It would probably beat out a lot of whole bean coffees, but I still feel like it had this toned down quality to it.

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Fine Print.

Even Great Coffee Can Go Average When It’s Pre-Ground: Intelligentsia is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Chase Mann

 And What He Can Teach You About the Coffee Biz

Over the past week or so, I’ve interviewed via email Chase Mann, aka the Coffee Pro. Chase is loaded with information about the coffee business and there is a lot that anyone looking to get into the coffee business or move up in the coffee world could learn from him.

Chase was kind enough to let me pick his brain so that I could share some of that information with you, so a huuuuuge thanks goes out to him for taking the time to chat with me.

Enough of me talking, let’s get to the interview…

What’s your role in the coffee industry?

Creative Coffee Pro & Consultant … barista, customer service, trainer, and social media manager all for Cafe Moto … coffee business consulting on the side with non-competitors to Cafe Moto.

Did you need an specific training for the position before you got started?

I’ve worked for 14 years as a barista and in management of coffee shops & coffee roasters. You need to keep abreast of changes and keep working as a barista to truly keep your pulse on the industry. I always tell coffee enthusiasts that they should start as a barista in the industry because most companies offer specialized training that helps you get a solid foundation to build upon and to advance upward from.

What’s your favorite part of working in the coffee industry?

Meeting coffee enthusiasts and sharing my coffee passion with them and hopefully educating them even more about the bean, it’s history, the origin countries and the coffee industry as a whole.

What is one thing that you know now, that you wish you knew when you started?

During years 2 through 5 of being a barista and coffee industry worker, I thought I knew it all about coffee and I think I was somewhat arrogant with that knowledge. I was a little arrogant coffee snob barista. Once I realized that coffee knowledge is a continual growth field and accepted the fact that your tastes are different than my tastes, I became much less of a know-it-all coffee snob and much more open to other people’s methods and tastes. I wish I had my coffee humbleness from the get-go and approached other people’s methods and tastes the way that I do now. I don’t know it all and I can learn a lot from truly studying why other baristas may do something different than I. Some people like a flavored coffee or a flavored creamer in their coffee … get over it coffee snob baristas … it’s their mouth, their tummy, and their preference … serve it with a smile

Can you tell us about a mistake/funny story about something that happened when you were just getting into the industry. Something that we can learn from?

A mistake that the owner of my first coffee job, a coffee roaster, made was to open a second location solely because of the success of her first location. She picked a decent location, but it had high overhead costs. She had no training manuals and no systems in place to replicate the success of her first location and had to close the second one within 2 years. Systems need to be in place before you even consider expanding.

Any tips that you have for someone looking to get into the coffee industry?

Any company worth working for will hire you based most on your personality … coffee knowledge can be taught to anyone, but you can’t teach someone to have a personality. Exhibit energy, nobody wants to hire a slacker as the face of their coffee business, be positive, smile a lot, truly listen when people are talking to you, repeat questions back so they know you’ve understood them, express your interest in making an experience for the customer each time they visit, and always ask questions … never say “no” when you’re asked in an interview “do you have any questions?”.

Where do you hope to be in five years?

I hope to be the nationally recognized Headmaster of the Cafe Moto Coffee Lab & Barista Training Academy … which I envision creating over the next few years. Or creating my very own Barista Academy if needs be.

Would the Barista Academy be online or in person?

The Barista Academy will have both online and offline elements, including ebooks & ecourses (I’ve already been working on these for MyCoffeePro.com). The Barista Academy for Cafe Moto would be in an actual school onsite for 3 day, 4 day, and 5 day courses … and special Advanced Courses available on a per day basis. Cafe Moto has a separate building on site already that just needs to be outfitted properly. Having the school onsite at Cafe Moto gives students access to our Cafe, our Cash & Carry, our Roasting Plant & Production facilities … they can be truly immersed in the major aspects of the coffee business.

What’s your favorite coffee and why?

Ethiopian … since it’s the motherland of known coffee species.

Tell me about where we can find you online and your online projects.

My main website is www.mycoffeepro.com, but I also own and operate many others.

You can find out more here: http://about.me/MyCoffeePro

What can I find at mycoffeepro.com and why should I visit there?

The Average Joe (coffee enthusiasts) will find a basic understanding of coffee … what I call “Coffee Class”: history, beanology (science of the bean), cultivation, processing, espresso knowledge, frothing techniques, brewing methods, latte art tips, coffee terminology, coffee recipes … it’s all a work in progress and will continue to always be so I think.

Coffee Pros (coffee professionals) will find posts which further educate seasoned baristas and posts for coffee business owners with tips & suggestions on marketing and operating a coffee business.

If you work in the coffee world and would like to be interviewed, shot me a message via the contact form. I would love to talk to you next.

Interview With Chase Mann, The Coffee Pro is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee