Tag: coffee review

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coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Topeca Coffee Roasters’ House Decaf

Ashe

Something I love about ordering freshly roasted coffee are the pleasant surprises. It’s not just a delicious cup awaiting me: sometimes I get entirely new gifts.

I’ve opened up coffee packages and received little postcards. I’ve gotten stickers. Occasionally I get a handwritten note from the roasters, which always puts a huge smile on my face. The surprise this time around was a real conundrum, because the first clue I had concerning an addition to my purchase was how heavy the box was. Before we dive into that…

If you’re embarking on your own coffee journey and want to lay off the caffeine, check out my Decaf, Decaf Everywhere series. I explore the brewing methods and flavor notes of a wide variety of origins, specialty roasters, and commodity-grade coffee. I also analyze packaging design and discuss elements like ethical sourcing and coffee culture.

Why is Colombian coffee so good? Much of it has to do with the history of the region. Let’s take a look at Topeca Coffee Roasters’ unique surprise below:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Topeca Coffee Roasters’ House Decaf” →
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coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Arctos Coffee’s Northwest Decaf

Ashe

I am…very behind on my Washington coffee roasters. I’ll admit it!

While in the past I’ve looked at Washington’s Olympia Coffee and Boon Boona Coffee, I’ve been primarily ordering from roasters all over the country. While there’s nothing wrong with that, per se, it’s caused me to fall behind on what’s going on in my own state. Well! There’s no time like the present to brush up on the local coffee scene.

I was given a bag of Arctos Coffee & Roasting Co. for my birthday, as well as one of their cute mugs. I was charmed by both their name and logo, which is a great way to start off the drink.

What are the best coffee roasters in Washington state? Let’s find out. If you’re eager to try more delicious decaf coffee, check out my ongoing Decaf, Decaf Everywhere series. I’ve reviewed coffee from multiple origins, including Colombia, Ethiopia, and Mexico.

Let’s see what I’ve been missing lately:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Arctos Coffee’s Northwest Decaf” →
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coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Ruby Coffee Roasters’ Flume Seasonal Blend

Ashe

Ruby Coffee Roasters is a roaster I’m thrilled to return to. Their coffee portfolio strikes the perfect balance between a quality cup and a romantic approach.

I fell in love with their Decaf Cauca earlier this year, a fruity and honeyed delight that hit high notes in every brewing method. Now they boast two new decaf coffees that promise more delicious mugs on the horizon. While the Decaf Aguacate sounds delectable, I honed in on the Flume Seasonal Blend partially for its flavor notes and partially for the brilliant site description.

This is the kind of coffee I would instantly recommend to those thinking of expanding their knowledge. It’s one thing to understand coffee can hit a whole ‘nother level. It’s another thing to know.

If you’re a regular (or occasional!) decaf drinker that wants to broaden your tastes, check out my Decaf, Decaf Everywhere review series. I recently reviewed the fantastic Slow Jamz from Deadstock Coffee, as well as a highly anticipated Sugarcane Decaf from Merit Coffee Co.

How are coffee beans blended? Which decaf coffee is the best for you? Let’s see how Ruby Coffee Roasters continues to bring the quality:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Ruby Coffee Roasters’ Flume Seasonal Blend” →
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coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Deadstock Coffee’s Slow Jamz

Ashe

Sometimes you taste a coffee so good it makes you grin.

That’s the power of carefully grown, freshly roasted beans. Not that I don’t have a fondness for stale grocery coffee tins (those got me through stressful periods), but single-origin bags are an intensive experience. Each one is pure joy. I feel nothing but glee when I get my box in my mail (sometimes outfitted with a unique design) and opening it up. I love admiring the design of the bag from the comfort of my kitchen, studying it from every angle and analyzing what stands out.

Inhaling that first scent, trying out my first cup (I always start with a pourover), experimenting with recipes…it’s a journey. Every time.

Coffee is for everyone. Not only that, everyone stands to benefit from a coffee model that’s actually fair trade and sustainable. If you want to know more about what qualifies as single-origin or specialty coffee (and those that come close), check out this post by Third Wave Coffee Roasters. If you could use some recommendations for specialty grade decaf coffee and single-origin decaf coffee, check out my directory.

Now that that’s out of the way…

…let’s take a look at Deadstock Coffee’s Slow Jamz and why it brought a smile to my face:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Deadstock Coffee’s Slow Jamz” →
merit coffee
coffee

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Merit Coffee Co.’s Sugarcane Decaf

Ashe

This decaf coffee was a long time coming.

I keep a list of American roasters that offer decaf in their line-up. Why? Because even now, many don’t prioritize decaffeinating their beans. It’s a combination of a few factors. Coffee is already a very intensive process. You have the planting, cultivation, and harvesting of coffee on the producer end. Then there’s processing the beans using methods ranging from natural to wet. Then you have to store them, ship them, then roast them before they even reach the consumer.

Decaffeination is just another step in a pile of them. As much as it pains me to say, I can understand why the already strained coffee production line-up opts out.

Merit Coffee Co. is one of the first roasters I ever wrote down in my list, catching my eye with their elegant packaging design and their commitment to high-quality, single-origin coffee. While they only have one decaf bag to their name, it’s one I was eager to try for its lovely sounding flavor profile. They’re one of the more expensive single-origin decaf bags I’ve had to buy, too, and that’s on top of details like shipping and sales tax.

Was it worth it? Let’s take a look:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Merit Coffee Co.’s Sugarcane Decaf” →
sparrows coffee
coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Sparrows Coffee Decaf La Serrania

Ashe

I just love good packaging design. Some believe it to be a secondary detail to the coffee, but to me, they’re two sides of the same coin.

You eat with your eyes first, as the saying goes. Packaging design has a tall order standing out from the rest of the competition while ticking off the basics of communication design: the who, what and why. Coffee packaging, whether ground or whole, has a common list of must-have details to get customers involved at a glance. Origin, decaffeination method, roast level, roast date, flavor notes…just to name a few. Some go the extra mile and list off altitude, processing method and the coffee bean variety.

Sparrows Coffee‘s splashy design is a great starting point, but how does the coffee itself stack up? If you want to start trying out specialty decaf coffee (and the occasional wholesale variety) yourself, check out my directory to get started with today’s best American coffee roasters. I recently reviewed the sweet and fruity Ruby Coffee Roasters’ Decaf Cauca, as well as the earthy Kuma Coffee’s Peru San Ignacio Decaf.

Let’s dive in:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Sparrows Coffee Decaf La Serrania” →
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coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Ruby Coffee Roasters’ Decaf Cauca

Ashe

Here’s to Colombia! I return to this origin again and again, because it always gives me complex cups with unique personalities depending on the brewing method.

Colombia is one of today’s leading producers, hovering at number two in sheer production and adding up to a whopping 10% of global coffee exports. It’s far from a quality over quantity situation, though, and this origin has been my favorite for a while now. Onyx Coffee Lab, Counter Culture Coffee and Methodical Coffee are just a few of the incredible single origin and specialty decaf coffee bags I’ve tried from this country.

Colombian coffee is often sweet and nuanced, boasting a wide medley of flavors and often creamy, heavy mouthfeels. I can’t get enough.

What does Ruby Coffee Roasters add to Colombia’s reputation? Does it hold up among today’s best single origin decaf coffee? Let’s take a look at this leading origin and why it remains a powerhouse. If you want to see more on quality decaf coffee, check out my recent review on Methodical Coffee’s Decaf Cauca.

Without further ado:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Ruby Coffee Roasters’ Decaf Cauca” →
kuma coffee peru san ignacio decaf
coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Kuma Coffee’s Peru San Ignacio Decaf

Ashe

This bag nearly drove me mad…but not in a bad way.

To start off, the first few attempts at brewing this coffee went sour due to my accidentally buying the wrong filter from Melitta. Take it from me…just because it looks like a pourover filter doesn’t mean it’s a pourover filter. Secondly, I could’ve sworn I’d already written a review on it! It was just so good it didn’t click to me I hadn’t crowed about it to all and sundry. Well. Coffee is nothing if not an event and Kuma Coffee sticks out in my mind for nearly every reason in the book.

So…was it worth all the trouble? Let’s find out! If you haven’t read my past specialty decaf coffee reviews, check out my Decaf, Decaf Everywhere series in the directory. I recently reviewed Methodical Coffee’s Decaf Cauca, a tart and fruity delight that I (surprisingly!) preferred drinking black.

Without further ado:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Kuma Coffee’s Peru San Ignacio Decaf” →
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coffee, review

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Methodical Coffee’s Decaf Cauca

Ashe

I am living proof that coffee newsletters are a very effective marketing tool in the long-term.

Several months ago, near the beginning of the year, I signed up for Methodical Coffee‘s newsletter as a reminder to try out their decaf. In-between other specialty coffee bag purchases they would crop up in my email’s promotions tab with new coffee bags or behind-the-scenes peeks. I wouldn’t end up buying it until several months later.

While ‘now’ is a more preferred word than ‘later’ in the rapidfire world of business, it stands to reason a good business encourages customers of every single stripe. The ready-to-buys. The not-quite-sures. The ‘I totally want to buy this, it just keeps slipping my mind in a sea of marketing competition’s.

I’m eager to get down and dirty with this lovely single origin decaf coffee bag and all the interesting journeys it took me on. If you haven’t read my previous entries in my decaf coffee series Decaf, Decaf Everywhere, check out my directory.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at Methodical Coffee and see if their bag lives up to its build-up:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: Methodical Coffee’s Decaf Cauca” →
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coffee

Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: La Colombe’s Luna Azul

Ashe

It’s kind of tough to advertise flavor notes, isn’t it? We just have so much variety in our tastebuds.

I’m sensitive to complex flavors myself. I adore being able to get several notes in one cup and can even find myself disappointed if a drink is straightforward (not even bad, just…simple). I also have a massive sweet tooth. The science behind our tongue is a fascinating subject, involving subtle taste receptors located in different areas of the muscle to sort bitter from savory and sweet from salty. That doesn’t stop some people from having overpowering or underwhelming tastebuds, granting them sometimes contradictory experiences with the same product.

Diversity is one of the many beauties of the human condition…so imagine my shock when my mother tried La Colombe’s Luna Azul without knowing its flavor notes and nailed every single one. I had to double-check my phone to make sure I was reading it right! While I’ve long since accepted I can try out a new coffee and not quite get the flavors it was promising, La Colombe has clearly narrowed down its beans’ personality to a razor edge.

If you haven’t read my previous specialty decaf reviews, check out my Decaf, Decaf Everywhere series.

Let’s see what makes this coffee special:

Continue reading “Decaf, Decaf Everywhere: La Colombe’s Luna Azul” →