Joe University
For those of you in New York, Joe the Art of Coffee will be doing fall coffee classes. They will be covering everything from Cupping to milk steaming and espresso fundamentals. For a schedule and more information visit their website here: http://www.joetheartofcoffee.com/classes.htm
Cheers,
Ben
Coffee 101: Part 1
I am excited to start a series of post on the basics of the coffee industry. Today I will be writing about the unique characteristics of coffee from different regions. Starting out I would like to introduce a few terms used in the description of beans.
Acidity: the dry, bright sensation tasted in a particular coffee. Acidity is determined by multiple factors including the type of soil the beans are grown in, the drying method and the level of roasting.
Body: The weight of the coffee, which can usually be sensed by allowing the coffee to rest on the tongue. Coffee body ranges from thin, to light to heavy. In general, darker roasted coffees have a heavier body. A heavy bodied coffee will also seem less acidic.
Aroma: Aroma is responsible for all of the attributes other than the mouthfeel. The aroma of coffee can be seen as the most important attribute since it also affects our perception of taste, stimulation and increase of flavor.
Flavor. Flavors can be described with many different characteristics. Including but not limited to: Dry, sweet, rich, smooth, smokey, winey, floral, musty, hints of chocolate, pleasant etc.
Roast: The length that beans are roasted is a huge factor that shapes the characteristics of the beans. Roast is usually specified in levels of Light, medium, meduim-dark, and dark. Each classification is determined by the roasting time. light being a shorter and dark a longer roasting time. Correct roasting is critical in achieving exceptional taste.
African and Arabian
African and Arabian beans generally have a medium acidity along with a medium body. Their flavor can be described as spicy, similar to that of wine, along with having hints of cocoa, berries and citrus. African beans are usually a darker roast and are paired well with dessert. African coffees from different regions have varied unique characteristics.
South and Central American
These coffees are typically high in acidity. Coffee from these regions have a sweet, tangy flavor and a light body. It is common to see a mild to medium roast of South and Central American coffees. Most breakfast blend coffees are made with these beans.
Asian, Indonesian and Pacific.
These coffees have a very bold, heavy body and are low on acidity. The flavor of these coffees are commonly described as earthy, bold, smooth, floral, and robust. A dark roast compliments the characteristics of these coffees. These coffees also go very well with dark chocolate and rich desserts.
Exotics:
Other locations that produce coffee are Jamaica and Hawaii. These coffees are highly sought after. They are full flavored and have a rich body. Kona, grown in Hawaii, is generally a medium or light roast and has a strong aroma with hints of cloves and cinnamon along with a winey flavor. Jamaican Blue-Mountain is a medium roast that is full bodied with a rich aroma and a balanced, lingering taste.
I hope that this was helpful. With your next cup, pay attention the origins of the coffee and see if you can distinguish the aroma, flavors and undertones. Make sure to leave a comment and let us know your favorite origin or roast.
The next post in this series will be covering different brewing methods.
Introducing our Newest Contributor
I wanted to take a minute to put a post welcoming Lisa Wood to the blog. Lisa has been a Barista for 6 years and is a national IASC Certified Barista. Lisa has worked for multiple shops in the Northwest and now resides in Massachusetts. Lisa is interested in helping independent shops start up and also in educating Baristas and shop owners. I asked Lisa a few questions about herself and the industry.
Q: Where Are You From?
A: Ontario Oregon, its right on the Oregon, Idaho border.
Q: How did you get into the coffee industry?
A: My couisin worked at Java, a great coffee shop in Sun Valley, Idaho. From then on I had interest in coffee shops.
Q: What is your favorite coffee shop?
A : Jolts and Juice in Ontario Oregon because of the mix of great atmosphere, service and quality.
Q: What will we see you drinking there?
A: An extra extra iced, no water added Americano with Monin toffee nut and vanilla syrup and cream… its wonderful!
Q: What is the biggest problem with the coffee industry today?
A: A lack of consistency and attention to detail along with poor customer service.
Q: What is your favorite thing about independent coffee shops?
A: Good coffee shops are meant to e like cheers, “where everyone knows your name” 
How To: Heat and Texture your milk
I ran across this video tutorial on the proper way to steam milk. Proper technique is very important. The last thing you want to happen is over steaming and burning your milk. Hope that you enjoy the video.
Cheers,
Benjamin
Latte Art
I was watching this video and was very impressed with the latte art. I thought that I would share it. Scottie Callaghan, the barista in the video, was the 2006 + 2007 world latte art champion. Very impressive!
Enjoy,
Ben
Growers Alliance Coffee Company
I just heard about Growers Alliance today from Rosa Loves. I think that the Growers Alliance is doing a very interesting thing. The Growers Alliance is a small coffee roaster based out of St. Augustine, FL. The company is owned by Martin Kabaki and Purity Gikunju two Kenyan immigrants who both grew up on Coffee Plantations in Kenya and had first hand experiences of its hardships. As a company, the Growers Alliance is setting out to help end the unfair practices that growers face. One way that they are accomplishing this is by paying premium price for their beans. The Average price growers receive for Kenyan beans is around $.10 a pound. The Growers Alliance is now paying $1.20. They have a goal of making it up to a 50/50 split between the growers and themselves. This premium payment is already causing great effects on the region.
The Company is also very involved in supporting various projects in the communities of their producers. Some of these things include:
- Digging Clean Water wells
- Building Classrooms
- Installing Electricity in a 300 member coffee Co-op.
Check out their website for more information. Be expecting a review from the Growers’ Alliance in the next few weeks.
Enjoy,
Benjamin Spell
Amherst Coffee | Amherst, MA
I have been visiting Amherst Coffee on a regular basis since moving to Massachusetts. This rating will be based on the general feel of the shop from most of my visits. Amherst Coffee is a really great shop. When you first walk up to the door you notice the thought out simplicity of their logo, menu, furniture and all around feel. The shop offers great espresso drinks, drip coffee, tea and also a full wine bar in the evenings. They also have a small selection of freshly baked cookies and other pastries. On Thursday nights and Sunday mornings Jazz bands play in the shop.
More on the shop after the ratings.
Atmosphere: 9
Cleanliness: 8
Chi: 9
Price: 7
Coffee Knowledge: 9
Friendliness: 7
Quality of the Coffee: 17
Pastries: 8
Selection: 9
TOTAL: 83/100
If you are looking for blended drinks or lots of flavors then Amherst Coffee is not the shop for you. Other than Mocha, you won’t find any extra flavors. All of Amherst Coffee’s beans are roasted by Barrington Coffee Roasters. Barrington also roast for Joe, which is a great shop in Manhattan that has won many awards.I normally order a small Latte. The standard latte is close to perfection with its triple ristretto shots. At Amherst a small is equivalent to a Starbuck’s short. Their large a tall.If you’re in the Amherst Area I would recommend checking out Amherst Coffee. They are located at 28 Amity St. Amherst MA.
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters | Austin TX
Let me say this… If Mozart was in my hometown it would be very dangerous and I would not spend much time in my office 
By far this coffee shop has the best atmosphere of any coffee shop that I have ever been to… But more of that after the ratings.
Atmosphere: 10
Cleanliness: 7
Chi: 8
Price: 8
Coffee Knowledge: 8
Friendliness: 9
Quality of the Coffee: 14
Pastries: 10
Selection: 9
TOTAL: 83/100
Drink: Shot-and-a-half Cappuccino, Wet
Mozart’s is one of my “must go to” coffee shops while I am in Austin, just for the atmosphere alone. It is located on Lake Austin so you can sit out and enjoy a cup of coffee on the lake, which is instantly relaxing. They have an incredible pastry selection (probably 15 cheesecakes alone!) The whole place has this European feel that you would almost expect more out of a bakery and it is really homey. Their coffee is above average, but certainly nothing mind-blowing. I would definately reccomend trying one of their espresso drinks over their drip coffee and make sure that you get a little treat to go with it!
Austin Java | Austin, TX
First off this post is long overdue and it has been far too long since our last review. Here is how this great coffee shop did as far as numbers go and I will share a couple thoughts…
Atmosphere: 8
Cleanliness: 6
Chi: 7
Price: 7
Coffee Knowledge: 8
Friendliness: 9
Quality of the Coffee: 20
Pastries: 9
Selection: 9
TOTAL: 83/100
Drink: Double Tall Cappuccino at 165 Degrees, Slightly Wet
I had been to Austin Java on both of my previous trips to Austin and had great experiences. Out of all of the coffee shops that I have been to in Austin (trust me I have been to alot) this has by far been my favorite. My drinks are always fantastic and I have always been helped by an extremely friendly barrista. They have a great atmosphere and a fantastic breakfast (amongst other food). I would also highly recommend anything that they have as far as pastries.
The only down side is that they seem to have a grease trap problem and it smells quite bad when sitting near the kitchen 
Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Co.| Mobile, AL
Today was actually my second time getting a chance to visit Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Co. , but last time was before Coffee Shop Snobs was online (and not to mention that I spilled half a cup of scolding hot coffee on Ben… I decided that it would be best for me to rate this one :). Here is the rating and I will write up a little bit about it…
Atmosphere: 4
Cleanliness: 6
Chi: 4
Price: 6
Coffee Knowledge: 8
Friendliness: 5
Quality of Coffee: 12
Pastries: 9
Selection: 9
TOTAL: 63/100
Like I said before this was my second time visiting Carpe Diem and even though I did not spill coffee on Ben this time, however it was about as non-memorable. When we first sat down I was enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and getting a little education from the person behind the bar training the young padawan barista. This was great at first as I was getting a little information myself, but not long into I almost couldn’t hear myself think. The most disappointing point was that at which the barista (possibly the owner) talking how she would not vote for “xxxx” presidential candidate and continued to bash them for a good 5 minutes. I enjoyed my double tall, whole milk, 170 degree, slightly wet cappuccino, however I wish that I could have enjoyed it without getting any barista political froth.