OT - favorite "craft" coffee | The Boneyard

OT - favorite "craft" coffee

huskiesNhoos

huskiesNhoos

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Just curious if anyone else is getting into the expanding craft coffee scene. A lot of people probably think it's stupid to spend $15-30 on a 12oz bag of grounds, but I hate drinking garbage coffee. I only drink mine black...never was a fan of creamer or sugar hence the appreciation for a flavorful roast.

There's a local spot right up the street from my office here in Denver called Commonwealth Coffee (Commonwealth Coffee is a cafe and roastery located in Denver. - their Guatemala and El Salvador beans are my favorite) that I've been buying from for a while, but I'm interested to try expanding a bit and get some recommendations on other spots to try.

EDIT: can a mod add OT to the title please?
 
huskiesNhoos said:
Just curious if anyone else is getting into the expanding craft coffee scene. A lot of people probably think it's stupid to spend $15-30 on a 12oz bag of grounds, but I hate drinking garbage coffee. I only drink mine black...never was a fan of creamer or sugar hence the appreciation for a flavorful roast.

There's a local spot right up the street from my office here in Denver called Commonwealth Coffee (Commonwealth Coffee is a cafe and roastery located in Denver. - their Guatemala and El Salvador beans are my favorite) that I've been buying from for a while, but I'm interested to try expanding a bit and get some recommendations on other spots to try.

EDIT: can a mod add OT to the title please?
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In Denver, another good one is Sweet Bloom coffee.
 
intlzncster said:
@storrsroars
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I'm retired from that. Back when I was on top of things, pretty much all Denver had for 3w/craft was Novo. Pretty much limit myself to Pittsburgh micro guys these days or roast my own on a 10-year old Behmor, although weirdly a supermarket near me has Counter Culture 12oz bags on sale for $10.99 fairly frequently. Roast is usually 4-6 weeks old, but still good quality and still better than most around here.

I saw this list for Denver. Never heard of any of them, but they all sound like they know what they're doing, albeit some appear a bit "precious" (all day toast and jam bar!).

Also, OP said, "bag of grounds". If that's true, you're doing it wrong. Whole bean is the only acceptable answer.

I'd love to unretire and become the coffee guru for TJs though. They have it all bassackwards. They roast their single origins dark and their crappy blends light. On the rare occasion they do have a lighter SO, they're usually pretty decent for a good price.
 
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I've definitely become a coffee snob. I only drink single origin coffee roasted between 3 and 15 days before I brew. Burr grinder ground within a minute of brewing. Fortunately I have a farmers market that has a small local roaster with beans between $15 and $18 for 12 ounces. They roast on Friday and I pick up two bags on Saturday good for two weeks and I drink almost exactly a bag a week. Ethiopia Aricha Mista Valley Yirga Cheffe is my absolute favorite.
 
In Connecticut, Willoughby’s. I try to stick to their “Serious Select” beans from Central America when they are around $20 per pound or less. They also ship. Great people and a great small business that has been doing things right for decades.

Also check out Kuma Coffee from Seattle. Fussy Coffee in New Haven uses their beans and I have ordered some excellent Ecuadorian beans from them for reasonable prices.

Storrs is right about grinding your own though. You are wasting your money if you are having it ground in the store. The flavor drops off precipitously after that. In a thread like this some years ago he talked me into a burr grinder, and he was right.
 
I would recommend J René coffee roasters on Park Rd in West Hartford, Willoughby's and Blue State.

I'm really enjoying some honey processed Costa Rican coffee from Texas Coffee Traders out of Austin, TX that I would highly recommend. If you're looking for single origin coffees, I would start by checking out their website.

If you're looking for legit Kona coffee I'd recommend Rooster Farms.

Any gourmet coffee is gonna be expensive so I'd do your research if you're ordering online.

Also, I'm a huge proponent of the Aeropress.
 
I grind my coffee with a little green bud, put it in the press, good to go all day.
 
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Scott2george said:
I love Philz coffee- happened upon it visiting San Fran then a location opened up in dc where I live.
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Do you like the coffee itself as black or the completed drink?

I've never had Philz, but I understand they use something called "manufacturer's cream", which is pretty much the highest fat content you can get. That cream is Philz' trademark and what most people love about them. I don't usually use dairy in coffee, but had a cold brew with full fat cream (mock iced latte) at Rook in Red Bank, NJ and have to say, the friggin thing was delicious.
 
storrsroars said:
I'm retired from that. Back when I was on top of things, pretty much all Denver had for 3w/craft was Novo. Pretty much limit myself to Pittsburgh micro guys these days or roast my own on a 10-year old Behmor, although weirdly a supermarket near me has Counter Culture 12oz bags on sale for $10.99 fairly frequently. Roast is usually 4-6 weeks old, but still good quality and still better than most around here.

I saw this list for Denver. Never heard of any of them, but they all sound like they know what they're doing, albeit some appear a bit "precious" (all day toast and jam bar!).

Also, OP said, "bag of grounds". If that's true, you're doing it wrong. Whole bean is the only acceptable answer.

I'd love to unretire and become the coffee guru for TJs though. They have it all bassackwards. They roast their single origins dark and their crappy blends light. On the rare occasion they do have a lighter SO, they're usually pretty decent for a good price.
Expand ...
I'll have to check out some of those spots. My work isn't really close to many shops so I usually brew my own so don't have a chance to try the sit down spots too often

I misspoke, I promise I only get whole beans!
 
J Rene is Excellent in west Hartford. Dom’s In Avon serves their coffee.

I like Rebel dog in Plainville and now Farmington. They have Irving Farm coffee out of New York.
 
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Costco dark roast Columbian. I;ve had a lot of expensive coffees and while they are all good for the most part, Costco is fine for me. Not a fan of anything at Starbucks.
Go to 1:10
 
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huskiesNhoos said:
Jl their Guatemala and El Salvador beans are my favorite)
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Guatemalan coffee is incredible and the coffee culture, once you get there (if you were to ever visit) is quite unique and very interesting. As my Colombian wife said, they know what they are doing. Colombia is another country known for its coffee but they export all the good stuff so if you were to ever travel to Colombia, well, it is a gorgeous country but the best coffee is not domestic, lets just say that...plus the coffee culture in Colombia is nowhere near that of Guatemala. Hey, I love El Salvador btw, some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life, so humble and laid back, but the coffee does not compare to Guate. Guate has amazing coffee and very friendly people. If you like the coffee state side, go to Guate for a visit, learn and enjoy the coffee culture there, go to some of the best coffee shops (while possibly seeing an active volcano erupt somewhat nearby (this can be done in Antigua)at the same time), you won't be disappointed!
 
Travelman32 said:
Guatemalan coffee is incredible and the coffee culture, once you get there (if you were to ever visit) is quite unique and very interesting. As my Colombian wife said, they know what they are doing. Colombia is another country known for its coffee but they export all the good stuff so if you were to ever travel to Colombia, well, it is a gorgeous country but the best coffee is not domestic, lets just say that...plus the coffee culture in Colombia is nowhere near that of Guatemala. Hey, I love El Salvador btw, some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life, so humble and laid back, but the coffee does not compare to Guate. Guate has amazing coffee and very friendly people. If you like the coffee state side, go to Guate for a visit, learn and enjoy the coffee culture there, go to some of the best coffee shops (while possibly seeing an active volcano erupt somewhat nearby (this can be done in Antigua)at the same time), you won't be disappointed!
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I've heard as much, but I just get nervous about Central America...and traveling in general. Had a few sketchy work trips in Mexico, and I think it's just biased me towards the while region. One day maybe I'll get over it, because it'd definitely be an awesome place to add to the bucket list
 
I have been enjoying Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans for a few months now. Very good stuff. I usually use the french press and think it provides the best flavor and most control in the brewing process. As somebody already stated always get whole bean and grind it up to your preferred grind just before brewing. This allows you to control the flavor a freshness. I have found Daybreak in Glastonbury to have a good selection every since moving East of the river.
 
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