Archive for July, 2006

Tasting: Kenya Gethumbwini Peaberry

Rating: ★★★★☆

So many Kenyan coffees of late cup heavy on citrus notes (lemon, and in particular, grapefruit flavors abound right now) so it’s a real pleasure — and a welcome change — to find a richly fruited coffee that features a different hue from Kenya’s vast palate (palette?) of flavors.

Tasting: Seattle’s Best Organic Sumatra

Rating: ★★★☆☆

This is the story about a coffee that got its big break: a spiffy new package — with birds and butterflies and lots and lots of green leaves — and brand new positioning in the organic aisle of your local supermarket. It had the look. But on the inside… really it was just the same ol’ bean. A little earthy. A little nutty. A little sweet. And just a touch confused.

The View From Up Here

Living in a valley nestled up against the Green Mountains I guess it’s only natural to want to to get a little closer look sometimes — to see the world from up there, to reach out and tickle a cloud or two. …

Want Decaf? Swish and Flick.

It reads like an invention of Hogwart’s own Professor Flitwick, but this magic wand appears real enough. Introducing… the decaffeinating swizzle stick.

The scientific innovation, called molecularly-imprinted polymers, or MIP, is applied and used on the surface of traditional coffee stirrers or cups. The stirrer or cup is coated …