My uncle gave me great advice about coffee when I was in my teens. “Learn to drink it black,” he said. “You’ll never be disappointed if there’s no cream or sugar.” I took that advice and I’ve never regretted it.
This morning I’m sucking down mass units of something called “Late Night Log-in.” It’s a dark roast from boca java. It satisfies. I’m a dark roast fan, and this is better than anything available here in Madison, better than the local roasters provide, better even than the corporate Seattle beans available wherever the bourgeois congregate.
I was among the first 500 bloggers who registered and yesterday I received my review kit. The kit contained six eight ounce bags of whole coffee beans, six different roasts and flavors. It contained a cool black ball cap and a mug, both with the legend “Always blog on a full tank.” That’s what they gave me, and I promised them some reviews. If you click through to them from this site and make a purchase, they’ll give me some credit toward my next coffee purchase. This is a good deal for me and for the ‘hood, since I’ll be spending less time breaking into parked cars and boosting stereos to feed my addiction.
Right now, I’m wearing my boca java hat and I’m drinking from my complimentary bloggersfuel mug and I have nothing but good things to say about the brew. You can look for another four or five comments from me over the next month or two. When I bust open a new bag, I’ll share my impressions. My tastes are simple, informed by my uncle’s advice and my early days in San Francisco where there two kinds of coffee… Graffeo’s dark roast (my favorite) and Graffeo’s light roast (not as much my favorite). Of course across the bay in Piedmont Mr. Peet was putting the business model together for the bourgeois coffee stores that dominate the market today, and I got to know him a little because my girlfriend was a Piedmont High graduate. But basically, for me there are still only two kinds of coffee: light and dark roasts… well, three kinds of coffee if you count Jamaican Blue Mountain, but I’ve only had a few opportunities in this long life to enjoy it. I am NOT a fan of flavored coffees, and those two bags will probably be donated to somebody who likes that kind of thing.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Frank, I know it’s not topical, but I can’t help noticing this post has a Farm Almanac tag. As you may know, possession of an almanac makes you highly suspect. We have not been “stood down” from that alert. I went ahead and burned all my books, of course, so there could be no misconceptions and thought I might offer to help you do the same. We could roast some coffee beans over the fire.
No, no… this is more a journal than an almanac. It would be an almanac if I had something to look back on, printed matter. But, I can’t read a lick. Only write… no worries.
That said, I would enjoy a good AMERICAN coffee roast. I mean a NORTH AMERICAN coffee roast. I mean a US of A-ian coffee roast if you know what I mean.
Well, well, always a sucker for a good cup of coffee. Looks like I get a free hat in the bargain if I purchase some snacks too. Yum: coffee and snacks. Thanks for the suggestion and review, Frank. Hope my purchase earns you a couple of credits! Happy continuous blogging on a full tank! Me? Well I take just a week bit of skim milk in my cop o’ java!
Black coffee is the only way to go, I agree. With anything else in the cup it’s no longer coffee. (Sorry, Tamar!)
For many years a coffee cup containing varying levels of the brew became an extension of my hand.
But I regret to inform you, a few years ago I switched to green tea. Please forgive me. Had I known then this coffee opportunity would arise, you can be certain I would not have changed. Thank heavens getting your hat and mug didn’t depend on my purchase.
Be assured, should I return to coffee I will hasten to order some of the beans of which you speak. I can feel myself weakening now.
joared, they have teas there too. I can’t speak for the quality or the variety… but they do have tea.
(Also, I think tea purchases don’t count in my coffee credit arrangement, so consider this just a piece of information, not arm twisting).
Frank:
Have to ask … I had a relative by the name of Frank Paynter in the north east part of the US. Are you related to him?
Joe, the only Frank Paynter I know of who is not me is a talented guy at Ohio State whose accomplishments get buried in the Google spew of my blogging links. No, I am not related to him, but I admire his accomplishments.