Roaster Stop – Highland Coffee, Baton Rouge Louisiana.

Posted on 03/29/2012 by Gavin Seim

We walked into Highland Coffee on a warm peaceful day in university district of Baton Rouge. I spent some time chatting with Stefan, one of the friendly staff. I learned that highland has been round since 1989 and tries to maintain a wide variety for it’s customers, all while keeping it simple from one location.

Clark, the owner of Highland was not in that afternoon, but he contacted me later and was graciously told me a bit more about Highland and shared some thoughts on questions I like to ask. Here’s a few of those answers from the roaster himself.

 

How long is un-ground coffee good after roasting?

“In my experience, coffee tastes superb for seven to ten days and really good for about two weeks.  I notice a significant drop off in flavor after that.”

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Now I love an Iced latte, but something I didn’t know is the  demand for iced drinks in the South. I guess it makes sense with all that heat.  Clark says they have quite a lineup…

“Because iced drinks are so big in the South, we offer about ten different cold drip iced coffees and ten iced teas prepared daily from our fine loose teas.  Most shops offer just one or two of each.  A lot of labor goes into keeping a fresh supply of the iced coffees and iced teas, but it is worth it because most customers want multiple choices in those drinks?

___

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Bean Review: Klatch, Ethiopian Gedeo Worka & WBC Espresso.

Posted on 02/25/2012 by Gavin Seim

by Gavin Seim: We visited Klatch in Rancho Cucamonga CA a few weeks back and picked up two roasts. The result was a happy one and I wanted to share what we found here in today’s EB review.

These were both great coffee’s and showed to prove why Klatch has become a quality name among coffee lovers. I’ll make this brief, but detailed.

Worlds Best Espresso.

The Bottom Line… It’s dang good and it ranks high in our EB scoring. I tasted Carmel, nuts and chocolate with a smooth palette and a great finish.

This luxurious blend won the worlds best award that was given at the International Barista Competition in 2007. I don’t believe the award has been given since. Is it the worlds best? That’s indeed a very subjective thing. But I can say this, it’s quite tasty.

Gavin’s Bean Rank, 90/100 – Superb.

FTO Ethiopian Gedeo Worka.

The Bottom Line… It’s a perfectly roasted basket of summer fruit. A tiny bit of tart with and rich but delicate undertone. Fresh, unique and smooth all the way down.

Most might make a drip from this medium roast, but it makes amazing espresso as well. And my wife loved it too. We’re not talking fake flavored coffee here. This is a natural single origin delight and quite possibly one of the most unique roasts I’ve tasted.

It smells almost heavenly and tastes nearly as good. If you don’t like a natural tempting sweetness this may not be for you, but whether you’re pressing, dripping, or yes making espresso. I love this stuff. Our our high rank reflects that.

Gavin’s Bean Rank, 93/100 – Amazing.

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Coffee Road Stop – Klatch Coffee, Rancho Cucamonga CA

Posted on 01/21/2012 by Gavin Seim

by Gavin Seim: We’re on yet another road trip as I do photographic work and hunt for great coffee with my family. This time we’re three months on the road, so you never know what roaster we’ll end up visiting.

We were on the outside edge of the Los Angeles area when Sondra found a Klatch Coffee just off the path in Rancho Cucamonga CA. Knowing the name I knew we had to detour and pay them a visit.

I spent some time chatting with Jarrod who was great. He told us about Klatch, the currently available roasts and just talked shop with us. This is exactly the vibe we like to see when visiting a roaster or coffee house, so Klatch gets a gold star just for having staff like Jarrod. Staff who are friendly, even when they don’t know you write a coffee blog.

Jarood told us how Klatch actually won the Worlds Best Espresso award in 2006, the only one ever given to day. I picked up a bag of that worlds best blend and I have things to say about that too. Stay tuned for a Bean Review coming soon.

In chatting with the staff I asked, as I often do, how old is too old. Jarrod says 30 days is as old as they like to see a coffee go after roasting. I would concur. He also says that beans tend to be best 5-6 days after roasting, rather than fresh from the roaster as you might think. They need time to outgass. To settle in as it were. This resonates with what I’ve heard from coffee geeks across the county.

All told Klatch was a great stop and we picked up two bags of fresh bean to try for ourselves. Stay tuned because those reviews are just around the corner (UPDATE, reviews here). In the meantime, go visit the Klatch in Rancho Cucamonga and have something fresh. And if Jarrod is there, say hello from Epic Bean. Enjoy… Gavin

 

Ariana is happy because she knows she's close to the coffee.

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Fiction. Is Coming to Epic Bean.

Posted on 01/06/2012 by Gavin Seim

Eb is more than just coffee reviews. Taking that further has been the intention ever since Eb started to grow and expand into the site it was dreamed to be. It’s a place to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Coffee being one of those.

With all this comes tales you’ll want to read while sipping a steaming mug. The sort of thing you can sit down and take in on a cold winter day. Coming soon to Epic Bean is a new collection of fiction short tales by The Brother Seim.

And stay close, because you may just find a bit of coffee madness hidden within these tales written by two brothers who have been writing fiction together for years now. Eb’s very own Gavin Seim who is passionate about coffee and his brother Nathan, who rather hates the stuff. It will prove an interesting combination.

Coming Soon.

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Bean Review – Equator. India, Poabs Cherry.

Posted on 01/06/2012 by Gavin Seim

I generally prefer a nice breve style coffee. Creamy half and half, a perfect pull of espresso (even from non “espresso blends”) and just a little sweetener of some kind. When I review beans however, I try to sample them in more detail. I’m really not a straight shot type of guy, but I taste the straight to get a sense of tone and body.

Next I’ll often make it as a hot and or cold latte with no sweetener, allowing me to take it in. Them maybe a pressed or drip brew to see how it comes off. All told, I want to know what a bean is capable of. While I may not try everything with every roast, I’ll always try to give an overall feel. So with that…

The Bottom Line…

Equator’s India Poabs Cherry is really good. It’s attractive multi-shaded beans are not too dark and smell amazing. It’s pulls espresso with a rich crema. It is has a bit of citrus zing. It can be intense or mild depending on your brew, but it’s not harsh and I like that. Hints of caramel and melon round it off on a very nice finish.

Gavin’s Bean Rank, 74/100. Great.

While this may not have blown my mind for uniqueness, it feels like a bit of a classic. A delicate quality at a good value. Poabs is a roast well worthy of a quality cup. It makes a good espresso hot or cold and should work nicely in other forms as well. Dig in… Gav

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Bean Review – Bird Rock, Espresso

Posted on 12/30/2011 by Gavin Seim

Bird Rock landed 2012 Roaster of the Year from Roast Magazine and Back Talker Espresso is a blend that looks clean and sweet. But aside from it’s nice packaging, I just wanted to try it out. I’ve never been to their factory, but found them on GoCoffeeGo and ordered it up.

The Bottom Line:

Go for it. The smell alone got me, even more than the taste. It’s so fruity and fresh. A roast you have guests smell just to show them how good your coffee actually is. But the taste does not disappoint either.

Gavin’s Bean Rank, 85/100. Superb.

This is a great little espresso blend, and with my non-limited approach to brewing, I think it would work great in other forms as well. Pressed, French, you name it. But it is designed to make a great espresso.

It smelled great, like a bag full of coffee and fruit. It pulls with a nice looking dark tone crema. As for the flavor. It has earthy fruity notes to it that are really nice. Medium mild, it’s smooth with a bright finish that’s just a tad sharp.

Is it the best of the year. I’m not sure about that. But it’s smell alone gives it a unique quality and it’s a roast well worth savoring. Check it out.

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Bean Review – Madcap El Porvenir.

Posted on 12/03/2011 by Gavin Seim

By Gavin Seim

Yes, that label on the bag is actually  fabric. It looks great, but what about the taste? I opened it up and made a double Breve at about 160 degrees last night. No sweeteners, just a classic cup. It was every bit as good as it looked and smelled, and I’m ready to go again.

The bottom line:

Simply superb: a festive nip of citrus pleasure, chocolate overtones, and a delicate lingering finish. Madcap El Porvenir is a winner.

Gavin’s Bean Rank, 85/100. Superb.

Everything from the presentation to taste was really spot on with this one. It’s not only one to try out for yourself, but it would make a great gift. The only downside is the cost of this varietal. I picked it up from GoCoffeeGo at $17 for 14oz. Not cheap, but I’ve seen much higher, and it’s worth it.

I pulled with the Giotto Rocket, and the crema was rich. It was a little foamy, so it settles a bit after a minute, but it blended well when I poured, making it a good candidate for latte art. It would also go great with a little brown sugar and should make a great straight show for those of you with bold taste buds.

I’ve not tried french or other brews with this bean yet, but with its mild richness I think it will fare well. Do yourself a favor and go get a bag of Madcap El Porvenier. Enjoy!

Gav

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Roaster Stop – Dawson Taylor Coffee, Boise ID.

Posted on 12/03/2011 by Gavin Seim

 

Wow, I’m late for this one, but just in time for a warm winter cup. During our Spring tour, we stopped in Boise for a visit to Dawson Taylor. At first, I was not sure we had the right place, a commercial sector way back on a side road. This was the main roasting plant, and that was cool because aside from getting nice beans, I got a back room tour of the plant. I’ll talk about what we took home below, but first, here’s a little video I grabbed as our guide showed us the sights…

The Beans

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Some of the largest coffee beans I’ve ever seen. Apparently, it’s called the Elephant bean. I tried this with Espresso and French Press, and both produced good results. Not a rare flavor, but a nice one with a bit of spiciness. The beans were so large that I  sometimes had to shake my Virtuoso grinder a little because they would get bound up. Pretty wild! 
Gavin’s Bean Rank, 65/100, good stuff. Live large. Give it a try.

Back County Blend. One of their feature roasts, this blend is a great all-around coffee. It made a good espresso, not too bitter, but with a bit of bite. This is a really good roast. I like that it has dark and lighter beans clearly mixed, making it not only visually appealing, but offering a nice palette.
Gavin’s Bean Rank, 78/100, really good. Light and dark is a great mix.

Bottom line, Dawson Taylor is a neat place. They’re a bit off the beaten path if you want to go directly to the source, but it’s a friendly place, and they have a vice variety of quality roasts. If you can’t visit the factory, stop by their website for a look.

 

 

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Roaster Stop – Blue Star Coffee, Twisp WA

Posted on 11/24/2011 by Gavin Seim

There was a cool looking La Marzocco sitting on the counter when we walked into Blue Star Coffee in Twisp WA. Welding shop turned coffee roaster about 4 years ago, Blue Star sits in the alpine hills just below historic Winthrop WA. It’s a really stunning area. Just watch for those deer, because they’re everywhere.

It was a simple place that buzzed with summer activity. Sondra, myself and the kids looked over the colorfully labeled roasts and finally ordered some drinks. In between the other customers I Chatted with Colby, the barista who was running the counter. A nice guy about my age who loved coffee gave me a few great samples. We stayed for quite awhile, hovering annoyingly around the shop, waiting for customers to clear so I could talk coffee.

Colby pulled us a couple of good shots and I picked up a few pounds of fresh roasted beans. I can’t recall exactly what varieties we had that day, but they were well made and we enjoyed them in the coming weeks.

While chatting, Colby introduced us to the Aero Press. A little hand coffee maker that looked like an as seen on TV gadget, but that I kept seeing at small roasteries. I asked about it and Colby happily showed it off, making us a cup that was very smooth and delicate. Other customers popped in and out of the shop, seeing the gadget and commenting how amazing it was. So at around thirty dollars we bought one and have not been disappointed. For such a simple little press it makes a stunning cup of coffee from nearly any variety of bean.

So if you’re ever in hills around Winthrop, swing over to Twisp and stop by Blue-Star for a tasty coffee, a pastry and a bag of beans. Or if you can’t make it into the hills, check them out online and enjoy another quality Washington roast.

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Roaster Stop – Rainshadow Coffee – Sequim WA

Posted on 08/10/2011 by Gavin Seim

We just spent a couple weeks on the road as I was presenting some workshops and making pictorials. It was a fun time with the family, getting to know the beauty of my own home State better.

One of the neat places we discovered along the way was Rainshadow Coffee, in the little town of Sequim, in the northwest corner of the Washington. Roasters are not always as promoted as the average coffee bar and I might have not learned about Rainshadow had I not seen them mentioned name on a card when the Family and I visited a local Chinese restaurant called Fortune Star a few days earlier.

I got to chat with Don, the proprietor and learned he’s been in the roasting business for some years now. Recently the shop expanded though and they now serve from the coffee bar as well as sell fresh roasted beans to locals and businesses alike.
I chatted with Don about how he works, the machinery he used and the like. I always learn a little more when I talk to the roaster. One question I’ve started asking is when is the best time to use coffee. Don says 3-10 days after the roast is the best window and that it allow to beans to out gas, yet still be fresh. This is un-ground of course. If you’re not home grinding you can fix that via our Amazon picks on the right >>

The Beans. I left Don to his work and walked away with a bag of Guatemala and Roasters Blend. I’ve not dug into the Guatemala yet, but the blend was excellent, I’d give it a 80/100 and it made a delicious cup of espresso. It had a full body without feeling burned and carried a complexity that made it refreshing. You can checkout Rainshadow’s wesbite here and order  some fresh beans for yourself.

 

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