Tag: Ethiopia

Stringbean Coffee Company – Ethiopian True Blue at Home

MichaelLeave a comment

The Coffee

https://stringbeancoffee.com/

Stringbean is another local St. Louis area coffee roaster I’ve had on my radar for a bit. Based in an office park in the shadow of the Thunderdome Brentwood Promenade, Stringbean coffee was founded in 2011 by Peter “Stringbean Pete” Cohen to combine his love for coffee and music. First off, the packaging design is just fun to look at and read, adorned with guitars, pictures of Pete, coffee beans, burlap patterns, and copious notes on preparation, biography, and origin information. The tagline in Stringbean Pete’s succinct biography sells itself; “Once a bean counter, now a bean cooker.”

Taste

  • Name of Roast: Ethiopian True Blue
  • Roaster: Stringbean Coffee Company
  • Bean Origin: Ethiopia – Kaffa
  • Bean Type: Arabica
  • Drank at: Home
  • Price Range: $ (1/4)
  • Roast Color: 2/6
  • Brewing method: Press and Pour Over
  • Grounds/Water ratio: 18:1
  • Grind: 9/15 – Medium Coarse
  • Aroma Notes: Fruit forward, citrus, orange, raw sugar
  • Flavor Notes: Chocolate, sugar, some fruit, blueberry
  • Tasting notes from the bag: Ethiopian True Blue is a light roasted, natural processed coffee with a blueberry aroma, fruity tasting notes and a bright acidity level.

I picked up a bag of the Ethiopian True Blue at a Schnucks for about $12. Let me tell you, the aroma as you open the bag is just lovely. It is reminiscent of the warm blast of fresh roasted beans that hits you after entering your favorite coffeehouse on a cold winter day. I first tried it in the French press where it bloomed quite nicely from the initial pour. While the aroma is fruit forward and fairly sweet, the flavor is much more subdued and mellowed by the chocolate notes. It is a light and refreshing brew with some sunny fruit and berry notes without an overpowering acidity.

After my initial brew with the French press, I followed the suggestion on the bag and prepared it as a pour over as well. I usually prefer to make coffee at home in a French press due to the ease of use and clean up, so my pour over skills were admittedly rusty. That said, the pour over opened up some different notes. It made for a lighter cup with the same initial chocolate notes but less sugar and more bitterness. The fruit and berry notes are also there but more subdued. Overall, the two preparations bring out some wonderful tasting notes in the brew but my preference is still the French press.

Rating: 8/10

Blueprint Coffee – Ethiopia Bobbaasa at Blueprint Delmar Loop

MichaelLeave a comment

About the Cafe

https://blueprintcoffee.com/

Blueprint Coffee is a small to medium sized space located along the Delmar loop next to Mission Taco Joint and down the street from the Moonrise Hotel. The space exudes a professional modernity mixed with hints of the building’s older façade and exposed rafters. The storefront is mostly consumed by the coffee bar and merchandise space, with a handful of tables and a small high-top bar pulling double duty as a display for their retail bags of coffee. Just beyond is their roasting and packaging operation, where employees are fast at work filling orders and roasting beans.

One thing is apparent from the moment you enter the door; Blueprint is serious about coffee and are happy to share that passion with each and every customer. Their branding follows a similar theme with simple, mostly bright, solid colored labels with just the right amount of information about the coffee you’re buying. Blueprint Delmar is an open and inviting space to enjoy a few moments with a fresh brewed coffee and a sandwich from their menu. I love a good egg biscuit, and theirs delivered without being too heavy. Notably, the tomato jelly slaps, as the kids say. I’ll definitely be back to try some of their other coffee, and perhaps take part in one of their educational programs to help hone my palette.

The Coffee

  • Name of Roast: Ethiopia Bobbaasa
  • Bean Origin:  Suke Kuto, Sakisso, Guji, Ethiopia
  • Elevation: 2,100 MASL
  • Drank at: Blueprint Coffee, Delmar Loop
  • I sipped with: Egg biscuit
  • Preparation: Automatic Pour Over
  • Roast Color: 4/6
  • Price: $$ (2/4)
  • Notes from the bag: Blueberry jam, florals, grape candy, chocolate ganache, earthy
  • Aroma Notes: Fruity and acidic, like apple and tart
  • Flavor Notes: Citrusy and light with some complexity, hint of nuttiness on the finish from the roast. Somewhere between an apple and lemon for the citrus/tart flavor. The barista suggested notes of tobacco on the roast, which is present but more subtle. 

I’ll preface this by saying this was my third cup of coffee this particular day so I may be biased by the jitters. That said, I was satisfied by both my coffee and food selections at Blueprint. The coffee had some surprising notes, chief among them a tarty citrus somewhere between a lemon and an apple. Behind the initial flavors were a hint of earthiness and nuttiness imparted by the roast. Though there was some slight acidity to accompany the citrusy/fruity flavors, it is balanced overall and makes for an enjoyable and intriguing brew. 

Rating: 8.5/10