Shenandoah Joe Ethiopian Sidamo ARDI

Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters is a Charlottesville, Virginia based coffee roaster. They offer offer over 25 varieties of specialty/boutique/gourmet coffee. They blend and bag everything to order and by hand.

I had never heard of this roaster before seeing their coffee in my local Whole Foods. They have a pretty established presence in Charlottesville but it seems like they don't have cafes further north than that.

From the roaster: A natural processed coffee with fruit tones of blackberry, citrus sparkle that ranges from lemon to orange. A creamy body, with a nice chocolaty finish.

Method:  French press

Review and tl;dr after the jump...

Appearance (16/20):  The bean is on the darker side but not super glossy like a french roast which isn't surprising given that this bean should be medium-dark roasted. The roast is pretty varied all around from caramel to chocolate shades of brown.

Smell (18/20):  Very strong berry/stone fruit aroma, almost Frankenberry or Boo Berry-like :)

Taste (20/20):  If you are looking for the epitome of a very berry coffee, this would be the one. Up front there is a very strong blueberry like flavor which melts into a puckering sourness that evokes cherries. On the back end there is a very subtle roasty flavor to finish of the coffee nicely.

Mouthfeel (18/20):  Feels heavier on the palette than I'd expect from a medium-dark roast but it plays nicely with the tartness of the coffee.

Overall (19/20): This coffee makes for an excellent first impression from Shenandoah Joe. The flavor is pretty deep and even if you aren't a fan of fruity coffees this should be on your radar.

Score: 91

TL;DR - A very berry coffee that does not disappoint.

DC's Indie Coffee Shops Team Up for 'Disloyalty' Program

What an awesome idea to drum up some buzz for the local coffee scene! Sounds like my Saturday/Sunday morning just filled up.


http://eater.com/archives/2014/01/06/dcs-indie-coffee-shops-team-up-for-disloyalty-card.php

Starbucks Kenya Review

Starbucks is a global coffee company and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. (I know Starbucks isn't based in the DMV area but I got it at lunch today and wanted to post something.)

From the roaster:  Bright with a juicy acidity, low wine notes and fruity flavors—ranging from black currant and blackberry to tart grapefruit—that become more pronounced as the coffee cools.

Method:  Clover machine at my local Starbucks (I wish I had one of these at home!)

Review and tl;dr after the jump...

The Plan

It is my intention to provide short reviews and personal comments on my two most favorite things: coffee and beer from the Washington DC Metropolitan area (I'll throw in Delaware too but only because of Dogfish Head). I am by no means an expert on either subject but I am a homebrewer and I have experimented with many types of coffee brewing techniques (Aeropress, french press, pour-over, cupping, etc). I hope at the very least this becomes a nice little imbibables database!