I’m Hooked!

Hooked!

One of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history is Tony Montoya is finally hooked on cocaine in Scarface. In an earlier post, I mentioned that the best business model for converting coffee drinkers into drinkers of quality specialty coffee is the drug dealers’ model – give away free coffee, after a week they’ll be hooked.

Well last week I found myself in Tony Montoya’s place. I was out of coffee. I threw away my 8 O’Clock coffee. I was out of good specialty coffee – not even Starbucks. I did have a little bit of my friend’s Maxwell House coffee – which I mentioned in an earlier post, he said to throw away. We I poured the Maxwell House in to my french press. I then had to warm up half a cup of milk to put into my travel mug, before pouring in the Maxwell House from the french press. I thought it would be bearable. Ugh! My stomach could not take it – even with all that milk!

I recently heard that my brother-in-law is as ruined as me.

Crossing the Bridge – Average Coffee Drinker to Specialty Coffee Drinker

This morning I went back to Old Faithful, cheap, Giant Eagle-bought 8 O’ Clock. Oh man! It was bad! It’s raw bitterness (not the same bitterness as Maxwell House though) bit me in my recently specialty coffee initiated taste buds. Ouch!

I guess that means for me that there is no turning back. Can’t stay on the same side of the bridge. Gotta cross over to the other side.

Here is the good thing about the other side of the bridge – where specialty coffee reigns: the world of coffee is broad and diverse. In whatever way I want my palate tickled, tantalized, or traumatized, there is probably a bean out there to satisfy me.

With me 1/4 cup of beans and my 4 cup French press, steep time of 4 minutes, I am ready to embark on my journey. I can now travel the coffee globe – visiting Africa, Central and South America, even Asia and a few Pacific Islands. Once I have travelled, I can then become a travel guide to other fellow coffee drinkers.

Coffee Tasting 101: Vocabulary (1)

My coworker (same one who let me use his French Press) gave me a can of Maxwell House Master Blend. I made a cup with his French Press this morning. My taste buds are now much more aware, but I completely lack the vocabulary of coffee tasters. So let’s begin Coffee Tasting 101.

Coffee cupping is to coffee what wine tasting is to wine. I’m going to go as slow as I need to go. I am a bona fide novice myself – kindergartner with an epiphany remember? According to one article by Steve Leighton, there are five things to pay attention to when cupping coffee: 1) fragrance – both dry grounds and wet grounds, 2) acidity – the liveliness of the coffee, 3) body – the fullness and richness of the feel of the coffee in your mouth, 4) flavor, and 5) finish – the aftertaste.

Got it?

fragrance

acidity

body

flavor

finish

So what’s the verdict on the Maxwell House Master Blend? I thought 8 O’ Clock is better. Sorry, I can’t quite use coffee tasting vocabulary to describe the Master Blend. Maybe in a few weeks or months?