Some high end cigar/tobacco shops have good fresh coffee beans to buy. Lots of different flavors and regions.
try to find a local coffee shop that uses a local roaster. don't buy the coffee too far in advance as it will 'go bad' if you have it for too long after it's been ground.
Just brought home a 1/2 pound of Guatemalan Huehuetanango from a local roaster (the hippy kind who specializes in free trade stuff), and it's surprisingly smooth and flavorful. They're getting in some Jamaican Blue this weekend, so I'm going to have to go and pick some up.
I'm imposing my smuggy attitude towards coffee on my family. For Christmas, I purchased my parents and my in-laws a nice burr grinder. This is also a selfish gift - in that I will use them when I visit.
Costco has Jamaican Blue Mountain beans on the low low. Also, my dad gave me a 2.2 pound bag of Ruta Maya Organic coffee. Bag says "these are the finest arabica beans, shade-grown by a cooperative of 1500 farmers in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico-the land of the modern Maya. The green coffee beans are imported to Texas where they are custom roasted and packed daily." I haven't tried them yet because I've yet to buy a grinder, but it's at the top of my to-do list. Been drinking a ridiculous amount of coffee during finals. So if you have to buy your coffee at the grocery store (GOD FORBID) what do you get? I go with Duncan Donuts over Starbucks every day of the week.
FYI: http://www.gocoffeego.com/ has a special on all 15 of the roasters the site works with. If you buy three of any roaster, it ships express for free. They carry Klatch, Metropolis, Ritual, etc. I ordered 3 different Klatch coffees. I've never had it, so I am excited.
I need coffee ideas for my brother. I know he drinks it black and is somewhat of a coffee snob, but that's about it.
Interested to see what types of coffees that the MB enjoys. Don't give me some obscure brand, needs to be available at least regionally. I enjoy dark roasts.
Super has been tagged, he's the most smuggy coffee drinker here. It's just that I'm a Sonics fan, and yeah....
It is OK that you drink Starbucks. It is clear you understand that there is something better out there. Which is the upside to having Starbucks around. It trains people to realize you should expect more than Folgers and it or bagged Pete's Coffee. That said, we have an entire thread dedicated to coffee and what brands you should consider. Keep in mind right now that Africa is out of season so try some of the very solid Guats and Panama coffees. Medium roast only. Please. Get a good grinder. Burr not blade.
if you get kona make sure you know what estate it is from. the flavor profiles fluctuate so much that not getting a legit estate kona means you're overpaying for mid-tier coffee. If I am going to buy a hawaiian I want to make sure what varietal it is -- so I go for Rusty's farm in Ka'u. They have a great red bourbon. You can order it direct from below: http://rustyshawaiian.com/ I get mine from Kean because it comes in green and roasted local with a nice medium profile. DO NOT GET THE HEAVY ROASTS - stick to medium. As soon as you see shine on the beans then you're fucked. That is all the oils coming out already. Shiny beans = shit roast.
I got some different blends from New England Coffee company on sale at Publix once and it has been my favorite ever since. Suggestions?
I like Guatemalan Huehuetanengo. The nutty chocolate undertones are fantastic. First coffee I tried without cream, milk, etc. and loved it.
dude... no fucking joke i had the exact same thoughts girlfriend's parents brought some back a couple years ago and it was fucking crack they've since brought different stuff back (songbird, finca la solidad) and they're good too, but the huehue is hands down the best cup i've had
coffee tastes like shit. but buzz it worth it. so i abuse my keurig k pod unit. shot of baileys... go to work.
Don't remember which brand we brought back, but I do remember it being a medium. We were on the big island and our boat guide(local) told us what to buy. It has been a 2 or 3 years. It was damn good. I will have to order some your recommendations.
huge fan of guats and actually visited huehuetanegno this summer when I was there. but I prefer Guat El Injerto reserve del commodor that is floating around right now. I am a big fan of central americans -- really giddy over El Salv and Panamanian boquete beans right now -- they are all variations of the Guat and are worth trying. I stay away from africans unless it is a good ethipoian (sp)
if you bought it there chances are it was a solid. which is why you remember it. i am saying be careful of kona's in stores or blends that suggest they have kona.
i checked them out online. they do blends and stuff and I just don't trust them because they blend it typically with shit beans -- but that doesn't mean it doesn't taste good. You just might notice a difference if you elevate the source. I am not sure where you live but there appears to be decent roasters in almost every state.
I live in Florida and just started drinking it last semester out of necessity (law school) so I don't know my ass from my elbow when it comes to different coffees.
like i said in the other thread. order a couple pounds online -- Equator or Kean is a good place to start. Try a central american and then an african, etc. Try a few different regions and then just check the notes on each bean. Then just brew properly (hopefully grind your own) and just see if you can pick up on what the 'cuppers' notes stated - and then try the next region. You should be able to inherently pick up on the differences. Once you find a region you like, then explore some of the other countries based on the profiles, etc. This is the rabbit hole.