Johnson Brothers Coffee Roasters

I stumbled upon the Johnson Brothers Breakfast Blend while dining last week at Sunprint Cafe in downtown Madison. It was, quite simply, one of the best breakfast blends I've ever experienced. Light, aromatic, smooth and somewhat citrusy, it was delicious. I highly recommend this. For some reason, the breakfast blend is not available on their website, but you can contact Alex, their sales guy, and he can hook you up.

Bean rating: 5 out of 5 (superb)

Starbucks Gazebo blend

The Gazebo Summer Blend from Starbucks is advertised as being ideal for iced coffee , but it makes a tasty daily brew. It is moderately strong, but crisp. It has a light citrus/fruity undertone. I would describe this as medium acidity. On a side note, Starbucks Via came out with instant iced coffee. It is the same Via system, but the instant iced coffee is the coffee crystals plus added sugar. It is highly delicious.

Bean rating for Gazebo blend: 4 beans out of 5
Bean rating for Starbucks Iced Via: 5 beans out of 5

It's summertime!

It's finally feeling like summer, and as I'm want to do when it is hot, I tend to favor lighter and crisper, dare I say it, fruity/citrusy coffees. There, I said it and I'm comfortable with it. Seattle's Best, which is owned by Starbucks, has created a Beach House Blend, consisting of Latin American beans. It is advertised as being refreshingly mild, citrus flavored, sweet and delicate aroma and smooth finish. Ordinarily, I'd prefer to shop at a smaller roaster, but I was in a pinch, having had to pick up the latest Henry Aaron biography written by Howard Bryant at our local Borders bookstore. I was running low on beans and grabbed Beach House. There was something comforting in its familiarity. This coffee is crisp and light, perfect for in the morning. I've also used this blend to make iced coffee, for which it is better suited in my opinion.

Bean rating: 2.75 beans (out of 5)

Rwandan coffee

I tried a blend from Rwanda. A little history on Rwandan coffee: at one time it was seen in the US as an either high-end coffee or low end commercial grade. Everything used to be shipped to Belgium. Rwandan coffee is usually only Arabica in nature, and is grown by small scale farmers. The blend I had was of medium intensity, with a restrained brightness of taste. The body was complex and somewhat dense, but not overbearing. All in all, the taste and finish was very clean. I didn't notice any earthy or chocolate undertones, which is good because I do not like those types. The blend was purchased from La Java coffee roasters in Green Bay, WI.

Bean rating: 3.75 beans

Hawaiian Kona Coffee - Best in America?

kona coffee is cultivated on the slopes of Hawaii (the big island). The reputation is such that Kona coffee is among the most expensive in the world. Hawaiian weather is perfect for coffee growing (what isn't Hawaiian weather perfect for?).

Kona coffee beans are classified in 2 types according to seed. Type I beans consist of 2 beans per cherry, flat on one side and oval on the other. Type II beans consist of one round bean per cherry (known as a peaberry).

My review is of the Type I bean. Kona coffee has tons of flavor, balance, and full bodied taste. It, for the most part, does not contain any subtle taste undertones. It is a dark roast, but not too dark and definitely not smoky or burnt. This bean when brewed is extremely smooth and easy to drink. Perhaps the best thing about this coffee is the aroma it gives off when brewing, filling your home with a wonderful, aromatic smell.

In a rush

Ok, I'll admit, I had the house to myself last weekend and ended up doing quite a bit of painting. The manual labor sapped my energy and made me very lazy. I also needed some groceries. So, did I make 2 stops or 1?

One of course. I went the easy way out and got pre-ground coffee from a grocery store (gasp, shock!).

Metcalfe's Market has a large coffee selection. I went with the Costa Rican Tarrazu blend. Costa Rican coffee blends are like Switzerland...very neutral, middle of the road in its taste qualities. It is very balanced, very mild, very clean, but not boring. To put it simply, it has coffee flavor that you'd expect. It's not blowing me away by its pure awesomeness (Kung Fu Panda pun intended), but it's not making me hurl my cup against the wall in frustration either.

Bean Rating: 3.5 beans

Sumatran

Review of the Sumatran blend from Steep and Brew:

Sumatran coffee beans are some of the heaviest, smoothest, and most complex coffees in the world. The majority of Sumatran coffee is marked Mandheling or Lintong. (Source: www.coffeeresearch.org). Regular Sumatran coffee is earthy and spicy. It is full bodied, light on acidity, and definitely tasty. I give the Sumatran 4 out of 5 coffee beans. Hey, I just came up with the bean rating.

pretty pleased with myself.