Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

East Side/Riverwest: Snapshots: Alterra Kenya AA Karindundu

I was excited to learn that Alterra is running another of their champion coffees this week, the Alterra Kenya AA Karindundu.  At least a couple times a year, an Alterra selection is offered that really hits it out of the park.  This is one of them.  (I've heard that February's Nelson Melo was another, though I was in Arizona at that time and only had the opportunity to have it as part of Scott Lucey's signature drink, Liquid Swords.)

At the Prospect location, you can try it as a single-origin espresso, as I did yesterday.  I'll have to have another doppio to be sure, but my inital impression was that it was perhaps a little too acidic as espresso.  When I poured half-and-half into both the espresso and the drip coffee, it seemed to turn the cream almost sour.  I'm mostly a with-cream drinker these days, but this is one you want to have black.

Retail Coffee: Lion Coffee Supreme Roast Espresso

Thanks to the regular generosity of my Aunt Lynne, I received a bag of Lion Coffee Supreme Roast Espresso from Hawaii.  It is really good, especially for preground coffee.  It's fulfilled my summertime (well, almost) hankering for dark-roasted coffee. 

Retail Coffee: Peet's House Blend

My Dad brought me a pound (actually, a 12 oz. bag) of Peet's House Blend coffee from Arizona, where it's sold at Safeway grocery stores.  It's hard to say something like "this is what coffee was meant to be" without venturing into hyperbole, but in this case, it truly applies.

Retail Coffee: Ellington Roasting Company

My Dad was traveling through Santa Fe, NM and had the opportunity to sample Ellington Roasting Company coffee in a restaurant.  He raved about it and piqued my curiosity.  I've written to the company (actually foodservice distributor Ben E. Keith) requesting a sample.

Glendale/Whitefish Bay: Snapshots: Caribou Coffee

As part of its "Monday Happens" promotion, Caribou Coffee is offering medium-sized cups of drip coffee for $1.00 plus tax.  A handwritten sign in the store also promises $8.99 bags of beans.

Snapshots: Retail Coffee: Alterra Sulawesi Toraja

I'm at Alterra on Prospect enjoying the current coffee of the week, the Sulawesi Toraja.  Today certainly witnessed my earliest Alterra "boomerang" back to the counter for a refill since last summer.

Retail Coffee: Alterra Traditional Mocha Java

I have to take back my earlier Twitter tweet about Alterra's Traditional Mocha Java.  A pound happend to land in my office today, and brewed just ever so slightly on the weak side, it was delightful.  The Ethiopian component really shone through.  I'm seriously pondering ordering a pound online. 

Ristretto: Retail Coffee: Royal Cup Coffee

My parents, in their frugality, have a burgeoning collection of hotel coffeemaker pods in their freezer.  Today, while housesitting, I tried a few from Royal Cup Coffee.  Though the pods were stale, I could tell that the coffee had at one time been really good (if that makes any sense).  I'll have to order some fresh beans (and perhaps pods, if there is a reasonable expectation that they will be freshly ground when packed).

Retail Coffee: Alterra Colombian Nelson Melo Available for Pre-order

Two years ago, when this blog was still just a twinkle in Tila Tequila's eye, I joined the Alterra e-mail list and purchased the first offering, the Colombia El Castillo Nelson Melo microlot.  (I was reminded of this when I recently cleaned out some old e-mails from my inbox.)  Rest assured, the coffee itself was memorable.  As best I remember, that was the most expensive coffee I'd tasted until then other than the Kona my aunt regularly gets for me from Hawaii.  Evidently, it convinced me that paying a premium price for great coffee was worth it--I've got the credit card bills to prove it!

Retail Coffee: Honduras Capucas

I received a nifty comment yesterday that shouldn't be left to languish in comment obscurity:

Saludos from Capucas.

I´m Omar Rodriguez general manager of the COCAFCAL and we are very excited to hear that you like our coffee!

For us preparing coffee is more than a business it is a tradition that has been refined for many years in the community.

We are proud to offer these coffees to you and proud that we have been able to become part of the specialty coffee world.

We look forward to meeting the Alterra folks at the Segunda Competencia de Cafes Especiales Capucas...March 20-22 2009.

Gracias!

Omar didn't leave an e-mail address, but I confirmed the details on the Internet and have no reason to doubt that it's him.  After all, Price Peterson (of Esmeralda fame) also commented on this blog.

Gracias, Mr. Rodriguez!