The right coffee for me is a full mental and physical experience. I often say ‘coffee loves me’. When I take that 1st sip form that 1st cup of my dark, full bodied brew a gentle warmth spreads from my belly to all my limbs like snuggling with my dog on a crisp night. The flavor is full, smooth and a little sweet ; strong enough to strip paint but never acidic or caustic in my mouth or belly. This feeling of well being and confidence comes on slowly.
I find myself spending hours and days locating the oily, dark beans that make my day start right. I have been traveling most of the last 4 years which means searching my beloved dark brew everywhere and anywhere. The coffee connoisseur world moved to lighter roasts and I found myself being chastised by young, arrogant hipsters in $400 t-shirts in different cities, countries and languages for my poor taste. I tried the beans they were so impressed with. Definitely intense and strong but nothing I wanted drink more than occasionally.
The roots of my Obsession
I grew up drinking Medaglia D’oro that my father made in an aluminum drip pot that sat on the stove all day. The smell of burnt coffee is seared into my soul. Before I was in my teens the roots of the gourmet, specialty coffee obsession saved me. The Coffee Connection brought beautiful roasts and the Chemex coffee maker. My love affair with well brewed dark roast began.
Eight years before George Howell would open The Coffee Connection in Harvard Square that inspired me, Alfred Peet opened Peet’s Coffee and inspired Howell and the boys who would be Starbucks. Over the next 30 years the 3 companies would become intertwined. Ultimately Howell would sell to Starbucks in 1994, breaking my heart a little. While going back through the history of my love for coffee I discovered that Howell is roasting beans again. His new venue started in 2004 https://georgehowellcoffee.com/ .
Found It!
My travels have helped me hone a search pattern for finding my next source for the cafe obscura. I travel in my van with 2 1-pound and 1 2-pound airscape containers. Realistically, this holds a little over 3 pounds of coffee and that will last me about a month. This latest adventure began in June in home base Oakland , Ca.
That coffee took me through the sierras, to Nevada and back to Blue Lake for a women’s NA campout , up the Oregon coast to a friend’s farm just into Washington.
There my good friends brought me coffee from The Vashon Coffee Roasterie . I spent a couple months in Western Washington. Finally ready to brave the heat waves and head east I stocked up.
I wandered through the hot air and cold mountain streams landing in Minneapolis just in time to find my next fix. Here I tried Up! Coffee Roaster
I arrived on the East Coast in time for foliage. My coffee roots at the Coffee Connection in Harvard Square were ripped out when Starbucks acquired them years before. I knew from experience that I would need to searching. What I found was a wonderful surprise. I was visiting my father in rural southern Rhode Island. Over the years this area has changed a little here and there but not in a obvious way. When I found this local roaster a couple miles from my father’s home and all by itself halfway to the train station I didn’t know what to expect.
Kingston RI TLC roasters
On a random weekday afternoon the bright yellow wood building was bustling with people sitting at outside tables and milling around waiting for coffee orders inside. After an encouraging chat with the owner I took his suggestion and tried the Bruce Wayne. It was just the way I love it. Dark, smooth, rounded. Before I headed south I made sure to stock up.
Stocked up I left New England and headed to Virginia. I spent a couple or so weeks with new friends in Culpepper. After staying through Thanksgiving the cold days motivated me to head further south. I headed to Richmond to find a new coffee source. Richmond has many coffee roasters but only 1 had anything resembling a dark roast. If your looking for cup or a bag from a coffee shop devoid of arrogant hipsters check out Rostovs.
Rostovs
Atlanta Coffee Roasters
Austin Coffee Roaster
Tucson
Just Coffee
