Happy New Year! This month's two reviews cover coffees from the 'Golden Triangle,' an area of Southeast Asia known for export of two stimulants. Here's an article I wrote last year about the region for Perfect Daily Grind (perfectdailygrind.com): 

www.perfectdailygrind.com/2016/02/the-golden-triangle-whats-the-link-between-opium-and-coffee-in-se-asia-specialty/

It goes without saying that coffee is a complex product. Coffee brewing is truly a practice of chemistry - a science in optimization, comprehensive control, pursuit of perfection. Modern brewing devices - the Aeropress, French Press, espresso machines, among other - all seek to maximize quality by unique combinations of four core variables in brewing. These variables directly contribute to the rate of extraction of coffee particulates in water, essentially varying the solubility of the coffee-water 'slurry.' No device or machine has yet been able to capture these four key variables and alter them intimately in a consistent way that allows users to capture the best cup of coffee for them. 

Attached here is an infographic displaying five core variables essential to brewing coffee. Feel free to copy, share, or print it!

So excited to try my first coffees from Blanchard's Coffee Roasting Company this morning. They've got a few fantastic offerings that are definitely worth checking out, in addition to a partnership with a local hotel in Virginia called the Quirk Hotel. Their collaboration has led to Quirk Coffee, a coffee from Finca San Jose in Nicaragua for which Blanchard's and the Quirk Hotel have designed a stunning bag, with a floral tapestry look. This morning I had Blanchard's Mocha Java, a blend that I first tried from Chromatic Coffee back in 2013. It was phenomenal then, and it's phenomenal now. I'm working on a review of Blanchard's Kenya Yara AA, which I hope to get out before Thanksgiving. 

Hey all; took the weekend off to do photoshoots for the newest additions to our review schedule: DOMA Coffee, Reverie Roasters, Brandywine Coffee Roasters, and Shearwater Coffee Roasters! Check out the gallery page for the full photos collections, taken and edited this past weekend with care. 

For the last few days (and even some nights) I've been brewing Relevant Roasters' Swiss Water Process Decaf Ethiopia coffee (whatisrelevant.com). I was originally very skeptical of the potential for loss of flavor/origin characteristics ... 

This morning I brewed another few cups of Supercrown's Rwanda Gitesi; but first, let me tell you how Reddy to Brew's first decaf specialty coffee went. I set out to test Relevant Roasters' Swiss Water Process Decaf Ethiopia's advertisement as 99.9% caffeine-free; I'm pleasantly surprised to say that I can't dispute this stat ... 

Decaf. Decaffeinated. Non-caffeinated. Now, I know what all of you third wave, specialty coffee drinkers are thinking: Why possessed you to drink this on a Monday, of all days? 

This morning I enjoyed the first of three coffees I received from Darlene Scherer at Supercrown Coffee in Brooklyn, New York. This one was the first Rwanda I have tried of the season, and it did not disappoint. I used a recipe I've been perfecting for the last few weeks ... 

Hario V60 pour over, 200 degrees F, 45 second bloom, 3:30 total brew time.
D'Origen Coffee, Brazil Fazenda Camocim (Semi-washed, 1500m Volcan)
Caramel, grapefruit. Smooth, delicate body. Bright, but not too bright. Lots of natural sweetness.