A little over a year ago I wrote about how music is integral to what I dubbed “the coffee experience.” What I’ve found since then has only reinforced this belief. I’ve created a Spotify playlist that I have aptly named “Coffee.” It’s great to brew to, and I’ve found that it’s a great playlist to simply chill out with. There’s all kinds of music: everything from pop to more obscure folk. I’ve embedded it below, or you can go straight to it on Spotify here. Listen in and share with friends!
Since starting this blog, I’ve run across many different types of coffee shops, roasters, and enthusiasts. Very few of these folks, if any, have been boring, and nearly all have been excited about their company and product. The ones that truly stand out in my mind have something different than excitement, however. These people talk about coffee differently than the others – it’s not simply a business to them. And coffee isn’t just a commodity to be consumed and traded for cash. Rather, they use words like “collaboration,” “community,” and “uncompromising vision.” I include myself in this group of people who see coffee differently than simply a way to wake up in the morning. It’s a passion, and it’s an acknowledgement that when people work together they can truly create something beautiful.
Chilmark Coffee Company is one such company. In fact, those three words used above are pulled straight from Chilmark’s website. They’re all about pulling together experts together to perfect every stage of making a great cup of coffee.
You’re not going to find a bunch of coffee gizmos and gadgets on Chilmark Coffee Company’s website. As they put it,
We aren’t selling you 30 different coffees and all kinds of accessories you can actually buy locally at your neighbors family owned store; we’re giving you an invitation to our select breakfast party; let’s say it’s part of a starter kit for a new day.
You can buy Chilmark bag-to-bag, or you can hop on their 6-month subscription service for $30 a month. You’re hard-pressed (pun totally intended) to find a better subscription deal than this online.
The Coffee
Chilmark Coffee Company sent me two coffees. Their Costa Rica: Tarrazu Asoproaaa, an estate coffee, and their Honduras: Seydi Argueta, a Certified Organically produced, Fair Trade coffee.
I tried the Costa Rica in my Clever Coffee Drip Brewer, Aeropress, and french press. After brewing in the Clever the coffee gave off a rich butter nut smell. It had a full taste, and the richness matched that of the scent. In the Aeropress I noticed the flavors tended to pop a bit more – the chocolate really poked through here. As was expected, in the french press the cup was overall more full bodied and heavy. This medium-roast was a very well rounded coffee, and I found I immensely enjoyed it regardless of the brew method.
The Honduras was my favorite of the two, and it actually produced the best cup of coffee I’ve ever made with my Clever. The grounds had a very bright smell to them, and when they were extracting a sweet aroma filled the entire room. The Aeropress seemed to not pull quite as full-bodied a cup as the Clever, but that could have been due to some over extraction on my part. The coffee has bright initial notes, like lemon, and it finished with a nice spark on the the tongue as well. In the French press the cocoa and caramel notes really came through, though the bright citrus was still evident to some degree.
Final Thoughts
I feel honored to have reviewed Chilmark Coffee Company. They represent everything that is right in the coffee community right now. They’re in it to make a quality product, and to make sure all parties along the way get fairly treated. Their commitment to excellence makes them stand out, and I highly recommend their coffee.
Java Bean Plus describes themselves as “Wholesale custom roasted coffee” with “freshness guaranteed.” Their focus is to offer the highest quality product with the most informative customer service currently available.
One of the banner’s from JBP’s website
I’d like to start off by saying that my experience may have been unique due to two factors: first off, I’m not a customer. Java Bean Plus generously sent me three samples of their coffee for this review. The great thing is that they were kind enough to send them for free. Unfortunately, this means I didn’t get to interact with their customer service department – I’ll talk about that in a bit. The second reason my experience with Java Bean Plus was probably unique is due to the fact that this review is long overdue. Being a part-time blogger and a full time student, it’s taken me far too long to get to this post. I’d like to publicly thank Java Bean Plus for their patience with me!
Those two points aside, I feel as though Java Bean Plus is worthy of a quality review because of their clear dedication as a wholesaler.
On their website they list three points that set them apart from competitors:
1) Unlike many other coffee and tea suppliers, we don’t compete with our customers. We will not sell to individual consumers for home use
2) We aim to ship all orders within 24 hours. We understand the importance of your order and your need to maintain a fresh stock of coffee and tea for your customers
3) We are dedicated to quality and service. If you are not satisfied with your order please call or e-mail us and we will be sure to refund your purchase
The Snapshot
Java Bean Plus’ website feels cold and calculating to me, robotic even. There’s not a sense of community here – it’s simply an online store. Browsing around and looking for various coffees feels like a generic experience. “Freshness guaranteed” doesn’t sound like a rallying cry to me, it’s actually the bare minimum of what I would hope for from a quality coffee supplier. That being said, their promise of providing information to small business on a case by case basis seems like it would be indispensable to a local coffee shop trying to get on their feet.
What JBP lacks in the overall feel of the website, they make up for with their clear focus on the customer. Small businesses reign supreme: JBP will allow you to pick bag colors, use a label you design, and customize a variety of other factors. “Customer Service” is a link that appears on the top right of every page on the website. You can contact them by phone, email, form on the website, or even by sending a letter to their address. In small business little things make a huge difference, and it seems like Java Bean Plus hit the nail on the head in this regard.
The Coffee
Java Bean Plus’ website is full of different headers and menus used for shopping for different regions, roasts, and types of coffee. They sent me three coffees: the Guatemala Antigua, Mexico High Growth, and Costa Rica Tarrazu.
The Guatemala Antigua had a rich flavor, but not a very full mouthfeel. It was definitely the most mild of the three, with a low acidity. The flavor was constant, and each sip provided wave after wave of deliciousness. While I’ve never licked a tree in my life, the word “dogwood” came to mind as I sipped the brew. Take that for what it’s worth!
The Mexico High Growth was straight up bitter the first time I brewed it. High acidity gave it a poor aftertaste that I wasn’t a big fan of. After using both my Aeropress and Clever to brew various cups, I realized it was actually a very complicated coffee. Something must have been off in the brewing process for my initial taste test that muddled the notes and caused the coffee to taste bad. I gave it a chance and came away with another opinion. The coffee itself smells fresh, like tilled soil with hints of fruitiness and some flowers. In that sense the acidity definitely peeked through and gave it a unique zing. While I initially didn’t like the coffee at all, I ended up appreciating it the most out of the three.
The Costa Rica Tarrazu had a rich, carmel-esque smell when I brewed it. On my initial taste, the first word that struck me was “depth.” The coffee had an earthy mid not with a bright aftertaste, leaving your tongue dancing and waiting for the next sip. There were definite hints of oak.
Final Thoughts
Java Bean Plus isn’t something I would recommend to the average consumer – which is a good thing. They aren’t trying to cater to the average consumer. Instead, they are trying to bring good, quality specialty coffee to businesses that will cater to the average consumer. And quite frankly, they are perfect in that regard. Their website may not be the flashiest on the web, but it is functional, and it is easy to find coffee in. I found their coffee to be delightfully delicious.
The thing that I love most about a great cup of coffee is that it is the result of the combined efforts of people from all over the world. Everyone from the grower to the barista has a say in how the final product will turn out. I am happy to say that Java Bean Plus does their job in that process well.
