Tag Archives: Local Coffee

Red Letter Books & Cafe

November 18, 2009Boise, IdahoLocal Coffee, reviewColin Mansfield

I don’t know about you, but for some reason I have a thing for coffee shop/book store combos. I EVEN will go to a Barnes & Noble despite the Starbucks because of the atmosphere it offers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Dawson’s and Rembrandt’s as they are, but there’s something to be said about an environment rich with literature, while the air is rich with coffee.

Red Letter Books and Cafe is located by the mall on Franklin and Milwaukee. It uses a medium Full Circle fair trade coffee, which they purchase from Rembrandt’s in Eagle (Review here).

To be honest, I’ve heard a lot about Red Letter Cafe, and even drive by it quite a bit, but have never actually walked in a bought a drink. This was a first for me.
Walking in, the first thing I saw was an employee on the phone – not unusual for a book store. What was unusual was his response as soon as I put my foot on the other side of the doorway. Setting the phone on his shoulder, he turned to me and said
“Hey! Welcome!”

My first impression of this coffee shop I’ve never been to was one of feeling not only welcome, but glad I had chosen to come here today. If nothing else, this set Red Letter Books and Cafe apart in my mind right away.

Red Letter’s coffee is delicious. I got a mocha (becoming my standard grading drink) and looked around. The store is set up like a donut – books in the middle, coffee and tables on the outside. My barista was a nice girl with a bright attitude. Again, great on the customer service. After receiving my drink, I grabbed a seat at one of the tables, flipped open my laptop, and checked for internet. Free WiFi, awesome! At this point, I took my first sip of the coffee.

I opened up Firefox on my computer, and signed on to Facebook…then realized I hadn’t actually noticed the coffee. My first thought was that this wasn’t a good thing. After all, shouldn’t good coffee really stick out? Maybe. Dwelling on this thought, it hit me: not noticing anything about a sip of coffee is probably more of a plus then a minus. As a coffee snob, that which will immediately stick out to me in a cup of joe is stuff like off texture, burnt shots, rotten milk, and temperature; in summary: bad stuff. Because nothing stuck out in this sip of my mocha, I can honestly say I found nothing wrong with my coffee. It was…really good! Taking another sip, I could taste the resemblance to Rembrandt’s coffee.

The texture was smooth and clean- no disturbances to distract. It hit my palette and the medium-roast shots revealed themselves as being full in body and well pulled (kudos to my barista). As the brew rolled to the back of my mouth, the chocolate milk made its appearance and the sweet tinge made me glad I had chosen this particular drink. I’m not sure if Red Letter uses chocolate syrup with white milk or pre-mixed chocolate milk, but either way it was well steamed. The temperature was just perfect. The coffee finished similar to how it started: clean. The chocolate left an aftertaste that, upon finishing the drink, made me want to go order another.

The thing that sticks out to me most about Red Letter Books and Cafe is the customer service. The employees are genuinely nice. This alone made my entire experience with Red Letter worth it to me. I will indeed return here.

Come to Red Letter if you have a literary work to crank out, or a person to meet. It’s a perfect place to inspire conversation and stimulate the author in all of us. Also, don’t forget to get a coffee – you won’t be disappointed!

The Coffee Guy

Bold name. Bold flavor. My review of Black Ass Coffee.

October 19, 2009South CarolinaLocal Coffee, reviewColin Mansfield

I have to admit, when I first heard the name “Black Ass Coffee” I laughed. What kind of company would actually give themselves such a bold name?

Where it all began.

Black Ass Coffee was formed by two serious coffee drinkers who were tired of overpriced, stale, burnt coffee. Who said “burnt” is “better” in the first place? And why pay a premium for “over-roasted” coffee? So, stubbornly, we started the hunt to find good “strong” coffee.

Taken from their website.

Frankly, I’m 100% on board with that mission statement. I appreciate the bluntness of the owners- we all can relate to hating a gross cup of coffee, can’t we?

What stunned me the most was when the owner contacted me from their twitter and asked me if I would do

a review of their coffee. Not one to say no to a cup of free brew, I quickly agreed. A couple days later I received samples of their “Raging Mule” and “Rico Suave” blends. I must admit, I was extremely impressed with the promptness which was offered, even to a lowly blogger such as myself. They even waited to roast and grind until the last minute to provide me with the freshest coffee possible! And all that from a company based all the way in South Carolina!

The coffee is great, solid stuff. On my first cup of Rico Suave I knew I was in for a treat. The self-proclaimed “wonderfully smooth and aromatic” blend met expectations on first taste, then exceeded them with each successive sip. It has a smooth entrance, with a burst of flavor right away. It has a light, fun taste; I would compare it to walking outside on a spring day and having all the smells hit you- it’s light, breezy, yet extremely aromatic and beautiful at the same time. The beans are clearly arabica, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they originate from the African or Arabian parts of the world. The unexpected part about the taste is the punch that follows- quick, to the point, and strong. Moving on, the coffee returns to its mild, smooth state and completes with a clean finish. I would recommend this blend to anyone in love with aromatic coffee and a medium-bodied taste.

I never thought I’d say a cup of coffee kicked my ass, but Raging Mule did this, and I really wasn’t sure what hit me. This dark blend has earthy undertones, and if it were an instrument I’d peg it as a deep tuba playing a constant low note. On first sip, some coffee light-weights probably won’t like their cup. I found the dark taste to take a second to get used to, but it did begin to grow on me. The initial impact is like getting hit by a truck, while the taste reminds me of a deep brown oak tree. As the initial impact fades away, a second wave hits you as the coffee moves to the back of your mouth and touches your palette. It’s taste is consistent and true, never wavering for an instant. It finishes with a clear strong note, as if the tuba were raising in pitch for an instant just to let you know it’s still there. The after effects will leave you going “Whoa! That’s strong stuff!” right before you take another sip.

Black Ass Coffee really impressed me. They’ve got sweet deals on their website, and you can keep track of these from their twitter. If you’re looking for a light and breezy blend of watered-down screeching coffee, this won’t do it for you. If, however, your into full-bodied roasts that will wake you up with a sharp kick in the morning, grab a bag of this stuff. You won’t be let down by the coffee or by the service that it’s delivered with. I sure wasn’t.

The Coffee Guy
P.S. I must apologize: this review has been a long time coming. Unfortunately, swine flu is not conducive to drinking coffee. You can expect more frequent blog posts now that I’m over it and on with my life.

Bringing taste and community to Boise: Dawson’s

October 4, 2009Boise, IdahoBoise, Dawson Taylor, Dawson's Downtown, downtown, Local CoffeeColin Mansfield

There’s three things you can do in Boise on any given weekend. 1) Go hunting for whatever’s in season. 2) Work, and wish you were doing something else. 3) Head downtown to hang out with friends and share in community. Most sane people choose option three (unless they really like venison jerky 😀 ).

BoDo is a place with much to do, even for those out-of-state. Parks, shops, music, clubs, and everything in-between. Although all of downtown has hangout locations, one rises above all the rest. If you’re a local, you know 8th street is THE place to chill. And everyone who’s anyone knows that Dawson’s Downtown is THE place to get coffee on 8th street.

An out-of-stater, or first time local, may feel slightly left out moments after walking into Dawson’s. It’s clear this is a regular local hangout: the baristas greeting people by name, folks standing around talking to friends they just ran in to, and a definite atmosphere of relaxation. That same out-of-stater, or first-timer, will soon lose this feeling of intimidation moments after ordering their coffee. The staff at Dawson’s greets everyone with a smile and a compliment, if only in demeanor. The coffee shop is decorated in snipits of humor, warm-colored paint, and even a mosaic featuring a cup of joe. After getting past their initial bout of insecurity, that same out-of-stater/first-timer will recognize the inherit love and joy that permeates the very walls of Dawson’s Downtown. It’s like a really sweet party that you didn’t know was going on. Now that you’re in, you can’t help but tell others about it.

So what about the coffee? Dawson’s uses a medium roast espresso blend for everything you order. They also feature many different types of house blends, changing them day-to-day. Their 12oz espresso coffees come with two shots, 16oz with three, and 20oz with three or four (depending on your addiction level).
The espresso drinks are smooth and have a constant, very flavorful taste. I personally recommend their breve with your choice of syrup; its creamy taste combined with the smooth shots is an incredible flavor and texture combination to behold. It’s clear the baristas have a feel for how to do coffee, and their humor and passion only add to that expertise.
Dawson’s is slightly pricey- $3.10 for a 16oz latte. That being said, the price is well worth the taste and experience, and no where near the fortune it takes to get the same drink at brand-name coffee houses. If I were you, I’d cough up the change- you won’t be disappointed.

I really love Dawson’s Downtown! Their great customer service, the awesome people, atmosphere of joy, and fabulous coffee, combined with the free wi-fi makes me give it a four thumbs up.

The story of Dawson Taylor, as told from the founders (from http://DawsonTaylor.com)

On October of 1995, we began Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters in response to the need for a local roaster of exceptional quality coffees. Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters is named after our son, Dawson Taylor Ledgard.

We operate with this goal in mind: To provide the highest quality coffees available. With our experience and passion for coffee, we offer unparalleled customer support and service.

Every day, we roast beans of the highest quality from the finest coffee-producing regions and estates of the world. Freshness is of paramount concern when roasting such specialty grades of coffee. Therefore, we custom roast in small batches as individual orders dictate.

We use a traditional European-style drum roaster. This hands-on method ensures that our coffee can be roasted to perfection. We take great pride in the art of consistently roasting every order that will bear our name.

More than 15 years of experience in the specialty coffee marketplace, coupled with our pledge for integrity, offer a unique opportunity for partnership. We trust that you will be completely satisfied should you select Dawson Taylor as your coffee roaster.

– Dave and Cindy Ledgard

Dawson’s has several locations around the Treasure Valley. For the full effect, head to 8th street.

What’s your experience with Dawson’s?

The Coffee Guy

A personal note to the first-timer:
Just so you know, Dawson’s is famous for being hardcore about supporting local coffee. NEVER discuss The Great Satan (Starbucks) in their presence. The picture below speaks for itself.

Boise Coffee

Reviews, brew methods, and a podcast from a passionate coffee enthusiast.

Tag Archives: Local Coffee

Red Letter Books & Cafe

Bold name. Bold flavor. My review of Black Ass Coffee.

Where it all began.

Bringing taste and community to Boise: Dawson’s

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Where it all began.

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