Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Pixie Dust and Candy again from Oslo, Norway




Pixie Dust and Candy again from Oslo, Norway

Like Unicorns and Rainbows was not FAB u lous enough, there is the 'next' level...

'n here I had thought maybe I could take a break from shipping Int'l coffee over to Colorado USA - but for this, even after the first Geisha I 'had' to get this Gesha Village Geisha Coffee...


















































again I never expected the coffee to arrive so quickly, after roasting, it was like magic so started calling them 'magic beans' for more reasons than one?!

















the magic beans... from Gesha Village...






















at Cafe Velo - my neighborhood Coffeeshop in a bikeshop on the Northside...
trying another coffee so Barista Mgr Jonathan ground some beans for me for my morning pourover 'n told him to grind him some too so he could try - later would report back, something like super complex 'n I'm sticking with "Yummy" (only wondering why it's not on the Flavor Wheel--Yummy?!)


http://www.cafevelobikes.com/cafe/about/






















traveling Geisha coffee beans (aka magic beans) on their adventure across town again
here at Building Three Coffee Roasters
sharing a pourover 4 ways - other visiting Mgr Barista not in the shot 'n later the Roaster here will get to try a few sips as well

more Happy Tastebuds - as I've been saying turning on tastebuds all over town hah?!


https://www.building3coffee.com/

































next morning attempt at brewing a pourover with the 'magic beans' already ground right for me (until I buy a proper grinder 'n soon after this I will be loaned/given a lovely Hario Scale to do it right?!)

Well, I took out 2 recipes I had for a pourover from 2 different baristas 'n 1 a roaster...
at first I thought I'd ruined these gorgeous coffee beans, that first taste hot was not right... ugh...
then it cooled down, then the panic stopped 'n I got to savor the lovely Gesha Village coffee that despite all my bad brewing shone thru like a champ... 'n the sun shone thru the windows 'n everything was 'Pixie Dust 'n Candy' Yay!!
























next stop--espresso! tough one to do 'n heart breaking to waste even 1 single beans... eee...
but worth it to try as an espresso... thanks be to barista Q-grade Roaster Evan at Switchback Coffee Roasters (he had also made an espresso from the last Geisha coffee beans, this time tho he said it was harder or the beans were harder) - every sip hot or cold a coffee adventure on the tastebuds...
Happy for all the local roasters, if possible, to get to have a taste of special beans!

And we thought what if, what if we could try Tyler Hill at Loyal Coffee Geisha from Costa Rica 'n Evan's Geisha at Switchback from El Salvador 'n this lovely Gesha Village from Ethiopia (all processed differently as well) at a group cupping... sigh... but I don't think there are enough of my beans left 'n we'll have to wait until someone returns from Finals in Seattle, WA this weekend hah?!


http://www.switchbackroasters.com/




























and left some 'magic beans' to Barista Roaster Eliza at StoryCoffee downtown in Acacia Park...
after I spun the wheel (aka 'the wheel of destiny') during their Week long Anniversary for 1 year in that location in the park downtown Colorado Springs, CO... I had been in nearly every day, spinning 'n winning some other prizes--when all I really wanted was the "Gold Medal" 'n then finally day before the end of the week with Eliza there as witness 'n cheerleader I got the spinner on the damned thing (all that for a lil plastic gold medal... but in Olympic City it will be the 'only' way I will ever get a 'gold medal' of any kind hah?!)

she text/ig dm maybe me the next day to say how tasty the Gesha Village beans were--Yay! Another bunch of tastebuds turned on 'n ones that can appreciate it too hah?!

SideNote: another whole scary story with a miraculous happy ending, Eliza had an accident roasting that next Monday 'n went to the hospital for 2 surgeries, then got out 'n where did she go? straight back to the roaster, with her arm elevated, to start roasting beans again... What a Woman!! And sadly on top of all that she is unable to attend the Finals this weekend in Seattle, WA - or as far as I know right now she's not competing, but am none too sure she'll be able to fly to just go watch?! Crazy Girl that we love 'n support no matter she goes or stays!! More on her story another time, but my gawd those beans she's roasted for competition from Kenyan have the Story of a Lifetime!!!



http://storycoffeecompany.com/





























Journey on Magic Beans...
Peakplace Coffeeshop 'n Roaster Nate of HoldFast Coffee Roasting
making a lovely pourover to share again, 4 or more ways--all the Baristas plus a visiting barista at the coffeebar too hah?!

Everybody still loves the party packaging 'n cute lil roaster kitty...
I think all the roasters here have a Roaster Dog instead hah?!

https://www.peakplace.com/


http://www.holdfastcoffeeco.com/



















and here I missed taking a photo of the pourover in my science beaker, but instead had taken photos of their their new coffee bean packaging - like the blue label lots...

But Thank you Inertia Coffee, Barista Mgr Brian, for making another proper pourover 'n got to intro the new trainee barista to Talor 'n Jorgen Coffee from Oslo, Norway was well as a Gesha Village (great day of training to get to make 'n taste such a coffee?!)

And too funny, right off someone's tastebuds got the tasting notes of lemongrass 'n hibiscus - saying because they're just tasted an earlier coffee or was it tea maybe with this flavor notes hah?!

https://www.inertiacoffee.com/




















eee... the new used Hario Scale at home, after I tried that at home pourover with the 'magic beans ' - but I am 'not' going to try that again, will let the professional baristas 'n their FAB equipment plus skills make the good pourovers (or that 1 espresso, so far...) next up then a good grinder...






















the used ceramic coffee cone that I didn't know what it was until I went to a coffeeshop where under the counter they pulled out one for me to find out it's a BeeHouse - it's a part of local history too as was bought at the Closing Sale of Mountain Fold Books that also made coffee...


















the coffeeshop BeeHouse to compare to mine at home...















adding to the new coffee tools...
lovely 1 & 2 Tblsps or Coffeescoops in stainless
and the company gives to charity, loved that also
Coletti Coffee Co - the Pour Over People
(tempted by their coffeekit, but have already started my own?!)

http://coletticoffee.com/
























talking about grinders 'n how couldn't afford a big proper electric one, mentioned a hand grinder...
this was the last one in the shop 'n I think I may have gotten a fantastic price for it too - now to grind my beans at home properly... the roaster set the blades for me, for my at home pourovers... of course, again, after those 'magic beans' showed up in my life (now am pushed toward better equipment?!) So now a Hario Scale - and - a Hario Ceramic Slim Handgrinder... WooHoo Life is Good!!

Thanks Roaster Sean at Building Three Coffeeshop Roaster!
























After a few attempts to visit other Coffeeshops 'n Roasters to catch Mgr Barista Roasters 'n an evening of a local Latte Art Throwdown... gave up 'n returned on a Friday Morning for another espresso side by side with a min capp - tho super curious about adding milk, found my tastebuds were happier with straight up espresso for all those lovely complex lingering "Pixie Dust and Candy" on my tongue!! mmm...

So, on the new Customer Friendly Cupping Tasting Notes Sheet I thought I would of written Yummy if there had been a cupping hah?! left for the roaster, so wrote that on a pink stick it note...

Those are "all" the "magic beans" left - tho I'd love to use them for a potpourri (or talk a perfumer into making them into a fragrance hah?!) I'll save them for a possible cupping later...

These Gesha Village/magic beans smell so yummy - like candy 'n then ground, again candy 'n then their taste... so So Yummy (indescribable candy then?! hot or cold too, amazing 'n lingers on the tongue for the longest time so that you don't want to eat or drink afterwards for a long Long while...)

Thanks to Evan, once again, at Switchback Coffeeshop Roasters for letting me interrupt their schedule for some tasting tastes ('n never racking attempts at espressos?!)

End of Magic Bean Gesha Village Coffee Beans from Talor 'n Jorgen - Oslo, Norway :oD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More Info on these super special tasty coffee beans...

MARCH 29 - ISSUE #93

Barista Hustle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talor 'n Jorgen Coffee Roaster

https://www.talorjorgen.no/en


https://www.talorjorgen.no/en/coffee/pixie-dust-candy


"The next roast of this coffee will be shipped on the 20t of April 2017. You know that first time you tasted a coffee and you felt like you really understood what all the fuss was about? This is that coffee. Without a doubt, hands down, this is the most delicious coffee we've ever tasted."

"You can read more about Adam, Rachel, Gesha Village and this extraordinary coffee here:"


https://collaborativecoffeesource.com/2016/07/11/coffee-profile-washed-gesha-gesha-village-estate/


Tasting Notes: Floral, lemongrass, ripe mango, hibiscus, guava, candied strawberries


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Thursday, March 16, 2017

that time when there was a luchador latte throwdown #tbt

that time when there was a luchador latte throwdown #tbt

between 2 coffeeshops
4 baristas
2 barista owners
3 luchador masks
in Lafayette, LA
back 2012

Cafe Cohen's Coffeeshop
vs
The Lab Coffeeshop

luchador masks borrowed from the theatre
as someone, who shall be nameless, was the Wardrobe Mistress for awhile for said theatre at the time 'n just happened to have these in her car trunk...

as that saying goes--the experience 'n the photos were 'n still are, priceless...














the masks, the luchador masks - as in Mexican Wrestling Masks...
'n what better way to 'throwdown' than in a luchador's mask right?!




























Round one...
at Cafe Cohen inside Great Harvest at the time
first barista - Dan - taking the challenge





















2nd Barista up for the challenge joins in...
as in the owner--Jason Cohen!
(who has lost so much weight since this time, he would never make it as a luchador ever again?!)



















plus cortado vs cappuccino I think as well
and after all this time, have no idea if any of us even cared who was the winner
coz it was all about the 'masks' hah?!
besides that had to go visit the 2nd competitor coffeeshop 'n baristas after this
for more competition

sad note: this coffeeshop is no longer in Lafayette, but brighter note--the other coffeeshop still is 'n going strong...
































Coffeeshop 2 - The Lab Handcrafted Coffee and Comforst
Barista 1 'n 2
plus again Barista/Owner - Thomas Peters in red 'n gold
or I think it is, hard to tell with the masks on right?!
(geesh, we totally shoulda made up Luchador names for each mask?!)

And I am not sure who had the most fun, the baristas or me - could be why quite a few photos 'n many of them blurry coz I was giggling (OK, flat out laughing) so hard couldn't hold my camera phone hah?!

you may ask where are their coffees with latte art? hmm... I don't find them, hah (again prob laughing too much--either didn't take them or put them in the wrong file?!)















3 Out takes... later... in a random parking lot...
I will run into said barista/owner with his photog buddy (was it Jamie??)
who will insist that he try on one of these luchador masks
along with a cape that just so happened to also be in the trunk of the earlier mentioned Wardrobe Mistress' car trunk... sigh... if only I were a photographer back then or owned a better cell phone even or had taken a video hah?! but it's all about the 'throwback' memories 'n the 'masks' right?!


link to Wiki to read up on what's up with these wrestling masks...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucha_libre

note: 'n for some of us, it was Nacho Libre that totally brought it out of the closet--the Mexican Wrestling Mask... we watched this comedy film on a plane 'n my seatmate aka spouse was laughing so hard or trying so hard not to I had to elbow him a few times for the sake of the rest of the plane hah?!

Coffeeshop of masked duo number two...

The Lab Handcrafted Coffee and Comforts
River Ranch
Lafayette, LA

Thomas Peters - owner 'n barista
(still at it, still experimenting 'n still up for a luchador masked latte throwndown I'm sure of it!!)

www.thelabexperience.com

Cafe Cohen - closed, but not forgotten - Coffeeshop of the masked duo number one...

Jason Cohen onward into photography
on 'n off his tiny airstream Irene cross the country
author of Faces 'n Places book

check out his webpage for more
(prob 'not' any luchador masked photos in there, but I'm sure he'll remember the fun?!)

Jason Cohen Photography

www.jasoncohenphoto.com