Chopbiscuit at home: coffee review - Maragojipe microlot {Counter Culture}

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, acrobatic worthy somersaults and my 5K unicycle ride down an expert's only mountain bike run -  I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.


This month's shipment featured selection: Maragojipe Microlot

This Nicaraguan microlot coffee is a single variety coffee that boasts spicy and sweet notes of citrus fruit and a nutty mouthfeel. As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Counter Culture coffee. But, I'm not a fan of this roast. It seems like the coffee is missing some roundness that I would normally get from a coffee from this region and process. I definitely can taste many of the attributes, but the classic citrus forward taste profile is definitely missing.

You can check out the history of the farm and the people that bring this coffee to life here.

So, what happens next? This may be the only coffee from CC that I haven't preferred. Should I just pack it in, hop on my couch, grab a sleeve of Fig newtons and watch Who's the boss re-runs? Maybe.

Chopbiscuit at home: coffee review -Guatemala Finca Nueva Armenia {Counter Culture}

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, acrobatic worthy somersaults and my 5K unicycle ride down an expert's only mountain bike run -  I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.


This month's shipment featured selection: Guatemala Finca Nueva Armenia {Counter Culture}

I feel ashamed. My last shipment of coffee sat on my shelf for a little too long while I was gallivanting (do the kids say that anymore?) across the country for work. I like to pound back a pound of coffee per week and this sat on my shelf for about two full weeks. Shame on me. Foolish games.

Even with the extended shelf life this coffee had a fruitiness and crisp acidity. It also had  well rounded mouth feel. Make sure you check out here to find out about the brothers that founded the farm and the history of the bourbon trees that were planted there. A great solid coffee for beginner's who are learning the delicate nuances about flavor profiles.

Chopbiscuit at home: Coffee Review - Ethiopa Kilenso Mokonisa {Counter Culture}

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style,  and acrobatic worthy somersaults,  I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.


This month's shipment featured selection: Ethiopia Kilenso Mokonisa - Sidama

(Via: CounterCulture)

Since before recorded history, Ethiopians have been picking coffee cherries and simply drying them in the sun before husking, roasting, and brewing. A beautiful rendition of that natural sun dried tradition comes to us in the form of Kilenso Mokonisa, which offers notes of blueberry, raspberry, and cocoa in the cup.

If you like any hint of dried fruit or berries in your coffee - this sun dried bean is your best bet. Lot's of complexity and hints of strawberry make this a bright, interesting cup of coffee. As always, I'm completely and utterly (I enjoy saying completely and utterly) dumbfounded by the folks at Counter Culture's passion around coffee. Make sure you go over here and check out slideshow they put together on this bean. This is such a great cup - that I'm going to use this as my gold standard for any coffee that has notes of fruit and berries.

I also enjoy fruits and berries in this context as well - Just let your soul glo!

Chopbiscuit at home: Coffee Review - Counter Culture Coffee {Santa Elena, El Salvador}

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.


This month's shipment featured a seasonal selection,  Santa Elena.

My Panera cup really enjoys this bean, in a non-competitive way.

I've been drinking this roast for about three days now. I'm really enjoying the nutty, chocolate notes in this bean even though I'm usually a fan of a more bright balanced flavor. Its' a nice soft, chewy cup of coffee that goes well with a nice slice of toast and fresh preserves.  According to their website, The classically delicious sweetness of the heirloom Bourbon variety underscores notes of milk chocolate, toasted nuts, stone fruit, and citrus. Although I didn't sense any citrus tang in my mouth, the other descriptors are right on.

The best thing about Counter Culture is the story they tell about the farms. Make sure you click here to read about the farm and the history. It makes you realize what passionate people can accomplish when they set their minds on being the best at what they do. Maybe the prosecutors for the Casey Anthony trial could have used some of this passion. Whoops, did I just say that?

Chopbiscuit at home: Coffee Review - Counter Culture Coffee {Burundi}

Give the pour over method a try. Now!

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.

According to their website:

Since our founding in 1995, Counter Culture Coffee has represented a new way of bringing coffee to market: sourcing the greatest handcrafted coffees in the world directly from the farmers themselves, celebrating the farms and cultures that create those coffees, and roasting skillfully to bring out their delicious, unique flavors. We celebrate these great coffees as the fresh, seasonal fruits they are, and we only sell coffee at the peak of flavor and freshness. Thus, our selection of coffees will grow and change as we find other spectacular coffees to share. Our seasonal selection of single-origin coffees, microlots, and handcrafted blends are, to us, the quintessential coffee experiences and the best expressions of coffee’s diverse traditions and origins.

These folks are just passionate, brilliant coffee people that care about the bean, farmers and process. It truly doesn't get any better than this. One of my favorite coffees right now is Burundi. For those of you coffee beginners, Burundi is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. It has an estimated population of almost 8,700,000 and it's capital is Bujumbura. Although the country is landlocked, much of the southwestern border is adjacent to Lake Tanganyika.

Burundi coffee is known for it's bright and clean finish with some citrus notes and slight floral after tones. Counter Culture describes Burundi as a crisp white wine - sweet, clean and light.

A fine, fine coffee

So, if you have the opportunity, hop on over to Counterculture.com and give this coffee a try. You won't be disappointed. If you are, well, you just crazy mon. (Irish-Jamaican accent)