Special Report from the Coffee Wolf: A New Episode

Today I was pretty desperate for coffee.

Fortunately I realized in fairly short order that I still had a few samples of coffee Joel had given me. One was Victrola, and the other was some of the Black Cat espresso blend. The Victrola sadly was not that amazing Bolivian stuff as I had already drunk all of that ambrosial bean. In fact I was pretty worried that the beans I had might have been a bit old. In fact that was not the case.



The beans were some of that Colombian Valencia and they were still in fantastic shape. Maybe it was the shiny space-age packing that helped the beans maintain their flavor, or maybe it was the fact that they'd spent some of the time in the fridge, either way they provided the makings for some excellent coffee.

At this point I've gotten pretty confident with my french press skills, so the coffee was just right. Not too grainy, and not too hot, but strong and thick. In other words, it was highly drinkable and I was able to get a pretty good read on the flavour. The aromatic oils were visible on the top, and the aroma was crisp but not overpowering. The coffee had a strong well balanced front, and a nice consistent back . . . none of that bitter or sour flavor that some coffees leave behind. It wasn't too complex, but damn it tasted good.



Ahhh, satisfaction. I think I need to get some more Victrola to confirm my findings. In the meantime, back to the Black Cat. Those people at Intelligentsia know a thing or two about roasting a coffee bean, although it's not the best blend for a frnch press =(

The Coffee Wolf, signing off for now.









The Coffee Wolf is a sometimes denizen of Los Angeles who has been known to purvey fine coffees and other excellent libations . . . particularly wine and beer.