Coava Coffee Roasters

Here is the one of Americans coffee lovers favorite, Coava coffee Roasters in Portland.

Coava is already well-known as one of the leading coffee roasters  in Portland.  The shop shares space with Bamboo art craft studio, called Bamboo Revolution, in an industrial area in the Southeast neighborhood.  The founder, Matt Higgins, graduated from Albina Press, the up-front coffee bar in Portland, and found Coava in 2009.
Coava's cozy and unique atmosphere seems to inspire many people.  Although the location is a bit away from the city center, there were people walking in and in.  Their line-ups are based on U.S. trendy, Specialty Coffee, and roasting degree seems lighter than so called Seattle roast, but not on the side of Scandinavian.
Coava developed their own unique Stainless Steel coffee filter, Coava Kone Pourover Filter, and this may be only one place you can have a cup with original Pourover flavor with their filter.    

Coava is the one leading Portland coffee culture.  Although it is difficult to measure their success objectively, besides financial aspect, it is not too much to say Coava has consolidated their reputation as Portland's best neighborhood coffee roaster.   

Seattle used to be referred as "a coffee sanctuary", maybe is now.  However, the actual third wave movement is supported by other locations, such as Portland and San Francisco, where have number of hidden neighborhood roasters with much higher potential.  It is very fun to smelling around these town to look for something new. 
   

Verve ~ Something new ??

Warm welcome back to Verve Coffee Roasters in downtown Santa Cruz.

There are some familiar faces and some new behind the counter, wondering maybe it is time for them to cultivate/nourish next generation.  Downtown Verve is always filled with younger people, packed with people sometime, which appears their flagship is functioning as it designed to be.        

Opening a flagship in downtown Santa Cruz three or four years ago, Verve may have adjusted their prospective to further business oriented: Bland equity building.
Verve Coffee hosted Varista Championship South West regional in Santa Cruz and sent their Varista to this competition.  Are they known better now?  Maybe, yes.  Hosting a regional championship was their chance to imprint "VERVE" name nation wide and to gather coffee lovers attention.  
Varista champ. is now growing and growing.  
Coffee had been "in house" culture for a long time in the States, but, thank for Starbucks, it has turned as the key to grow and develop  cafes/coffee bars culture.  This is Nation wide trend moving toward to "gourmand coffees", better quality and flavor just like wines.  

Behind the curtain, there is a big winner in this market: Harrio.  
Sales of Hario US is growing since and I found it is funny to see most of coffee tools are made in Japan printed on.  Especially, there are very very few pour-over tools and no water drip tools made in other countries.  It has been only few years since US focused on "Coffee" as "articles of taste" so that there maybe new tools are developed already and hidden still.  
Coffee is the chain of artisans: Grower, Buyer, Roaster, Varista.  
There are always "tools" to develop and chance to create Magic.                

Wrecking Ball > murky coffee ??

Nick Cho, the founder of Murky Coffee, has moved to greater SF area and opened Wrecking Ball coffee roasters with Trish Rothgeb, one of the leading roasters in the States.

Nicholas Cho used to base on East Coast, D.C.  He brews coffee as the US leading barista of murky coffee, founded in 2002, and is gaining his recognition in specialty coffee industry since then.  SF is the heaven for the third wave but there are the impenetrable castle of leading coffee roasters such as Blue Bottle and FOURBARREL surrounded by highly competitive small-sized and newly-founded roasters/coffee shops.  Even with the high reputation in coffee industry, it seems that SF turns out severe market for the duo.

The last two years, Wrecking Ball was selling their small-batch-roasted beans online and seeping in SF coffee market.  There are now several cafe to serve coffee to go in East coast style, quick to go.  

It has been few years since the duo, Nick & Trish opens Wrecking Ball, but their business seems gradually growing.  It is highly possible to find Wrecking Ball sign in SF mixed in Blue Bottle sign which we find a lot in town.

OKINO Coffee roaster

Talking about Organic coffee, here is the leading person having been working with organically grown coffee beans for over 30yrs.  
Mr. Hiroshi Okino, the founder/owner of OKINO Coffee, triggered to push "organically-grown coffee" in the wold coffee market.  It was very natural for him to come down to "organically-grown" in quest of delicious coffee.  "To be honest, it does not matter whether or not the beans are grown organically" said Mr. Okino.

To prevent misunderstanding, every single movement he makes is based on firm belief of "continuity": continuity in farm, continuity in human health, continuity in environment, continuity in economic activity, continuity in social activity and so on...
It is natural for him to consider farmers' future.  It is natural for him to trade the beans with "de jure" value.  "Fair Trade" wraps up truth sometimes and so does "Organic".  Mr. Okino made great contribution to establish/to expand Japanese organic standard, Organic JAS, but his interest is not there. 

 He is there to prove how beautiful and flavorful coffee is.  As a part of Mr. Okino's journey, Quality Assurance has been his theme from the beginning.  
He defined "Quality" as follows: "quality means sustainability in human health, nature, social activity, economic activity, farming..........".  Quality means continuity.  Quality means sustainability.   
If all of us focus on "sustainability" as our business/life activity  seriously, the way of our thinking may change dramatically to bring revolution of our lifestyle.

Nowadays, we find series of certification to assist "sustainability", Rain forest alliance, Fair Trade for example.  It is time for us to develop them more truthful and meaningful certifications to become "de facto" standard for our life.

Akai-mi's Specialty

From left to right: Mandheling, Kenya, India

On one winter day, Akai-mi coffee adds India for a new selection 

and has chosen this India as a  base flavor for Winter Special Blend.  

Together with India, Mandheling and earthy Kenya are on today's choice.

Bold flavor fits and comforts Cold winter morning.

As Dark chocolate like heavy/rich flavor brings happiness, 

Bold flavor of coffee brightens.spot-lights a coffee break in winter.

Each season brings happiness, 

Each season has its best fit flavor!

 　  

Seasonal Special Blend 2012

Glad to stop by at Akai-mi coffee, Osaka.

Akai-mi coffee offers seasonal special blend created by beans arriving seasonally.

Not to mention that coffee cherries are "the agricultural product" whose quality/amount of cultivation certainly vary by climates and other factors.  

Flavor varies, of course.  

Here are seasonal blend of Autumn and Winter.

This year, Autumn offered through Beginning of December.

Offering duration varies by year, so break the ice by asking him about seasonal blends.       

Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co

Along Pacific Av., there is a local American coffee roaster called Santa Cruz Coffee roasting Co. 
Opened in 1978, Santa Cruz Coffee roasting Co. has been dedicated to improve American coffee culture through artisanal sourcing, roasting, and blending of coffee beans.  Is it adequate to call this roaster "the second waver"?  Might be, "YES".  There is no proof but it is difficult to ignore influence of Peet's Coffee & Tea, opened in Berkeley in earlier 60's, over Santa Cruz.  On their website, Santa Cruz coffee roasting Co. states their mission in 70's was to "educate public" about varieties and qualities of coffee from all over the world.  

In 2010's, focus of coffee markets has moved country to estate, "Finca".  COE has accelerated this trend and popularized the concept of "single origin" and "micro-lot".  Santa Cruz Coffee roasting Co. seems to move along with this market shift in terms of coffee beans, although roasting still stays in the second waver's value.  

Pacific Ave. presents a chronological table with flavors: there are Peet's, Starbucks, Santa Cruz Coffee roasting Co, and Verve.  Downtown Santa Cruz is small in size but filled with fun for coffee lovers.  Enjoy a old good American coffee here and a new wave, selected single estate flavors at Verve.   

INTELLIGENTSIA roastery

Big name is here in San Francisco!
INTELLIGENTSIA has been distributing their product in greater Sun Francisco area through their business partner, but now opens their "base", own roasting station, on Mariposa, San Francisco.
Based on Chicago, Intelligentsia is well known, one of the top three big name of, third wave coffee roaster in the States.  It is not too much to say that "Their passion in coffee roasting has started and boost the Third Wave movement" together with Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Counter Culture Coffee.
  
As one of the leading center, San Francisco's Coffee market is highly diverse.  Regarding the aspect of roasting, there are a wide range of techniques to express single origin flavors.  Ritual coffee roasters and Sightglass Coffee Bar & Roastery emphasize "flavor/uniqueness of specialty beans" with light roast, which is often poorly described in one word, "Scandinavian Style".  Blue Bottle coffee emphasizes balance between roasting and beans' flavor, when Four Barrel focus more on roasting technique to enhance beans' flavor.  Referring the fact that there are a large number of roasters flowering here in SF area, there is a question: "Why big name like INTELLIGENTSIA opens the factory now?"  Coffee market here is highly competitive as well as exclusive to non-locals.  Let us see how this factory survive here, one of the most competitive foodie town.

Four Barrel Coffee: Time to roast!

Just in case, if you do not know...

Four Barrel Coffee 

is 

The Coffee Roaster. 

Here is a little entertainment while waiting for a order to come.
Four Barrel has their roasting factory at the back of the cafe.  This "Bottega", if appropriate to call so, is widely open to entertain sensory cortex; olfactory perception, visual perception and auditory perception.  

There is a bar, a narrow, long, waist-high table, facing roasting machines, which may be highly attractive and adsorptive for coffee "geeks" like me.  

Opening up a coffee roasting factory is somewhat brave step to take.  
Certainly this opens to authorized people only; however, the space is filled sounds and aroma rising from roasting machines as well as  jute bags filled with green beans, which have names on.

Stay at the bar whole day watching the factory may allow us to lead the mind to imagine "SECRET" of Four Barrel coffee...maybe, after a year spending there.

Enjoy the factory while waiting and having your cup.   

    

Four Barrel Coffee

Home coming Coffee time !

As usual, there are a long line and no empty seat&table around 10am..

Well, it is very understandable.

Four barrel serves the best cafe latte among the third wavers in SF/South bay, as far as I know.  Although there are the brew bars offering various specialty coffees, often called "hand crafted coffee" now, espresso is the way to enjoy "Four barrel" the most.



Here is the best barista!
The best cup of latte satisfies you when you see him in front of espresso machine.

According to my friend, he won the first place twice in United States Barista Championship, former known as the North American Barista Competition.

Does this matter?
Actually, I would say "NO".

"How may cups do you serve a day?", we asked.
"Well, I don't know.  I cannot count.", he replays instantly.

Making hundreds of espresso drinks everyday, his skill improves cup by cup, maybe second by second.  Nothing can teach more than experience, especially meister job like this.   

Amazingly, a cup of cafe latte, actually soy latte, kept its silky foam, over an hour, to the last sip!!  Cafe Latte means "Mariage of strong, flavorful espresso with fluffy, silky foamed milk"; not espresso poured in milk.

There are hundreds of cafe's here in San Francisco Bay Area.  Many coffee lovers enjoy, some may visit to enjoy, edgy coffee drinks from various cafes/roasters such as Blue Bottle, Sightglass and do on.  If  Four barrel sounds new to you, keep this name on the top of your list. Try espresso drink when He is in front of the machine.

Beautiful Hand brew Bar by the entrance

Various beans to pick of

Akaimi-Coffee in August 2012

Lovely treat from AKAIMI coffee!

Together with flavorful Kenya, same as last time, there are two new selection from fresh crop:

Panama: Finca La Berlina
Nicaragua: Finca La Virgen

Both Panama and Nicaragua are  from Prize wining estate, Finca La Berlina and La Virgen.  However, these beans are not taken from prize winning, auction lots but grown at prize wining estate.  Does these have value?  To be honest, we do not know until we cup them.  There are millions estates in coffee growing region; some of them are well known and some of them are hidden, thus COE winners are appreciated with apparent in quality.    

Prize winning lot gives unique flavor certainly, but it also price worthy as we all know very well.  Unfortunately, not all of us identify the uniqueness in flavor, nor appreciate value of COE or any kind.  In common market, Prize winning estate means the center of quality standard, which creates and heightens flavor, in general, "quality", of coffee beans.  COE winning estate means mostly well managed estate and "special selection" or "selected" beans from these estates may satisfy coffee lovers soul and mind when they meet the finest roasters.   

Time for Akai-mi coffee again!

Although exploring new roasters is entertaining and exciting, flitting from "flower" to "flower" enhance cravings for acquired taste and a familiar casual environments just like missing your hometown.

So, here is Akai-mi coffee again. 

This roaster is the one keeps trust with coffee maniacs; wide range of coffee selections,  concrete roasting techniques, relaxing environments.  If there were coffee version of "le Guide Michelin", this would be the one to be nominated with five stars on top!  

 As usual, he carries Kenya and Panama.   Finca La Berlina, Panama, is one of the regular nominee to The best of Panama run by SCAP,  Sorry for "COE" winning lot lover, but the owner of the Akai-mi coffee has particular taste and his own philosophy to select beans rather than cheering COE winning lots.  There is certainly the moderate level of respects to Specialty Coffee, so beans are selected from highly achieved farms and factory.  Personally, SCAP competition accelerated, somewhat over estimated, after GEISYA has heated up Panama coffee.  So, his stable attitude increase reliability in his beans selection for person like myself.      

There was Kopakaki from Rwanda as well.  This Rwandan coffee also impressive fruity flavor and aroma, which entertains and terms heats from hot summer.  Also Guatemala and Mandheling were charming enough...

Unfortunately, Finca La Berlina was out.
So, there are the selection for the day in July:

Special Summer Blend 250g
Kenya Gachami 100g
Rwanda Kopakaki Dutegure 250g

Coffee always cools off summer heats, so these coffee may disappear soon enough to crave for another butch.   

Unir Coffee

If you are familiar with Coffee world in Japan, especially Barista Championship and Specialty Coffee Association, the name "Unir" may ring the bell.


Located in Nagaoka-kyo, Unir has been a home for a number of both award-winning and nominated Barista in JBC, Japan Barista Championship, and JLAC, Japan Latte Art  Championship.  Hisashi Yamamoto, the owner of Unir, opend this coffee roaster in June 2006, and has been working diligently and making contributions to expand/heighten recognition of, so called, "Specialty Coffee" as well as Barista culture in Japan.  


As a roaster, Unir used to use Probat L5, well known roasting machine from Germany, but replaced it with Smart roaster Kestrel S35, often called "Next generation" machine from San Francisco, in winter of 2011.  This was the sign.  Now, UNIR seems to be on the move. 


Opening new shop on Gogo-machi dori, mid town Kyoto, Unir seems to create a "Flag-ship" to focus on "high-end specialty beans" together with "Coffee school business".  There was AWARD WINNING beans from COE, 1st place winning on El Salvador COE, sold, priced as nearly JPY2,000 per 100g, wow!   


This new cafe is not spacious, but cozy.  It's nice place to stop by to pick up a cup of high quality coffee..., maybe, take a break.  Unfortunately, only 3 to 4 type of beans are carried here, so it is recommended to visit their original location if you are the coffee geek.   

Lovely, Greens Coffee

Visiting favorite coffee roaster is one of the pleasant moment for coffee geeks.

GREENS coffee roaster allow to have joyful moment of that excitement not only in the store but also on the way to the store.  

This roaster may not be the best in Coffee Sanctuary, KOBE area, but excites us with growing expectation: unique specialty beans selection, roasting technique, and so on.

Today's selection:

GREENS Blend

Guatemala La Providencia

anzania Nitin Estate

【Note】

Unfortunately, the owner of this roaster is not available for casual talk in the shop.  No photo, friendly shop attendants are available.  Sorry...  

FACTORY KAFE Kousen

  Wondering around Kyoto, Japan, along Karasuma street, a arty  but very analog sign will catch your eyes.  Factory Kafe Kosen is one of the well known a "third waver" in Kyoto ( The States definition of  "third wave" is applied here).  Hidden in a old, retro looking building near Kyoto Imperial Palace, near Kawasuma-Imadegawa bus stop, there are 2 indications to find this coffee "factory": 1) Hand printed sign shown on right, 2) Number of bicycles in the hallway.  Certainly, this coffee roaster has cafe space, cozy and nice, about 6 to 8 seats with a counter table, which allow us to enjoy a fresh hand brewed cup.  Woody and retro looking inside relaxes us and makes us forget about time.  At the end corner, there are bicycles and roasting machine.  Atmosphere at Kafe Kosen is similar to one of SF coffee roaster. 

Roasting degree at Factory Kafe Kosen is rather dark, although they say "medium".  Influenced by Seattle style roasting, I am assuming, their beans loudly speaks capability issues of roasting machines.  Since Seattle style dark roast  techniques has been achieved with the high volume/capability machines, it is difficult to apply technique to small size machines often found in Japan.  Sorry to say, Japanese Dark roast coffee beans often taste like "charcoal"...Charcoal enough to feel sorry for COE winning beans..  

Coffee Kobo Higuchi

A package From Coffee Kobo Higuchi  has arrived!  "Kobo" means a small factory like "an atelier", in Italian "bottega", with metaphor of craftsmanship.  Certainly, the roaster, Mr. Sehichi Higuchi, refers himself as "a craft-man". 
   
The package contains "Trial set", 300g of freshly roasted coffee beans, three different single origin 100g each with the certification such as Rain forest Alliance, Fair-trade label and so on.  How surprising it is to know this costs only 1,000 JPY!
This time, it includes:  Kenya Kangunu,  El Salvador Las Nubes, and The Agricultural Cooperative Chojzunil, Guatemala. 

The specialty coffee boom has aroused public interests in coffee cultivation process, including estates and mills, and has changed the coffee market structure.  Now, single origins and estate/mill bland coffees become highly accessible with wider selection with sometimes special price like this.  Flavor of coffee relies on both quality of green beans and roasting techniques, so these type of "trial package" reduce barriers to taste arts of new coffee roasters. Reviews will follow as they are tasted and now wish these coffee beans have lively tastes as their aroma is.
   

Cafe[e] ~ effe ~

Cafe[e] , pronounces cafe "effe", is located in Gifu, where people spend the most on cafe in Japan.  According to 2009 - 2010 Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry survey, Gifu prefecture ranks first on the list of the annual spending on Cafe per household.  There are about 3,300 cafe, in Japanese "Ki ssa ten", in Gifu prefecture and, especially in Gifu-city, people spend three times higher than the national average on cafe annually.  

Cafe[e], as a roaster as well as a cafe, runs a internet coffee bean shop, called "Coffee baka no Mise", which can be translated as "Coffee geeks shop".  Maybe, literally it is.  
The roaster has 3 different types of roasting machine: two of them are antique, classic roasters.  Unfortunately, those antique roasting machines are saved for higher priced products they sell, which does not apply to this try out package.  Aroma of coffee beans are always joyful and flavorful to content our feelings.  However, it does not guarantee the taste.  Take trial package to check whether or not the roasters technique & so on fulfills you, even the shop itself refer them as a coffee geek.  

Very personal opinion:  Sometimes wider bottom does prove excellent quality on top, but sometimes does not.   

Rokuyosha Coffee ten

 If you are in Kyoto, visit Rokuyosha coffee on Kawara-machi, Sanjyo.
Many many Japanese cafe, Kissa-ten, allow you to stay enough time to infiltrate your "parched" body with a cup of coffee, but not to relax fully.  There are always a line in front of a cafe urges you through "assistance" of waiters/waitresses, unsaid pressure.  It is difficult to find Starbucks type, "stay as long as you want" type, Kissa-ten in Japan, especially in a tourist area like Shijo/Sanjyo.

Rokuyosha is the one.


Comfortable and cozy small cafe allow you to stay with a cup of coffee and books/newspaper...and with a cigar.   For Non smokers & coffee lovers, I recommend to dive in Chika-ten, Rokuyosha underground.

I may say Chika-ten is ROKUYOSHA.
The reputations of ROKUYOSHA has been created by this Chika-ten, which serves flavorful dark roast beans, well harmonized blends, and well chosen specialty beans.  Without a doubt, a cup of coffee here gives you a moment to relax yourself with a cup and a sweets, reasonably priced.  Doughnuts they have costs you only JPY120, amazing price for Kissa-ten.
As the sign says, Chika-ten's atmosphere is "a bar" type, a little bit dark with down-lights, a counter, narrow space, and so on, but comfortable for a coffee lover to drop in.  The cafe welcomes you and entertains you with a cup of dark flavorful coffee selection.
    
Chika-ten opens at 11am, so come and join your afternoon and evening cup.  Rokuyosha on the ground opens earlier but serves only one BLEND coffee; so, I recommend to go to Chika-ten if you LOVE coffee and want to ENJOY full aspects of your cup.

Beans Tei

Walking along Takakura street, a green sun-shade catches your eyes together with beautiful aroma stimulate your olfactory sensation.  Beans Tei is KIOSK type coffee roaster at Shijyo, Kyoto.  Located near Nishiki-Ichiba, a traditional and historical marketplace in Kyoto, some may expect "Tradition" and "History" behind this roaster.  According to one of shop staff, this roaster has founded in 1990's, 1994 from their HP, which is considered relatively new in both this historical city and Japanese Cafe history.   Although this roaster is pretty new, it's merged into atmosphere of Nishiki, sitting there silently.  Beans Tei @  Shijyo is very small and hidden, cozy and friendly.  This Kiosk offers a Cup of coffee, so it will be fun to grab a cup here to explore the town.  

As other 90's coffee roasters, Beans Tei  also follows "trend" of 3rd wavers; Specialty, single origin.  There are some micro farmers as well as COE, cup of excellence.  Roasting technique and degrees closely resemble to Seattle style, but has a tip of a traditional Japanese light roasting and flavor sensitive "Blending" techniques.  Understanding roasting machine capabilities, their roasting technique is high.  Also, their flavor, their blending technique, is good enough considering the price.  The price range at Beans Tei is around JPY 450 to around 550 per 100g, quite reasonable price setting for both Specialty coffee beans and Shijyo, the down town Kyoto.    

My recommendation for first timers is Special Blend, reasonable and flavorful coffee best for paper brew.

Iwashi Coffee

Iwashi Coffee in Kyoto.

Friend of mine told me to go there for some reason, so I walked to there along Nishi-oji St..

For "real" coffee lovers, I recommend this roaster with maybe the same reason as my friend's!


Iwashi Coffee is very small coffee roaster which has one big table with 4 to 6 seats.  We certainly enjoy a cup, Hand-brewed, there.

Amazingly, a cup of freshly hand brewed, flavorful and aroma-ful, coffee only costs us JPY200!!


As "Coffee geek" roasters always do, this roaster has series of coffee goods, hand grinders, pots, hand-brew goods and so on.


There are several freshly roasted coffee beans, JPY500/100g.