Tasting Notes: Normal people, extraordinary coffee.: Recent Episodes
Matthew Novak
Tasting notes is a very simple coffee podcast from The United States of Coffee. The world is full of awesome coffees, but a lot of times they are presented in inaccessible ways. Tasting notes aims to review incredible coffees in a way that everybody can understand, while adding bits of information that will help people understand and appreciate coffee more. Tasting notes is produced by The United States of Coffee.
Season 2 starts right where we left off! The boys are back to say dumb stuff and talk about smart coffee. This time it's a recap of a trip to New Orleans!
For coffee run map check out: https://www.strava.com/activities/7017313270
Matt & Aaron drink more coffee this time from Tectonic Coffee - A roast from Colombia Las pinas
Matt & Aaron get the band back together and sip on some Kahawa 1893 Kenyan coffee. Kahawa is a SF based woman-owned coffee roaster with an awesome mission. Check them out at https://kahawa1893.com/
Jon Meharg and Kait Brown have a calndestine meeting in a park somewhere in Ohio to discuss decaf, a low Caf business model and a whole bunch more!
Check out everything Savorista is doing at https://savoristacoffee.com/pages/our-story
Also don't forget to sign up for our Friday Newsletter at StatesofCoffee.com
Matt & Aaron sip on some fruity Ethiopian coffee from Chilmark and talk about the upcoming election.
http://www.chilmarkcoffeeco.com/coffee.html
Matt & Aaron are joined by Paper Plane Coffee Co. Own Jonathan Echeverry where their trio discusses reopening amid COVID-19, getting back on their feet, and general tom-foolery.
Buy coffee from Jon at: https://www.paperplanecoffee.com/
Sign up for our newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/b2f5eaa0b6fa/usoc
Matt & Jon kick off a new chapter in The United States of Coffee history. Launching States of Decaf to serve those of us who are lightening or cutting their caffeine consumption totally. If you find this show useful share it with a friend!
Matt gives a State of States address and sips on some truly tasty Ethiopian coffee from CXFFEEBLACK
Matt catches up with his old friend Patrick Janelle and the two discuss their personal coffee history and the origin story of one of our favorite hashtags: #DailyCortado
Read in his own words, Patrick's story here: https://www.agnp.co/articles/daily-cortado
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Find us on Instagram!
Support Russell and his small roastery by buying coffee at: https://www.almanac.coffee/shop
CDC Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.htmlTo purchase coffee from Paper Plane head to: https://www.paperplanecoffee.com/
Be sure to use code word: BETTERSAFETHANSORRY for free shipping
call our Covid-19 tip hotline at: (862) 801-0695
CDC Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Reach Juandy via their cafe's instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/soyavecafe/ or reach them at avecafes@gmail.com
call our Covid-19 tip hotline at: (862) 801-0695
Purchase Tickets for What is Next Here
Matt and Mike get their first taste of Eugenioides! This coffee is rare, and low-yield and awesome. Don't sleep on it if you get the chance. Check out more information on the onyx site
First, go buy some tickets for our live event!
Matt and Mike drink from one of their favorite local roasters Sey Coffee. Everythign from Sey blows our minds, and this pink bourbon doesn't dissapoint. You shoudl pick up anything from them on their website.
First, go buy some tickets for our live event!
Matt and Mike Drink some long-awaited Tinker Coffee Co Coffee! This is, year in and year out, one of our favorite coffees and it was cool to get to finally try something from Tinker. Check them out here
First, go buy some tickets for our live event!
Matt and Mike drink coffee that Jon brought back from Brioso - on the natch. This natural processed coffee has a few surprises up its sleeve and word from Jon is that this cafe is TOP NOTCH. Check them out here
More coffee from the midwest! Blueprint coffee rips a tasty las moritas which Matt and Mike enjoy very much.
Check out blueprint here: https://blueprintcoffee.com/
Buy Tickets for our coffee party in Portland here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-is-next-a-live-coffee-podcast-expo-2020-celebration-tickets-95530685853
Matt & Mike talk about Jon's trip through the midwest while we sip on a roast from Rise Coffee in St. Louis .
You can buy THIS coffee here: https://risecoffeestl.com/shop/zambia
Matt and Mike drink a Mexican coffee roasted by Pine Coffee Supply that has some serious wow power.
Check out more of Pine Coffee Supply at: https://pinecoffeesupply.com/
Matt sits down with friend-of-the-pod, filmmaker Jon Meharg to discuss his recent move from Texas to NJ and his missions to drink decaf cortados in as many states as possible along the way.
Shops visited:
Dichotomy
Cultivar
Rise Coffee
Brioso
Tinker
Blueprint
and many many more
Mike & Matt brew up some Kenyan Peaberry roasted by Anchorhead Coffee in Seattle Washington.
You can buy some of this coffee here: https://anchorheadcoffee.com/collections/all/products/costa-rica-el-cedral
Matt and Mike talk about this very tasty everyday drinker from 1000 faces in Athens, Ga
For this episode we drank their roast of an Ethiopian Worka Sakaro
You can find out more about 1000 Faces here: https://www.1000facescoffee.com/
Mike and Matt drink some delicious Gesha that mike return from Colorado with. This coffee is a real tasty treat - not as vibrant as some other geshas we've had but also not as tame.
It can be purchased here: https://huckleberryroasters.com/collections/frontpage/products/colombia-israel-hernandez-gesha
Mike and Matt talk about Mike's recent trip to Colorado and all the amazing coffee he consumed while he was out there.
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Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters Arvada, CO
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Boxcar Coffee Roasters Boulder, CO
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Middle State Coffee Denver, CO
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Crema Coffee House Denver, CO
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Huckleberry Roasters Denver, CO
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Harbinger Coffee Fort Collins, CO
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Dark Heart Coffee Bar Loveland, CO
Matt & Mike cup Mod Cup's Mother Ethiopia box set! Thanks so much to Mod Cup for sending this gift along. We cupped these two coffees using the SCA cupping guidelines.
Buy this coffee set here: https://modcup.com/product/ethiopia-hambella-box-set/
Matt & Mike chat about Parlor coffee's Los Angeles roast
check out more of their stuff here: https://parlorcoffee.com/
Matt & Mike chat about the D.C. based coffee roaster Lost Sock and their roast of Finca Pompea, a Guatemalan coffee.
Find out more about lost sock here: https://lostsockroasters.com/
Matt and Mike talk about a tasty Natural Geisha roasted by Unity souricing and roasting. More can be found out about their operation here: https://www.unity.coffee/
Matt and Aaron talk about their trip up and down the mid-Atlantic region. They discuss Aaron's infected eyeball, and how Matt survived the rest of the trip alone.
Places & Links
- Elixr Coffee - https://elixrcoffee.com/
- Rival Bros. - https://rivalbros.com/
- Astro Doughnuts - http://astrodoughnuts.com/
- The Cup We All Race 4 - Instagram
- Pear Plum Café - https://www.pearplumcafe.com/
- Compass Coffee - https://compasscoffee.com/
- Call Your Mother Deli - https://www.callyourmotherdeli.com/
Matt and Chris talk about Getchusomegear and its origins. We get a little bit into what they're defining as marginalized groups they're trying to reach as well as the how and why of how this all got started!
Get in touch with Chris on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/getchusomegear/?hl=en
Matt talks to Ben about how he and his family started Long Miles Coffee Project. Including: How it even happens, turning years of failure into a great success, how to remain positive in spite of poor outcomes and grenades getting chucked at his processing facility.
Learn more about Long Miles at: http://www.longmilescoffeeproject.com/
or visit their instagram feed at: https://www.instagram.com/longmilescoffee/
Matt Talks with Cody Fergusson of Apex Coffee Roasters in Waco Tx. They chat about Cody's recent q-grader certification as well as the growing coffee scene in Waco Texas.
Check out Apex here: https://www.apexcoffeeroasters.com/
Matt talk with Kim Elena Lonescu of the SCA about coffee sustainability . Topics covered include what sustainable actually means, is the coffee industry sustainable as it stands right now, what if anything should we be doing to even the profit distributions in the coffee supply chain, and things that are threatening the coffee industry. Its a long one but a good one!
Learn more about SCA's new sustainability program here: https://sca.coffee/education/programs/coffee-sustainability-program
Matt and Mike drink Sump's Ethiopia Bensa Kokosa, and talk about future and past tenses. Giddy up.
Buy this coffee here: https://www.sumpcoffee.com/products/ethiopia-bensa-kokosa-8-oz
Matt and Mike drink some coffee! That coffee is from Square Mile Coffee Roasters and you can find them on the internet right here: https://shop.squaremilecoffee.com
Also, if you're interested in trying new coffees AND you want to support the podcast Check out Angel's cup using this link and purchase a subscription box!
Matt talks with former barista World Champion, coffee book author and beloved YouTuber James Hoffmann about his recent endeavor, the world's largest coffee tasting. The two chat about logistics, how it went and a touch on the the coffee supply chain. Enjoy!
Buy James' book here
Check out Square Mile Coffee Here
Check out James' Youtube channel here
Matt & Mike talk about Spectrum Coffees roast of this tasty Kenyan coffee
Check out Spectrum here: https://www.spectrumcoffees.com
Matt Talks with Adam from Tared & Caffeinated about midwest coffee. They sip on Some Ruby Roasters coffee and chat informally about the state of The midwest coffee scene and some local recs!
Matt sits down with good friend Jon Meharg and they talk about Caffeine, Abbey Coffee Co, and Korean 'sweet potato snack'
Find Abbey Coffee Co Coffee here: https://squareup.com/store/the-abbey-coffee-co
Sign up for our email list here: http://statesofcoffee.com/
Matt & Mike try to figure out how to make a podcast of James Hoffmann's World's Largest Coffee Tasting Event!
NOTES: There was some audio recording issues due to multiple computers running and maybe a background app - the issue has been noted, and while the 'popping' is annoying we felt like there was still some value in sharing this.
Additionally, the broadcast of the cupping is a recording of the live feed, and while we did not get written confirmation to use this audio we feel like James would be ok with it.
Here's a link to the original kickoff video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5uCK3OhlKM
and you can buy coffee at: https://shop.squaremilecoffee.com
Cheers!
Matt chats with Umeko Motoyoshi of Wasting Coffee and Rainbow Cupping Spoon Fame! We go deep on this episode about a lot of things:
- How Umeshiso and Wasting Coffee came to be
- Subjective Objectivity
- Rainbow Spoons
- Power Dynamics
- Personal Influence on taste
- Binary thinking
- Poking fun at tasting notes
- Wasting Coffee
Find out more at the following links:
Buy Cool Stuff: https://umeshiso.com
Follow along on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umeshiso_/?hl=en
Wasting Coffee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wastingcoffee/?hl=en
Places Umeko Reccs in the Podcast:
Lüna Coffee: https://enjoylunacoffee.com
The Peccary: https://www.instagram.com/the_peccary/
Grand Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/grandcoffee/
The Crown: https://royalcoffee.com/the-crown/
In this episode, Aaron and Matt discuss nothing of much importance but do implore you to start using the #gibsallday hashtag for all your Gibraltar and Cortado photos. As well as give you a look ahead at what's coming up for States of Coffee.
Sin up for email updates at StatesOfCoffee.com
Matt & Aaron talk about Metric Coffee & Chicago and some other stuff!
You can buy this coffee here: https://metriccoffee.com/collections/all-coffees/products/peru-david-flores-lot-2
You can also get half off some metric and other coffees at drinktrade.com by using the code word mattjnovak
Matt talks on location to Head Chef Brandon Grimilia of 403 Broad. They talk about reanimator coffee, what it means to have a full service restaurant start a coffee program and PIZZA.
Check out more about 403 at http://403broad.com/
Matt talks with Drew & Steve from Blanchard's Coffee Roasting who have an interesting perspective, roasting in Virginia. We talking coffee, branding cafes and more!
https://blanchardscoffee.com/
Matt Aaron & Doug drink some Abelino Vera beans from Black and White Roasters, a highly regarded roaster from North Carolina.
Buy B&W Coffee here: https://www.blackwhiteroasters.com/
Find us and more coffee recs at: https://www.instagram.com/statesofcoffee/
Aaron, Doug, and Matt get silly and chat about Sweetbloom's Roast of a tasty Gesha. Some talk about tank tops and coffee fatigue occur as well as Aaron's recent trip to Denver.
https://sweetbloomcoffee.com/
WE'RE BACK!!!
Mike & Matt sip on some tasty birdrock roaster coffee from Burundi!
Check out Birdrock here: https://www.birdrockcoffee.com/
And our youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl3PymkEnB5exo_YCe73EPg
Matt talks with the head roaster and green buyer, Chris Alspach from Upper Left Roasters. They chat about Chris's East Coast roots, what its like moving to Portland to get into coffee and some of his favorite places.
Learn more about upper left at: https://upperleftroasters.com/
Aaron & Matt discuss his recent trip to LA and the sip on some GGET Miguel Sanchez brew among other things.
Buy their coffee here: https://gget.com/coffee
Matt talks with Roaster Josh Lindstrom of Fika Coffee - You can check out their shop or buy their coffee online here: https://fikacoffee.com/
get 50% off coffee here: https://www.drinktrade.com/ use code word 'mattjnovak'
Matt is joined by regular guest Mike Tria to discuss Modcup's new Colombian offering! They sip on the natural Colombian - availible here: https://modcup.com/product/colombia-caicedonia-rigoberto-herrera-xo-natural-direct-trade/ and talk a bit about the darker roast, why its tasty and when it might be best to drink this delicious brew.
Sign up for email updates at StatesofCoffee.com or use codeword mattjnovak at Drinktrade.com for 50% off your first bag of coffee!
Matt talks with Nate Young of King State (https://king-state.com/) in Tampa Florida. They talk about how KS got their start, where they're at now, and what is to come including a soon to be opened cafe.
Matt & Aaron talk about his recent trip to Miami and the coffee scene down there. He hits up All Day Mia (http://www.alldaymia.com/) and Panther Coffee (https://www.panthercoffee.com/) They drink a tasty Single-O from Panther and talk about plans for the Specialty Coffee Expo
Check out the updates United States of Coffee site at http://statesofcoffee.com/
visit DrinkTrade.com and use code word mattjnovak for 50% off your first bag of coffee!
Matt talks with Todd Purse the Creative Director of Brandywine Coffee Roasters. Matt and Todd talk about the creative process, how coffee influences art, how Brandywine is making it happen down in Delaware and how he got involved in the coffee world to begin with. There is some talk about robots.
Todd's Recommendations:
Cirque - https://www.cirquecoffee.com/
Methodical - https://methodicalcoffee.com/
Onyx - https://onyxcoffeelab.com/
Matt talks with Andrea Allen of the very popular Mid-west coffee roastery Onyx Coffee Lab. Andrea shares her decade long journey through coffee, leaving behind a love of sugary drinks in favor of espresso and some really cool insights on La Palma y El Tucan, why some coffee costs so much money, and where things are going in the future.
Additionally she shares her three cafe recommendations:
Go Get Em Tiger - Los Angleles, CA - https://gget.com/
Archetype Coffee - Omaha, NE - https://drinkarchetype.com/
Undercurrent Coffee - Charlotte, NC - http://undercurrentcoffee.com/
Creme - Nashville, TN - https://crema-coffee.com/
Sign up for site updates: http://statesofcoffee.com/
Get Discounted Coffee - http://trdcfe.me/mattjnovak use codeword mattjnovak for 50% off your first bag of coffee
Matt talks about the coffee process and then totally drools over this very rare, tasty coffee. There's a lot of talk about processing, both natural and washed, a little bit about saurkraut and of course the farm La Palma y El Tucan.
LINKS:
Statesofcoffee.com
drinktrade.com - code word mattjnovak
https://www.brandywinecoffeeroasters.com/
http://lapalmayeltucan.com/site/
Matt talks with Vessel Coffee Roasters owner Sean Tobin. The two talk about community, a little bit about running and a lot about the impending fourth wave of coffee.
Check out Sean's company at https://vesselroasters.com/
Matt is joined by Doug to drink some Verve Coffee Roasters coffee. They enjoy it, talk a little bit about roast color and mouthfeel, Woot!
BUY THIS COFFEE: https://www.vervecoffee.com/collections/single-origin/products/leonicio-castellon
This coffee can also be purchased at drinktrade.com use code mattjnovak for 50% off your first bag of coffee
Matt & Aaron catch up about Aaron's travels to Atlanta and some tasty treats he brought back as well as sip on a Rwanda roast from 3 hearts Roastery. They also chat about some cafes like Brother moto and East Pole Coffee.
BUY COFFEE: https://threeheartcoffee.com/current-offerings/j7pt8mboc2w77l62p9kgks6i7jyr4e
Matt Flies solo & discusses Slate's roast of an Ethiopian natural Chelchele. He also touches on making an effort to increase transparency and consistency with brew method for the podcast and fanboys out a little bit about Slate.
BUY THIS COFFEE: https://slatecoffee.com/product/ethiopia-chelchele/
Matt is joined by friends Dan & Doug along with podcast regular Mike Tria. The four goof off for a while, taste some coffee and chat about Velo Roasters, Gender equality and New Jersey Diners.
Buy the coffee here: https://www.velocoffee.com/coffee/blue-label-coffee-name-country-of-origin-1-htt53
Sign up for email updates: StatesofCoffee.com
Matt & Mike tackle another Velo coffee! This bean comes from Ethiopia and is pretty wild - we discuss a bit about Velo and their sweet little tasting tins and even go into cleaning your grinder a little bit with Urnex grinder cleaner.
Buy Coffee Here: https://www.velocoffee.com/coffee/bxncfg68egx2tr4b8m790emwo4splv-8h35e-wjnrx
Matt & Mike talk about Velo Coffee Roasters Kenyan Coffee. They discuss tomato flavors including its soup version and this awesome coffee.
BUY THIS COFFEE HERE: https://www.velocoffee.com/coffee/los-robles-apxfx-rksad
Sign up for States of Coffee Emails: StatesofCoffee.com
Alex Joins Matt on a special cupping episode of Tasting Notes digging into Counter Culture's Burundi Processing set we talk about all three coffees, guess which is which and mess around with the idea that we know what we're doing!
Buy the set here: https://counterculturecoffee.com/shop/coffee/buziraguhindwa-processing-set
buy the book we talk about here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co
Sign up for USoC emails here: StatesofCoffee
DrinkTrade.com + code mattjnovak for 50% off your first bag
Aaron finally joins the podcast! Matt mocks him for his brewing style and they chat briefly about Austin Texas and its coffee scene
Mike Tria is back with Matt and they found a coffee the can't recommend! That's it, we've found a coffee we couldn't recommend and we rolled with it - many thoughts on
what good marketing and sneaky branding can do and might have decided we should be doing blind tastings moving forward. Probably not going to happen!
Sign up for website updates at StatesofCoffee.com
Mike Tria Joins Matt to talk about some Vessel beans! Dan Folgado drops in for a hot second. MUCH SLURPING. We talk about how we don't talk about essential oils. We also talk about how long to leave your coffee before its no good.
• Vessel Beans - https://vesselroasters.com/
• Dan Folgado Music - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Aq62f21p4niQnsbTP2Lm6?si=btjbmDcSS264EUXtjDteAQ
Matt talks with Jonathan Jarrow of Harbinger Coffee. They discuss hospitality, LA coffee scene, starting a small business in a non-coffee town and what makes a cafe visit great. Check out Jonathan's shops in Fort Collins, CO. or online at https://harbingercoffee.com/
Drink Trade direct link: http://trdcfe.me/mattjnovak
Matt's flying solo, talking about boozey fruits and this mighty tasty Ethiopian coffee roasted by Dapper & Wise - additionally talking about the nifty coffee canister that Fellow now makes.
COFFEE: https://dapperandwise.com/collections/all
CANISTER: https://fellowproducts.com/atmos/
Matt is joined by friend Mike Tria to discuss Sey's Nelson Ramirez Roast. We talk a little bit about Brooklyn and the fellow kettle also - you can buy this coffee at: https://www.seycoffee.com/products/nelson-ramirez-cup-of-excellence/ and you can sign up for United States of Coffee updates at statesofcoffee.com additionally we talked a bit about the cup of Excellence you can find more info at: https://allianceforcoffeeexcellence.org/
The fellow kettle can be found at: https://fellowproducts.com/shop/stagg/
Matt is joined by friend Mike Tria to discuss Harbinger's Colombian Cauca. There's some slurping - you can buy this coffee at: https://harbingercoffee.com/product/colombia-cauca/ and you can sign up for United States of Coffee updates at statesofcoffee.com
Matt sits down with workmates Alex and Doug to sip on another Boxcar roast and also talk about pizza boxes as coffee filters. - If you're not in Boulder go to www.boxcarcoffeeroasters.com to buy tastes coffee seeds. Head to Statesofcoffee.com to sign up to be notified when we launch our cafe listings. Also in the pod's opinion, the best way to buy filters is through Prima Coffee here: https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/hario/vcf-02-100w
Matt sits down with a fiery cup of coffee from Boxcar Roasters in Boulder Colorado - Also discusses the trials and tribulations of traveling through TSA with many many bags of coffee - If you're not in Boulder go to www.boxcarcoffeeroasters.com to buy tastes coffee seeds. Head to Statesofcoffee.com to sign up to be notified when we launch our cafe listings.
Matt tackles a bag of Wild Forest roast from Brooklyn based coffee company, Devocion. Visit the shop in Brooklyn or Manhattan or buy online here: https://www.devocion.com/
Sign up for updates of The United States of Coffee at statesofcoffee.com // Visit Flat Track Roasters in Austin Texas or at https://flattrackcoffee.com/