Article: Coffee Health Effects

I came across this fascinating article recently.  Top 15 Effects That Coffee Has On Your Health, on Softpedia.com.  I always take studies and compiled list a a few (hundred) grains of salt, but I find them interesting.  One point that was made several times throughout this article is that certain effects only have potency with infrequent coffee drinkers. That’s just another  reason to be a connoisseur of coffee rather than a coffee fiend! Haha.  Since the article is extensive, I am keeping this post brief.  I encourage you to peruse the article, and give me your input below.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Top-14-Coffee-Effects-on-Your-Health-70537.shtml

Aviano, Cherry Creek

A beautiful spring stroll through the Cherry Creek shopping district ended at a little shop called Aviano.  Fairly unobtrusive, it sits on a peaceful corner surrounded by busy people doing important things in their ever-important lives.  Inside however, the air shifts, stills, breathes a sigh of relief.  In the middle of a busy day of appointments and obligations, I was happy to retreat into this little haven.

The coffee of the day was El Diablo Dark Roast.  The sign promised that it, “presents a caramelized sweetness with low acidity.  A lasting impression of molasses and melted barley linger in the smoky finish.”  Seriously? Melted barley?  What exactly does melted barley taste like?  Oh well – somebody got paid to make it sound interesting.  Aviano exclusively brews Intelligentsia coffee.  Allison, the Aviano barista, explained that Intelligentsia has single-origin coffees, which are roasted in smaller batches.  The beans are sourced through direct trade from locations between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer.  She said that direct trade costs more, but is also a higher quality bean.  Intelligentsia only provides in-season coffees, because they guarantee that the beans will be available to the customer no more than ten months after harvest.  Aviano receives the beans a day after they are roasted.  My cup of El Diablo was brewed in a pour over system.  Unlike my previous experience, there was no pre-infusion, but I do not know what difference that makes. 

After a sip, my first thought was of Africa.  I know that sounds strange.  It didn’t make sense to me either.  I don’t know what Africa tastes like.  I’ve handled artifacts and souvenirs from Nigeria, but I don’t recall ever tasting them.  However, this coffee seemed to embody the essence of Africa in some way.  It was dark, head, and earthy – very intense.  It was so dark in fact, that I wondered if drinking coal would be much different.  It was rather like soot, but not burnt.  It washed over my tongue lightly at first, then seemed to seep into my tastebuds.  It had a prickly taste, with no taste comparison.  My friend Sarah laughed and commented that even she would not drink coffee black.  I may be crazy, but that is exactly the point. 

After a few sips, I decided it was enough experience.  It was time to try cream.  I had not yet had any coffee with cream and sugar – except for certain specialty drinks.  When I added a small bit of cream, the coffee became much less harsh and sharp.  It still had the same overall flavor, but the cream seemed to act like a coffee mood-suppressant.  The lows weren’t so low, but the high’s weren’t as high either.  The cream seemed to mellow the coffee, so that the character remained the same, but the richness of its personality was diminished.  When I added sugar, it did nothing at all.  It was just sugar in coffee.  There was a slight sweetness, but the flavor was unaffected.  I suppose if I loved sugar, and I loved coffee, that would be a convenient way to get both, but otherwise, it was a waste of the energy it took to tear open the little paper packet.

Lastly, I asked Allison for a recommendation to go.  She said one of Aviano’s specialties is a traditional cappuccino.  She described it as having a nice texture, with a sweetness of its own.  It has equal parts milk, foam, and espresso – double shot.  Waiting for my drink to arrive, I turned to Sarah.  She had been observing me quietly during our visit as I asked questions and took notes.  I asked, “Are you embarrassed to go for coffee with me?”  She responded with a long, drawn out, “yep.”  We both laughed, and she insisted she was joking, but I’m sure there was a bit of truth in there somewhere, haha.

I was very surprised by the cappuccino.  I know I hated my first experiences with espresso, but this actually wasn’t bad.  The coffee flavor was strong, but not unbearable.  The milk and foam calmed the intensity, but didn’t add any foreign flavors.  Toward the end, the taste got to be overhwleming, but nevertheless, I was proud of myself.  I had my first traditional cappuccino!

http://avianocoffee.blogspot.com/

http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/

Coffee and the Pursuit of Happiness

Now, to be fair, I must admit that coffee does absolutely nothing for me.  I have spoken to others who disliked coffee for a majority of their lives, only to turn to it in desperation during some dismal era in which caffeine became necessary for existence.  From that point forward, they were inexorable hooked.  That is not me.  I do not need coffee.  In fact, caffeine does not in any way aid in my cognition or alertness.  This is both a blessing and a curse (to borrow the cliché).  On one hand, I don’t have to have my daily dose in order to feel human in the morning, but sometimes I wish waking up was as simple as a steamy sip – no matter how nasty.  While cranking out papers and projects around 3am at my favorite 24-hour haunt, fellow students gasp and stare when I order Hot Chocolate, their blood-shot eyes wondering, “How in the world is she staying awake?”  The truth is: I have no idea.  I would gladly give in to addiction if in exchange I could receive the gift of alertness.  Some told me I was imagining this indifference to caffeine.  They said that I would feel different if I gave coffee a chance.  I did.  After a night of coffee tasting, post two espressos and a latte, I nearly dosed off driving home.  Granted – it was after midnight – but there was no effect whatsoever.

That being said, some have wondered why I would even attempt to like such a disgusting flavor.  I think this is hard to understand for those of us who have always fostered such ultimate disdain.  The answer is very simple.  Over the past months, I began to seek new experiences, new opportunities, and to test those things to which I have held.  One of those things – though rather inconsequential – was my hatred of coffee.  I wondered how strong that hatred really was.  Was it a habit? A conviction? A preference? A phobia? Or was it simple stubbornness?  I didn’t know… and I still don’t.  Much of this particular quest is to see if it is possible, by force of will, for me to change who I am.  My hatred of coffee has always been so strong that has defined me in some way.  Is it truly possible to redefine oneself?  I believe it is, and this is the chronicle of that experiment. 

I can’t say that I’m completely clueless about coffee; to pretend that I am utterly ignorant would be lying.  There are very few subjects about which I have absolutely no knowledge.  For example: I know that the person who makes coffee is called a barista, and no, the guys are not called barristers - that's a lawyer.  Haha.  I like to feign ignorance, but there is a lot to learn.  I want to know about growing beans, roasting beans, grinding beans, storing beans, coffee countries, coffee history, flavor, freshness, brewing, machines and apparatuses, and the culture of coffee in our society.  If at times I write something completely stupid, just give me the benefit of he doubt, and assume I am attempting humor.  That would be best for all of us, but mostly for me.   

So why am I doing this?  Though coffee has never done anything for me, I believe it brings people together.  I have not talked to a single person who did not have something to say on the subject.  Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion on coffee.  A large part of what I have enjoyed thus far has been talking to people, spending time with people, and getting outside of my usual realm of influence.  I intend to continue this pursuit with purpose and the passion of a life worth sharing.  Perhaps… just perhaps… in seeking coffee knowledge, I will learn much more about myself than I had dreamed.  Then I will never again be able to say that coffee has done nothing for me.




I appreciate all comments, recommendations, and suggestions.  
If you would like to join me for coffee, you are welcome to email me: blugreenfish@yahoo.com
Thank you 

Five Leaves, Englewood

There’s something about a business in a house.  It always makes me feel a bit awkward to walk in for the first time, as if I am intruding into someone’s life.  That’s what made me pause when I first saw Five Leaves.  Though a sign outside clearly marked it as a business, it had a comfortable, lived-in look about it.  My second observation was of the Beer and Wine sign outside, prompting the thought, “What am I getting myself into?”  When I stepped through the doorway however, I was home.  An aura of tranquility exuded from every nook in the quaint little place.  Warm inviting spaces invited me to relax and let the worries of the world melt away.

When I briefly explained my purpose, Todd, who, along with his wife Rebekah, owns and operates Five Leaves, suggested that I begin with a quadruple shot.  I would have – but he was kidding.  He next suggested NOVO’s Anyetsu blend.  That was surprising, since my first experience was with the same blend, also recommended as the first to try.  When he learned that I had already sampled it, he asked if I was only visiting shops that brew NOVO coffee, or whether I was broadening my horizons.  As I explained, it was complete coincidence.  No one had recommended Five Leaves – I’ve simply driven past it on occasion.  As we were talking, Todd answered the phone, and after a pause said, “Actually, I’m being interviewed by a blogger.”  I thought that was hilarious.

Finally, we settled on NOVO’s Kunjin, which originates from Papua New Guinea.  According to the provided information, it has medium body and as the following nuances: a silky mouthful, notes of caramel, roasted, roasted pear, and orange peel citrus.  Todd said the beans were roasted only four days earlier, and that it is strong, but not over-roasted as is typical with some major coffee chains.

Five Leaves brews in a Pour-Over. I watched as Todd poured a small amount of boiling water over the grinds and let it sit, bubbling with Carbon Dioxide for 60 seconds. This pre-infuses the coffee, allowing the water to get into the grinds, extracting the caffeine and other flavors.  After pre-infusion, the remaining water was poured over and filter through the grinds.

I was offered cream and sugar, but opted to start black.  That immediate taste was strongly acidic in the back of my throat.  Oddly enough, the overall taste was mellow and the texture indeed silky – as claimed.  As the brew cooled, it had a comforting scent, not bitter, pungent or unpleasant.  I tried to compare that to the smell of the freshly ground beans that Todd had proffered earlier.  The dark, oily powder had seemed earthy, dark, almost seductive.  I asked my coffee-tasting-companion, Andrea, what she would think if I said the coffee smelled seductive.  She laughed, “If I didn’t know you, I wouldn’t even think about it, but since I do… I would wonder.”  That was so funny, I just had to use it. 

As the coffee cooled, the aftertaste remained strong – almost sharp or even medicinal.  I tried gulping it like cough medicine, but realized that defeats the purpose, and the aftertaste is the same. I accidentally made a face when I wasn’t concentrating, and the giggles from across the table told me my well-constructed façade had failed.  The aftertaste was a bit like wood.  I suppose listing “wood” as a nuance would be counter-productive to positive marketing.  After a pause Andrea observed, “There’s a taste you don’t like.”  I responded, “coffee.”  When I was just about to give up, I suddenly tasted the sweet roasted caramel undertone - a very pleasant surprise.  After a few minutes, the sharp taste mellowed, and I could taste the soft, slightly sweet flavor that could be described as pear.

Allowing my thoughts to wander, I considered the atmosphere.  A blackboard proclaimed Poetry and Open Mic nights.  An organ stood solidly in the corner.  The family – Todd, Rebekah, their daughter and nephew, went out to lounge on the porch.  A funny little pug with crooked ears and lolling tongue wandered the floor.  I have to wonder how much the setting and the barista’s knowledge play into my impressions – probably a lot more than I would be willing to admit.  Andrea said, “This is the first time I’ve really sat back and enjoyed my coffee.”  In the quaint quietude, she too began to appreciate what coffee is really all about.

On my way out, I asked Todd to make something fun and different.  He suggested a cappuccino with hazelnut, which some customers call “The Milkshake.”  It was creamy, with a hint of hazelnut, not too sweet or overwhelming, and a slight coffee aftertaste, which I was told was espresso.  I know so little about coffee that I didn’t even know there was espresso in cappuccino.  It was actually not bad if I ignore the coffee flavor.  Whereas before I would have rejected it out of hand, I was able to enjoy way the coffee was complimented for full-flavor effect.  I have to admit I was disappointed in myself for enjoying the cappuccino.  I felt like I was cheating.  I don’t want to like fru-fru coffee drinks.  I want to enjoy coffee for itself.  It’s going to take some time.




http://www.fiveleaves.net
http://www.novocoffee.com

Paris on the Platte, Highlands

The drizzly night, ushering in a wet spring snow, begged for the warmth of a cozy coffee shop.  Paris on the Platte, in the Denver Highlands, was just the sort of place I was looking for.  The darkness outside was forgotten in the artsy atmosphere.


The barista suggested The Fantasia, because, “It’s an experience, and its pretty.”  It was described on the menu as having a double shot of espresso, a slice of orange, and steamed milk, layered and topped with whipped cream.  

I took my first sip through the tiny straw, and could not hide my disgust.  It was pure coffee in all of its strong, unadulterated flavor.  Sarah, my good friend and dinner companion, said, “Are you supposed to stir it up?  Cause there’s an orange in there.”  I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.  Of course I knew you were supposed to stir it, but I was trying to get the full effect of the coffee before mixing all of the flavors together.  I stuck my straw through the orange dividing the layers, and sipped at the steamed milk.  It tasted like steamed milk.  Wonder of wonders.  Once more, I tasted the espresso by itself.  It was nasty.  It grabbed my tongue, twisted it backwards, and sent my taste buds to purgatory.  I was speechless, not because I didn’t have plenty about which to protest, but because my face was so contorted.  Finally, I mixed the layers together, stirring thoroughly, and gave it another try.  Sarah remarked how it reminded her of a chocolate orange, and that she could hardly taste the coffee at all.  I could still taste the coffee, and I didn’t like it, but the overall flavor was of orange-tinged hot chocolate.  Many have told me that it is not the coffee that they like, but what you put into the coffee.  I suppose if that’s what I was going for, this would have been the perfect drink.  That’s not what I was going for.  If I wanted hot chocolate, I would have ordered hot chocolate.  


I began to feel very guilty for my overwhelming dislike.  It wasn’t fair to Paris on the Platte, to my experience, or to those who would read about my experience to be so very negative.  With every sip, Sarah would ask, “better?” And I wanted very much to be able to say yes.  I was not trying hard enough.  I focused on the taste of the coffee, and tried to see if there were any undertones or nuances I had missed.  I couldn’t find any.

Finally, I went to the counter and talked to Nick, a Paris on the Platte employee.  He said that the beans come from somewhere in South America.  The suppliers recently changed, because the price of coffee has gone up.  The beans are then roasted in house, on a very cool-looking roasting machine, displayed prominently in the café.  

The supply stock has to be replenished every one to two weeks, so the coffee is always fresh.  There are two roasts used at the café, the Vienna Roast – for brewed coffee, and the French Roast – for the mixed drinks.  Nick wasn’t able to tell me anything more about the origin of the beans or the flavors associated with them.  He asked if I liked the Fantasia, and I honestly told him that I didn’t, but that I don’t really like coffee.  He suggested that I try the Mexicano - a latte with a thick layer of foam and cinnamon sugar caramelized on top.  While he was describing it, a customer commented, “the Mexicano?  That’s the one.  I’ve been drinking that one for about 20 years.”  Eager to give coffee another chance, I ordered it. 

It smelled so good when it arrived, steaming, to our table.  I absolutely love cinnamon sugar.  The aroma brings back all kinds of dreamy childhood memories.  I didn’t want to drink it for fear that the spell would be broken, and I would be disappointed.  It was actually quite a bit better than the first drink, in my opinion, but it still had the same coffee taste.  Even the foam and cinnamon could not disguise it.  It made me think of a bunch of old guys smoking in a musty library. 

I put on a brave face for Sarah’s benefit – she obviously wanted me to find something I enjoyed.  I told her that I had really tried hard to like the coffee, to which she responded by mimicking the face I had made when I first tasted the Fantasia.  It looked a bit like an anorexic lizard choking on a bit of rancid limburger cheese.  Ha ha ha!  Maybe I wasn’t trying as hard as I thought. 

I think it would help to know what flavors I am looking for in the coffee, so that I know what I am trying to appreciate.  When I get the chance to taste new coffee blends with a true coffee connoisseur, I understand the depth of the flavor and concentrate on every delicate nuance.  I harbor no dislike for Paris on the Platte.  It’s a great place, and I will definitely go back.  I would highly recommend it for those who enjoy coffee.  I’m not deterred… looking forward to my next coffee opportunity!


http://www.parisontheplattecafeandbar.com

Coffee Making Woes

I can’t even make coffee worth beans (pardon the pun).  When I was a banker, the company had Customer Appreciation Week.  The coffee making was delegated to me.  I can tell you, of a certainty, that our customers did not feel very appreciated.  Surprisingly, the donuts were all gone within the hour, but the coffee, or the innocuously viscous liquid pretending to be coffee, remained.  Throughout the day, I was grateful that I was not fully fluent in Spanish, and thus could remain in relative oblivion, but still caught snatches of alarm and disgust in reference to the brown brew.

I've made coffee successfully only twice.  Once was when a new employee made an early appearance for her first day of work.  Her manager had not yet arrived, and so I took it upon myself to be hospitable.  I pulled out the can of coffee grounds, guessed at the scoop size, and plugged it in.  She drank it… She didn't die... Success! 

Then there was one other time.  They say that necessity is the mother of invention.  A good friend of mine was in a seriously bad mood one day.  I knew that she loved coffee, and I knew I needed to get out of the room before she killed me.  I went to the kitchen and began a pot of coffee, trying hard to remember exactly how she did it.  Then, remembering that chocolate is soothing, I took a few Hershey's Kisses and dropped them into the pot.  As the coffee brewed, it dripped onto the chocolate, melting it perfectly.  She was pleasantly surprised at the improvement in my infamous coffee making skills (or lack thereof).  I should have stopped there.  I should have been willing to bask in my newfound ability.  But, no.  A few days later when coffee was needed, I eagerly volunteered.  As I approached the pot, I thought of how I could possibly improve on my recent success.  The genius that I was, I decided to put the Kisses into the grounds, rather than in the pot.  I figured this would infuse the flavor more thoroughly. 

A few minutes later, my self-satisfied smirk was removed with the sound of dripping water coming from the kitchen.  I'm sure some of you have guessed... the chocolate had melted through the grounds, sealing the filter.  The water, unable to pass through, began to spill over the top of the machine, across the counter, and onto the floor.  It wasn’t my kitchen.  It wasn’t my coffee pot.  Yep.  She was in a bad mood again.  Fail.

Despite my ineptitude, even I know how to make instant coffee - though I have never tried.  You stir the instant mix into a mug of hot water.  Simple.

While at Starbucks recently for a completely non-coffee-related reason, I noticed an odd contraption sitting in the Via Instant Brew display.  It had a clear compartment on one side, and a mug on the other.  The top had a small vent that said “steam,” but there were no other buttons or indicators on it.  I love to figure things out, see how they work, push all the buttons, but I could not figure out what it was for.  

I asked the guy behind the counter, “What does this do?”  He responded, “Uh, let me see…”  He came and took it from me, turned it upside-down, pulled out the mug, opened the lid, popped open the compartment, and turned to his co-worker. “Hey, what is this thing?”  She came and took it from him, turned it upside-down, pulled out the mug, opened the lid, popped open the compartment, and finally turned to me.  “You mix the Via in the mug, then put it under here, and this thing makes steam and blows in through there, and keeps your coffee warm.”  

Right.  I may know nothing about coffee, but I do know a little something about physics, and blowing steam on top of a full mug of coffee will not keep it warm.  I expressed my doubt over her conclusions as politely as possible.  It was finally determined that the machine mixes, warms, and pumps the coffee into the mug. 

Ummmmm… did someone say instant??

I apologize for the blurriness.  My camera was dead, but it was too funny not to capture.

See more Starbucks products at: http://www.starbucksstore.com

Two Rivers Coffee, Arvada

“What would you like?”

“What would you recommend?”

“Well, what kind of coffee do you usually order?”

“I don’t.”

I was relieved when my blunt statement was not met with incredulous disbelief or uproarious laughter.  Despite my determination, I was trepidatious about this first venture in the coffee world.  I had to meet my foe and make a friend of him.  I was willingly sacrificing my sense of taste on the altar of reform.  If this first event met with disaster, my little quest could come to an abrupt and final end.  With a confident smile, Eric accepted the challenge. 

Eric is the owner of Two Rivers Coffee, an inviting little coffee shop in Arvada.  The setting was perfect for coffee appreciation to makes its debut… a beautiful Saturday afternoon… doors wide open to the fresh springtime breeze.  Eric’s first selection was his signature Mocha Latte.  With a mixture of dread and excitement, I took the first sip.  It tasted like coffee.  Pushing past my instinct, I concentrated on tasting every subtle flavor. It was very mellow, with a hint of mocha, slightly sweet, dark, with a bitter coffee aftertaste.  I had this incredulous thought, “I can’t believe I’m drinking coffee!”  Surprisingly, I not only drank the entire latte, I actually enjoyed it.  I can’t say for sure how much I enjoyed the flavor, but the elation at conquering my coffee revulsion made up for any unpleasantness.  Of course, it wasn’t black coffee, and judging from the chocolaty residue left in the bottom of the cup, the coffee had a lot of flavor enhancement, but it was coffee nonetheless!  When it was done, Eric revealed his secret ingredient.  He uses a sea salt mocha to combine the classic sweet and salty contradictions.  

Two Rivers Coffee brews only Novo coffee, which is locally grown and roasted, and has been consistently voted as one of the top five coffees in the nation.  Every cup of coffee is brewed individually, from beans that were roasted within the previous two weeks.  This provides the freshest possible coffee at all times.  Taking a few minutes of his time, Eric described his approach to coffee.  He said that coffee, like wine, has nuances you should be able to taste.  What you put in the coffee is important, but you should be able to enjoy coffee for itself.  I told him my purpose, and that Two Rivers Coffee had been recommended as a good place to start.  He responded, “This is a good place to start, and this is a good place to end too.  This coffee in particular, I can drink for the rest of my life.”        

For contrast, and to round out my coffee expedition, Eric offered me a cup of Anyetsu – an Ethiopian blend, roasted only four days earlier.  I was told to expect undertones of rich chocolate and blueberry.  It was very black, very dark and very rich.  I have struggled with a way to adequately describe that first sip, and it eludes me.   It’s bitter harshness made me cringe, and then subsided.  After acclimating myself to it somewhat, I found that I was indeed able to taste the berry undertone – not initially, but in the aftertaste.  

I don't know how those flavors come about.  I think perhaps it has to do with either something that grows near the beans, or something added in the fertilizer.  I suppose some beans have a flavor bred into them as well.  Though, how a coffee bean can end up with a hint of blueberry, without having blueberry in it, is beyond me.  Even if blueberry bushes grew all around the beans, I am sure the blueberry roots don't taste like the berries.  Very interesting.  I know I could research it in about two seconds, but it is much more fun to hear from you...

What's The Big Deal About Coffee?

I have always considered myself to be one of the few, the proud, the elite... Coffee Haters of the World Unite!!!   I cannot stand coffee in ice cream, or coffee bean niblets in my chocolate.  I refuse to eat Tiramisu for fear that I may be unsuspectingly startled by a flavor, which even after removal could traumatize my taste buds for hours!  Children around the world are being corrupted daily by society’s insistence on the unnatural coffee-flavoring of all things beautiful and delicious.  In vain I sought acceptance from my coffee-drinking friends, always having to refuse the social kindness offered with every home-brewed cup. A coffee hater’s sojourn in this weary coffee world is a tale of woe, a tale of hopeless despair. Over time, I have come to realize that my disgust for coffee is a burden rather than a blessing.  A longing began, deep inside – a longing for acceptance in normal society; a longing to understand this thing that our world is so infatuated with.  There comes a time in life when every foundation must be tested for strength and validity.  Why do I hate coffee?

Never will I seek to be a lemming.  I'm pretty sure most lemmings don't wake up in the morning with thoughts of travel to distant lands and foreign cultures.  I would pay hard cash to see a lemming give a lecture, and I've never seen a lemming bake a cake.  Come to think of it, I don't know that I have ever actually seen a lemming.  I'm not a follower of the crowd.  I have never learned to enjoy coffee in past, partially because of my desire to remain unique.  However, unlike most lemmings, I love to learn and experience new things.  I recently pondered over a photo of happy people, enjoying coffee beneath the Eiffel Tower.  I’ve never been to France, but when I go, I want to be able to enjoy the local culture.  If I refuse to take part in the experience, it will be a wasted opportunity.  There is too much of life to live than can be done inside a box.

It was with great consternation that I realized how very lacking was my education in coffee.  Coffee makes up such a huge part of our world, and is crucial to the lives of millions.  I am fascinated by the way things work, the incredible expanse of the universe, and the improbable behavior of light particles at the quantum level near a temperature of absolute zero (pause… scientific digression).  How can I continue to deny myself an education in coffee and all of its facets?  The mountain of knowledge that I do not possess is overwhelming in its immensity.  I am tired of feeling lost when the subject of beans and brews arises.  I have perfected the blank smile of the clueless, pretending to comprehend the babble of a foreign language.  I want to know the joy of coffee.  I want to experience it, in all of its glory. I can’t guarantee that I will fall in love with coffee, but I want to know and appreciate good coffee when I find it. 

I really don’t have any idea where to begin.  I’m just going to jump in with both feet, and see exactly where the current takes me.  This blog has been established to document my journey. I will document everything I discover about coffee, and my unlearned impressions.  This is my quest into the coffee culture.  Ready… Set…