Aldo Coffee Company

Memorial Day Hours

We'll be open on Memorial Day from 7:30am-1:00pm.  We will have our full array of pastries and desserts but not be serving lunch. 

We hope everyone enjoys the parade.  As usual, anyone caught using the bathrooms without making a purchase will be bludgeoned with a hot portafilter.

Panamapalooza

Central American coffee season is now upon us.  In the coming weeks we'll be welcoming back past favorites from Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.

First up, it's TWO Panama coffees.  Both from the El Machete project, but dramatically different cups.

Panama Machete (Washed Process)
Acidity:  Crisp
Flavor:  Fresh berries, currant
Body: Juicy, clean
Finish:  Almond, sweet spice

Panama Machete (Pulped Natural aka "Semi-Washed")
Acidity:  Balanced, anchored
Flavor:  Dark berries, fig, molasses
Body: Full, round, stout-like
Finish:  Lingering, cocoa, toffee

The difference between the two is how their processed. 

Black Cat Customers: Thanks for Understanding!

As many of you who buy Black Cat Classic espresso from us already know, the current blend has some Rwandan Zirikana coffee in it (as does the current Aldo House blend). The Zirikana is a wonderful coffee and adds depth and fruity zing to both blends.

Except... all Rwanda coffees from this past year's harvest, including Zirikana, are subject to what's known as "potato bug".  The reason it's called that is because when you run across it, you'll smell and taste raw potato.  It's not pleasant.

We've written about this before - this defect is difficult to detect in picking and processing.  And unfortunately, it's pretty much inevitable that if you drink a lot of coffee with Rwanda in it, you'll run across it.  Apparently, Intelligentsia felt it was worth the risk to add Rwandan to these blends because of how good the coffee generally is.  In espresso the defect appears in about one in 450 shots.  In other words, it's rare.  But if you get that one shot, you'll remember it.

We've heard from customers who've bought Black Cat here. We've heard from customers who've had Rwanda coffee at other shops. We've even heard from other owners who sell Black Cat and have had customers throw bags back at them and asking us "why"?

Sitting Out Esmeralda This Year

Today's the day of the annual Hacienda Esmeralda auction (you can follow the auction live here). 

Hacienda Esmeralda is the plantation that has received more accolades for the quality of their coffees over the past half dozen years than just about any.  The coffee's legendary status sparked a demand so great that last year they decided to break off from the Panama Cup of Excellence competition to do their own auction.  (This year they went back into the CoE, won that for the sixth time, and are still doing their own auction!)

We went into the Esmeralda auction last year with Carl of Jake's Java, resulting in the purchase of 300 lbs of Lot 5, which we served last year as a single origin brew and which we're now using in the Esmeraldo espresso blend until we're out (soon).

We're sitting out this year.  Unlike other shops in city neighborhoods where there seems to be an interest in such things, Esmeralda never caught on here in the South Hills.  We took a loss on the small amount we bought in 2006, sat out 2007, and we'll pretty much just break even from our 2008 purchase. 

It's an expensive proposition for a connoisseur's coffee that many of our customers found too bright, delicate and tea-like.  We wish it were otherwise, but it is what it is.  So we'll be investing our resources elsewhere this year, particularly in upgrading our single cup brewing methods.

FWIW, the Fazenda Kaquend Brazil Cup of Excellence winner we're brewing this week and next is helping us forget all about Esmeralda anyway.  If you don't think there's a difference between good coffee and great coffee, come visit us on Saturday morning when we'll be offering free samples of the Kaquend CoE.

Second Origin Brunch, Sunday, June 21

We're going to do our second "Origin Brunch" buffet on Sunday, June 21.  Cost will be $12 per person.

Brazil Fazenda Kaquend #1 Cup of Excellence. Free Taste Sunday AM.

We just fell in love with another coffee... but turns out it will be a fleeting summer fling.

Fazenda Kaquend took first place in the most recent Brazil Cup of Excellence judging.  It's an amazing coffee walking a fine line of near-perfect balance yet showcasing an astounding array of fruits, florals and sweetness.

Melanie tried it this morning and proclaimed it may be the best drip coffee she's ever had.  And that includes the 2007 Hacienda Esmeralda, so that's saying something.  It's a delicious cup top to bottom.

Here's why this is going to be a fleeting romance: the last production day Intelligentsia will be roasting this coffee is next Monday.

Even though this is an expensive coffee (all things relative, of course), we've augmented this week's kilo with another 10 lbs for next week, which will arrive on Wednesday.

We will have six 12 ounce bags for sale at $36.95.  We will also hand-pack 8 ounce bags for $25.95.

If you're interested in reserving some, post a comment below or drop us a line.

You can order it as press pot, Chemex, Cafe Solo or pourover until we run out.  We'll also be brewing some up on Sunday morning from 10am-noon and serving tastes in demitasse so everyone can experience this wonderful brew.

Timing Is Everything

Our soup finally got a mention in the Post-Gazette.  It's all the way at the bottom of today's column on brunch from China Millman.

Unfortunately, yesterday we put the soup kettle into storage until fall.

We've learned over the past couple of years that the market for soup in summer isn't sufficient enough for us to make it.  Which is a shame as we'd enjoy offering cold soups and spicy soups that work well in warm weather if there were customers for them.

We do still have seasonal quiche every Sunday though. 

Anyway, lots of choices for Sunday brunch, including numerous coffeehouses around town.

Seasons Change and So Do We

With warmer weather here to stay, some minor menu changes:
1) Today is the last day for soup until Fall.
2) Ethiopia Kurimi and Colombia Micay are out.  Sulawesi Toarco is in, along with the Bolivia Anjilinaka and Brazil Agua Preta.  More Centrals coming soon.
3) Shakeratos replace the Bicerin.  And we've added a third Shakerato to the list: Lavender Rose to join the Straight Shock and Buca Blast.
4) Nutella and Berry panini is gone.  We heard a lot of "Oh, you have Nutella!"  But nobody was buying it.
5) We changed the recipe for the muffins.  Got tired of hunting for who had Ener-G Egg Replacer this week, so we're using flaxseed instead.  Still vegan.  New recipe is better for you.

Kitchen Genius

Last evening Melanie and I went to the last of Chef Kevin Sousa's "guerilla dinners" in the space that will soon be his new restaurant, Salt of the Earth.

I'd left my camera in my computer bag, so no photos here, but many others took photos of the five courses, the line and the space, so some visuals will show up on the intertubes soon.  Not that important as photos don't convey taste and texture.

And those two words - taste and texture - were inexorably intertwined in each of the dishes presented. Perhaps none so much as his sunchoke vichyssoise, which featured crisp sweet peas, chunks of bacon, marigold, celery leaves and a blue point oyster.  That's a half dozen different textures and distinct tastes, all in one small 10 ounce bowl of culinary delight. 

And that wasn't even the best tasting dish of the night, which we think went to the chimichurri flank steak (with our new favorite snack - chili rice krispies) and softshell crab brioche (with the mildest brie we've ever tasted).

The point being that the constrasting textures in each dish were well thought out and added significantly to the enjoyment of the flavors within each ingredient.

So how does that pertain to coffee?

Free Tasting, Early Close on Mother's Day.

All Moms are invited to a free coffee tasting this Sunday, May 10 from 2-3pm.

We'll be tasting four coffees - from mild to wild, one each from South America, Central America, Africa and Indonesia. 

No reservation needed.  This is not a sit-down cupping, we'll simply have a number of coffees already brewed and ready for tasting in an informal atmosphere.  Feel free to ask questions of any of the coffees offered.

We will also be closing at 4pm so Rich can take Melanie to dinner.