Crucible Coffee Roasters

In Staunton, VA.

First the coffee.

Pear. I think. Flavor can sometimes be fleeting. Identifying flavors is a lot like when you have that word or name of a band on the tip of your tongue and can't get it out. You taste something familiar but what is it???

And that woody flavor again. I have to figure out what that is. There's a bitterness in the aftertaste that lingers. Not harsh.

Something almost fungal in the aroma, not mold, more like mushroom, maybe that's what is more generally called earthy.

Let's see what the notes say.

Nope, no chocolate for me. And I was looking for chocolate since it's such a common element in coffee profiles. Tasted and smelled while focusing on chocolate flavor, nothing I could pick up. Maybe it was masked by the chocolate scone (only scone they served.) Hazelnut? Maybe that's part of the "woody?"

On their website they also describe stone fruit and caramel. I have yet to taste a coffee where I could pick out the caramel flavor, although it seems to be common in espresso roasts. Stone fruit covers a lot of different flavors, but I'm sticking with pear! Blend of Central and South American, which are often associated with nuttiness.

Love the site. Ample parking. An active rail line runs next to it. Outdoor seating and spacious interior.

Nice. Worth a little detour off the highway to get here.

Ratings (1-5 cups)

Coffee:

Ambiance/Comfort:

Space/Size:

Price:

Comments

Big Mouth Coffee Roasters

Beacon NY. First impressions. Good coffee. Bright, fragrant and flavorful. Chocolate maybe, something fruity. Lighter roast.* They don' do triple shots so I should have gotten a small instead of medium, a little watery but that's avoidable if you know they only do multiples of 2 shots. Ambiance. A little sterile somehow. Large cavernous space with utilitarian, almost Spartan furnishings. A leather sofa and chairs in one corner does little to remedy the lack of coziness and warmth. If that's what you want in a coffee shop. On the other hand there's plenty of space and few indoor patrons today - mostly grab and grow. So a good home office away from home. As I am typing a line forms and it's almost out the door, one person at the cash register also making drinks - that's tough. Maybe someone else will come in from the back to help. The line for some odd reason runs next to my table where's there's very little space instead of down the middle of the entranc...

Coffee Labs El Salvador Santa Rosa, Washed Process

First thing I note is slightly fermented fruit. Berry of some sort. Blueberry even, but I wonder if my brain is just primed for blueberry after that Ethiopian I had at Drip. Something nutty, bitter nut in the taste. No way I can tell what type, but not almond at least I know that. Hard to smell anything past the fruit, which is powerful and nice. Of course as soon as I say almond, I start to get that almond extract/cherry aroma. The power of suggestion. Taste is bright, acidic, a little bitter, some of that woody taste that is so familiar. Not getting any chocolates, caramels, or florals, unless the fruity and floral are combining in a way that I can't separate - it is aromatic. And now for the label notes: Cacao nibs, Meyer lemon, roasted hazelnuts. Roast level - 3 on a scale of 9 (light) Retasting after reading the notes. Yeah, OK, I can get the lemony - it's a cirtusy but sweet aroma, that fruit that I was struggling to name, but I would need to have a Meyer lemon on hand to...

First Village Coffee

Ossining, NY. Despite the small facade (the door on the right is a different business) it's reasonably spacious inside with a front display/bar area where assorted book-store type materials are for sale, and a back room with numerous tables and chairs, plus the covid-era outdoor seating on the street. Coffee first impressions- nutty, a little fruity, hint of dark chocolate. That woody taste as it cools. Light and smooth, easy to drink. I felt a little awkward today for some reason, having nothing to do with the coffee house - it was my second stop after venturing up to Newburgh where I also felt ill-at ease and out of sorts - it's me, not the place. Point being I didn't linger inside or ask any questions about the source of the coffee. Cute coffee shop, soft biscotti again - guess that's a thing now. It was fine once, but I prefer old-fashioned hard biscotti. Ratings (1-5 cups) Coffee: Ambiance/Comfort: Space/Size: Price (3 is average):

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