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Date: 22 Jun 2007 17:53:18
From: Dave S
Subject: Coffee in the Canadian Rockies
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Since we retired, my wife an I have been spending a month each year in
someplace different than Winnipeg, Manitoba. This year we rented a
townhouse condo for the month of June in Canmore, Alberta (15 minutes
from Banff).
I've been roasting my own coffee for three or four years now, and in
preparation for this trip I estimated 14 pounds would be needed, given
that we would have lots of company. I only managed to get about 7 lbs
ready in time, so we ran out right on schedule, 16 June.
We've tried a few coffee shops in this small town. Rocky Mountain Bagel
Company, Coffee Mine, and CommuniTea. Still need to try a recommended
place called Beamers. CommuniTea definitely is the most refined - always
art on my wife's latte. I'm no expert on espresso, but the Americanos
aren't bad. They use (and sell) beans from Intelligentsia, but their
price for beans put me off - $18.95 for a lb of Flor Azul Nicaragua.
There's an expression, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later" I
should have remembered.
I picked up a lb of Kicking Horse Coffee, $16.95, Certified Organic,
Fair Trade Not Aid, Shade Grown, etc, etc. The variety was Three Sisters
medium. Best before MAR04 08. The beans looked like a mix of three
roasts. Lots of oil shine. The taste was of stale charred.
The second bag (650 g) of beans was from Rocky Mountain Coffee Roasters
in Jasper, Alberta. $19.99, Fair Trade, 100% Colombian, Certified 100%
Organic. No date visible unless you count "05/346" on a bar-coded label.
Beans were evenly coloured a medium brown, with no oil shine.
Unfortunately there was also no bloom in the AeroPress. Also no flavor
besides stale.
Did I mention that I hadn't been real sure about the quality of my
home-roasted? I haven't bought pre-roasted for years, so how would I
know? I just enjoy it!
OK, yesterday, with more than $30 of the aforementioned beans still in
the house, I bought a lb of the Intelligentsia. I was afraid to try it
last evening for fear that my last hope would be gone. I brewed a cup,
and sipped it with pleasure, for my wake-up time this morning, as I
gazed with a prairie-boy's awe at the mountains out my bedroom window.
Now I can throw those stale beans in the garbage. Or save them for my
sister, who says, "Coffee is coffee". Intelligentsia will be my brew
until I get home. It has real flavor, and is obviously reasonably fresh,
confirming the counter-staff's word that he had received two orders from
the supplier (Chicago?) in the last two weeks.
I'd be happy to hear how others have solved the coffee problem in the
Canadian Rockies.
Dave S.
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Date: 22 Jun 2007 15:18:59
From: Barutan Seijin
Subject: Re: Coffee in the Canadian Rockies
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Am 22 Jun 2007, Dave S. schrieb:
> We've tried a few coffee shops in this small town. Rocky Mountain
> Bagel Company, Coffee Mine, and CommuniTea. Still need to try a
> recommended place called Beamers. CommuniTea definitely is the most
> refined - always art on my wife's latte. I'm no expert on espresso,
> but the Americanos aren't bad. They use (and sell) beans from
> Intelligentsia, but their price for beans put me off - $18.95 for a lb
> of Flor Azul Nicaragua.
If it makes you feel any better, C18.95 for Intelligentsia isn't so bad.
It's something like US15.00 where my mother lives, which is a mere 150km
from the Intelligentsia mothership. Considering that my home roasted
coffee is at least as good and significantly cheaper, i'm not convinced
that Intelligentsia coffee is really worth the price.
> I picked up a lb of Kicking Horse Coffee, $16.95, Certified Organic,
> Fair Trade Not Aid, Shade Grown, etc, etc. The variety was Three
> Sisters medium. Best before MAR04 08. The beans looked like a mix of
> three roasts. Lots of oil shine. The taste was of stale charred.
Yep, that was my experience, too.
> I'd be happy to hear how others have solved the coffee problem in the
> Canadian Rockies.
I went without when i was there. Were i to spend more time in the
Rockies, i think i'd pack a load of green beans and roast my own. In
case you were thinking of driving into Calgary, i can't remember having
a really satisfying cup of coffee there, either. There may very well be
good places there, but i missed them.
Canmore seems to be nice in other ways. Hope you're enjoying them.
--
barutanseijin@gmail.com
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Date: 23 Jun 2007 10:28:55
From: Steve Ackman
Subject: Re: Coffee in the Canadian Rockies
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In <i0Uei.53037$1i1.51449@pd7urf3no >, on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:53:18 GMT,
Dave S, dabcschell@mts.not wrote:
> I've been roasting my own coffee for three or four years now,
...
> I'd be happy to hear how others have solved the coffee problem in the
> Canadian Rockies.
When we moved to MN, we lived in a campground in
Bemidji for a couple weeks, and a resort on Gull Lake
in Tenstrike for a couple months, before we could
close on, and move into, our house.
I had the HotTop with me, but the road hadn't been
kind to it, and a shear pin broke when I fired it up
at the Bemidji KOA. Living out of the back of a pickup
truck means you don't have the tools you normally would,
so even though I found something at the local Fleet and
Farm to serve the function, I didn't have everything I
needed to fix the ensuing problems... so, plan B.
One of the cabins we stayed in was furnished with a
really thick stainless steel sauce pan. I used that
for a few days before becoming thoroughly smokified
and fatigued with pan-roasting, so headed off the
"local" big box store to get a popper. It worked for
coffee roasting right out of the box, albeit a bit on
the fast side. For at least 6 weeks then, all our
coffee was popper roasted out the cabin door on the
lakeside.
So, our solution wasn't specific to the Canadian
Rockies, but it's generic enough to work anywhere.
;-)
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Date: 23 Jun 2007 01:49:56
From: Troy and Susan
Subject: Re: Coffee in the Canadian Rockies
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> I'd be happy to hear how others have solved the coffee problem in the
> Canadian Rockies.
>
> Dave S.
Since you'll be traveling back Eastward at some point in the near future, I
have heard good things about Java Jamboree in Cochrane (near the Safeway).
Apparently they serve Malabar Gold also.
Personally, I have yet to try it, but it is on my list.
Cheers,
Troy
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Date: 22 Jun 2007 17:51:43
From: I->Ian
Subject: Re: Coffee in the Canadian Rockies
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On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:53:18 GMT, Dave S <dabcschell@mts.not > wrote:
>Since we retired, my wife an I have been spending a month each year in
>someplace different than Winnipeg, Manitoba. This year we rented a
>townhouse condo for the month of June in Canmore, Alberta (15 minutes
>from Banff).
>
>I've been roasting my own coffee for three or four years now, and in
>preparation for this trip I estimated 14 pounds would be needed, given
>that we would have lots of company. I only managed to get about 7 lbs
>ready in time, so we ran out right on schedule, 16 June.
>
>We've tried a few coffee shops in this small town. Rocky Mountain Bagel
>Company, Coffee Mine, and CommuniTea. Still need to try a recommended
>place called Beamers. CommuniTea definitely is the most refined - always
>art on my wife's latte. I'm no expert on espresso, but the Americanos
>aren't bad. They use (and sell) beans from Intelligentsia, but their
>price for beans put me off - $18.95 for a lb of Flor Azul Nicaragua.
>
>There's an expression, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later" I
>should have remembered.
>
>I picked up a lb of Kicking Horse Coffee, $16.95, Certified Organic,
>Fair Trade Not Aid, Shade Grown, etc, etc. The variety was Three Sisters
>medium. Best before MAR04 08. The beans looked like a mix of three
>roasts. Lots of oil shine. The taste was of stale charred.
>
>The second bag (650 g) of beans was from Rocky Mountain Coffee Roasters
>in Jasper, Alberta. $19.99, Fair Trade, 100% Colombian, Certified 100%
>Organic. No date visible unless you count "05/346" on a bar-coded label.
>Beans were evenly coloured a medium brown, with no oil shine.
>Unfortunately there was also no bloom in the AeroPress. Also no flavor
>besides stale.
>
>Did I mention that I hadn't been real sure about the quality of my
>home-roasted? I haven't bought pre-roasted for years, so how would I
>know? I just enjoy it!
>
>OK, yesterday, with more than $30 of the aforementioned beans still in
>the house, I bought a lb of the Intelligentsia. I was afraid to try it
>last evening for fear that my last hope would be gone. I brewed a cup,
>and sipped it with pleasure, for my wake-up time this morning, as I
>gazed with a prairie-boy's awe at the mountains out my bedroom window.
>
>Now I can throw those stale beans in the garbage. Or save them for my
>sister, who says, "Coffee is coffee". Intelligentsia will be my brew
>until I get home. It has real flavor, and is obviously reasonably fresh,
>confirming the counter-staff's word that he had received two orders from
>the supplier (Chicago?) in the last two weeks.
>
>I'd be happy to hear how others have solved the coffee problem in the
>Canadian Rockies.
>
>Dave S.
Convince your local vendors order from either 49th Parallel in
Vancouver or Discovery Coffee in Victoria. By the time they get to
Canmore in a couple of days, they should be perfect.
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Date: 22 Jun 2007 17:03:19
From: pltrgyst
Subject: Re: Coffee in the Canadian Rockies
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On Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:53:18 GMT, Dave S <dabcschell@mts.not > wrote:
>I'd be happy to hear how others have solved the coffee problem in the
>Canadian Rockies.
When we're in Colorado, I order just like I do from home -- by Internet to
Baltimore Coffee (www.baltimorecoffee.com). They roast upon receipt of order,
and ship UPS, $6 flat rate for ground or more for expedited shipping.
-- Larry
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