We proudly brew Blue Bottle Coffee
-The Blends-
Bella Donovan
"The Bella is the wool sweater of our blends - warm, comforting, familiar. Wild and citrusy organic African paired with earthy organic Indonesian makes for a vivid and fairly complex Moka/Java blend. It seems to weather the rigors of the automatic drip machine as well. This is, perhaps, why it's our most popular blend. It is also on the darker side: nice and thick without being inelegant. Bella stands up to milk or cream well, and is easily enjoyed black."
Three Africans
"This coffee is generally a blend of Ugandan and two different Ethiopian coffees which produce a big, chocolaty aroma, and excels in either the French press or the Moka pot. Unlike some of our fancy shmancy single origins, which tend to be nichey and polarizing, this blend has a very easy-to-like personality, good body, unthreatening complexity, and reasonably clean aftertaste. The Ethiopians – a Yirgacheffe and dry processed Sidamo – leave subtle imprints of dried blueberries and cardamom, and clean up the slightly raisin aftertaste of the PNG, which we are currently using in place of the Uganda. And, though the PNG is from New Guinea, it maintains our flavor profile and we do not discriminate- or want to change the name to Two Africans, or purchase another stamp. A fairly dark roast, this inclusive blend will take milk or cream quite well. Some say damn well."
Honduras Capucas
"In the 1980s, when the world was young and it was still morally acceptable to allow children to ingest corn syrup, it was commonplace to experiment with the soda fountain. What happened when you mixed lemon-lime and grape? Root beer and cream soda? Orange and cola? (That last mashup is so compelling that it is recognized as “Spezi,” a flavor in its own right, in the German market.) All of this prattle about adolescent soda nostalgia on a coffee description may seem self-indulgent and irrelevant. We will only answer the latter charge: The Capucas, a washed Caturra from Celaque mountains in Honduras, has the delicate acidity, subtle spice and viscous sweetness of a mix of Tamarind Jarritos and good old Coca-Cola. Vanilla, cinnamon, and a touch of lime zest are all present in this coffee, but in small enough quantities to be pleasant rather than distracting. As a drip it is as reliable and conservative as William Buckley; as a shot it is as colorful, charming, and surprising as Gore Vidal."
Hayes Valley Espresso
"This is probably our darkest espresso,: lower-toned, minimal brightness, plenty of chocolate – with an engaging complexity as a straight shot. The shots are gorgeous: achingly heavy with voluptuous red-brown crema, and the silky, somewhat dangerous-looking viscosity of a power-steering stop-leak product once used on our (now departed) heroically battered 1983 Peugeot. In milk, it tastes like chocolate ovaltine, and holds its own from the daintiest 3oz Macchiato to our towering 12oz caffe latte. The coffees in the blend come from Uganda, Guatemala, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Mexico. This is the most Brahmsian espresso we have. Brooding and autumnal, it is a coffee to mourn the passing of time."
Mexico Chiapas
"This organic Mexican coffee from the Chiapas region of Mexico comes from a co-op of small, mainly indigenous landholders. It is carefully milled and processed near the growing region and beautifully sorted for export. At a single roast level this coffee is pleasant but dainty, with sweetness but not much complexity. But roasted at different levels and then blended together (called mélange roasting in the coffee biz – a practice sadly out of fashion these days) it really comes alive: hints of sage and leather, a touch of wood smoke – a John Ford western in a cup. More important than any implausible grasping for adjectives, is that this is an excellent food coffee – a bacon and eggs coffee. Big bowls of chilaquiles, stacks of pancakes, buttered brioche: the Chiapas is a lovely companion to almost all conceivable breakfast foods. Takes milk well. Stalwart black. Invite some friends over, make waffles, and drink some coffee. Lots of coffee."
Giant Steps
"A blend of organic coffee that is quite dark and chocolaty. Maybe a bit more one-dimensional than the Bella Donovan, but it is a good dimension. Giant Steps is delightfully fudgy and thick in a French press or drip pot, and stands up to cream quite well. If it were any heavier-bodied, you could pour it on pancakes."
Decaf Noir
"A water process decaf that is vivid and packed with flavor, Decaf Noir is made from 100% organic water processed decaffeinated beans from Africa and Central America. If you drink it strong, store it carefully and use it up quickly (buy a smaller amount and try to use it up in a week), you will be rewarded with very big flavors. The Decaf Noir is surprisingly (some say freakishly) versatile: about the only preparation we don’t see consistently enjoyable results in is the siphon."
OUR COFFEES
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