A tale of two coffees: one that saved a subscription, and one that reinforced some local roaster frustrations.
Banko Taratu
Verve · East African · ★★★★☆
June 23, 2025
| Brew Method | Grind Setting |
|---|---|
| Cold Brew | #10 |
Blood orange, black tea, raspberry leaf.
Grinded only for cold brew. 10 grind for cold brew. 32oz twice for first test. 32oz the second.
Didn't cut with any water out of the soak. Prefer the taste when I don't dilute the concentrate. First batch turned out nicely. Will keep making cold brew with this roast down the road.
This was the roast that saved me from cancelling my Verve subscription. Not because of bad coffee, but because of too many African blends. Still don't love sweet tangy fruit coffees.
Four stars. When I stopped diluting the concentrate, everything clicked. Bold, clean, and just the right amount of fruit without going overboard.
Mixed Tape
Dogwood Coffee · ★★★☆☆
June 23, 2025
| Brew Method | Grind Setting |
|---|---|
| Espresso | #3-4 |
| Pour Over | #20 |
Chocolate & corny.
Brewed for both espresso and Chemex. The first batch of pour over Katie loved. That was at 18-19 on 22g of beans. Later full pours didn't yield the same enthusiasm. It's good but not great.
Minneapolis roasters are falling off my preferred list of roasters. There are just so many better roasters out there. We have to step up our game. I think Dogwood will be our go-to in an emergency coffee place. But this will not be part of the weekly rotation.
Three stars. It's fine. That's the problem—it's just fine. When you're paying specialty prices, "fine" doesn't cut it anymore.
Next up: July 2025—a trip to Portland, a disappointing local roaster, and the best cold brew of the year.