Mmm... Brew

Java Brewing Co., Cherokee Triangle roast. Good stuff. 4 cups out of 5. Perfect flavor. Good sweetened and creamed. I don't think you can get a cup of coffee here and go wrong. $1.50 or so if you have their to-go cup. Which is a pretty good deal if you ask me. Good coffee. Good deal. Good place to get some work done, provided that it isn't too busy and you can get near an outlet.

I've been putting this one off...

All right. I went to Heine Bros. today because that's where some of my friends meet up on Sundays. Because I'm broke I got a regular coffee. I put some cream and sugar in it. I drank it. I am not a fan of Heine Bros. coffee. In fact it gets 2 cups out of 5. I don't prefer it, I don't think it's great, but it's not revolting (0 cups) or barely drinkable (1 cup). So, why did I order it again? Because I keep hoping that I'm wrong. HB is a popular place in Louisville. It's locally owned. And I want to like it. But I don't. There's just this really bitter taste to it that I don't care for. I like their chai tea pretty well. Otherwise. Eh. $1.80-something if you have the plastic cup.

I will stick to locally owned places like Highland and Java Brewing Co., keep checking out Ray's and Quills, and see what else is out there.

There, I said it. All of you HB fans, please don't hate me.

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't.

Today, I'm consuming a medium-sized cup of Highland Coffee's Vanilla Nut house coffee. It has a vanilla flavor and a nutty flavor, so it is aptly named. The coffee definitely tastes nuttier than it tastes of vanilla though. Eh, I've never been a vanilla superfan anyway... I like it. It tastes good, but it will never be chocolate or peanut good in my opinion.

The coffee is mild, but satisfying. It gets 3 cups out of 5. I would give it a higher rating, because I think the flavor could be a little bolder. But in my rating system, a 3 cup-rated coffee is still a good choice... You can't go wrong... but it won't knock your socks off. Cost: $2 plus tip.

In a caramel sort of mood...

I went to Quills Coffee and Books for the first time, although I had been wanting to check it out for over a year. It's a proper coffee shop, a bit more urban in feel once you walk in with nice picture windows and plenty of seating. I like the olive green walls, the wood trim, and the crisp straight lines.

On to the coffee. I ordered a medium caramel latte. Very light. Slightly sweet. An excellent coffee:milk ratio. Extremely yummy for $3.75. 5 cups for this drink because it's perfection in a cup. But maybe it's because I'm partial to caramel. Honestly, without the caramel, I know I would still really enjoy the latte. I can tell. I think they serve Sunergo's Coffee... which is another destination I need to hit.

They also serve a lot of tea drinks that I would like to come back and try. Plus, I got a lot of writing work today. Low distractions, ample parking, and a lot of drink choices mean I'll be back.

I'm going to be up all night...

I tempted fate after drinking the Shockwave. I met with friends at Barnes and Noble and tried out the new Art of Espresso drinks that their Starbucks Cafe is now serving. I had a buy one get one free coupon, so I decided to get two talls and try two different kinds out, asking the barista to make one now and then the other later, which they happily agreed to do.

Both drinks were topped off with a crisscross of caramel or chocolate syrup, which doesn’t belong on espresso, but whatever. I don't know if this was the sole additional flavoring of the espresso or if there was another shot of caramel/mocha in the espresso itself.

Drink #1: Caramel Macchiato… Tasty. Mild. Would recommend this again. 4 cups.

Drink #2: Marble Mocha Macchiato… Decaf. After the Shockwave and the first espresso drink, I decided decaf would be the wise way to go. With the first couple of sips, I thought the decaf made the drink taste kind of eh, but I later determined it was the syrup. It was rich but... metallic. Sort of. It just didn't seem right. It wasn't bad, just a little off. 3 cups.

Because of the BOGO, the two talls were $3 total.

Caffiene + Energy = Shaky Typing

Auuggh! Coffee! Caffiene! Energy! All in one cup! My head is going to explode!

Today, I tried the Shockwave energy coffee. Because apparently, caffiene just isn't enough to get you through the day... you need added energy too! I don't really know what this added energy consists of as Speedway doesn't have it on their website... just that their coffee is gourmet. I actually got a cup on the way to the gym and added some French Vanilla creamer. Had a couple of sips before I went in and then polished it off when I got back in the car. I don't actually recommend coffee before working out, but I digress.

At $1.29, you get 20 ounces. Bring your own travel cup and it'll cost you 80 cents. Again, I push the travel cup. Get their saver card and you're earning a free cuppa every 6 coffee purchases. Auugh it's starting to sound like a commercial! Anyway, the Shockwave coffee gets 3 cups. A good all purpose cup of coffee for a good price.

Let the commercial continue... Also of note, coffee that's fast and convenient doesn't get any faster or more convenient than at Speedway. They have three or four selections of coffee daily plus the cappuccino/hot chocolate machine. Most stores have a great selection of creamers and sweeteners too, so if you're on the go, you really can't go wrong with their coffee.

I'll let you know what happens in a couple of hours after I've finished the coffee, caffiene crash-wise

Spring is here... Time for frozen drinks!

And now for something completely different.

One of my favorite coffee al fresco places is Java Brewing Co. on Frankfort Avenue. Their frozen drinks are awesome, but not for calorie counters.

So, in honor of spring and the frozen coffee drink, that is what I ordered today... I got a Java Julep, which is a favorite of mine. My other favorite is the Coffee Toffee, but since it's spring, I went with the Julep. It's mint, chocolate, and coffee all wrapped up in a blended drink. Cool and refreshing, I'm giving it 5 cups out of 5, because it's just that good.

I'm also just going to tell you right now, that their medium and dark roast coffees are at the top of my own personal list of coffee favorites, right along with Highland Coffee. Yes, I even like them better that Starsucks. They are that good. And the people who work here are very friendly. For a foodie treat, they have excellent brie and bread. Now you know. Go here.