TRIP LOG: Blue State Coffee (New Haven, CT)

Outside the store on Wall St.

We made our pilgrimage to Yale University in New Haven, CT today.  The blizzard made even our 'open floor plan' log cabin feel claustrophobic!  The snow-clogged road mocked us going down the mountain, but we finally arrived in New Haven at high noon.  Our first stop was Blue State Coffee, adjacent to the locally-famous Wall St. Pizza.

Upon walking into the shop, a matte-finish La Marzocco gleams in front of me upon a black granite countertop.  It commands your attention immediately upon entering, sitting atop the rounded corner of the spacious bar surface.  Cool jazz over the the muzak speakers is playing.  The down-lighting is not overbearing from the quartz halogen fixtures above, creating a relaxed ambience.  (Often, I feel that quartz halogen fixtures destroy the mood of a coffeehouse if not used judiciously.)

Kenyan Nyeri Tegu as espresso

Two espresso's were on tap today: the Espresso #9 and a single-origin Kenyan Nyeri Tegu AB.  I tried both, but I was thoroughly impressed by the Nyeri, which I tried at the suggestion of my barista, Sean.  (Might I add that Sean was not only hospitable, but also very knowledgeable about the coffee, where it was sourced, its ideal brewing conditions, and the mission of Blue State.)  I talked with him for at least an hour about everything from his experiences for the past 5 years in the Industry, his love of philosophy, and where he's worked, to name a few topics.  My wife finally had to drag me out of the store because our parking time was up!

The Espresso #9 was spicy, like cinnamon, cloves and/or black pepper on the tongue, with a milk chocolate backbone.  It was a bit of a surprise at first, actually.  It was tasty enough that I forgot to take a picture!  I was a bit disappointed by the thin mouthfeel, but it did not adversely detract from the espresso otherwise.  Sean mentioned that they had just lost their main varietal in this blend and that they were experimenting with new beans to re-create a similar flavor profile.  It is currently 80% Nicaraguan and 20% of some other varietal that I cannot remember.  (Blue State: Comment below with what the other bean is and I'll go ahead correct the information above.)  From what he told me, this blend wasn't entirely mature, but the multi-dimensionality that Sean says is its traditional hallmark is already somewhat present.

Freshly-ground Nyeri Tegu

I preferred the Kenyan over the Espresso #9.  The Nyeri was sweet; it had notes of berries and black cherry on the finish.  It was smooth tasting, with a nice mahogany color, and had a more full mouthfeel than the Espresso #9.  I liken it to Elemental's 228, if you want a comparison.  According to Sean, Nyeri has a very narrow "range of acceptability" when dialed in (i.e. it's hard to keep dialed in), much like Intelligencia's Black Cat can be finicky.  Yes, I walked out with a bag of the Kenyan, which was very reasonably priced at $14 for a 12oz. bag.  Coffee Shrub has a great review of the Nyeri Tegu on their website, which you can find by clicking here.  (n.b. I did not read their review before I wrote my tasting notes above—but having read it, I agree with their opinion.)

You may wonder why we didn't review Koffee.  We walked in the door only to be greeted by a not-too-happy, grimacing woman painting the entry way on a ladder.  She told me they were closed for renovations until January 3rd, so we were unable to give them their "15 minutes of fame."  Instead we dropped by Willoughby's Coffee.  Two words for this experience: BIG MISTAKE.  "Serious coffee" is their slogan, but it does not mean "serious espresso."  My shot was not prepared in demitasse, but rather in a small tulip-shaped mug, which looked to be at least 4oz.  This clue was my first sign that I had made a mistake.  My shot was not prepared carefully, but quite flippantly by my "barista."  It tasted, quite frankly, like charcoal—it was simply the worst shot I have had to date.  My wife's Mexican mocha was over-sugared, so as to hide the sub-par espresso shot they sneaked in.

After walking around New Haven for many hours, we closed the day when we ran out of daylight around 4:30pm.  I wish that Koffee had been open, but then again I'm not sure that I would have wanted to with the staffers I encountered.  I hope that I'm wrong about them and that I get to experience them in the future under better terms.