Brewing On Location Part 1 - "Oscar Mike"

Pressing on the blade

Hello coffee lovers, I've been pondering a series to add to the blog and this will be the first installment of "Brewing On Location" where we will be out and about brewing our Camp Coffee Roaster coffees.  We will be in the woods, on the road, and all over.  Nothing fancy , just going to go out and find some good places to share some great coffee with some exceptional people.

Wag on the press

Today I was "Oscar Mike" that's a military term for "on the move" in the motor pool at an Army unit in an undisclosed location.   We had an Aeropress, a blade grinder, a K cup brewer for hot water and an old Bunn glass pot to pour from ( like I said, nothing fancy...) Oh and our M-88 recovery vehicle.  I met up with Sergeant Wag and Sergeant J and we gathered the resources available to enjoy one of my test blends I'm working on.  It's gonna be a bold and buttery coffee that our dark drinkers are sure to love.  We didn't have scales or a perfect temp on the water but the coffee was right on time.  The Aeropress created a smooth cup with a rich body and that lingering, buttery mouthfeel that put a smile on our faces .  A big thanks to the guys for taking the time to find such a sweet spot to enjoy a great cup of coffee with some old friends.  I spent a year in Iraq with these 2 guys and I couldn't think of a better way to start this series.  That's one of the things I love about good coffee, drinking it is always nice BUT sharing it with good friends is even better.

Camp Coffee will have this blend on the shelf soon as well as online so keep an eye out.  Still searching for the perfect name for this blend too so  feel free to comment if you have any ideas.  If I end up using the name you suggest I'll send you a bag of it.    Stay tuned for more... Cheers!

It takes a village

Santiago took the time to share his thoughts on our Sumatra Gayo.  Much thanks for the feedback! 

I love getting feedback from the folks​ who are drinking our coffees.  It's always a treat to read cupping and tasting notes from fellow coffee lovers.  It's easy to get tunnel vision when cupping coffees on a regular basis and tasting a certain coffee a few times, it's also easy to have certain expectations right out of the gate that can make it tough to discover some of the secrets a coffee may be holding. 

#teamcamp striking a pose after an early morning coffee cupping

Its such a delight to have #teamcamp in the shop to kick around ideas of what is good and what can be improved.  Our team has ​been an essential part of the puzzle as we have began the journey of roasting coffee.  A quick shout out to Team Camp, thank you for being awesome!

The Camp Hondo

Pulled out the trusty chemex this morning to wrap my head around a clean cup of our Honduran San Antonio Co-Op and its sweetness is really developing nicely.  About 4 days off the roast the notes of plum and raisins are really talking to me.  The chemex creates such a nice clean cup and still gives you that buttery mouthfeel that is so pleasing.   

If you find yourself out and about near Blowing Rock, stop in and check out the new space and have a cup.  Stay tuned as we are about to release our first batch of COLD BREW

Bense had taken the lead on our CAMP COLD BREW PROJECT and we are so stoked to get it rolling. 

Go Outside

Just a reminder to go outside and play ... Have some coffee then go play! Cheers! 

Coffee Needs A Break?

After profiling a few smaller batches, we roasted our first batch of Kenya Kieni AA today and we can't wait to get it in the cup.  It's good practice to allow the beans at a minimum, 48 hours to rest and release the gases created in the roast process.  Yes, coffee "needs a break" after the roast before it reached the perfect window to brew.  

Hope to see y'all in Blowing Rock at the roastery soon so you can see the magic for yourselves. 

Time to roast

 March of 2016 - The San Franciscan SF-6 coffee roaster  has landed in Blowing Rock.  We are going to be roasting coffee right in the heart of the big BR.  Stay tuned to see whats next.  The lab will be a space for us to roast and test coffees but we will also be doing cupping and tastings for the public.  Come see whats happening.