Coffee Reviews

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya

February 17, 2017 By Joi Sigers

When you drink as much coffee as I do, it honestly takes a very special coffee to stand out from the rest. It’s not as difficult for a Coffee Roaster to stand out from the rest (consistency, excellence, and above and beyond customer service will seal that deal – all traits I strongly associate with Kaldi’s Coffee). However, when your world is filled with different roasts, different blends, different origins, different names, different flavors, different tones, etc… the coffee has to be exceptional to break free from the pack.

There are a few such coffees that have left (and for several, continue to leave) such an impression on me that I remember their names as well as I remember the names of my cats. Okay, well almost.

Kaldi’s Birds & Bees (as my husband can tell you, this is the one I measure all coffee to – it’s my coffee grail – as in “a thing that is being earnestly pursued or sought after.” I’m always looking for coffee that tickles my coffee fancy as much as their Birds and Bees does)
Kaldi’s Decaf Highlander Grogg (the best decaf coffee on earth, period)
Starbucks Kati Kati (whatever happened to Kati Kati – like, where’d it go go?!)
Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya (I call her Elcy for short)

Review Continued Below…

Before we get to the last beauty (who just turned my “Top 3” into a “Top 4”), I have to ask, did you ever try Starbuck’s Kati Kati coffee beans? The first year they came out, I bought a bag in our local Starbucks. The bag was beautiful (all their bags are especially gorgeous – and I love that they’re “themed,” they match the region the beans came from), the beans smelled amazing, and the name was “love at first sight.” When we brewed it, it was obvious the flavor did the great name justice. PHENOMENAL. But here’s the thing, I waited all year for the “seasonal” coffee to come out again, but when it did, it was not the same. It was good, mind you, but it was no longer PHENOMENAL.

Then, the coffee kind of disappeared. I waited for the next “season” again and it pulled a no show. Then the next – same.

Yet, I have always remembered the amazing, naturally sweet flavor and the hint of orange in the background.

Okay, fast forward to this week. My husband’s most recent Kaldi’s Coffee order included a bag of coffee we’d never tried before: Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya. The first thing that caught me was (like Kati Kati) the name. Elcy. Beautiful name!

After I good-naturedly chided him for not adding a Birds & Bees and Decaf Highlander Grogg to the order, I anxiously tried Elcy. Guess what it reminded me of? Exactly! Kati Kati, the first year.

But it gets better.

Guess what it was even better than? Exactly! Kati Kati, the first year.

There is an unmistakable sweetness to this coffee along with an addictive citrus background. I have enjoyed Elcy in “Bulletproof” coffees (coffee with butter and coconut oil added, then blended) as well as on her own. It is excellent… let’s make that PHENOMENAL each and every way. I actually saved one of my cups of coffee of Elcy this morning and put it over ice. I pretty much live from one iced coffee to the next in the summer months, so this was my “Spring Training.”

Please don’t tell Birds & Bees, but it won’t be the only coffee I’m putting on ice this summer.

Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya (Elcy) reminds me of enjoying a sweet, soft orange danish along with a cup of the best coffee in the world – but it’s even better. No calories and no sticky fingers!

PHENOMENAL.

If you love great coffee (and why would you be reading a coffee review if you didn’t?), you simply have to order a bag of Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya right away.

World Vision Handcrafted Gifts

November 18, 2015 By Joi Sigers

World Vision’s Gift Catalog , Handcrafted Gifts, and Cafe Campesino Coffee

In many ways, we’re all becoming more socially conscious and compassionate. In fact, socially responsible giving is growing in popularity and statistics tell us that 95.4 percent of households now give to charity. Faith in humanity, restored!

When it comes to gift-giving, many people find themselves wondering which products actually help others or where they can find these gifts. In my opinion, World Vision is one of the first places to look if you’re looking to make a difference in the world. If you want to reach out and directly impact the lives of other people, look to World Vision.

Gifts With a Cause

It’s the holiday season and that means one thing: It’s time for the wonderful World Vision Gift Catalog! I was blessed to have a History’s First Blend Gift Set sent to me to review on Get Cooking and it’s more than my honor to do just that.

This particular World Vision gift set is the perfect gift for coffee lovers. It includes an absolutely beautiful hand-carved olivewood scoop and a colorful, beautiful bag made from African fabric hand-sewn by local women.

Although I’m someone who’s serious about as often as an elf on Santa’s staff… and tend to treat each day as a holiday… I want to get 110 percent serious for a minute. Maybe even two. As I’ve said before when talking about these remarkable gifts, each time I hold them, I’m overcome with emotion. The fact that these beautiful gifts were crafted by hands on another continent and can now be held in my own hands leaves me speechless.

No small task.

Hand-Sewn Bag from Africa and Handcrafted Wooden Scoop

The hands that crafted my treasured bag and wooden spoon lead a different life than our hands. The struggles they have make the perceived struggles we have want to run and hide. We feel discouraged when we think we can’t get our children as many gifts as we’d like, yet there are people around the world who are struggling to give their children food, water, shelter, shoes… things we take for granted.

When you stop and let this sink in, don’t you want (with every fiber of your being) to do something to help? Thank God for organizations like World Vision who make it possible to do just that. We don’t have to worry about our money going where it’s needed – they see to it!

The truly remarkable thing is that this beautiful program allows men and women to use their talents to help themselves and their communities. What’s more, by buying their remarkable crafts, we not only help them… we have items to treasure.

And I do mean treasure – I wouldn’t take anything for my wooden scoop or fabric bag. I have them proudly displayed on in the “coffee station” in our kitchen. The wooden scoop could easily be used to scoop beans and/or grounds and the bag would love to be a “sleeping bag” for opened bags of beans… and yet… in our home, “treasures” don’t multitask.

They simply sit out and remind us of our beautiful brothers and sisters who live halfway around the world. They remind us that we’re all in this together – some of us simply have easier lives than others.

History’s First Coffee Blend Gift Set

Cafe Campesino Coffee

This year’s Handcrafted gift set for coffee lovers includes a bag of Cafe Campesino coffee along with the GORGEOUS hand-sewn bag and equally GORGEOUS handcrafted wooden scoop. Although we’re a coffee loving family to the point of fanaticism, we’d never heard of Cafe Campesino.

By gosh we’ve heard of them now!

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sumatra Permata Gayo create the first known mix of coffee. When it comes to describing the flavor, think citrus with a hint of chocolate. The flavor is fantastic – smooth and downright exotic.

We tend to order a great deal of coffee online and are fascinated with trying different blends and different brands. The fact that this particular coffee was so good and the fact that they partnered with World Vision for something so extraordinary means that this is a brand we’ll be ordering regularly. In other words, look for plenty of Cafe Camesino reviews in the future.

They also have coffee merchandise and.. be still my Crazy Tea Chick heart… tea.

Looks like I’m going to keep the postal service and UPS busy in the coming year.

World Vision's Handcrafted Gifts: Hand Sewn Bag from Kenya

Gorgeous Hand-Sewn Bag from Kenya

I hope you’ll click through any of the links and read more about World Vision and the AMAZING Hand Crafted Gifts. Any of these beauties would make the most amazing gifts! They aren’t just gifts people will enjoy for a day, a week, or even a month. These are gifts they’ll treasure a lifetime.

Is This a Beautiful Smile or What?!

When you click through and browse through the online World Vision Gift Catalog, be sure you see each of the four pages. These handcrafted gifts are simply gorgeous – you can see a few in the image above. Each comes with its own guaranteed moments of emotion each time you look at them.

Gifts from the World Vision Gift Catalog

The 2015 World Vision Gift Catalog contains more than 250 poverty-fighting gifts, ranging in price from $16 to $39,000 that improve the quality of life for struggling children and families in the U.S. and around the world.

Useful Links:

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

November 9, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

Before getting to the coffee review, allow me to say that this is not a sponsored review or solicited in any way. I’m simply a lover of great coffee and get excited when I see coffee done right. When this happens, I want to tell other coffee lovers so they can share in the excitement.

Coffee takes a lot of steps before it ever reaches your morning cup. From harvesting to bagging there are more steps than we ever think about while sipping the final product.

With so many steps, there are a lot of things that could go wrong. I’m sure, like me, you’ve tasted coffee before and wondered, “Did they get any of the steps right??”

With Kaldi’s Coffee, I’ve learned that, when they’re involved, there are no missteps. From the beans to their people, they don’t just get it, they get it right. Recently while savoring a cup of my personal favorite coffee, Kaldi’s Birds & Bees, I asked my cat (try not to judge me), “Are we sure Kaldi’s didn’t invent coffee?”

There are always bags of Kaldi’s Coffee in our kitchen and it’s a safe assumption that if you see that they’ve released a new coffee, you can just go ahead and ask us how it is.

We’ll know.

{Review Continued Below…}

Perfect Coffee for Thanksgiving: Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

One of the new coffees that blew us completely away is Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga. You can read its bio here: Ethiopia Buufata Konga. More importantly, you can order some for yourself – but first let me tell you why you’ll want to do just that.

If you’re a coffee drinker, you know that part of the fun is detecting certain flavors or hints of flavors in coffee. Ethiopia Buufata Konga has had several of these flavors associated with it:

mango
cinnamon
strawberry
chocolate
blueberry

I do detect a bit of strawberry (especially in a fresh black cup) but I get completely different flavor associations than most people.

I get…

nutmeg
autumn

{Review Continued Below…}

Kaldi's Ethiopia Buufata Konga - Perfect Autumn Coffee

If Autumn Were Coffee: Ethiopia Buufata Konga

Each time I lose myself in a cup of this wonderful coffee, I’m struck by how deliciously “autumn” it tastes. I don’t mean autumn in the sense of pumpkin – I’m talking more about the “spirit” of autumn. Crisp, fresh, distinctive, and fragrant with just the right amount of spice.

Make no mistake about it, the flavor would be glorious any time of year – in whatever season you happen to find yourself. However, Autumn and Ethiopia Buufata Konga are a match made in coffee heaven.

Ethiopia Buufata Konga: Perfect for Thanksgiving

If you’re like me, you go to great lengths to plan perfect holidays. Everything. Must. Be. Perfect. I’ll let you in on a secret, I had my Thanksgiving menu planned by the second week of August. What would you expect from someone who has conversations with her cat?

I’ve gone back and edited the menu. Right beside “Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pies with Homemade Whipped Topping,” I wrote in all caps KALDI’S ETHIOPIA BUUFATA KONGA.

While I love this coffee all by itself and with everything from oatmeal to pancakes, I’m pretty sure it was born to pair with slices of sweet potato and pumpkin pie.

It’d also add a whole different dynamic to the Thanksgiving meal, itself, and could even make leftovers downright glamorous.

Cup of Autumn Coffee

A reminder about my coffee reviews: I usually leave the details about a coffee’s origin (what I call its bio) and roasting (its history) to the coffee dealers and other coffee reviewers. I’m a food blogger, after all, so flavors and food-pairings matter most to me and (I suspect) to my readers/foodie friends. I will stand outside in the cold for an hour looking for just the right “reflection” in a cup of coffee… nailed it, below!… but I am simply a coffee lover who wants to share her love of coffee – pure and simple.

I will always let you know, in my own words, why you’ll love a particular coffee. I love few things more than talking about great coffee.

Just ask my cat.

Kaldi’s Coffee and Autumn: Two of My Favorite Things

More Kaldi’s Coffee Reviews:

Kaldi’s Coffee New World Mocha Java Blend

Kaldi’s Coffee: Birds & Bees

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Colombia Monserrate Elcy Causaya

World Vision Handcrafted Gifts

Cafe Campesino Coffee

Coffee Review: Kaldi’s Ethiopia Buufata Konga

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