SCG's Monthly Coffee Review
zoka coffee | tangletown blend 
november 2012 

Even folks familiar with Seattle are hazy about the exact location of Tangletown, a hidden northend neighborhood. Is it Seattle? Lynnwood? Canada? We're not entirely sure, but we do know that it's magical. In this month's issue of the SCG Coffee Review, discover a true Seattle gem: Tangletown Blend by Zoka Coffee. Learn why this is a homegrown favorite for over 16 years. 


Roaster's Notes

In our quest to truly understand the finer points of Tangletown, we met with Celeste Clark, roaster for Zoka Coffee. A veteran of the coffee industry, Celeste doesn't rest on her laurels. According to Celeste, the Tangletown profile has changed and evolved to keep up with changing tastes in coffee, but the overall result 'washes over your mouth and gets you drooling and ready for more!' Celeste massages the blend into awesomeness in small artisan batches, making it truly the Kobe beef of coffee. 

 

The Tangletown blend has two excellent coffees purchased direct trade from one of [the owner] Jeff's recent buying trips. One is a super fruity, sweet, pulp natural bean from Nicaragua. The other is from El Salvador and it's a washed coffee. They are both a bourbon varietal. The third coffee is a Brazil that was also direct trade and has been a nice smooth blender. All of our beans for this are arabica, hard beans, grown at high altitude.-- Celeste Clark


SCG Crew's Notes

Tangletown makes a great breakfast coffee since it has well-balanced sweet and sour flavors with seemingly low acidity. Hints of apple, chocolate and caramel prevail. The SCG Crew also detected a nutty aroma, almost like peanut butter, along with some sweet strawberry flavors.

 

Tangletown is an easy drinking, light-to-medium roast blend. It rates very high on our 'all day, cup-after-cup' drinkability scale. Learn more 'Coffee Talk' here

10% Off
[Tangletown Blend] 
 
To redeem, enter the coupon code CRNOV10 during checkout.

 
Offer applies only to purchases made between 11/08/12 and 11/30/12, must be applied at time of order and cannot be redeemed retroactively. Cannot be combined with any other coupons or discounts. Limit one per customer. Valid only while supplies last.

Zoka Coffee Roaster


Vertical Tasting Notes

A vertical tasting is the same coffee prepped in different ways, so you can compare it across equipment and styles.

  • French press - Using the Baratza Virtuoso grinder, we put a fairly coarse Tangletown Blend grind in a Bodum French press. It turned out to have great flavor but was not as hot or as strong as we like it. Pro Tip: Add 1 more scoop than you normally use for maximum flavor.
  • Technivorm - The Technivorm makes drip coffee at optimum temperatures. This produced a milder and hotter cup of Tangletown that did not require any of Gail's beloved half and half (or Kaylie's Monin syrup requirements) to be enjoyed.
  • AeroPress - The AeroPress is a fun and easy to use gadget that takes ground coffee and boiling water to make a single cup in about 30 seconds. This is a great afternoon activity that engages all five senses, the truest form of a coffee break. Thanks to the S Filter for AeroPress the flavor of the Tangletown blend was present and, unlike a French press, no sediment was left behind.
  • Chemex - There is a method to our madness. The Chemex produces a sparkling cup, the bright notes are present and Tangletown tingles on your tongue. It just takes awhile. Patience, grasshopper.
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