Coffee Tao

I’m back in my hometown, Chattanooga, TN, visiting family. Currently I’m sitting at Greyfriar’s Coffee, enjoying an Americano using the espresso blend I developed a few years ago. I roasted for this store for a few years before moving to Seattle, and it’s been through some tough times since I left for various reasons that comprise a story for another time; but they’ve bounced back thanks to some new investors and some fresh blood.

Jared, the guy I trained as a roaster to take my place, has really come into his own and is doing a great job with the coffees here, and wholesale accounts are starting to pick up as well. The store itself looks a little rough, as they’re changing things out to do some minor remodeling/redecorating, but the coffee is still good and business is brisk so things overall seem to be good and getting better. I’ve been all over the country now and have sampled more coffees than I can count, but Greyfriar’s in Chattanooga and Espresso Vivace in Seattle still rank as my top two favorite espressos in the country. Perhaps I’m a little biased on the former, ha ha, but the quality has held up well since I left.

I’m going to roast a few batches on Monday to bring back with me to Seattle–they always say it’s better to make your coffee yourself, but that goes double when you’re a roaster.