Update: Congratulations to Debbie H. who has been named the winner of this contest! She likes her coffee “strong, with a hint of sweet.”
In the past few months Kirsty Hughan has become a great friend and colleague to Three Many Cooks. As we relaunch you’ll be seeing more of her work. Coming soon you can also visit her at her very own website/blog, The Good Taste Guide. Since Kirsty knows so much about coffee, we immediately turned to her when our nephew/cousin, Andrew Grassmick, sent us some of his Mad Cap Coffee. Here’s what she says…
This past weekend I woke up early to shoot USA Weekend videos with Pam and her daughters, Maggy and Sharon. Pulling into the driveway at eight o’clock, without yet having my daily coffee, I was glad to walk through the door to the smell of a freshly brewed pot. When I heard that the coffee was sent fresh from Maggy and Sharon’s cousin who works for a coffee roaster, I had to get my hands on it!
You see, I spent the year after college working on and off for a high-end coffee shop. The first thing you learn is how to make a perfect extraction from a bean. For us this meant brewing each cup to order in a wonderful little contraption called a Clever. On slow days, we did cuppings, essentially a wine tasting for coffee. This is where I picked up tasting terminology. Is the coffee floral? Or more citrus? Or is it chocolatey?
Mad Cap Coffee is refreshing, light, medium-roasted coffee. Its roast brings out the natural flavors in the bean very nicely. I love that when you pour yourself a cup, the coffee comes out a wonderful bright caramel color, something you like to see in a medium roast. When you take a sip, the coffee is light and complex, a difficult partnership. The taste is nuanced, able to balance chocolate and berry, or floral and citrus. If you don’t yet consider yourself a “drink my coffee black” kind of person, these coffees are a good way to give it a try. With a little simple syrup and a piece of a toast with almond butter, you have a wonderful afternoon pick me up.
The trend in the coffee community is to know your coffee farmers well. A good roaster will know how a farmer works the land, how he relates to light, and what the fruit he picks looks like. Mad Cap coffee is one of these good roasters. As they proclaim on their website, “We develop relationships with farmers. We purchase as much of our coffee directly from the farmer as possible.” Plus, Mad Cap has super baristas. Three have placed in various regional and national competitions, including one who snagged third place and another who grabbed fourth at the United States Barista Competition.
Looking to snag yourself a bag of Mad Cap Coffee? I’d recommend popping over to the Mad Cap Store and peeking at the tasting notes. If you know you prefer a deep, chocolatey coffee to a floral, fruity one, this is your chance to make sure you get the perfect bag for you. While you’re there, check out their blog, it’s a wonderful place to catch up on their exciting start.
For a chance to win two bags of their award-winning roasts, tell us how you take your coffee. Giveaway ends at 6 PM Eastern time on Sunday. We’ll announce the winner first thing on Monday morning on the newly designed Three Many Cooks. So head back to see who won… and check out our new look.
BTW, I like medium-strong coffee with a big splash of whole milk!
Light to medium roast, black (unless I can get real cream!)
I take my coffee with a lot of cream and only a little bit of sugar. I would love to win this coffee!
I like my coffee with skim milk. Medium roast please. Some days, like today,hot is the only requisite!
I’m shooting for a compromise these days, so I drink the first cup black and the second with 1 t. sugar and a good splash of 2% milk. The first cup peels back my eyelids and the second is to savor. 🙂
I’ve had to cut down a little being pregnant, so it’s about half a mug of strong coffee with the rest topped off with skim milk and a sugar cube dropped in there. Baby still doesn’t like it, but momma needs something in the morning!
I like my coffee with lots of cream, no sugar! Maybe a biscotti on the side =)
I like my coffee dark roasted with a splash of rice milk. It adds a creaminess and a touch of sweetness to it.
Winter time and Sunday mornings – HOT, STRONG, BLACK.
Summer time and weekdays – ICED and STRONG, but with a little SUGAR-SYRUP and MILK!
(I’ve never heard of Mad Cap coffee, but will check them out, even if they are “medium” roast!!!)
Espresso. Nothing fancy, no additions. Simple and perfect.
I love it dark blonde with evaporated milk. My aunt raised me from a small child to drink coffee by making it VERY blonde and sweet enough that any kid would drink. It stuck with me, but I’ve since dropped the sugar.
A perfect cup of coffee for me at home is medium roast, a little Splenda and heavy cream…but in the real world, no heavy cream and a little 1% milk. If I am out and about and need a cup, it’s a cappucino slightly sweetened…just love that froth on top!!
I take my coffee dark strong and decafinated (Always) with a splash of unsweetened soy milk.
I like my coffe dark roasted with cream and sugar and with a biscotti for dunking.
i like my coffee (medium roast or breakfast blend) extra light and sweet.
It depends on where I am. If its great coffee, black. If its good coffee, sugar or splenda. If its so-so coffee, cream and sugar/splenda. If its bad coffee…I’ll pass, just give me water.
I like espresso.
…but if we’re talking about a standard cup o’ joe I’ll take it regular (ie. 1 cream, 1 sugar) and sometimes, if I’m feeling like a treat, a double-double.
I used to buy whole beans and grind them every morning…but my girlfriend and her son hate the noise. So now I buy pre-ground and everyone is much happier.
I Love coffee first thing in the morning and at 3:00 in the afternoon. Aways caffinated, strong and a little cream.
w/ Skim milk & Splenda
littlegray88 at yahoo dot com
I like med-dark roast, freshly ground, with a big splash of half n half. Or cold-brewed iced coffee with 2% milk. No sugar.
I’m slowly becoming a coffee drinker again – at the moment I’m drinking it cold brewed (Pioneer Woman’s recipe) with a splash of carmel syrup and soy milk. Gets me moving which is what I’m after!
No matter the time of the year, I drink iced coffee with a little skim milk and two Splenda. My husband is appalled that I would “ruin” coffee like that, and drinks it hot and black.
French Roast with N/F Half and Half and a tsp of sugar.
I don’t drink coffee, but my son does his thing with his espresso maker. He comes up with different concoctions and occasionally will ask me to try a shot, which I usually enjoy 🙂
Strong, black with chocolaty undertones, or a no-frills double shot non-fat cappucino
I like a stronger brewed coffee with just a touch of sugar and a splash of half and half. The real deal, no fake fat for me!
Strong and black most mornings – sometimes I’ll stir in a bit of Splenda, but mostly I’m a straight out of the pot kinda girl!
Home roasted. Flat white.
I like mine with a packet of Splenda.
I like a dark french roast with a splash of fresh goat milk from the mornings milking- utterly delicous!
love an americano with a bit of cold soy on top and MadCap makes the very best ones. mmmmm….love me some MadCap!
Iced, splash of half & half, medium-dark roast!
I love a medium roast with some fat free half and half and a little touch of sweetener. I also love making iced coffee during the summer with a little half and half and hazelnut syrup!
Straight up black! Medium roast.
Black.
But I’ll also drink it with tons of warmed skim milk (sister calls this “invalid style”), or a splash of half and half or cream, or use a bit to make hot cocoa into mocha, or pour some over vanilla ice cream. Why, I’ll even drink decaf 🙂
I use Equal and powdered creamer, which is great for the budget and waistline. When I’m feeling splurgy, I use a liquid creamer.
Lately, I like a cup of medium roast with a packet of stevia…although my coffee is decaf lately because I’m pregnant. That changes soon!
I prefer medium roast with a splash of cream and a teaspoon of sugar. Like several other commenters, I’m pregnant, so it’s only one cup a day for me … so I really want that cup to count!
I like my coffee pretty strong and add a dash of cream! no other flavorings please just coffee with it’s own hints of flavors from roasting!
Strong, with just a bit of sugar and a good pour of cream
I used to drink it black – only! But lately I have been using creamer – and I just love it this way now. Sort of the cheap man’s latte!
i take my coffe any way i can get it. seriously. i would drink coffee laying bed at night if i wasn’t too lazy to make it at home. 😉
I like my coffee black and if it’s from Madcap all the better!
black usually. soy milk if the coffee needs some help to taste better
First cup of the morning is a nice medium roast with a small amount of half and half and a little sugar. Have to have a yummy homemade granola bar to go with it to get my day started.
I like my coffee with a little sugar and cream. Sounds tasty!
This might be strange but I don’t drink coffee. My sweet husband loves his coffee with cream and sugar – and strong. So I am entering this contest for him.
Gwen
Out of the buono, down the v60, into a pre-warmed mug, with a side of Premier League highlights.
oh, so many ways. in the morning, hot, strong, and no pollutants (black). mid-day, iced with cream and sugar. evening? decaf mochacino. mad cap sounds delicious – i’ll go check them out. thank you!
I enjoy my fresh: roasted,ground and brewed (usually in my V60). Right now I have been digging some sweet coffee from Guatemala (Concepcion Huista). I usually enjoy my coffee in a nice thick ceramic mug while I watch the sunrise over Lake Superior when I drive to work.