Flyover Flavor

On some Saturday mornings, La Cosecha offers a coffee tasting led by one of the roasters and owners of the company. I was excited when I heard about this because I think a tasting is a great way to experience a shop's coffee menu and to learn more about it. I set my alarm early (for a Saturday morning) and showed up right on time.

                In execution, the event was a letdown. When I arrived, no one greeted me or told me where to go. There wasn’t even a sign. I wandered over to the Diedrich roaster where a man was standing and setting out bags of coffee. It looked like the right place. A few minutes later, this man picked up a chalkboard advertising the tasting and walked it outside. Not until he came back did he greet me and introduce himself as Gio Sparks, one of the roasters and owners.

                Once Sparks began speaking, it became clear that he was knowledgeable and passionate about coffee. He explained a little about how he and his partner experiment with each kind of bean they bring in to dial in the perfect flavor profile. Once they’ve found the best style for the bean, they use a computer program to guarantee consistency. When they purchase beans, they try to ensure the farmers are compensated properly and do direct trades when possible. I would have liked to hear more detail about the company's history and goals, but it was nice to have a glance behind the curtain of La Cosecha's operation.

                We tasted two beans, a Colombia Tolima and a Kenya AA Kifahari. Sparks served them in a snifter, which was a great way to capture the aroma and see the rich color of each. It also cooled the coffee more quickly than a standard ceramic mug, giving us the opportunity to try it both hot and lukewarm. This was nice because different flavors come out at different temperatures.

                I was a little disappointed that I didn’t pick up more flavors. Either because of my palate or the roast or maybe even the beans themselves, the coffee just tasted like… coffee. It was smooth and mild, not too acidic, but it lacked interesting notes. Some coffees strike your tongue with something interesting – an explosion of blueberry or rich earthiness or even a salty finish. Something that makes the coffee memorable. While the story of these beans (the farms they were grown on and how La Cosecha was connected directly to the farmers) was memorable, the brews themselves were forgettable. It would have been nice to receive a little guidance from Sparks about the body, aroma and flavor that we could look for since he had more experience with those coffees than we did.

                This event also brought out a specimen that's common at such coffee-related gatherings: the aggressive coffee snob. I shouldn't have been surprised to spot one, but I wasn't expecting it. There was a couple there for the event and the man was a classic coffee snob. After proudly stating that he dabbles in home roasting, he asked me if I knew what a V60 was. Before I could reply “duh,” he suggested that the roaster should explain it to me.

                It was a nice gut check for me. Am I a coffee snob? Boy, I hope not. As I explore and learn more about coffee, I do not want to devolve into that guy who assumes other people are ignorant or that because I know a bit about coffee that means everyone wants to listen to me. It's one thing to be excited about coffee and to make conversation, and another to make others feel dumb. It didn’t ruin the event for me, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

               I think if there had been more people there and more structure to the tasting (guidance on the characteristics to pick up on and more info on the story of La Cosecha itself), it would have been better. That said, it was nice getting free coffee on a Saturday morning, so I think I'll give it another shot.

Roasting style: Medium to dark roast

Opened: 2006

Drinks Menu: Traditional espresso drinks, including 4-oz macchiatos and 6-oz cortados. You can also ordered 12-oz flavored lattes and seasonal drinks.

Food Menu: None. Shares a space with Great Harvest Bread Company.

Espresso Machine: Manual Simonelli, which means the espresso and milk is prepared by hand.

Brew Options: A lot of variety, including nitro for cold brew and clever dripper for pourovers.

Location: Maplewood

Service: Prompt and friendly. Skilled baristas - I've never had espresso or lattes that were not made well.

Atmosphere: Small interior with just a few tables and some bar seating in front of the roaster. Clean counter tops and bathroom the few times I've visited.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Review:

            This shop shares a space with Great Harvest Bread Company, which means it usually smells like fresh bread or cinnamon rolls. Because the espresso is a medium roast, it’s smooth and chocolaty, and tastes just as good on its own or in a latte. If you prefer drip coffee there are several cold brew and hot brew methods to choose from, making this a great shop to experiment with how flavors can change depending on the brewing method.

            Don’t worry – that doesn’t mean La Cosecha is a coffee shop for coffee snobs. You can also get a seasonal latte, mocha and old fashioned drip coffee. So whether you just want a cup of joe to stay awake through the afternoon or you’re trying to refine your palate and learn more about the craft of coffee, this is a great spot.

            When you walk into La Cosecha, it’s easy to see the love that the owners have for coffee. The walls are decorated with framed burlap coffee bags and pictures of coffee farms. Right inside the doors, green coffee bags are piled on pallets, and the condiment bar is decorated with hand-crank grinders, French presses and more coffee paraphernalia. This all comes together to create a casual, cozy shop that serves phenomenal coffee.

            La Cosecha has been open for 10 years and is located on the main strip of Maplewood. It sits in the front half of a long, narrow space that it shares with Great Harvest Bread Company. That means the space almost always smells like fresh bread or cinnamon rolls. A dark wooden bar acts as a boundary, separating the coffee section from the bakery and enclosing the small Diedrich roaster and Simonelli espresso machine.

            This coffee shop stands out for me because of the espresso. This is one of the few places where I can drink the espresso straight without the need to cut it with milk. With prominent chocolate and caramel notes, this espresso leaves no bitterness or sharpness behind.

            La Cosecha also offers a lot of variety. While you won't see dozens of flavored syrups or a long list of specialty drinks with cutesy names, there are several brewing methods to choose from, including nitro and clever dripper.
            Don't worry. If you like sweet milky drinks, you can order a mocha, flavored latte, or seasonal drink. For fall, the specials include a maple spice latte and a creme brûlée latte, for which the barista uses a torch to caramelize sugar on top. I tried the maple spice latte and was surprised how good it was (I don't typically enjoy sweet or milky drinks). I ordered it in a 12-ounce mug, which was the perfect portion and maintained a nice milk-to-coffee ratio. With the perfect amount of sweetness and spice, it was a nice alternative to the pumpkin spice latte.

             All in all, La Cosecha is a comfortable spot that serves great drinks. There is a lot of competition in Maplewood. But even with Foundation Grounds to the east and Living Room to the south, I still say La Cosecha wins as best coffee in Maplewood.