Christopher Schooley of Coffee Shrub drops some fatty boom batty nugs of wisdom on roasting coffee over on his blog at Coffee Shrub:

There’s a phrase that I’ve been guilty of saying once or twice in the past, but which now really bugs me. The gist of it is:

“I’m just trying to roast the coffee so that all of its best qualities are realized without showing my influence over it.”

I also think that it’s wise to have a range of coffees (roast levels as well as flavor profiles) in your line up, not necessarily in a futile attempt to please everyone but in an attempt to reach a wider range of people who really want to have a great coffee experience. The great experience doesn’t just have to be the fruit juice Kenya, or the jammy dry processed Ethiopia, or the delicate floral or tropical fruit nuanced obscure varietal.

The great coffee experience can be something that’s sweet, clean, and balanced. That’s a great coffee experience, for anyone, at anytime. Great coffee isn’t just the exotic, great coffee is any number of things, including approachable and accessible.

The whole post is a great read, which we will strongly advise you to check out here.

The Umbria in my Americano at CPG was blond. Like a towhead. The initial flavor was sharp and shallow. Which brings us to the topic of aftertaste.

I’d never thought much about what aftertaste might actually be. A lingering flavor, certainly, but… well, why? And why is it so common for that lingering flavor to be different from the flavor it is lingering after? What is the cause behind that expression of unexpected lingering, the “funny aftertaste”?

Aftertaste, it seems, is not just a lingering flavor, but actually a whole new flavor. A substance – take coffee for example – once swallowed, leaves residue behind. Aftertaste is the result of vapors released from that residue: perhaps one reason that a strong aftertaste often feels more like a strong after-smell.

For example: though I have never in my life (not even once) tasted turpentine, that is what the aftertaste of Cowen Park’s Umbria “tasted” like to me. Resinous and acute, almost stingingly bright. Well varnished. Not what I look for in a coffee.

Dang, Rose Tosti! Here’s some good advice we’ve been told many a time, and we think it’s prudent for anyone in any situation like this: if you don’t like your coffee, don’t be shy about asking for another drink. This is true in so many situations. If you go to a place and order a burger, and the burger is burnt, or isn’t medium-rare like how you might like it, you should ask them to cook you a new one. You shouldn’t eat it, not like it, then write a feature about how it’s awful.

But who are we to tell Tosti what to do? Should sensory journalists poop on that which they deem dump-worthy? Sound off in the comments below!

Fox News reports:

Guatemala’s National Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology Institute said in a statement Saturday that Fuego shot ash 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) into the air. Lava flows reached up to 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) in length.

Digital Journal reported additional information that as of this morning, a flight advisory was issued, warning aircraft to stay out of a 25-mile radius of Fuego. Some highways have been closed due to the lava flow.

Verve Coffee has been in Guatemala for the 2012 Cup of Excellence, and posted an image of flooding via Instagram:

We spoke with Colby Barr, of Verve Coffee Roasters, who happens to be in Guatemala at this very moment. Mr. Barr told Sprudge, “[The flood] was in Antigua. It’s already receding but was just serious déjà vu.” During the 2010 Guatemala Cup Of Excellence, Pacaya covered Guatemala City in two inches of volcanic ash as three feet of rain poured over a three day period. In the last 24 hours, rains have calmed and no evacuations have been ordered.

Last month, heavy rains caused massive flooding northeast Mission. Sprudge favorite Stable Cafe was among a handful of businesses affected by the water/sewage that spilled out of manholes like geysers on Folsom Street. Stable is shutting down for four days this weekend to continue repairing damages. We here at Sprudge.com wish them Godspeed and Good Luck with their repairs. Stable will reopen regular hours on Thursday May 24th @ 7:30 AM.  Check on Twitter for updates.

Read the full feature here at Mission Local.

Look. I don’t know how long this coffee thing you’re into is going to go on for, but your constant excuses for travel are getting a little bit tired. Tired like me, your cat, who spent the entire day backwards on this papasan chair waiting for some kind of stimuli, while your deadbeat cat-sitter friend comes over to root through the liquor cabinet and short me on the wet food. I need to ask you: what are you doing with your life? What is this strange lifestyle choice you’ve made? Why can’t you just settle in for a long nap, like me? What are you constantly running away from? I see no dogs.

You recently ditched me for something called the United States Barista Championship. This event is supposedly four days long — which I could personally sleep through uninterrupted, no problem — but you dragged out the excuse for over a week, for like, “research”, or something? Why would anyone want to watch Cat Fancy-aged humans with more hair on their face than I have on my whole body making steamed milk drinks for EACH OTHER, without sharing with their pets? I guess your accountant buys it, but I think it’s an elaborate ruse to 1. withhold the Friskies, and 2. address my nip habit. That’s why I’m making this face at you right now.

How do I even know about these things? That’s right. I can see everything you’re up to! This internet phenomenon…I know you humans think we just use it to hook up on Petfinder, but we’re also more than capable of tuning in to a live-streaming barista competition or a Ted Talk to see what MUST be so much better than kitty-snuggles.

I guess a few of those baristas look like they might be nice to knead, but some of the stuff you watch, I just don’t really get. That thing you call the “Brewer’s Cup” is really good for those rare bouts of kitty insomnia. I could fall asleep right now just thinking about it.

By the way, a puddy gets hungry when left alone. I sat through what seemed like hours of live broadcasts of the USBC, and no matter how many times they said to “refresh the feed”, my bowl didn’t fill up once. I think this is a technical problem you may want to have looked into.

In any case, I understand that you will soon be off to the World Barista Championships in Vienna, where baristas from more than 70 countries will leave their cats alone for a week while they go ride expensive horses and eat tiny hot dogs. You did not invite me to this even though I am pretty sure I could eat a tiny hot dog if you gave me time. And just the other week I missed MICE in Australia. Would have loved to attend that one.

Again I have to ask, why so much activity? I assure you that your house and pet are warmer and happier when you’re at home with us, and as much as I love a good top 40 after-party and a sloppy keg of IPA, I really think you’re missing out at home. Take it under advisement, and consider watching the WBC right here from the comfort of our computer chair, or camped out underneath the bedcovers with me. I’ll be rooting for the one they call “El Tigre”.

With fond regards,
Your cat

PS When you are gone, I put milk in the coffee every day.

Fruitland, Idaho is a 4,000 person town on the Southwestern Idaho / Eastern Oregon border. Big Star Coffee ain’t got a website, but they do have this Facebook. On said Facebook the folks at Big Star seem to have a sense of humor about the whole thing:

This “gentleman” broke into the Whitley Fruitland Big Star Coffee location on Tuesday morning at 4:30 am with an accomplice. They were not able to make off with much, but he is wearing dirty underwear on his head! I hope that the money that he stole will allow him to buy some clean underwear!! If you have any leads please call The Fruitland Police Department!

There’s a cute picture on their Facebook with a buncha 16 year olds hanging out inside the cafe, which is cool, and it looks like they have some nice couches and stuff. We bet it’s great to have a cafe that doesn’t suck when you’re growing up in Fruitland. Their roaster is these guys, Full Circle Exchange, who are very into Fair Trade and organic practices, to the point of trademarking a catch-phrase about it: “To Promote Justice and Cultivate Good”™.

Here’s hoping that the FPD catches these guys, Big Star gets their $500 back, and the local newsers at KREM Channel 2 [Spokane CBS] come through with some awesome mug shots for future Schmuck of the Weeking.

(Sourced by Sprudge.com Shot Sipper @keatonviolet)

The new spot is in a cool old factory on Godthåbsvej 34B in Frederiksberg, a mere ten minutes from Jægersborggade. Coffee Collective recently opened up a cafe in Jægersborggade, in a massive food hall. It was the recipient of a quick and cheerful Strand job in November:

The Coffee Collective is one of a handful of small-batch roasters with a global following, a neighborhood coffee shop about the size of a kitchen in a starter apartment that’s known for buying, roasting and preparing some of the finest coffees in the world. There are no gimmicks, no tricks. The Coffee Collective’s reputation rests on the quality of its craft.

According to Klaus & Co., the new location is a “dream space”, big enough to house the roastery, offices, green storage, wholesale, and a cafe. Congratulations to the whole crew at Coffee Collective.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Good morning, readers of the world, wherever you are. My name’s Randall Bodum, and I am brimming with enthusiasm over all the Vienna 2012 party coverage we’ve got planned for you next month. You no doubt remember my by-line from such other Sprudge party features as “Better Late Than Randy: Sweet Fantasy Party Recap From The 2011 SCAE” and “Report From Bogota: Randal H. Bodom, Lost In The K-Cup K-Hole. ”

Join us at the Handsome Coffee Roasters Arts District coffee bar and roasting works, with supplies graciously sponsored by Visions Espresso Service, for a night of cupping coffee from roasters all around the world. We can’t release a list yet, and who knows what our government’s lovely Customs processing has in store for our table, but rest assured, we’ll be trying some lovely stuff not commonly slurped in the United States.

International Delight is Friday, May 25th at Handsome Coffee Roasters (582 Mateo Street, LA). The event is free, open to the public, and goes from 6pm until 7:30pm. After the event, we’ll be moseying down the street to Villain’s Tavern (1356 Palmetto Street) for a big LA coffee folks get-together drink-together. You are invited to the bar with us, and then maybe later to Canter’s Deli.

Roasters! If you’re interested in contributing coffee, and can ship internationally by May 25th, please contact us at coffee@sprudge.com.