Episode 94 – Espresso Edition – Turks in the Upper Left
Scott: Friends with Brews.
Scott: Espresso Edition.
Peter: Nice.
Scott: Peter nikolaidis, how are you these days?
Peter: Scott Wilsey, today, I am a little tired.
Peter: This is for the third day in a row, I have gone out for a run of one hour or more in length.
Peter: Today was an hour and a half, and it was a trail run, so nice way to capstone my long run of the week.
Peter: I did 20 miles again this week, which is the first time I’ve done this since my Ultra, and it feels really good.
Peter: I had one cup of coffee this morning, and it’s making a return cup right now with you, but I had a second cup of decaf.
Peter: I was also up past midnight and up around six this morning, so I’m tired.
Peter: Oh, right, and I’m also about 18, 19 hours into a fast, so my stomach is just a little bit growly.
Peter: So right now, that’s my status.
Peter: How are you?
Scott: Better than you because I’m not fasting and drinking coffee at the same time, which to me sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Peter: I do it every time.
Peter: That’s great.
Scott: However, Peter, as we talked about, and the listener doesn’t know yet because I haven’t released that episode yet, but as you know, I’ve been drinking only tea for the past many days.
Scott: However, today I am having a coffee.
Scott: I’m excited to tell you.
Scott: And so this will be a coffee episode.
Scott: I’m not going to announce which one it is yet until after you talk about yours.
Scott: But anyway, yeah, I’m doing fine.
Scott: And I’m also coming to you from behind a Sophos XGS router that I set up yesterday and it’s successfully working.
Scott: And now my e-rows are just dumb.
Scott: Bridge mode, Wi-Fi access only.
Scott: That’s all.
Scott: They’re just hanging off the switch like any other Wi-Fi access points and it’s great.
Scott: So cool.
Peter: Well, I’m really curious to hear, you know, how the progress, how that goes.
Scott: All right.
Scott: Well, because we announced that this is an Espresso episode and this was your idea and I think it’s a good one.
Scott: It’s going to be a very short episode.
Scott: I’m probably going to release it before two other episodes that I’m currently working on and that’s fine.
Scott: But basically today’s all about the coffee.
Scott: So why is your coffee today so special?
Scott: Peter tell us why we should be excited for you on your fasting, your fast coffee day.
Peter: This is a classic example.
Peter: The reason my coffee is so special today is because it is so bleeping expensive.
Scott: That’s very special.
Peter: So I bought this while on vacation in Turks and Caicos earlier this week, or maybe last week, I should say.
Peter: Last week by the time you hear this, Dear Listener or by the time Scott publishes this anyway.
Peter: I knew I was going to pay a little extra to buy it, but I bought these two small bags of coffee.
Peter: I thought they were each 12 ounce bags.
Peter: They weren’t.
Peter: One was an 8 ounce bag and one was about a 6 ounce bag.
Peter: So I paid for 14 ounces of coffee.
Peter: Do you care to guess how much it cost me, Scott?
Scott: What was the ounce again?
Peter: Two bags totaled 14 ounces.
Scott: $48.99.
Peter: Before tax.
Peter: Yeah, it came out to $50.
Scott: Wow.
Peter: So I paid $50 for just over a…
Peter: Wait, no, I said just under a pound.
Peter: I said in my audio review this morning over a pound, but I was clearly decaffeinated at the time.
Peter: So yeah, I paid $50 for about a pound of coffee.
Peter: And wow, I didn’t realize that.
Peter: I thought I was getting much more.
Peter: That’s it.
Peter: It’s really good coffee.
Peter: But it ain’t $50 a pound good coffee.
Peter: Now, I say that now.
Peter: Next year, that might be the norm, right?
Peter: The way things are going probably should count my blessings.
Peter: But by now, I’m sure you and the listener are very curious as to what is the coffee that I’m actually drinking.
Scott: Peter, what is the coffee that you’re actually drinking?
Peter: I’m so glad you asked, and I’m going to tell you right now.
Peter: I am drinking a cup, an expensive cup, of Turks Island Coffee Roasters French K.
Peter: This is their French Dark Roast, and it’s delicious.
Peter: Now, it doesn’t look like the company actually has a website.
Peter: I looked, but they’ve got a Facebook page and an Instagram page.
Scott: How am I supposed to rage about their terrible website if they don’t even have a terrible website?
Scott: This is not going to do.
Peter: I mean, it doesn’t even exist.
Peter: That seems like something to rage against if you ask me.
Scott: Okay.
Scott: For all seriousness, do you have any contacts at this place?
Scott: Because I’m thinking we have got to say, dudes, we will freaking set you up a website if you will just ship Peter some freaking coffee.
Peter: I don’t have a contact at this place, but I did talk extensively with the future owner of this place.
Peter: Because Shea Coffee that I went to, Shea Cafe, the owner there is soon to buy this coffee roaster, because he’s their largest client, so our largest customer.
Peter: So the plan is that he will soon acquire it.
Peter: So soon I will have the owner’s contact information, but not yet.
Scott: And let me guess, he’s buying it because he’s sick of their website list?
Peter: That’s not the reason he cited.
Peter: Maybe it is.
Peter: Maybe that’s the real reason, but that’s not what he told me.
Scott: Yeah, he can’t.
Scott: No one ever discusses reasons that petty, but I’m sure that’s really what it is.
Scott: Hey, what’s on your cup today?
Scott: Show me your cup.
Peter: This is a classic Farside cartoon.
Scott: Oh, yeah.
Scott: Oh, God.
Scott: I love this one.
Peter: Yep.
Scott: Oh, please.
Scott: Oh, please.
Scott: Oh, please.
Scott: Cat food.
Scott: This is the dog trying to lure the cat into the dryer.
Peter: It is indeed.
Peter: Suddenly, your audio seemed to get quieter while my vision, my video got blurrier.
Scott: Your video is so blurry right now.
Peter: Just touch your camera.
Peter: I’m going deaf and blind at the same time.
Peter: This is awesome, man.
Scott: Touch your camera.
Peter: Usually, if I point at it and then I pull away.
Peter: It’s like someone smeared Vaseline on the lens.
Scott: Right now, you look like neither of us had coffee this morning.
Scott: Yeah.
Peter: Well, my glasses are really dirty.
Peter: This is awesome.
Peter: Anyway, I’m going to just ignore this, not right now.
Scott: What’s your final review of this coffee?
Scott: If you had to summarize it in 4,000 words or less.
Peter: The final review is, this is a thumbs up.
Peter: Second cup in pure unadulterated Americano style.
Peter: This is a thumbs up coffee.
Peter: It’s really good.
Peter: It’s not worth 50 bucks a pound in late 2025.
Peter: Hey, my vision is clearing up.
Peter: And I have to think that this was an error when I was paying for it, because the cups of coffee that they sold me in the cafe were reasonably priced.
Peter: They were not all that different from what you would normally pay in a cafe in the States.
Peter: So I have to think somebody made an error.
Peter: Herb, if you’re listening, I think you owe me a small bag of coffee or something, or maybe buy me breakfast next time I’m down there.
Peter: So anyway.
Scott: When you were buying it, did you say, I’m taking this to America?
Scott: And then they said, that’ll be $1 million.
Peter: No.
Peter: And even if I had, that’s not how that works.
Peter: The tariffs come along different ways and stuff.
Peter: So yeah, nice try though.
Scott: You take all the fun out of traveling.
Peter: Here’s the thing.
Peter: Now, unfortunately, I don’t have the label to read and review from right now.
Peter: That’s two stories away from me because I foolishly assumed I would find them on their website and read from it.
Peter: But you, Scott, do have my full audio review where I do read verbatim the label and the description of this coffee.
Scott: Actually, you know what?
Scott: I’m going to put that in this episode instead of the other episode that we just recorded, which is a future episode, which, oh God, we’re time traveling and I’m so confused.
Peter: We are.
Peter: It’s great.
Peter: So I won’t tell you any more about the coffee other than my second cup is consistent with my first cup.
Peter: So, cheers.
Scott: Good to know.
Peter: What about you?
Scott: I am having a cup of coffee that is also consistent with the last time I had it.
Scott: This is from Upper Left Roasters and their logo is an arrow pointing to the left.
Scott: This is the cheapest glyph they could have found for their logo and I applaud them for it.
Scott: They’re all in on Upper Left.
Scott: It’s called Chapina, Guatemala, and it says, and by the way, this me having in the past and now about to, done names of locations in Spanish speaking countries only illustrates to me the fact that I probably should just go ahead and say I can’t relocate to a place where Spanish is primary language.
Scott: So here we go.
Scott: From the lush Huehuatenago, Nongo, Highlands, I don’t even know what it is.
Scott: It’s H-U-E-H-U-E-T-E-N-A-N-G-O, Highlands.
Scott: A juicy washed lot that has a vanilla sweet finish, medium roast whole bean coffee.
Scott: And I got to say, you know how I always come on here and say, oh, they say, all of a sudden I’m Syracuse.
Scott: Do your Syracuse voice.
Scott: Oh, they say it’s going to be vanilla, but there’s no vanilla.
Scott: I don’t know.
Peter: They say it’s going to be vanilla, but there’s no vanilla in this.
Peter: I don’t say it.
Peter: They say it has notes of saddle lead, but the saddle leather, but all I’m getting is pencil lead.
Peter: I don’t know.
Scott: Have you ever heard of a vanilla bagel?
Scott: Anyway, no one knows vanilla.
Scott: Anyway, I do taste the vanilla in this and it’s quite good.
Scott: So I will say their tasting notes are accurate, and it is smooth, and it is vanilla, and I like it.
Scott: I really like this coffee.
Scott: This coffee is definitely a thumbs up, upper left thumbs up, I guess.
Scott: And wait, let’s see, that’s my right.
Scott: Yeah, there we go.
Scott: Here we go.
Peter: Video reversal.
Scott: Yep, and it’s good.
Scott: Cool.
Scott: So I like this coffee.
Scott: I taste the vanilla.
Scott: I am now going to find out if coffee contributes to my stomach problems or not by drinking coffee the first time in a few days.
Scott: So far, so good.
Scott: I’ve drank most of my giant I work hard so my cat can live a better life cup.
Scott: And it’s a good cup.
Scott: No problem so far.
Peter: Cool.
Scott: I expect to slam down my computer and race to the bathroom any minute now.
Peter: Well, I counting this cup of coffee, I have and cough drops that I consumed on my run this morning.
Peter: I have consumed approximately 76 calories all day.
Peter: And that includes a run, about a 10k trail run this morning.
Scott: There are times where I can exercise when I’m not on food, but they’re very rare.
Scott: It has to be early in the day for sure.
Scott: And then I’m really hungry.
Scott: There’s no way I could say like fast all day and then not have time to exercise until evening.
Scott: I would hit a blood sugar wall and I would suffer and I would wind up eating something during the workout.
Peter: No, I’m really hungry.
Peter: I’ll give you that.
Scott: Yeah.
Scott: Well, you’re a bold man, Peter.
Scott: I like your jacket, by the way.
Scott: I don’t know if you’re allowed to say.
Peter: I like my bold coffee.
Scott: I like your bold coffee.
Scott: I like your bold coffee cup.
Scott: I like your jacket.
Peter: This is a Marmot reactor with the Sophos branding on it.
Peter: I got it.
Peter: God, this must have been like eight or ten years ago after attending one of their partner conference events.
Peter: And it is a nice job.
Scott: I was just going to ask you, what do I have to do to get that coat?
Scott: But apparently, I have to go back in time with you.
Peter: Yeah, you’d have to be a Sophos partner, and they would have to be still doing the nice, you know, things that they do for their partners, which they seemed to have really stopped doing a few years ago, at least for their smaller ones.
Peter: Like if you were someone like CDI or, you know, a giant mega conglomerate selling, you know, millions or billions of their dollars of their products every year, then they’d probably give you a jacket.
Scott: Well, I don’t know about your recent experiences, but I can tell you that from my recent experiences with Sophos, they have a hard time even doing the basic things that they’re supposed to do, let alone throwing niceties on top.
Peter: Why does that not surprise me at all?
Scott: But you know what it reminds me of?
Scott: It reminds me of like a factory jacket that Japanese company people would wear.
Scott: It’s really cool.
Scott: I like that.
Scott: It’s a little bit different because the material is different, but the cut and the way it looks on you is similar.
Scott: It gives me that vibe, and I’m really digging it.
Peter: Cool.
Peter: Well, I’m glad you like it.
Scott: Okay.
Scott: Well, Peter, I think that we’ve been probably recording for long enough.
Scott: Otherwise, it’s going to turn out to be a regular episode.
Peter: I mean, my coffee is getting cold, so yeah, I think we’re good.
Scott: My coffee is getting gone, so I think we’re good.
Peter: Cool.
Scott: So ladies and gentlemen, let us know what you think of these.
Scott: Espresso Edition.
Scott: I don’t know why she…
Scott: So when I started recording the chat, I did the chat GBT app to do that voice for me.
Scott: I said, say Espresso Edition, and it did, but it got a double…
Scott: It got a weird…
Scott: See, it sounds like an Espresso Edition.
Peter: I hear it.
Scott: Yeah.
Scott: So I don’t know what’s going on there.
Scott: I think it’s proof that the AI are multiple.
Scott: You know the story in the Bible says we are a legion and the demons come rushing out.
Scott: I’m pretty sure that’s what chat GBT is all about these days.
Scott: So cultural reference, people look it up.
Scott: I say cultural reference.
Scott: It’s from a 2000 year old book that nobody knows anymore.
Scott: Bye.
Peter: How many?
Scott: Wait, tell people where to find us if they haven’t found us, but they have found us, but if they didn’t find us…
Peter: Friends with brews.com, which yesterday when I was dictating to Siri, Siri wanted to call it Friends with brews.com, which I was like, you know, that’s that’s pretty funny.
Peter: I’m just going to I’ll leave it.
Peter: Just let it go.
Scott: Appropriate.
Scott: Highly appropriate.
Scott: OK, people find us there and tell your friends.
Peter: All right.
Peter: Good morning, Friends with Brews listener.
Peter: This is Peter here again for a single shot micro episode.
Peter: Today, I am brewing and I’m still brewing.
Peter: You can hear the water boiling in the background.
Peter: OK, there it’s it’s done.
Peter: I’m now pouring it into my Aeropress Premium, the Glass Edition.
Peter: Pouring about 28 grams of ground beans from Turks Island Roasters.
Peter: Freshly roasted on island, 100% Arabica whole bean.
Peter: And this is their French K roast on the home page, on the cover of the bag of coffee.
Peter: It says French K, bold and robust.
Peter: Flipping it around, I read the back, which says, If you’re like us, you know a good cup of coffee is a beautiful thing.
Peter: We roast fresh and local every day.
Peter: And fresh and local are both bolded, I will point out.
Peter: In small artisan batches to bring you the very best tasting cup imaginable.
Peter: We truly believe people can taste the hard work and love our family puts into each carefully crafted bag.
Peter: All our green beans are the highest grade arabica, hand selected for their flavor, and roasted to perfection right here in the Turks and Caicos.
Peter: Learn more about our family and our beans at tcicoffeeroasters.com, sustainably sourced, organic, rainforest, and bird friendly, locally made.
Peter: There you go, quite the intro.
Peter: So, again, this is their French K roast, and it’s bold and robust.
Peter: So it’s sitting in the AeroPress now.
Peter: As we have mentioned on the podcast, on a previous episode, I previously, I just said that.
Peter: Obviously I need the coffee to kick in.
Peter: I recently vacationed in Turks and Caicos on the island, and the Turks island, I guess.
Peter: The main one, I don’t, you know what?
Peter: I have to look up how they’re named.
Peter: I don’t even know.
Peter: But anyway.
Peter: So I brought this back from Shea Cafe, where I went three or four times, which is unprecedented for me.
Peter: But we found a good place and wanted to frequent it.
Peter: So we did.
Peter: And I brought back a couple of bags of coffee.
Peter: Now these are small bags.
Peter: These are going to go fast.
Peter: So these are probably what?
Peter: 12 ounces, I guess.
Peter: So I didn’t want to wait for a live recording, in case you’re wondering.
Peter: Oh, wow.
Peter: Is it really?
Peter: Eight ounces.
Peter: Oh, wait, there’s a fluid ounces.
Peter: Let me just put out regular.
Peter: Yeah, yeah.
Peter: Wow.
Peter: This is only half a pound.
Peter: And this one, I think, is even less.
Peter: 5.1 ounces.
Peter: Okay, so this bag that I am brewing the coffee out of right now, currently weighs 5.1 ounces, or 143 grams.
Peter: And I put 28 grams into the grinder.
Peter: So that is…
Peter: I carry the two…
Peter: 171 grams.
Peter: Echo, how many ounces is 171 grams?
Peter: Okay, so for one bag of 6 ounces of coffee and another bag of 8 ounces of coffee, which combined is just barely over one pound, I paid $50 for these two bags of coffee.
Peter: Oh wow, this really had better be the best tasting cup ever.
Peter: Oh my goodness.
Peter: Also, and Scott will approve of this, I am now pressing it through the AeroPress, this will be pure and unadulterated coffee because I started a 36 hour fast about 12 hours ago.
Peter: So no breakfast for me, just straight black coffee.
Peter: Admittedly, I had a bottle of electrolytes earlier, Element brand, which I’ve been frequenting lately.
Peter: So, okay, the pressing is done.
Peter: Quickly rinse off the cap of the AeroPress and remove it so you don’t leave the plunger in any longer than you have to.
Peter: And from there, we have about, it looks to be about a six-ounce pour of AeroPress coffee, which is, if you’re not familiar, somewhere between Espresso and French Roast.
Peter: And they actually, now they’re positioning themselves like, oh, it’s the best of French Press, pour over and Espresso.
Peter: So that’s my combo.
Peter: So I’m going to take a sip now.
Peter: First I’m going to sniff it.
Peter: Oh, it does smell good.
Peter: Oh yeah, it is dark.
Peter: Well, you know, it’s, yeah.
Peter: Okay, let’s take a sniff.
Peter: Okay, it’s good.
Peter: It’s just the tiniest, tiniest, tiniest hint of sour acidity, but it is very small.
Peter: First, good sip, that’s good.
Peter: I am going to now dilute it with some hot water though.
Peter: Gonna turn it into an Americano, because it is a little stronger than I need right now, even though I am going for a trail run in predicted sleet and snow in an hour.
Peter: So it’s not like I need a lot more water jostling around in me.
Peter: So I’m not gonna fill it up, but I’m gonna just dilute it just a little bit.
Peter: Take another sip and see how this goes.
Peter: Ah, that’s better.
Peter: A little more drinkable, a little less of that bite.
Peter: And wow.
Peter: Okay, this is summary right now, a really good cup of coffee.
Peter: I will try again tomorrow morning just to make sure I still like it.
Peter: But I don’t think, I’m going, I don’t know if I can recommend paying 50 bucks for less than a pound of coffee.
Peter: Because that’s, wow, that hurts, that really hurts.
Peter: Oh, wow, yeah, it’s good.
Peter: I’m giving it a thumbs up, but it’s an expensive thumbs up.
Peter: The thumb is wearing a gold ring, and I think all of the fingers on the same hand are, as well as a gold bracelet.
Peter: In fact, I think the hand has been gilded, I think it’s been dipped in gold.
Peter: So it’s a pricey, expensive, touristy, imported thumbs up.
Peter: That said, if you find yourself on Turks Island, and you have the opportunity to go to Chez Café, where they serve Turks Island Roasters coffee, I do recommend it.
Peter: Way more affordable, reasonable prices for a cup of coffee than a pound of coffee.
Peter: So, cheers.