Vol. XIV · No. ∞ · Ethically Smug Since 2009

The Daily Grind

Single-Origin Opinions for the Discerning, the Tired, and the Broke
A Sanctuary for People Who Are Right About Coffee
The Featured Pour

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe G1 Natural: A Liquid Sonnet That Made Me Weep in Public

Roasted in a converted bicycle workshop, Portland, OR · Harvested under a waning gibbous moon · 97.4 / 100 (rounded down out of humility)

Let me be transparent: I almost didn't review this cup. Some experiences are too sacred for words, and frankly, words are a colonial construct invented to flatten nuance. But my 1,400 followers deserve the truth, even if they cannot afford it.

Tasting notes: Heirloom blueberry · Bergamot's regret · The concept of Tuesday · Wet stone after a difficult conversation
Recent Dispatches
Hand-carried in my tote bag, Brooklyn, NY · Brewed during Mercury retrograde for added depth

Panama Gesha Auction Lot #4: I Spent My Rent On This and I'd Do It Again

$112 for 100 grams. Yes. My landlord can wait — the man wouldn't know terroir if it foreclosed on him.…

Tasting notes: Jasmine that has read philosophy · White peach · Floral ennui · The first warm day of a tragic spring
An unmarked espresso bar with no menu, Melbourne · Posted from my standing desk made of a single fallen elm

We Need To Talk About Your Mouthfeel (And Why It's Wrong)

Mouthfeel. Say it slowly. Now realize you've never actually experienced it, because you drink your coffee at a 'normal temperature' like a coward and a centrist.…

Tasting notes: Velvet · Silk · Your inadequacy · Tannins of self-doubt
A pop-up inside another pop-up, Tokyo · Written longhand, then begrudgingly typed

The Flat White Is Dead and We Killed It With Convenience

There was a time when the flat white *meant* something. When ordering one was a secret handshake among the enlightened. Now? My DENTIST orders flat whites. The magic is gone.…

Tasting notes: Grief · Microfoam · The decline of Western civilization · Subtle hazelnut
My apartment, which now smells permanently of smoke · Roasted at the exact second of the solstice

I Roast My Own Beans Now and Frankly I've Transcended You

Buying roasted coffee is, when you think about it, intellectually lazy. It's like buying a painting instead of suffering for one. So I bought a $3,000 sample roaster and now my smo…

Tasting notes: Caramelized superiority · Ash · Validation · A whisper of carbon monoxide

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