The Tasting Room

A place for those of us who want every single cup to make us smile. I have been drinking coffee since way before I should have. Now my tastes are much more refined, and I don't need five packs of sugar for every cup. Come here for advice on getting the most out of each and every variety on Dad's website.

I dose, grind, and brew every day until each and every Freshwater coffee bean tastes perfect. Let me figure out the ratios and - gasp! - the MATH so you don't have to. I'm Michael, your coffee connection, and this is "The Tasting Room"

Dominican PL Single Origin

Posted by Michael Hamilton on 16th Apr 2020

If you are a seasoned (grizzled?) coffee drinker, this is the thought you'll have when you first try real Dominican coffee. "This is like the best cup of crappy diner coffee I've ever had." Partially you'd be right, but you are just drinking it wrong. Dominican coffee is amazing. Let me explain. Dominican is a dark roast. Most dark roasts come with an unpleasant bitter taste if burned or brewed improperly. Dominican is special in that it does not have this bitter side effect. It is a da … read more

Blueberry Cobbler

Posted by Michael Hamilton on 6th Apr 2020

Some of us drink coffee for the warm, familiar, predictable ritual that starts every day off on the right foot. And then there are the adventurous ones. The ones that try skydiving, the ones that vacation in Antarctica, and the ones who drink coffee that tastes like...blueberry cobbler. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some cobbler, and blueberry is my favorite. Some of my happiest memories are sitting around a campfire back in boy scouts waiting for a fresh dutch oven cobbler. Your feet are col … read more

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Posted by Michael Hamilton on 5th Mar 2020

I’ve never heard of a Bourbon Pecan, but put the word Pie after it and you have a work of genius. Anyone who knows me knows I love two things besides coffee - Pies and Kentucky Bourbon. I obviously had to give this flavor a shot. This is one of the few coffees that I think smells better ground than it does whole. The aroma really captures the essence of an old, wooden whiskey barrel, and even has some of the sharper notes of the spirit that you feel way up in your nose. The pecan flavor th … read more

Almond delight

Posted by Michael Hamilton on 27th Feb 2020

Almond Delight has a trick up its sleeve. It doesn’t taste like Almonds. Instead. Think of a creamy macaroon confectionery. Macaroons are usually made from almond flour, and I was struck by how realistic this flavor is. It is sweet and pillowy. That makes this a great after dinner coffee for the icy Winter nights. Make a cup for you and your beau and sit in front of the fireplace. It has a strong body and the beans are a darker roast, but there is some serious sweetness there. It’s a great … read more

Costa Rica Tarrazu

Posted by Michael Hamilton on 19th Feb 2020

This month our featured Single-origin coffee is a Costa Rican medium roast from the Tarrazu region. Tarrazu is the prime coffee region in Costa Rica. There was even a variety of Tarrazu sold at Starbucks a few years ago that started at SEVEN dollars a cup. Luckily, the FreshWater Costa Rican variety goes for quite a bit less. But don’t let the price tag fool you, this coffee packs some serious flavor. When we think about coffee we think of sweetness, aroma, body, and acidity in different c … read more