aindfan Senior Member Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Posts: 22 Location: USA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Achille with Silvia... Grinder: Le'Lit PL53
Posted Mon Jun 30, 2008, 5:01am Subject: Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY
Good morning,
I was driving up the Sprain Brook/Taconic this morning and wanted to try Coffee Labs as I'd heard some great things either from here or Home-Barista.com. Maybe it's relative to the espresso I've had recently (less sweet) but I was absolutely blown away by the shot that I had. I have no ability to put these tastes into words, but damn was it good. It's definitely going to be the next pound that I buy. (Just yesterday I bought a bag of Counter Culture's Espresso Aficionado at Everyman Espresso in Manhattan, so I suppose I'll have to wait a week or two until I can get more Coffee Labs).
Just wanted to pass that along. It's definitely worth a stop in Tarrytown if you're anywhere near the Tappan Zee Bridge (already on the Tarrytown side, that is) - only about 5 minutes off of 287 and easy to find at 7 Main Street.
Anyone else have good or bad experiences to report?
Posted Mon Jun 30, 2008, 11:58am Subject: Re: Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY
A timely anecdote to offer: I'm a Hudson Valley local, though on the west side of the river and about an hour from Coffee Labs. I've wanted to try their beans for some time now, but the price of gas and my Explorer (purchased for 4wd in mountain living, not suburban shopping) makes going down there just for coffee out of the question and the idea of paying mucho $ for shipping 50 miles seems just too ludicrous given the current state of my economy. Their website listed Whole Foods in Ridgewood, NJ as selling their beans and I had occasion to be down there Saturday, 6/28 (cheaper Jersey gas, and full service!) so I stopped by to check out the prospects of finally getting some. Being that it's a supermarket, I was guarded about said prospects. The experience was a "mixed bag."
WF in Ridgewood does indeed sell Coffee Labs beans. They stock loads of it. One can get any of about six or seven different Coffee Labs coffees; the choices are more diverse than any I've seen before. One had the choice of beans roasted on 4/3, 4/17, 5/3, 6/3, and 6/17. Nothing fresher than that, and all for $15.99 per lb. Something for every palate!
Purchased a lb. of Gorilla Coffee's Espresso-A-Go-Go roasted on 6/24 for $11.99. Not loving it so far but I am, after all, a pseudo-barista and have only pulled three doubles since picking it up. At least it's freshly roasted so I've got time to work on dialing in.
I still really want to try Coffee Labs but that gratification will, alas, have to be further delayed. So sad.
E d C u s t a r d pseudo-barista
"...the extreme of banality allows us to catch a glimpse of the sublime." Umberto Eco
wartaymor Senior Member Joined: 5 Apr 2007 Posts: 15 Location: New York, NY Expertise: Professional
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008, 5:48am Subject: Re: Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY
I have only positive experiences to report as well. I've been up to CL a few times and I've always felt that it is a top-notch operation run by fantastic folks who are dedicated to both coffee and community. Their shop's sustainability approach is quite progressive. I remember Mike (one of the owners) delicately preparing a shot for me to try, and I was also blown away by the result. I tried to get the blend specs out of him, but he remained tight-lipped (for darn good reason!)
jojocoffee Senior Member Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Hartford & New Haven CT Expertise: Professional
Espresso: La Marzzoco Grinder: Mazzar, NS MDX Roaster: Diedrich IR-12
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008, 10:02am Subject: Re: Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY
I love Coffee Lab's espresso. Mike is also very helpful with his roasting technique which is far more useful when trying to develop an espresso blend than giving out the blend components.
Capn Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 53 Location: NY/NJ/PA Expertise: I live coffee
Grinder: a simple burr Drip: i press Roaster: me oven
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008, 10:03am Subject: Re: Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY
Had an initial rough experience there but I have since blamed it on going during an Open Mic night. The last time I went there (about a year ago) was a very positive experience. Good coffee and espresso.
caferacer Senior Member Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 93 Location: NYC Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Expobar Pulser Grinder: Rocky
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008, 10:40am Subject: Re: Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY
Hey Ed,
My folks live near Warwick. Is there no good coffee in Orange County? I'm going up for the holiday and, as always, will bring some Deep Disco or other Ithacan delight. You should start a roasting company...
Posted Tue Jul 1, 2008, 10:38pm Subject: Re: Coffee Labs Roasters in Tarrytown, NY
caferacer Said:
Hey Ed,
My folks live near Warwick. Is there no good coffee in Orange County? I'm going up for the holiday and, as always, will bring some Deep Disco or other Ithacan delight. You should start a roasting company...
Up here in the land of milk and honey, Orange County coffee is depressing, and I'm not enough of a Coffee Geek to get into roasting at this juncture--I am, after all, a mere pseudo-barista. There are only two roasters in the county that I know of: Hudson Valley Coffee Roasters and Noble Coffee Roasters. Neither is particularly accessible. Caffe Macchiato on Liberty St. in Newburgh across from Washington's Headquarters has the potential to be a great place but their thing is more the Italian café mis-en-scene than the coffee. (They do have great dessert pastries.) Warwick has the dubious distinction of perhaps the two worst espresso operations we have up here in southern Orange. If only Jean Claude would put in a La Marzocco and hire a bitchin' barista.....
On the Coffee Labs side of things, Buttermilk Falls General Store is a café in Highland Falls (West Point) that uses Coffee Labs beans and gets regular fresh delivery but I have yet to go over there to try them. I'm an Army football season ticket holder so I'll probably do so no later than FB season.
E d C u s t a r d pseudo-barista
"...the extreme of banality allows us to catch a glimpse of the sublime." Umberto Eco
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