These are gorgeous beans, so large, even, and smooth, you could make jewelry from them. The coffee smells like dulce de leche, caramel with sweet nuts (marzipan and hazelnuts), mixed with sweet pipe tobacco and a slight saffron dustiness. The cup starts out with a satiny mouthfeel with great body. It is very balanced and elegant with a slight bright-lime acidity.  There is a subtle, consistent, fast fading, clean, smooth finish.  All the right things one expects from a great cup of coffee with no single dominant note.

Obama Java

From T-shirts to rap songs to sold-out Washington hotels, there’s enough commercial activity surrounding Barack Obama’s inaugural to resuscitate the economy (if it lasted more than a week).

The Peregrine Coffee Co., based in Tacony, has its own entry – a $17 Presidential Pack featuring two bags of custom-roasted coffee beans, one from an estate in Kenya, the birthplace of Obama’s father, the other from a farm in Hawaii, where Obama was born and spent most of his childhood.

The company’s owner and chief roaster is Kevin Lawrence, 40, a former marketing specialist with American Express and the Franklin Institute, who was drawn into the business after his coffee-maker died six years ago.

“First I was trying to find the best coffee pot, then I hooked up with a Web site for coffee geeks, next I found a subset of folks converting popcorn poppers into coffee roasters in their backyards,” Lawrence said. “The Internet is a dangerous thing.”

He opened Peregrine last June in a converted garage on Friendship Street, with a view of I-95. Lawrence imports raw beans from single-origin coffee farms around the world, roasts them to order for specific customers and delivers by priority mail in small batches, about half a pound, enough to sustain an average household for a week or 10 days. Any longer, he says, the coffee beans can’t be considered fresh.

“If you toast and brew it properly, it’s a totally different beverage,” said Lawrence, who compares his job to that of a wine steward, helping “clients” identify their tastes and match them to specific beans and roasts.

His analysis of the Presidential Package? The Hawaiian beans have a “chocolatey, nutty taste,” Lawrence said, while the Kenyan beans hint of grapefruit and black currants, sort of “fruity.” He denies that Republican spinmeisters have any influence on his descriptions. “Peregrine tries not to take a political stance,” he said.

Staff writers Bob Warner and Michael Hinkelman contributed to this report.

Have a news tip? Gossip? Suggestion? Contact Bob Warner at warnerb@phillynews.com, call 215-854-5885, or fax 215-854-5910.

Call central casting ask for a picture perfect coffee bean and this is what you get.  These are beautiful beans! The smells are sweet and spicy with buttery chocolate, cinnamon and cardamom.  Once you take a sip of this, you know that it is a special coffee –  it is very balanced, rich and smooth with milk chocolate, a touch of malty-musty-almonds and a citrusy-floral note.  What stands out is the magical mango-juice finish: just as the slightly dry acidity passes, out jumps the mango from side-stage, joined by sweet floral tones reminding one of lavender combined with the soapy sweetness of artichoke’s aftertaste.  Not just a looker, this coffee is a talented star with real depth and complexity: a rarity indeed.

Thanks to our good friend at The Social Grace for thinking of us during her spot on Good Day Philadelphia.

The aroma from the cup is a mix of lemon and traditional coffee tones, with a sweet, funky-meaty-gauva tropical note.  What jumps to mind on first taste is honey-lemon tea, and that is the theme for this exceptional coffee.  The complex citrus blend of bright, fresh lemons and bitter Seville oranges are intertwined in a duet of floral chords and exotic, fragrant honey.  The citric acid bitterness carries through to the finish and surprisingly delivers a very deep smokiness, continuing with florals and fruit.  This acts much more like an assertive tea than a coffee and will reward one with a little sugar, but no milk.

Vote for us and spread the word!

Peregrine Coffee has been nominated in Daily Candy’s 2008 Sweetest Things competition!

Each year, Daily Candy nominates a handful of favorite businesses that have been covered over the course of the year, in the categories of Style, Bite, Nest, Pamper, and Advice.

All the nominees are featured on a Sweetest Things website which collects votes now through January 16th.

Peregrine Coffee has been nominated in the “Nest” category and our entry can be found here:

http://www.dailycandy.com/sweetest_things/2008/philadelphia/nest.jsp

Just click on Peregrine’s write-up to cast a vote for our bespoke coffee service (and forward this link to as many friends as you like…) to help make Peregrine Coffee one of Philadelphia’s newest Sweetest Things!

Thank you so much for your support and enthusiasm throughout the year and as always, Happy Drinking!

Wishing you a Peaceful & Prosperous New Year,

Kevin J. Lawrence
Owner/Roaster

The intense aroma is clearly fruit with sweet florals that run rich and deep, like a stroll through an orchard in bloom. The initial taste of passion fruit and other tropical fruits is what is immediately prominent, with a load of tart acidity. What follows is a wildly complex combination of peach-apricot nectar, honeysuckle and jasmine, with a sweet, grapy-violet note (like what one thinks of when one visualizes Choward’s Violet Candy). Then, there is the forever long, strong finish where the Seville oranges emerge.  This is a rare, unusual and impressive coffee that has a lot in common with a silver-tip Jasmine tea and one will be rewarded by treating it like that in the cup: no milk, maybe a little sugar.

Recommended Brewing Instructions
14g of coffee to 8oz of water
Medium-to-slightly-coarse grid
Single cup drip
200-205 degree water

The smells from the grind to the cup are perfumy-florals that evoke dandelions, a brown sugar sweetness, cocoa-chocolate and a mix of spices: savory and sweet, including a “red-hots” candy artificial cinnamon tone.  The taste is high and bright, with a dominant citrus acidity similar to a tart plum.  Although the scale is definitely tipped toward the bright, this coffee is actually quite balanced between acidic and silky, although it happens in sequence rather than simultaneously.  The combination dusty cocoa and silky chocolate flavors follow quickly as the cup moves into a subtle, long finish.  This is an exceptionally smooth cup.

On grinding and brewing, the aromatics are floral and of baking spices.  In the cup, this is a big coffee with a lot of flavor.  The complex, winey acidity is perfectly balanced with exceptional structure and body.  The thick and creamy mouthfeel carries the berry/fruit acidity straight through the cup.  And as it cools, subtle hints of tart raspberries or pomegranate are drawn out. This is a supremely elegant and sophisticated combination of flavors with a nice dark tone running through the middle. The finish is like a slow trip down a long, winding road.  Fabulous.

Kevin J. Lawrence
Owner/Roaster
kevin@peregrinecoffee.com

Luise Z. Moskowitz
Media Relations
luise@peregrinecoffee.com

(215) 240-4474

If you want to introduce someone to Peregrine, but don’t know if they might prefer a fruity light roasted Kenyan or a chocolatey decaf, a Peregrine gift certificate is the perfect choice.

Peregrine Coffee has two batches available of what is considered by many to be the finest coffee in the world — Esmeralda Special Geisha Lot Number 2, the coffee that commanded the highest price at any auction last year.

Snickers?  Lemonade?  You’ve got to be kidding!  The consensus here is milk chocolate with caramel and nuts mixed with a watery, citrus acidity.  Other layers include apples and a powdery cocoa experience.  We are thrilled to be able to offer this organically grown, artisanal  bean from one of our favorite importers.

“We are enjoying your coffee. The taste is very clean…the beans are excellent.” – JL

“Just wanted to give you some feedback on the coffee you sent.  We loved it!!  It has a great caramel flavor to it that I love.  I also loved how thick it tasted.  We liked the strength of it and the earthiness.” — BK

“I just wanted to tell you that I started with the Brazil Cerrado.  This is a really good coffee and probably the smoothest coffee I have ever had.  What a treat!” – JR

“We can not thank you enough for opening our eyes to the world of Peregrine Coffee.  Everyone enjoyed the tasting immensely…. Thank you for taking the time to educate us on what good coffee can taste like!” – KF

“I’ve just made some of the Costa Rica Santa Lucia Estate and think it is fantastic: the mellow warmth reminds me of the decaf. I think that I really enjoy trying different kinds of tastes and flavours, but ultimately my favourites are the absolute classic coffees, which are surprisingly hard to find in this era of Starbucks roast-everything-to-death coffee.” –SN

“It tasted like really, really yummy coffee to me.  I loved it — it’s going to be a wonderful addition to my list of gifts for friends and family.  Keep up the good work!” – JP

“And let me tell ya — he made a pot of the decaf this morning, and he was ecstatic.  He said that it tasted like dark chocolate! No bitterness at all.” — CL

“Wow. That is really good coffee.  So smooth.” – MP

“Your 2008 meritage espresso blend has been everything you described and I have really enjoyed it for cappuccini.” – JF

“The coffee is great!” – LT

“I have also really enjoyed last month’s Costa Rican, which is probably my favourite so far. In fact we had people over for dinner a few weeks back, and I made it after dinner and everyone was really raving about it.” – S

“We loved it! Kevin was so informative, and since I drink about 6 gallons of coffee a day, this was a very welcome treat! We’re probably going to be your best customers!” – ML

“WOW!!!!!!  That was, No Doubt, the BEST coffee I have EVER had. Wicked good. Not to mention the best decaf by EVEN triply further.” – AL

“The coffee was delicious!” — AR

“Unusually for me, I am having the second cup black because I am enjoying it so much.” – SN

“We are very happy with our brews.” — C

“I am still singing at how good the Colombian decaf is (ie, the best coffee I had ever had, let alone the best Decaf).” — A

“We are both enjoying the Matalapa. It is so smooth, light, and rich in flavor. ” — RS

“I’m hooked on the Brazil.” — ML

“That Kenya Amukui was something to taste!  So complex and delicious.” — KF

“Serious thank you for such grand coffee…” — AL

“The coffee has been extremely enjoyable. (You guys have excellent customer service, btw).” — DT

“The La Laguna was most excellent!” — BK

“He enjoyed his gift and tells all his gourmet coffee drinking friends about how great the coffee is…It was wonderful — the perfect gift for the man who is impossible to buy for!!!”  – BA

“Wow, that Moki’s Farm rocked!” — A

“Thanks for the espresso….it’s wonderful!” — NK

“Keep the delicious coffee coming!” — CC

“Hi Kevin, had your coffee (Tanzania) this weekend, nice!” — AC

“Your espresso was amazing! — ES

“So tasty! — TR

“Thanks as always for your excellent product and superb service!” — AL

“Your coffee is the sh**!” — JW

“Thanks so much for the special coffee.  Love the tasting notes!” — JG

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Yum!!!” — LJ

“The El Salvador is TERRIFIC!” – JR

“The coffee is, as expected, outstanding!” – SH

“We love your coffee!” – SJ

“Your coffee is unbelievable. The Laguna is amazing.” – MM

“That was the best coffee I’ve ever had.  I could smell it brewing throughout the house.” – SM

“That’s really good coffee.” GL

“Thanks again for such splendid stuff!!” – AL

“Yes, it was excellent!” – RL

“We love your coffee!” – DT

Sometimes the first sip of a new coffee makes us giddy. The complexity in this bean is astounding. The tasting notes read like a Sauterne or a top notch Washington Riesling. Apricots and peaches abound. Smells like wild strawberries had a fling with the raspberry bush and that combo is what emerges on first sip. There is a lot of acidity but not in a sour or tart way — very crisp. The finish is extremely long and fruity. Extremely limited quantity.

Funky, fun and fresh! Hold on to your seat, this is about as bizarre as it gets for coffee!  This bean reveals leather, tobacco and some slight bittersweet tones. There are subtle spices like cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg that creep in the finish, especially as it cools. In addition to a distinct pungent aroma, the roasted beans smell like peanut butter.