My year in Coffee - Maps Coffee Cadence Blend

Maps Coffee is located inside a custom bike store in Lenexa KS.  That's important because the owner/roaster - Vincent - is someone who lives his passion and it shows in his coffee  He can tell you about the coffee and the roasting process and the roaster he uses.  It's really fascinating and I plan to sign up for his guest roast with my son as soon as we can coordinate schedules.

I've been picking up a bag of blend at the same time as a single origin.  Blends are usually coffees the the roasters have combined to achieve their own idea of perfection.  When someone really knows coffee he or she will know what works together and be able to give you a combination that is better than the individual parts.

I had looked over some of the blends on the website and was leaning towards the cadence blend.  I asked the young man who helped us what his favorite blend was and he said Cadence, so that cemented my choice.  I also chose a bag of Ethiopian Sidamo which gets it's own review.

Cadence is a blend of medium roasted Latin American coffees.  Perfect for drinking anytime, anywhere.  That's what the bag says.  :-)  It's also a 16oz bag, not a 12oz  which I'm seeing less and less often these days.

Cadence is a very smooth and relaxed coffee.  A great coffee for the morning.  Right now it's one of my favorites to have with breakfast.  It has a nice body with a brightness, but not too bitey or sharp.  It's very balanced.    There is a sweetness to it, but not overly sweet like a dessert coffee.  Hints of spice and cocoa with a little bit of a nutty taste.

Vincent means it when he says come talk coffee.  He worked at Starbucks for 18 (I think that's what he said) years and now roasts his own.  He knows his coffee and can explain the science behind the art.  He also said "bikes are freedom" and his love for them is evident in the beautiful creations around the shop.  Anyone who lives his passions like Vincent does is fascinating and their love always shows through into the product.  I really enjoyed talking to him & learning about his roaster.  It's a Loring Falcon 15k and is really a beautiful machine.    My older son & I will eventually get a chance to do a Guest Roast  - if you're in the area give it a try.  I'm thinking of it as my mid year birthday celebration.  My birthday is Dec. 21 and it's hard to get people to do anything that close to Christmas, so I celebrate some other point during the year.    A guest roast would be a wonderful way to do my birthday!