Coffee coffee coffee coffee!!

After a long hike through the hills of Berkeley Hugo and I desperately needed our fix of caffeine-fuel. We were directed (by Google) to the closest local coffee shop: Cole Coffee on College Ave in Berkeley.

I ordered the Kenya Peaberry iced coffee, which is a smokey and complex coffee with good acidity. A medium roast with a sweeter edge on the palate, it was completely drinkable sans-sugar and sans-milk. I chose this particular coffee (over my usual espresso-themed drink choices) because of my love of the rare peaberry bean. Also, since we just finished hiking through Strawberry Canyon, I found it appropriate to stay consistent with the theme of things that had “berry” in the name (even though I saw no berries).

Peaberry, also known as caracoli, is a type of coffee bean that occurs from natural mutation within the fruit/cherry. Normally the cherry of a coffee plant contains two seeds (the beans) that develop together, with one of their sides becoming flattened, looking as if it was cut in half. However, about 5% of the time, only one of the two seeds is fertilized, and this single seed develops with nothing to flatten it. This gives it an oval (or pea-shaped) bean known as a peaberry. They tend to be smaller, denser, a little sweeter and more flavorful than the average bean.

Hugo ordered the also-delicious hot Colombian Organic Fair-Trade roast, which was a classic French Roast, smooth with rich flavor. I think he just ordered this one because he’s Colombian and knows how great things from Colombia can be; obviously biased.