Hi Gary, Ron Kyle is the founder of RK Drums. He is no longer with us, passed away about 3-4 years ago I believe.... The website is www.rkdrums.com

Thanks for the question, I hadn't gone to the website in a long time. It looks like they have updated the site and there is a ton of info there. They now make a 8 lb drum!

I am going to go check it out for some tips........ back soon.....

Another coffee review, Henry's roast of Aceh Gold. This is a Sumatran, looks like Full City+ with the silverskin in the creases mostly darkened but no oil on the surface. It's slightly sweet, smoky bitter roast flavor, a moderate amount of molasses. As it rests on my tongue, a taste of walnuts emerges and then some sweetness and slight bitterness at the sides and front of the tongue. I would find it more balanced if a little less roasted, which I'm guessing might allow more of a sour mid-range and eliminate the smoky bitterness that might otherwise have been more sweetness. This will be a very nice coffee for cream and sugar (in my case, soy creamer). And that's not a dig at it. It's a clean Sumatran without the earthy flavor people often mention. Prep was AeroPress, medium heat (sorry, didn't measure), 1 1/3 scoops to 1 cup water, stirred 10 seconds and then pressed through.

Coffee review: El Salvador Bourbon, FC+. Prepared in AeroPress, 1 scoop to 1 cup water at moderate temperature. Distinct but not overwhelming bitters from the start. As it cools it's sweet, with bitters, dark chocolate, grape and wine, a hint of peanut. All but the first two are subtle. A peanut aftertaste comes forward as it cools further. Flavors round out with molasses a bit cooler and bitters recede somewhat. Leather/tobacco tries to come through but has been greatly reduced by the darker roast so figuratively this is a coffee roasted toward the violet end of the spectrum but not overdone. With further cooling a hint of pleasing sourness comes through but there's also ashiness for the first time and then an aftertaste of caramel. I can see why people start to home roast to discover the characteristics of a coffee. I would be interested to know how the bitters would taste as a lighter roast. Would they be spicy? Would there be a hint of florals? At room temperature the flavors combine into a mild smokiness. It's medium-bodied, only slightly syrupy at this dose.

I pulled it as espresso to see how it might do in a blend. Didn't have much time to play with it other than to find it low acid, medium body, mildly sweet. At 18gm, 27 sec, 200F yielding 3/4 oz as ristretto pull (what my Amica seems to like), the bitters recede a lot and there's some mild astringency in the crema. I can see how it might lend do well with updosing.

I can't think of anything better! Perhaps making it annual!

Kind of a sad day......, I pulled the last shot of my Mr. Espresso Neopolitain blend after finally getting it dailed in to where I thought it tasted like when Luigi made it for me at the Shop. I guess I will have to get some next time I come down for a get-together..... It was fun to dail in a Traditional blend for a baseline.

Recently paid a visit to Sightglass for the first time. Their Owl's Howl blend was a bit on the salty side (perhaps due to the quality of the pull) but otherwise tasted fine.

Do any fellow 415ers know of coffee-related shows/events/conventions that take place out here?

The Good Foods Awards includes coffee, with some controversy about the coffee selection process; local and organic are I believe the issues.