the only beans i saw at joes at grand central were in bags marked joes, not ecco; did i just miss them

They're all marked Joe's -- the silver packaging is expressly for them and has their branding. But if you read the labeling, it is roasted by Ecco.

Doug,
Thanks for the clarification. It sure would be nice to see the Ecco beans up in Vancouver along with the Intelligentsia that Wicked Cafe bring in. I'm here in Portland and visited Barista this afternoon, Billy mentioned that he's not serving the Ecco but that a fresh batch of beans are arriving Friday afternoon so at least I'll have plenty to take home to over caffinate with.

CGP4 wrote:They're all marked Joe's -- the silver packaging is expressly for them and has their branding. But if you read the labeling, it is roasted by Ecco.

but it doesnt taste like the ecco coffee i get by mail and the coffees in the bag are different from the beans at the ecco website

Doug Zell wrote:So here is the deal. Ecco is now working with Intelligentsia. What does this mean? Well, you'll get the same great coffees that Ecco has always offered with a bit more muscle, support, and training resources where ever Ecco coffee is available. Think of it as a collaboration between winemakers or chefs and you'll get the right idea. If you have any more specific questions, feel free to contact me at dzell@intelligentsiacoffee.com.

Kind regards,

Doug Zell
Founder/CEO
Intelligentsia Coffee

I think that's great news and is a logical partnership. "Win-win" is typically a corporate-speak warm 'n fuzzy term that's about as meaningful as "synergy" but in this particular instance I think it's a totally apt description.

Regarding roast dates, went into Joe's just a couple of days ago to buy beans, and only asked how fresh after they were weighed, poured, and bagged -- was only getting 1/4 lb. Very upset to hear, 10/14. Not sure that was the freshest they had, though.

Anyway, the barista could see my look of distress, and said the coffee they're now using for espresso takes longer to hit its stride, and that actually, 2 weeks out, it's just now hitting it's peak.

I was skeptical, but out of beans and desperate. I'll get through the 1/4 in about a week.

What do you think? Could this new blend really be at its best so far past the roast date?

malachi wrote:Anyone visit yet?
Photos? Reports?

I visited their Upper West Side shop today. It's practically in my neighborhood . The Ecco blend shots were very sweet, very chocolaty, with some echos of herbal undertones. It hits you in the finish. A crowd pleaser I'm sure and a welcome improvement over their previous blend (Barrington).

Pictures below

(OT) Welcome back, Abe

hey Jim, I missed you dude. I've never left completely, just changed orbit.

Thanks for weighing in. Coffees with a roast date of October 18th were from the inaugural order/ shipment. Yes, it's early and we're diligently working on improving logistics and inventory. Coffee is shipped from Ecco to Joe via UPS 2 day service. Freshness should be optimal upon arrival. In the case of the Joe Espresso, the beans greatly benefit in resting for 5 to 9 days before preparing. Joe has been serving an espresso blend that features a special sourced Ecco prep natural (from legendary producer, Gabriel Carvalho Dias's Fazenda Cachoeira, a repeat Brazil Cup of Excellence award-winning farm. Fazenda Cachoeira has also received 1st place honors in the Illy Competition). The other component is a phenomenally sweet and balanced Guatemala La Soledad. The blend will continue to evolve with the arrival of spectacular in season /new crop coffees. Stay tuned as great things are in store for Joe and Ecco. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions by e-mail at andrew@eccocaffe.com.