Smooth Velouria Espresso
I just discovered the recently-opened Velouria Espresso in Jamaica Plain via this subscribers-only article in the Atlantic. Velouria marks the latest arrival in the single-origin coffee movement pioneered by George Howell. In a nutshell, the idea of single-origin coffee beans is that if beans are identified with a particular region (or even particular grower), the farmers will have more incentive to distinguish themselves. Ultimately, coffee beans will be known like fine wines, and the best growers will earn premium prices (thus bringing even more money to underdeveloped areas than coffee sold as fair-trade). Flatblack Coffee Company, near my office, operates under similar principles. More details in this episode of On Point with George Howell.
Velouria distinguishes itself with its focus on brewed coffee rather than espresso (although they have plenty of that as well). The shop features the “Clover” coffee machine (“Bring out the subtle nuances of all of your coffees through complete, independent control of all of the important brew parameters: grind size, dose, water temperature, and contact time.”)
I got a cappucino and a single-origin Kenyan coffee made with the Clover Machine. (Actually, two distinct single-origin Kenyan coffees, which Steve surreptitiously swapped on me while I wasn’t looking). They were all excellent.
My cappucino started with a little foam heart in the crema:
Amazingly, even when it was finished, the heart was still faintly visible:
Steve enjoyed his espresso as well:
Velouria has no website that I could find. it’s at 389 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02131. Beware the Yelp page as it has inaccurate hours information — just call them at (617) 522-2400 if you’re wondering if they’re open.
Now if we could only get a place like this in one of the vacant storefronts in Roslindale…
[tags]Coffee, espresso, flatblack, single origin, velouria espresso, Boston[/tags]
Steve Laniel Nov 18
1) That’s not a bad photo of *moi*!
2) It combines my curmudgeonly aspects with my earth-quakingly good looks.
3) I’ve got a scowl on that money can’t buy. Only staring directly into the sun can buy it.
Steve Laniel Mar 20
That Atlantic article is no longer subscriber-only as it turns out.
Jennifer May 18
I have to admit, I’m not a major coffee drinker and I didn’t hear about the Clover until the news from Starbucks came out. Luckily, I’m in Cambridge and after getting to Cafe Grumpy too late on a weekend night, I got my first cup of Clover coffee from Starbucks at Harvard Square. Wow. Anyhow, I had to find the “original” Clover in these parts and today, I finally managed to get out there on a bike. I tried the Deterra from Brazil and it was fantastic. I was a little too shy to engage the man behind the counter (was that the owner?) about the Clover and what he thought about Starbucks buying it and all. Maybe next time. I plan on bringing my friend from NYC there in two weeks. But, what do you think about the whole Starbucks-buying-Clover-thing? I’d love to hear your opinion on this site that is starting to discuss the Starbucks-Clover merger. (www.squidoo.com/starbucks_clover in case the html didn’t work.)