Cafe Balcony-Siphon Specialists

Every so often, I get a chance to venture into one of my favorite coffee places with my oldest daughter. She likes the baked goods and the chance to play on my computer with the free Wi-Fi and I of course like to sample the coffee.

This was certainly the case yesterday as we ventured into Cafe Balcony in West Los Angeles. I have been there numerous times and have even mentioned it in previous posts. I wanted the day to be a special opportunity to focus on what this particular cafe does best...Siphon Coffee. To understand this process of coffee brewing, I highly recommend you check out some of the links that will be located at the end of this post.

For now, the focus will be on two different cups of coffee being reviewed today, Guatemala Huehuetenango and Kenya AA. I picked these merely for my preference for a brighter cup. This is especially important, in my opinion, in light of the siphon brewing method being used here at Cafe Balcony. This process is ultra clean and the notes exhibited in the brighter coffees seem to come out especially well using this method.

I began with the Guatemala Huehuetenango. As I anticipated, this was a clean cup overall. This particular coffee tends to be higher in acidity relative to the body of the cup. Interesting enough, the description made reference to notes of orange, cocoa and cinnamon. I am not sure why, but the orange was barely a hint and I really didn't get cocoa or cinnamon. I had to almost convince myself that it was there to notice it. I would be interested to know when and for how long the coffee had been roasted. That certainly would provide one source of explanation. Regardless, this was an enjoyable cup, but really because of a more earthly kind of taste and not because I actually tasted the notes that were used in the description.

Next came the Kenya AA Kirinyaga. Kenyas are typically my favorite coffee overall. I always look forward to the bright, fruity, wine-like flavor that comes with a Kenya. In this instance, the Kenya delivered better in the cup then the Guatemala. It was well-balanced, fuller in body (as it should) and had a tea like quality, rather than a wine quality to it. Since I only had time to sample two items, it was nice to end on the higher of the two notes. This was enjoyable to me, most notably because of a fuller body, creating a nice balanced cup.

Overall, I really enjoy Cafe Balcony. From the moment you walk into the store, you are welcomed with diverse indy music, eclectic decor and hip baristas behind the counter. I know that Ray the owner takes his coffee seriously. It is not uncommon for him to roast his own beans and serve something off of the menu. Typically, however, he uses Rocky Roasters in Canoga Park, CA to supply his beans. Honestly, he might consider pursuing other options. Rocky's is not bad, it is just not at all great. Considering he is using such a great brewing process in the siphon method, he really would benefit from serving either his own roasts or the roast of another vendor. I think the difference would really show in the cup. At $3.00-$5.00 per cup, the coffee should be spectacular.

Regardless, I am loyal to this local coffeehouse. We need more places like Cafe Balcony throughout the city of Los Angeles. When you do get a chance to drop by, definitely give one of the siphon coffees a whirl. It is really the focus and highlight of this coffee establishment.

It is what it is!

Siphon Coffee link:

http://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/siphoncoffee