Sammy Piccolo and $15 Coffee (Caffe Artigiano Calgary)

Sammy Piccolo on Global National News on Friday Feb 22, presenting some of Artigiano's last bit of the Panama Hacienda Esmeralda Speciale Auction Lot coffee, that sells for $15 a cup. Of course, that was the main focus of this newscast, instead of Artigiano coming to Calgary.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Sammy
• Piccolo
• coffee
• Caffe
• Artigiano
• Calgary
• Panama
• Hacienda
• Esmeralda
• espresso
• cafe

[CoffeeGeek]

I'm not about to get into a prolonged pissing match with you, but FYI, yes I've tried Kopi Luwak - six different years in fact. A 5lb consignment of it came my way back in 2000, and in several years since, my professional opinion has been asked about it (with samples provided) both by marketers and media over the years. At best, it's a mid-70s point coffee, not even specialty grade in terms of taste or quality.

It's a gimmick coffee, and nothing more.

[bmwsux4]

I always thought kopi luwak coffee was supposed to be the "best" and have a price that reflected it?

[CoffeeGeek]

Kopi Luwak is a gimmick coffee, and also, there's no way to prove the "kopi luwak" you buy is really that coffee. Only 1500-2000lbs are produced a year, but about 5,000-10,000 lbs are "sold". It also tastes pretty mediocre.

Stick with coffees that international juries of respected coffee people choose as the top coffees, not something that has a gimmick or flashy brand name (hint - Jamaican Blue Mountain ain't all that).

[MatusKundrat]

I personally would never by a $15 cup of coffee, and trust me I am very picking on what kind of coffee I drink. But that's just way to much, no matter how good it is or who makes it. Plus do they make it in a plunger?

[CoffeeGeek]

I think a $15 coffee is excessive too, but it's basically a "point to be made" that sometimes, we should think of culinary coffees like we do think of wine.

Mind you, I've been drinking (and paying for) some spectacular $6 coffees (12oz brewed) at Caffe Artigiano in the last few months - their #1 Cup of Excellence El Salvador, brewed on the clover. And it's divine!

[CoffeeFromPanama]

Well you don't have to pay $15 a cup for exceptional coffee. We will be carrying three Geisha coffees (green and roasted) in August 2011. La Esmeralda, Don Pachi (who brought the geisha coffee bean to Panama) and Elida. The Elida we have is the only 50#s in the US this year out of 150#s. The other 100 went to Japan.

[monkfan72]

The reporter didn't even get a whole cup! Boo!

[wheely132]

i would pay $15 for it.

[fodera6]

Ignorance is bliss. I regularly pay upwards of $10-15 per glass for very fine wines at Terroir in the East Village. I don't see how asking $15 is too much for super specialty beans prepared by a world-class barista like Sammy.

The real gimmick is the bar in Manhattan selling a $10K martini. It's got a diamond in it (that you pick out beforehand). Lame.

[luongdung]

I would pay $15 for a professional cup of espresso, but not for a french press.

[bmwsux4]

Coffeegeek:

Did you find a little piece of poo in the poo coffee? ;)

I personally have tasted kopi luwak and found it to be good.

What most people dont realize [maybe you do] is that there are 2 kinds of luwak coffee. most is "made" from the robusta beans; while the higher quality of course is "made" from arabica beans. Thats cool if you dont like it, just saying that like a car dealer everyone claims they are the 'BEST'.

I guess you will have to try them to find what you like.