Central Kansas Craft Coffee

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Most academics will argue that oil is man’s most important industrial liquid, powering the economy and mobility of 8 billion people. However, I believe that this liquid pales in importance when compared to another black liquid: coffee. Coffee is a strange product. It tastes terrible when you first try it but then becomes essential to functioning as a normal human being shortly after. Coffee addiction can rival heroin addiction. Coffee addicts have propelled Starbucks, essentially the purveyor of sugar water, into a $105 billion global empire with stores on every continent except Antarctica. When humanity operates a base on Mars, there will inevitably be a Starbucks there.

Over the past 2 months, I have been grinding the beans and perhaps been over caffeinated by several local roasters including Buckskin Road of Inman, KS, Sand Creek of Moundridge, KS and Pennant of McPherson, KS. All of these ventures have made the bold decision to open coffee roasters in central Kansas, a region not known for its independent craft coffee. However, all three roast beans that put the products of faceless corporate entities like Starbucks to shame. 

Before we begin, a few notes. I am a red-blooded American and take my coffee or espresso black. No lattes, Frappuccino’s, or soy milk concoctions here. I also have limited ability to differentiate between coffees. But that same limitation didn’t stop me from reviewing local restaurants. I remember fondly drinking slightly burnt, Folgers coffee on frigid mornings in the remote high desert of Southwest Wyoming, where I worked for 2 years. For me, drinking coffee is a utilitarian exercise, similar to changing the oil in a car. However, with practice, I was able to detect some differences between various beans. These are my findings.

Buckskin Road Coffee Roastery - Inman, KS 

I ordered 3 bags of beans from Buckskin Road’s online store, including 1 bag of espresso beans that was inadvertently ground and served in a standard coffee maker. After a near-death caffeination and period of withdrawal, the espresso, prepared properly, turned my central Kansas home into an Italian cafe. I also got regular Kenya and Peru beans. I would rename the Kenyan bean “The Heart of Darkness”, but nobody is asking for my coffee marketing advice. It is bold and dark, and you will love it if you enjoy strong coffee. The Peru bean from Buckskin Road was particularly smooth and its mild aftertaste suited my mom’s finely tuned digestive system.

Sand Creek Coffee Roastery - Moundridge, KS

I also ordered 3 bags of beans online from Sand Creek Coffee Roastery in Inman: beans from Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, and Guatemala. The Tanzania bean is darker, and will really get you going in the morning. The Papua New Guinea bean is bold and packs a wallop, like the impact of a spear from the aboriginal tribes that inhabit the Pacific Island. And the Guatemala bean is smooth with notes of cocoa, the Hershey’s milk chocolate of coffees. 

Pennant Coffee Roasters - McPherson, KS

 I ordered 3 bags of beans from Pennants website: the Low and Slow blend, the Mighty blend, and Finca La Riviera. There was nothing Low and Slow about my behavior after drinking the dark mix of beans from Brazil and Ethiopia. From the description "For those who prefer a darker cup, we think Low & Slow will fit your taste perfectly. We roasted this blend just dark enough to bring out the comforting flavors of dark chocolate, toasted walnut, and black cherry, without adding any bitter, 'roasty' flavor." I don’t know about notes of chocolate and walnut, but it was tasty. The Mighty blend is also a mix from Brazil and Ethiopia but is lighter. Finca La Riviera is a light bean from Colombia.

For me, the last two months have been a caffeine-fueled surge of productivity. I coded a mobile app (get it now - FREE!) and formed a legal entity for my budding digital media startup. I credit the local coffee. You too can experience these benefits, order some local coffee from the Internet or visit several local grocers that stock these beans (including Krehbiels and Sunflower Mercantile in McPherson). And when we inevitably do colonize Mars, hopefully your children or their children can bring some authentic Kansas Earth coffee beans to brew.

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