Coffee desert no more, Baltimore is blessed with many a caffeine oasis. We regularly indulge in the creamy cortado steamed at Johnny’s and the deep-mug satisfaction poured at Atwater’s. Here we highlight a few cups that stand out for their sheer audacity. Take a slug:
Rusty’s Sea Salt Massaged Ka’u
Spro, the tiny Hampden coffeehouse that serves up big flavor and long waits, now lists a cup that is also remarkably expensive. The $15 ka’u, brewed in a vac pot straight out of chemistry class, relies on beans that have been salt-rubbed during fermentation. Spro’s crib notes suggest it gives off “notes of pineapple, cherry and grape that lingers with a tannic, cabernet sauvignon type finish.” Our early morning taste buds didn’t catch all that, but we did savor the smooth sipping, salt-tinged taste, and whiff of the sea. It’s like waking up on the beach.
Siphon Brewed
At Starbucks’ spacious new lounge in the Inner Harbor, you can order a $10 siphon-brewed cup that calls for seven minutes of preparation on a halogen-powered burner, 90 seconds of steeping and precisely four stirs. Our cup, brewed from 22 grams of Tanzania kimuli reserve beans, drew a crowd and delivered a gulp that was very hot and very light-bodied. Also light on flavor. On the upside, you don’t get that nasty post-coffee throat coat.