Before I get started, I will add a small disclaimer. Large chains are out of the running. That means in the course of this blog there will be a distinct lack of Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, and Dunkin Donuts. While there is nothing wrong with these places for your coffee fix if they are your only options, we here in the DC area are fortunate to have a wealth of independent coffee shops for our caffeine needs. These are the places I will be reviewing.
Disclaimer two: I will be reviewing unflavored beverages only in my quest. This is the best way to determine the true quality of the coffee served, and not the flavorings added. The advantage to those of you preferring flavored iced coffees is that a solid basic iced coffee usually means you can't go wrong with their other iced beverages as well.
My journey begins in Arlington, VA, at several of the local coffee haunts. Over the next several days, I will be reveiwing these locations. Today, I will be reviewing the following coffee shops/cafés for their ices coffee offerings:
-Rappahannock Coffee
-Oby Lee
-Northside Social
-Boccato
Ok, so let's get underway!
First up is Rappahannock Coffee.
Rappahannock has a wonderful distinction separating it from the other coffee houses and cafes in Arlington. It is the ONLY non-chain coffee house available to south Arlington residents. I'm not really sure why this is, but this will keep Rappahannock in demand and keep it a popular hangout at least until some other competition roles into the area. Those of you living in south Arlington that like a coffee house that roasts its own beans have probably been here at least a few times before.
They offer all of the typical coffee house drinks and have an assortment of pastries as well as salads and sandwiches. Rappahanock is open from 7 AM to 7 PM and is located along the busy Columbia Pike corridor, about a mine and a half from the Pentagon. If you don't have a car and still want to experience this coffee house it is easily accessible by bus, both ART and Metro bus, with a bus stop right in front of the shop.
Now, onto the review:
I went in on a weekday during the day and had the experience of seeing the place relatively empty. Not a good sign, but then, I've walked past it on a Saturday or Sunday morning, and it is quite packed. I ordered the iced coffee and was served with a smile. I don't know about you guys, but I always seem to enjoy my coffee more when it is served with a smile. Maybe it's silly, but that's just how I am. My first impression was that the coffee was pretty strong. Not the strongest I've ever had, but if you like a more mellow cuppa, I could make a better recommendation. I asked my server how the coffee was brewed and she was unable to tell me. Very odd when you consider that she must have done it herself? Or had it been done by the owner or another server in the morning and sitting all day in the fridge? Not exactly the greatest impression there. That said, it seemed to be a very caffeinated brew. I noticed the caffeine buzz hit me right away. This makes me think that if you need a quick pick-me-up in the morning, since the caffeine here hits you fast, this iced coffee could be a great choice. Flavorwise, it had a slight note of cocoa and caramel. But primarily it had the taste of a strong, black brew. If that's what you want, then this is the coffee for you. It lacks any subtlety in my opinion, and hits you strong. From my own perspective, I've had many a better iced coffees, but this was certainly not the worst I've ever had either.
Next up is Oby Lee Winery and Coffee Shop. Oby Lee is a new addition to the independent coffee house scene in Arlington. Located in Clarendon, on Washington Boulevard, it USED to be a popular shop in Rehobeth Beach. Oby Lee is in fact, the owner of the place. As many of you know, Rehobeth is a popular summer destination for DC denizens who enjoyed his coffee shop so much that they asked him to bring it closer to home. Well he did, and as of this summer, Arlingtonians can easily enjoy all of his house roasted coffees and wonderful crepes. There are also a variety of sandwiches and salads and pastries/sweets to choose from. In the evening it becomes a trendy wine bar. The wine bar isn't really my scene, but Oby brews some wonderful coffee, both hot and cold, so I try to stop by from time to time.
Oby and his staff are wonderful.. You can ask them about the coffee and wine, get recommendations, and I presume this holds true for their food selections as well (I've yet to try anything). Oby Lee is still working to build a strong customer base, but those it has already cultivated are strongly loyal.
Oby is really enthusiastic about his iced coffee, and he uses a very authentic cold-process method to produce his coffee. It brews into an extremely dark color, but doesn't, in my opinion, taste like any generic dark brew. In fact, it has a very nice caramel and cocoa edge to it that is the main flavor. It almost tastes creamy in a way too. I can't quite put a finger on it, but it has a smooth flavor that is not harsh. Cold-processed coffees tend to be less acidic than hot brewed, so that is probably what gives his iced coffee far less bitter undertones than a lot of the competition. The caffeine also doesn't hit you right away, so it takes a bit to feel the effects. I think this is quite nice, but if you want the coffee for the immediate rush, maybe this isn't the brew for you. For those that favor iced espresso, you can also get any espresso beverage iced, including the Americano.
Just a bit further north on Washington Boulevard, on the northern edge of Clarendon is Northside Social Coffee & Wine. Northside Social has an upstairs area that becomes a wine bar every evening starting at five pm except for Sundays. Unlike both Rappahannock and Oby Lee, Northside Social does NOT roast their own beans. Instead, they serve Counter Culture Coffee. Counter Culture is a wonderful coffee company that serves high quality beans, but we all know that just as important as the roasting is the brewing, which of course, Northside Social does in spades. So how does their iced coffee stack up to the rest of the competition?
Northside Social is pretty crowded any day of the week, at all hours. It is a popular hangout for people who work in the local offices looking for their caffeine fix and students with their laptops working on papers. If you like that sort of atmosphere, then you would like Northside Social. I've had a friend or two tell me that their constant stream of traffic is both a blessing and a curse however. Because they serve so much coffee day in and day out, their brewing consistency is usually spot on. You're unlikely to get a different tasting cup of coffee each time you go in (if you have a regular beverage of choice at least). Especially with their iced brews. However, many people know the difference between an iced coffee and iced Americano. I've gone in a few times, ordered an iced coffee and recieved an iced Americano instead. Annoying, no?
However, they brew a delightful iced coffee that hits quick with the caffeine, but doesn't overpower. The caffeine hits strong with their iced brew. In fact, I would say that their caffeine content is higher than many of the other iced coffees I have tried. This might be a bit off-putting to some who might find the content a bit much. But the flavor is not dark or overpowering in the same way that the caffeine content might be to some. I find the flavor to be typically coffee but with a very distinct note of floral and honey-like sweetness, even on its own. This can be quite nice for a change of pace for the field which is full of heavy, dark iced coffee brews.
Last on the list for my first review is Boccato Gelato & Espresso. I've been to Boccato several times, to have gelato, and it's very good! However, I only recently experienced my first taste of any sort of coffee beverage at their shop. Like Northside Social, Boccato does not roast their own beans. But of course, as was said, the brew is just as important as the roast. As is implied by their name, espresso is the spcialty of the house. However, they offer several regular coffee beverages. Of course, one of these is a wonderful iced coffee.
According to the server who I spoke to, they use a Columbian coffee for their iced brew. The brew was not the usual dark chocolate brown color I'm used to seeing with most iced coffees. It was a much lighter hickory brown shade. And the flavor reflected the lighter color as well. The flavor was almost mocha-like and had a bit of sweetness to it. The coffee was not sludgey, it's flavor was not dark at all. It was, however, a bit higher in acid and it showed. This is because, according to the server I spoke with, they use a hot brewing method. They brew it at double strength and then pour the cup half-full with the resulting brew and dilute the other half with cold water. This keeps the flavor at a normal level. However, any coffee that is hot brewed, will usually exhibit more acidic properties than cold-brewed coffees.
That's it for now. Stay tuned, and I'll bring you more reviews as I go along and taste more coffees from more local coffee shops.
I'll also be talking about local tea shops and offerings in addition to the coffee talk. For those of us passionate about either, I hope you'll find a home here. Enjoy!
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