PHILADELPHIA, PA  February 2, 2009 – All of a sudden, people are talking coffee.  Superb small-batch roasters are spreading out across the country.  Coffee “cupping” is the new wine tasting.  Food and coffee pairings are the current curiosity on boutique menus.  In Philadelphia, Peregrine Coffee (http://www.peregrinecoffee.com) is adding something new to the brew with its full bespoke coffee service.

“Bespoke coffee means coffee sourced, stored, and roasted to order to suit your particular palate,” explains Peregrine Owner/Roaster Kevin Lawrence.  “If people care enough to grind and brew their own coffee at home, they should be drinking something they really love, something chosen and roasted just for them and supplied whenever they want it – that’s what we do here at Peregrine.  Just think of me as a coffee sommelier.”

Lawrence began roasting coffee six years ago when his coffee maker broke and he started to research what it would take to brew a better cup.  He soon discovered that the magic of great coffee lay in the fresh roasted beans, and began to experiment at home, moving to progressively more sophisticated roasters as his skill grew.  By June 2008, he was ready to launch Peregrine Coffee.

When Lawrence started roasting his own beans he was amazed by what really fresh coffee tastes like.  “There is no bitterness, no sourness, and the range of flavors in beans from different parts of the world is astounding – who knew coffee could taste like blueberries?  I wanted to share my discoveries with everyone who loves coffee as much as I do.”

Peregrine Coffee is the way he does that, by showcasing a carefully chosen selection of single-origin and single-estate coffees, roasted to order through the online store, and by providing his unique bespoke service.

This is how the bespoke service works: The first step is a tasting, which can be booked through the free “bespoke coffee for the curious palate” option in Peregrine online store.  In the Philadelphia area, customers can come to Lawrence’s roast shop in Northeast Philadelphia, or he will bring coffee samples to homes or workplaces.  In addition to tasting coffee, Lawrence discusses other sorts of flavor preferences with prospective clients – when ordering dessert, do you always go for chocolate or lean toward the berry option?  Do you prefer white wine or red?   Do you drink coffee first thing in the morning, with meals or only after dinner?

The client’s responses help build their personal coffee flavor profile, which Lawrence uses to source the perfect beans for that particular customer’s palate.  After the tasting, Lawrence prepares a proposal outlining several different selections he thinks the customer will enjoy.  He then purchases the green beans, stores them for the customer’s use alone, and roasts them to their specifications on demand.  Bespoke orders are priced according to the individual coffees chosen and the amount desired (once-a-week for six months, a year’s worth, etc.) with minimum purchases beginning at $45.

Customers outside of the Philly area can purchase a Peregrine Pack ($9.25), which provides whole bean samples of three distinct Peregrine coffees.  From there Lawrence follows up by phone or email to discuss the flavors sampled and hone in more precisely on the customer’s taste preferences.  Peregrine Coffee can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. and abroad.  The company also custom-roasts coffee to complement the specific flavors of a wedding cake, or to go with any specialized menu.

“People are staying home more, cooking at home more,” points out Lawrence.  “You may not be able to afford the vintage Bordeaux this year, but you can treat yourself and your guests to your own custom coffee for a fraction of that price.  It’s an affordable luxury for coffee drinkers who want to explore just how good their own coffee can be.”

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CONTACT: Luise Z. Moskowitz
luise@peregrinecoffee.com
(215) 240-4474

The smells from the grind to the cup are perfumy-florals that evoke dandelions, a brown sugar sweetness, cocoa-chocolate and a mix of spices: savory and sweet, including a “red-hots” candy artificial cinnamon tone.  The taste is high and bright, with a dominant citrus acidity similar to a tart plum.  Although the scale is definitely tipped toward the bright, this coffee is actually quite balanced between acidic and silky, although it happens in sequence rather than simultaneously.  The combination dusty cocoa and silky chocolate flavors follow quickly as the cup moves into a subtle, long finish.  This is an exceptionally smooth cup.

On grinding and brewing, the aromatics are floral and of baking spices.  In the cup, this is a big coffee with a lot of flavor.  The complex, winey acidity is perfectly balanced with exceptional structure and body.  The thick and creamy mouthfeel carries the berry/fruit acidity straight through the cup.  And as it cools, subtle hints of tart raspberries or pomegranate are drawn out. This is a supremely elegant and sophisticated combination of flavors with a nice dark tone running through the middle. The finish is like a slow trip down a long, winding road.  Fabulous.

A surprisingly fickle bean that challenges the roaster!  When handled properly and with a delicate touch, fabulous nutty flavors emerge – with almond being predominant.  Hints of milk chocolate, citrus, caramel.  A balanced and bright cup. This is our House Coffee and we are very proud of it indeed. It is a great, not-demanding, first-cup-in-the-morning coffee.