Monday, February 12, 2007

Honda Pilot EX 2006 and Peet's Coffee, Boulder

Looking at my last few blogs I see a trend developing. Apparently I am enjoying being sarcastic. That isn't my goal in blogging. I'd rather do something useful so I'll switch gears.

Product ratings:

Honda Pilot EX, 2006, 2WD. Kudos: After 1.5 months: Excellent first impressions. No effort to drive. It just feels right. 2WD gets around well in lots of deep snow, gnarly ice, and rutted/washboard old ice. Very good traction, very solid feel, excellent handling. Anti locks and traction control appear to work well in initial situations. Headlights/fog lamps work well. Great power for mountain driving and freeway acceleration. Downshifting works well on downhills. Nicely built. Quiet. Good luggage room and interior layout. Heating/climate control appears to work very well. Factory sound system w/6CD changer (no MP3) adequate to good. The backup warning system is excellent. Seat comfort (cloth) excellent. Visibility good. We really like the vehicle. I'd recommend it to others. For comparison we test drove '07 Hyundai Santa Fe, '06 Hyundai Tucson, '07 Chevy Equinox. The Pilot is obviously better than the others, but the Santa Fe was unexpectly nice. Price was an issue. We got a killer deal on a very low mileage unit -- apparently used in CA by a Honda Executive. Otherwise, we may not have been able to afford it.

Deficiencies: Annoying wind resonance with windows down in certain conditions. Rain drips off tops of door frames onto interior door switches (need to install aftermarket wind deflectors for this). Mileage in traffic sucks (we were warned, but part of the bad could be due to operating in extremely cold conditions with numerous short trips). We have not had a long-distance mileage test yet. Suggestions for Honda -- try for better mileage. Poll your potential market for acceptability of trading some power for better mileage.

Peet's Coffee, Boulder CO 29th Street Mall: This is what Starbucks wishes it could be. Why? Peet's had great espresso, good service, a well-trained barista, and they care. The espresso was beyond excellent. We asked "why?" The barista said it was because she was actually well trained. It was obvious beyond the training that she cared about what she was doing. Our suggestion: Ditch Starbucks, go to Peet's. I ordered some Peet's Aged Dark Sumatra and Sulawesi Kalosi. I'll let the world know how it is when it's delivered.

The delivery came today on UPS. We tried the Dark Roast Aged Sumatra. It was packaged with a roasting sticker dated the same day it was shipped. It was fresh, properly roasted, and had the flavor qualities that were advertised for this special variety. The earthiness was distinctive, I sensed overtones of chokecherry, and received a full tongue sensation with a complex, lingering aftertaste. Some would not like the earthiness or the lingering aftertaste, but I personally liked both and consider it truth in advertising -- here's why. I worked for a small coffee roaster in Boulder, CO who was a master at the craft of roasting. He cautioned me to beware of fraudulent claims made by roasters and marketers. Most who haven't worked for a specialty roaster or attended multiple cupping sessions would not be able to distinguish among varieties and roasts. It is a very learned art. I can't reliably tell the difference between varieties by taste, but I can tell whether a coffee marketed as variety X dark roast is different from variety Y. This first experience from Peet's convinced me that they deliver what they advertise. This is a huge quality for me -- to be able to trust my roaster. Congratulations, Peet's, on a favorable first impression. Haven't tried the Sulawesi Kalosi yet.

For all you casual coffee drinkers out there who drink coffee just for the caffeine potential (or don't drink it for some perceived or experienced ill effect such as acid stomach or similar) I challenge you to try some specialty roasts. There are huge differences among variety origins, caffeine content, acidity, etc. (IF you find a trustworthy roaster). Learn to grind and brew it properly, learn a bit about the cupping experience. Learn to experience coffee like fine vintage wines. Find one you can drink black and savor. Then try your usual additives. I used to be a drink it for the caffeine with cream and sugar guy. Any more, I'm almost always a black coffee drinker. I enjoy it more and every once in a while, I add up the calories I save.

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