May 06, 2014 EXCLUSIVE: Luxury Coffee Defined Written by Justin Bentley Reed, Executive Chef Exclusive to TheTopTier on 01 May 2014. Posted in Luxury Products & Trends As a celebrated Chef and global culinarian, I take pride in providing five star guest experiences. Whatever guests want, I give to them. I am known as a specialist in culinary extravagance. This extravagance spills over into my decision to only serve guests luxury coffees. This morning, as I am writing this article, the sun is peering into our dining room, all of the morning prep is complete, outside temperature is cool, and the wonderful aroma of freshly ground coffee hangs in the air; I am sitting quite comfortably, pen in hand and enjoying a superb cup of fresh roasted luxury coffee. La vie est magnifique! (Life is magnificent!). Guests, media and curious persons often ask me, "What defines luxury coffee?" In order to truly define luxury coffee, one must consider the quintessential and elemental bonds between superior product and exceptional quality. Entrer … Cup of Luxury. This Seattle-based luxury coffee company is internationally renowned for providing coffees to the those seeking the ultimate coffee experience. Despite confusions, researchers across all disciplines (food, beverage, goods and services) share a basic understanding of luxury. To begin with, luxury is defined as something that is "more than necessary." As you probably are keenly aware, characteristics of luxury products rely on current/modern relevant literature and study. To date, all results point to the fact that luxury experts and consumers alike perceive that luxury products have seven major characteristics including price, quality, aesthetics, rarity, extraordinariness, symbolism and personal experience (Pleasure). Cup of Luxury sets the global standard for what defines luxury coffee. They are the innovators of a luxury coffee lifestyle. Each coffee that is offered is well defined as luxury by virtue of the craftsmanship in their roasting as well as the exclusivity in the direct trade relationships with growers and rarity of the beans. Only 20% of all coffees harvested in the world are considered specialty grade. Luxury class coffees are easily classified as being the top 1% in the world. An interesting facet of luxury coffees is their likeness to fine wines, particularly in their descriptions. It is believed that approximately 96% of wine connoisseurs also enjoy fine coffee. Perfect examples of luxury coffee descriptions include four of my personal favorites I highly recommend: Simply Decadent -- Of the luxury range, Simply Decadent is the flagship. A classic special-dark coffee boasting notes of floral and smoke with cedar-like power and an underlying tremor and tautness that delivers a coffee experience second to none. A must have for connoisseurs, chef / owners, and those that appreciate luxury and lifestyle. 100 points. Découverte -- In a word: Superb. It has wonderful complexity of flavor, melding dark chocolate with a Mexican like spice at the front of the palate finishing with dark and purple berries, tobacco spice and cedar. Découverte shows impressive balance. Great stylistic definition. A delicious coffee with velvety tannins and Cabernet like structure and definition. 100 points. Découverte Noir -- No official description available at this time, but this is a luxury coffee crafted for those that appreciate the finest of dark roasts. 100 points. Black Label -- Imagine a fine aged red wine, with mild, pleasant, fruity overtones and a distinct robust aroma. Our Black Label is a full-bodied coffee with hints of dark chocolate which creates an intense taste sensation. 95 points. Cup of Luxury was founded by luxury coffee specialist and celebrity host Bryan-David Scott. “Chef, the integrity of our coffees would be lost if people could buy them from a grocery store, says Bryan-David. 'I want Cup of Luxury to be admired, respected and known for offering five star rated, handcrafted coffees that are only roasted on order.'" Impressive. What follows is a short article I produced shortly after experiencing luxury coffee for the first time. Wine of the bean’ (qahhwat al-bun) "When I pair food with wine, I explore the wine for its nuances. It’s like taking light and separating it through a prism, we must separate the softer flavors from the brisk or tart. Coffee shares the same qualities of wine in many ways. For years, I had been on a quest as a farm to table chef to find excellence and balance in a coffee, but to no avail. I never felt deeply satisfied. "at is until early in 2013, when I met Bryan-David Scott of “Cup of Luxury” in Seattle. When we spoke for the first time his passion for excellence and demand for the finest quality impressed me. I have had the fortune of drinking the finest coffees from around the world, and yes, I have had the very best that Seattle has to offer, but nothing, absolutely nothing prepared me for my meeting with Bryan-David Scott. He brought fresh roasted, fresh ground coffee made for French press and after a few brisk sips I exclaimed, “Wow, this is awesome coffee!” My eyes widened. I had discovered new treasure. In over 25-years as an executive chef, I have never had coffee so great. I gladly shared the coffees with other top Seattle chefs I know, and every one of them said it is the very best they had ever had. I have since tried all of Bryan-David Scott’s signature coffees. Each coffee had its own characteristics which I appreciated; this inspired me to use them in my cooking and confectionery making. What made these coffees stand out over other brands? Taste: A cup of coffee should not be bitter or burnt in flavor, but instead have a pleasant range from fruity like fresh blueberries, cherries or wild berries to nutty or smoky to rich earthy overtones or chocolaty to a hint of spice or hint of molasses. When evaluating a coffee flavor profile one should consider utilizing the “wine triangle”(sweet, sour and astringency) as a guideline for discerning the particulars. When one side of the triangle is off balance, the whole coffee is imbalanced. In all of my years (25 +), I have only found one brand of coffee that is perfectly balanced, Cup of Luxury. If I were to compare his coffees to a bottle of wine it would be like a 2007 Duckhorn Vineyards Estate Grown Rector Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Obligation: As a chef, serving my guests anything of lower quality is simply out of the question. Great chefs provide an exquisite dining experience, and show immense respect for our customers. I include Cup of Luxury’s coffees in my cooking, my chocolate work, my (famous) Tiramisu, and of course as a French press to round out a beautiful dining experience. I am proud to personally endorse Bryan-David Scott and his amazing coffees. If you have questions, I encourage people to visit the website at www.cupofluxury.com. Until next time, bon appetite! If you are going to drink coffee, you may as well drink the best, Cup of Luxury!" http://cupofluxury.com/justinbentleyreed Unequivocally, the road has grown longer for Cup of Luxury as they have expanded from Seattle to the Napa-Sonoma / San Francisco regions and soon … Beverly Hills. Along this road, Bryan-David has won the hearts of many friends, fans and has become in essence a celebrity among we professional chefs, connoisseurs and aficionados. Simply stated: Cup of Luxury is a brand acknowledged among many of my peers as being the ultimate among the world’s finest coffees. In conclusion I have had only remarkable feedback from guests, family and friends when it comes to Cup of Luxury. We all agree that no other brand of coffee can compare. Justin Bentley Reed, Executive Chef Seattle, Washington
