MUG: An enameled steel mug from China. Virtually impossible to enjoy coffee from, except under extreme conditions. Like standing around a drum fire on a work-site, holding the cup with heavy work-gloves.
COFFEE: Barrett's
San Augustin Colombian. About halfway through my March allotment of 5 pounds.
NOTES: Enameled-steel cups are horrible things. I remember first drinking from as a youth, either fishing (cold and wet) or hunting (colder and less wet) with my dad (Saint Harry of Wilmer-Preston).
The cup holds a surprising amount of coffee considering its small size (11 ounces?). Unlike a proper cup, the thin walls occupy almost no mass in the design, and so there are no insulating properties. The liquid's heat radiates immediately to the thin metal. Hot coffee is almost undrinkable at first, as the metal rim will burn your lips. By the (short) time the rim has cooled down, the coffee has cooled as well, resulting in a lukewarm brew. The bright yellow color of the exterior, combined with the white bowl and black lip, is all that recommends this cut.
Well, the rust spots along the rim do add some interesting flavor notes to bad coffee. Hi, Steve.
