At the corner of College and Walnut down in Old Town, the Northern Hotel towers, and out of their bottom floor, a Starbucks operates. It’s big, eye-catching, and in a good enough location to get caffeine in a pinch–but those in the know instead make sure to step around it and walk down college just a few more doors to get to Bean Cycle.
Bean Cycle has a reputation as one of the best coffee roasters around town, with a plethora of options available, sourced from all over the world. They also happen to have a very defined aesthetic–the first drink I saw on the menu after stepping in was something called the “Kerouac,” if that tells you anything about the demographic this cafe appeals to.
I ordered what was marked simply as “Coffee” and took it to go, seeing every indoor seat was occupied by hip college students, buried in their midterm preparations.
Though it doesn’t look like much, this was one of the most unique cups of coffee I’ve had in a while. It had a very, very woodsy flavor upfront, followed by smoky notes that had an almost ashy quality–like an over-the-campfire cowboy coffee. I know not everyone would be a fan of that flavor combination, especially coming from already bitter black coffee, but I personally enjoyed it immensely, despite its lack of anything resembling a final note or aftertaste. It may be second only to Bindle in terms of basic black coffee I’ve reviewed on this blog.
Black Coffee in Collins 