It looks like Nespresso – the Swiss company that's making a killing off selling individual espresso capsules for their popular machines – is taking a page out of the scotch whisky playbook with its latest release. Called the Pure Origin Grand Cru, the series comprises three special edition coffees, each coming from an individual plantation – not unlike a single-malt scotch – instead of most blends that draw from numerous sources. The idea, beyond providing a unique flavor, is to support the local ecosystems, making this a green initiative as well as a premium one.
The series includes the Indriya which hails from a plantation in India, the Rosabaya from Colombia and the Dulsao from Brazil. Although pricing and availability have yet to be announced, you can expect to pay a special premium for these premium roasts.

[Source: Sybarites]

A Scottish hotel has created a coffee blended to pair with a whisky. The Cuillin Hills blend was created by the Cuillin Hills hotel on Skye to match whisky from the island's Talisker distillery. The blend was created by Edinburgh Tea and Coffee Company to the specification of Peter Sim, the hotel's general manager and is a mixture of Indonesian and South American beans. The Talisker 18-year-old was used as the pairing companion but the coffee will work with any whisky. The blend has notes of dark chocolate, caramel and toffee with hints of liquorice and cinnamon. Sims says the coffee was developed to "complement and showcase malt whisky as the ideal after dinner drink."

[via Caterer Search]

Jura is releasing a new set of signature coffee machines this spring that will not only make you a great cup of Cappucino, Latte, Machiatto, or Ristretto at the simple touch of a button, but will also add some serious style to your kitchen in your choice of unique finishes: the Z5 comes in aluminum and rhodium with a Swarovski-encrusted rotary dial, the J5 is your choice of Columbian walnut or northern birch veneer finished in 15 coats of high-gloss lacquer, or the ENA 5 is finished in fine handstitched red or brown leather.

All that style and of course they still promise awesome functionalities like perfect grind, water temperature, and pressure every time plus fun features like a height-adjustable spout and cup illumination. Pricing is yet to be announced but look for these this June exclusively at Harrods.

Via Retro to Go

Like a bad hair day, a morning where you either get a bad cup of coffee or (for whatever reason) miss out on your hot caffeine fix altogether can mean the whole rest of your day ends up getting thrown off track. Spending the time to find a great brand of coffee that you love and a well-made coffee machine that brews your cup just how you like it is certainly worth the effort -- starting every day with a great cup of coffee can make all the difference.

If you want to drink in presidential style there are several cocktail options that have been created for the inauguration festivities, but you may want to start off your morning with a cup of coffee.

Thanksgiving Coffee, an artisan roaster in Northern California, has created the President's Blend, a coffee that honors Barack Obama with a three-part blend. The coffee combines beans from his father's homeland of East Africa (Uganda and Ethiopia, which is at least near his father's homeland of Kenya) and his childhood home of Indonesia. The coffee is fair trade and organic and sells for $11 for 12 ounces.

Another three-part harmony comes from Hawaii's Kona Joe Coffee which is releasing the Barack O Blend, a blend of Hawaiian, Kenyan and Indonesian beans that sells for $12.95 for seven ounces.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii offers the Obama Blend, a blend of 100% Kona, Kenya AA and their Hawaiian blend, Volcanic Roast to honor Obama's heritage in both Africa and Hawaii. It sells for $14.95 for eight ounces.

I'm not sure what wealthy person would even want to drink out of a golden coffee cup studded with diamonds (Donald Trump maybe?) but one exists nevertheless, thanks to German porcelain maker KGM. The cup and saucer set has a base of fine porcelain that's accented with 24 karat gold, blue cobalt, and diamonds. Valued at €30,000 the design looks a little dated and gaudy to me, but I suppose as a collector's item or investment piece it's interesting enough -- certainly a conversation piece!

Via Bornrich

I can't help it, my first thought whenever I see something so overly shined up like this is ugh, I'm going to get fingerprints all over it. But fingerprints or not, if exterior appearance has anything to do with it the OTTO Stove Top Espresso Maker must make a pretty tasty brew. And if it doesn't well, then at least it looks great sitting in your kitchen.

Made almost entirely of stainless steel, the OTTO comes packaged in a premium travel case complete with two Italian-designed latte glasses, a stainless steel milk jug, and a barista training session on DVD. $420

A steaming hot drink is one of the universal comforts of winter and what better way to enjoy yours than in a beautiful porcelain cup in the company of somebody you love? Hermès has a beautiful collection of cup and saucer sets that come in a variety of cheerful and colorful patterns, many of them with a jungle animal theme, and are sold in sets of two so you won't have to enjoy them alone. Or if you prefer your beverage in something more substantial you can always opt for one of the matching coffee mug designs which are equally beautiful. $320-$510

The name might not be particularly sophisticated but the idea is a fun one: portable espresso whenever and wherever you want it. No need to rough it the next time you go camping! Well, not in the hot beverage department anyway.

The Handpresso works by using your own personal manpower to create the necessary pressure by pumping the handle, after which the machine produces one shot of espresso. And according to our sister site Slashfood's product review, the espresso isn't half bad.

For me part of the fun of camping is drinking something different, like coffee made in a steel pan over the fire, and laughing about how bad it is. But then I can't remember the last time I actually went camping so maybe there's something to bringing a little bit of home out with you to the wilds. $155

Via Shiny Shiny

I like sports cars, and I LOVE coffee, but I admit I totally don't get why the two seem to get combined so frequently. First we had this Lamborghini-inspired espresso machine and now, from Brunopasso, the PD-1 machine was created with Italian sports cars in mind. Of course there aren't many ways a coffee machine can look like a Ferrari, except of course a shiny red paint job (among other choices), automobile-inspired gauges that form a little mini-dashboard, and a lever made of beechwood for pressing the coffee. $850

Via Dvice

The maker of Italy's popular aperitif Campari has linked up with Italian coffee company Illy on a new coffee liqueur product called Illyquore. Guaranteed to give the Starbucks coffee liqueur and Kahlua a run for their money, the liqueur is to be launched in Italy in July and in the rest of the world in 2009. The new liqueur has adopted Illy's Arabica coffee taste without any additives. Illy will retain the brand rights and Campari will distribute.

Coffee for a cause! Jumpy Monkey premium coffee is carefully drum roasted in small batches at a place called Opportunities Unlimited in Sioux City, IA. The coffee not only tastes great and is available in 33 delectable flavors (I would know, I've tried at least half of them so far!) but every bean you buy goes to support the rehabilitation of individuals that have sustained a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or other disability through both the coffee's profits and by providing employment opportunities for individuals undergoing rehab. For me it's a great chance to support a charity through a daily habit I have anyway (plus it's wonderful to have the coffee come right to the door), and if you're intimidated by their long list of flavors let me recommend my two favorites: Snickerdoodle and Creme Brulee. Yum!

Italian coffee company illycaffè has created a new easier way to make your espresso. Their new system is called iperEspresso (hyper espresso) and this month Illy is launching the Francis Francis X7 with iperEspresso, a capsule system that uses a two-phase preparation process to create the perfect shot of espresso. The first step is hyperinfusion, in which the coffee and water come into contact under optimal pressure conditions, followed by the emulsion process, in which the coffee passes through a valve to form a rich and velvety crema (the thin layer of foam at the surface of the espresso). The iperEspresso's crema yields more volume and height than a traditional shot and can last up to fifteen minutes as compared to the average espresso's five minutes. The coffee never comes into direct contact with the machine so cleaning the machine is far easier. IperEspresso has been released commercially and is currently used in restaurants including Le Bernardin and Nobu, as well as at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

The new system is available in the popular Francis Francis X7 machine for a special intro price of $395 and the Francis Francis X8 is available for a special rate of $495. The coffee in the iperEspresso capsule is the same used in the cans and in café espresso and is available in two different roasts: medium and dark as well as decaffeinated capsules .A 21-serving container of capsules is $15.95

If you love both espresso and having something exclusive, then this Victoria Arduino Venus Century Espresso Machine (say that ten times fast!) is worth checking out. Only 100 of them were created, and they're currently selling #34, with the first one having gone to the Pope. The first Victoria Arduino machine was built in 1905, and in the years since their reputation has grown to one symbolizing beauty, elegance, and refinement (among many other things on their list!). This particular espresso machine design was created by Pier Teresio Arduino and can be yours for just a tad under $20,000.

Kopi luwak comes from the Indonesian words for coffee and civet. A civet is a cat-like creature who slinks around eating sweet red coffee cherries in Indonesia. Finicky like a cat, they only eat the best of the harvest, chewing off the exterior and swallowing the hard inner core of the bean. Once digested, the beans emerge in the usual way - amid the animal's dung. The trip through the digestive system has removed the harshness and most of the caffeine and the result is a mellow coffee bean that sells for as much as $600 a pound. Once you separate it from the dung, of course.

One pound of civet droppings will produce less than 5 ounces of beans - and roasting reduces the quantity even more. Only 500 to 1,000 pounds hit the global market each year, which explains the extremely high price of this coffee. Left unanswered, however, is just whose idea it was to pick through civet dung in the first place.