It's like drinking "green." It's vibrant, a little raw, and really just . . . different. Strong, but not oppressively so. Pungent. Piny through the middle; a nice, fresh finish.
Perhaps some elucidation is in order. Perhaps we should go back to the beginning.
The scene: SFist corporate headquarters, two weeks ago.
"Did you go to Phil'z on Folsom and 24th, like I suggested?"
This was SFist editor Jackson West talking. His suggestion about Phil'z was the closest thing we'd had to an actual assignment, so we took it.
"How'd you find it?" he asked.
"Good, fine, a little weak," we responded. "The mint leaf was a nice touch, but I'd rather the coffee itself be the star of the show, ya know?"
He gave us a look as if we'd just whipped out a Family Research Council membership card.
"What. Did. You. Order?" he asked.
"Latte."
"Ah." He shrugged.
Seems we were supposed to order something a bit less pedestrian. After all, Phil'z tagline being "one cup at a time," it appears the drip coffee is the way to go. Usually we pick up on these things -- after all, we drank espresso at "the west coast birthplace of espresso," didn't we? But, yeah, your Trimethyldioxypurist screwed up.
Incorporate into the mission statement: "order appropriately."
That explained it.