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This Stumptown outlet opened in 2007 and arguably first represented the Portland chain's global ambitions. There was much consternation among Seattlites about an interloper in their heart of their Capitol Hill coffee culture. But things haven't quite worked out so badly for the (former) Queen City. This small storefront can be identified by the glowing neon Stumptown sign that wraps around so you never can see more than half of it at a time. Outside there are a couple of sidewalk chairs. Inside there are a few tables and a tall ceiling, walls decorated with coffee-growing scenes, and a 1980s component stereo tuner playing music from the back. While they offer cold brew coffee, the store focus is on their three-group Mistral with a Stumptown label. With it, they pull rather large shots - one of the fullest demitasses we've had in our trip to Seattle, it's more like a true doppio in a classic brown logo ACF cup. To its credit, it has a thicker, medium-and-darker-brown-striped crema. But given the pour size, the body runs a bit thin. It also has a tame and tepid flavor of mellow spices, pepper, and wood - and it lacks the stereotypical Hairbender brightness except at the very finish/bottom of the cup. In short, the shot here was disappointingly weak: this wouldn't cut it as one of the best shots in most coffee cities. Local Seattle coffee shops have little to worry about from "invasive species."
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