There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Syracuse, NY: Recess Coffee: www.recesscoffee.com. Espresso roast from this company has always been a satisfying cup. Varied roast levels for the beans if memory serves as it's been a while since I've had their coffee.
Gloversville, NY: http://mohawkharvest.org/: I stumbled upon this place completely by accident a number of years ago. Given your preference for dark and assuming they still blend this particular roast: Full Bark Dark, would be my suggestion. I clearly recall the first time I tasted this blend and immediately flashed on the notion it would be a hoppy beer lover's dream coffee: very similar astringent bitter notes to hops along with the added charred notes of coffee. My preference here was for their blend Morning Walk.
Logan, UT: https://caffeibis.com/: I have been drinking this company's coffee just about exclusively for the last seven or so months. Peruse their website and read the tasting notes as these tend to be pretty spot on. I've generally drink their Hawaiian Kona Rainforest Blend, Cosma, and Lighter Side of the Moon. I've had quite a few others as well, just check the descriptions/tastings notes as I suggest.
Tucson, AZ: https://www.arbucklecoffee.com/: This is billed as the "Coffee that Won the West" and is supposed to be a proprietary blend and the same coffee that the cowboys of yesteryear drank. I've had the organic version of their Ariosa blend a couple of times. It is definitely a flavorful and strong coffee that you may rather enjoy. It was definitely fresh and alive with flavor.
If you go down this route, I'd endeavor to make it cowboy style as well. Very loosely: boil a pot of water equal to the output you want (mug/cup/small pot, etc...) put grounds in pot (take off the boil so it doesn't bubble over the top of the pot), let simmer a couple of minutes and let steep about 4 minutes total. You can shock the pot with cool/cold water to get the grounds to settle a bit and then pour the coffee off, or pour through some sort of straining device (paper filter or permanent.)
I've used this method of making coffee for a couple of years. Easy to do, requires no special equipment per se, except some sort of straining device.
My daily prep rig includes a Hario Skerton ceramic conical burr hand grinder modified with a custom bushing from OrphanEspresso.com which keeps the burr more centered for better/more even grinding at larger grind size. Additionally I modified a threaded wall plug to cover the threads on the grinding spindle so I can use my 18v battery operated drill as the motor to grind my beans. I didn't want a large electric grinder on my counter all the time. This works rather well.
I use a classic hand/mouth blown Chemex carafe for company and a simple Melitta single serve pour over paper filter cone holder for daily use, and boil water in either my stainless tea kettle (stove top) or use my all stainless electric kettle. I find for one cup the electric is the fastest method for boiling water.
I hope this has been helpful in your search for that perfect cup of Joe!
Enjoy.
In Abundant Health...Chef Sprouty @ LifeGrains.com