426 College Street
Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Listen. (Runs 5:40)

Manic Coffee is the culmination of one man's obsession with coffee. A couple of years ago, Matthew Lee went to Vancouver for a prolonged break from his bank job. That's when this former Double Double drinker had his coffee awakening.

Matthew was so blown away that he got a job at that very coffee shop, Vancouver's famed Elysian Room. He worked there for a year learning everything he could about coffee. And when he returned to Toronto a year later, it seemed like opening Manic Coffee was what he was destined to do.

Matthew is passionate about all aspects of coffee from the bean to the brew. He gets his coffee beans from Intelligentsia, a Chicago-based roaster practicing something called direct trade. Direct trade goes above and beyond free trade. Roasters like Intelligentsia buy their beans directly from the farms, skipping the brokers. They also visit the farms three four times a year, all over the world, paying above fair trade prices for quality beans. It's really about quality over quantity.

What you end up is the best possible coffee using responsible and fair practices. He's one of those people who talks coffee the way people talk about wine, describing the bouquet and terroir. Now despite all his passion and knowledge, he confessed that his family was and remains somewhat puzzled by his new venture.

Manic Coffee is the only shop in Toronto that has a Clover coffee machine. It's a $12,000 single cup coffee brewer that prepares your coffee to order. It makes a great cup of coffee. But he got a lot of buzz for offering what is considered the best and the most expensive coffee in the world. La Esmeralda Special from Panama.

Coffee aficionados simply refer to it as the perfect cup of coffee. This year it retailed for $130 per pound. ($12-20). Supply is limited -just 500 pounds produced this year so you'll have to wait until next year if you miss out. It boasts notes of notes of Italian bergamot, orange rind, lavender, and jasmine. Matthew will be serving what he has left of it this weekend. He has 2lbs of the Esmeralda left which is about 30 cups which will be available on a first come first serve basis this Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

$15 for a cup the world's perfect coffee. That's actually great deal considering I've seen it as high as $25 a cup. He's selling it pretty much at cost. It all goes back to Matt and his pursuit of introducing Toronto to the best coffees around.

On that note, Matt offers tasting flights of coffees. Think of it as going to the wine bar. These coffees are meant be to drunk black. You'll see that good coffee should taste good even when it gets cold. It shouldn't be bitter. But don't worry if that seems complicated or too rich for you caffeine fueled blood, a regular Clover pulled coffee will only set you back just $2.50.

Matthew is planning to hold tasting nights, home brewing classes as well. He has 5 to 7 blends of coffees on display, ranging in price. He also sells Intelligentsia coffee beans as well.