Peet's Uzuri African Blend

Review - Peet's Uzuri African Blend Coffee

Sometimes the very name of a dark roast coffee intrigues me. That was the case with Uzuri African Blend. The Name caught my eye, then when I found that it was a dark roasted blend, I had to try some and pass on the information I obtained.



This coffee is grown on small farms in East Africa. Uzuri, when translated from Swahili into English means excellent or beautiful. Peet's is very involved in helping the farmers grow better coffee. On Peet's website, there is a photo slideshow about the growing and processing of the coffee cherries.




When I got home with the coffee and opened the bag up. The aroma of the unground beans hit me - it smelled like the smoke from a fire - but instead of the smoke odor being bitter, it was slightly sweet. I had a couple of things that distracted me before I could grind the beans up. In that time, the kitchen filled with this rich, smoky, dark roast aroma.

The beans were very dark and oily - this is usually the sign of a top notch coffee. Upon grinding, the smoky aroma became deeper. I thought, "If the aroma is this good, the coffee must be really tasty stuff."

I tasted this coffee as an Americano. The brewed liquid was very dark in color and smelled wonderful. The first taste of the unsweetened brew had an exceptionally smooth mouth feel with only a slight bitterness. As the coffee cooled, I did not notice the usual bitterness that seems to accompany most dark roasts as they get cold.

After I sweetened the brew, I noticed that the flavor lingered a bit longer than it did when it was black. The finish was very clean.

I think that this coffee is excellent for just about any time of day. It would be very good for having with any meal during the day. The flavor is bold, but will not overpower any food that it is served with.

Here is a video about the folks who grow Uzuri Blend...enjoy!




As always, may your next cup be your best.

Seattle's Best French Roast - Review

Seattle's Best French Roast

I tasted this coffee as an Americano. When I was brewing the coffee, it filled the house with the aroma of dark roast coffee. This coffee is definitely a dark roasted blend that has aroma (and flavor) to spare.

The first taste of the unsweetened brew yielded a bitterness that I would say is more sour than bitter. The flavor of this coffee hits all over the tongue, but especially hits the tip and back of the tongue. It is not an overpowering dark roast, it just has a good, solid flavor from the beans used and the dark roast. The flavor lingers only briefly, then has a nice clean finish. The folks at Seattle's Best have created a very fine coffee that they rate at their darkest roast level - level 5.



After adding sweetener, the coffee had a near-perfect blend of sweet and sour. It was almost like drinking a dessert. This is arguably one of Seattle's Best finest coffees.

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This coffee is excellent as an Americano. I have also drank it several times as regular drip coffee. In each case, this french roast is an excellent drink that will not disappoint. If you love dark roasts, you should try this one out.

As always, may your next cup be your best!

Starbucks Casi Cielo - Review

Starbucks Casi Cielo

What can you say about a coffee that has a name that means "almost heaven?"

The local Starbucks had sold out of this brew by 7 pm, so I was offered a cup if I didn't mind waiting - it was definitely worth the wait.



This brew smells more like a Gevlia or McDonalds coffee. As to the aroma, I would describe it as having a sharp smell. It is very unique for a Starbucks roast. In many ways it reminds me of Gevlia Mocca Java. This is not your usual Starbucks dark roast or medium roast coffee - it is unique among their coffees.

When you first taste this dark roast coffee, the bitter hits the tip of your tongue. It has a very bright flavor with clean finish. There is a hint of chocolate flavor that is very subtle. This coffee has a complex flavor that is hard to describe - but as I said before, if you like Gevalia's Mocca Java, You will love this stuff.

It is a seasonal blend that is only available during the spring of the year, so you had better get some quick, or else wait until next year to get some.

After sweetening, flavor depth and richness becomes more noticeable. This dark roasted blend is complex in flavor. In addition, I noticed that the hint of chocolate flavor is much more noticeable.

This is a great coffee for early in the morning. it really wakes you up. Even though I had it around 8 pm, it woke me up like a shot of espresso.

As to food pairings, I think that it would be excellent with waffles or pancakes in the morning. Starbucks states that it would be good with a large meal - one with 5 courses!

Historically, this Guatemalan coffee was only available to select restaurants. It was created to match gourmet cuisine in a restaurant, but Starbucks decided to offer it to the mass market once a year.

Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Company Kona Sunrise

Review - Hawaiian Isles Kona Coffee Company Kona Sunrise

When you first smell this coffee, it has a nice smoky aroma. After grinding it to espresso grind, the aroma has a bit of what I would call sharpness to it. With an unusual aroma like this, I was curious about what this blend would taste like.

When brewed as an Americano, Kona Sunrise has a very smooth mouth feel and taste. The finish on this coffee is very clean. It is the type of coffee that anyone, including those who prefer sweetened coffee, could easily drink black. As the coffee cooled, there was only a slight bitterness that developed. The roasters at Hawaiian Isles really know what they are doing.

The folks at Hawaiian Isles classify it as a full/dark roast coffee. I agree. The resulting brew is nice and dark. It is a full bodied coffee without the bitterness that seems to be so common in dark roasted blends. This coffee is ten percent kona coffee, the remainder being quality arabica beans from around the world. One of my favorite features of this company's coffee is the clip that is included for re-sealing the bag. it is a lot more convenient and effective than the usual wire and plastic strip that comes with most coffee.

I am going to have to get some of this coffee in bean form - the "general purpose grind" stuff that my wife got from her co-worker is so good that I just have to get some coarse grind made up for my french press.

For a 10 ounce package of their general purpose grind, it will cost around fifteen dollars, shipped. Not bad for a great quality coffee, delivered right to your door.

May your next cup be your best!

Cracker Barrel Gingerbread Coffee

Review - Cracker Barrel Gingerbread Coffee

I received several coffee-related gifts this Christmas, so I decided to review some of them. One gift was some gingerbread flavored coffee and a nice mug from Cracker Barrel. I have been writing a lot about medium roast coffees instead of dark roast coffee or a dark roasted blend, but there are a lot of special coffees during this time of year that are lighter roasts.




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This coffee is a medium roast that was pre-ground for a drip coffee maker. Since I tasted this coffee as an Americano, I ran it through the grinder to bring it to espresso grind. When I removed it from the grinder, I smelled it, and noticed it smelled like freshly ground nutmeg. It reminded me of a lot of egg nog.

When I tasted this brew, I noticed a flavor that was bitter with a hint of ginger. The drink was smooth and would easily compliment typical holiday fare.

Upon sweetening, I noticed more of the ginger flavor coming out. This is a really nice flavored coffee that is a great compliment to the Holiday Season. I don't think I have ever had any coffee at The Cracker Barrel when I have been there - but now I know - the coffee that they have is good stuff! Maybe I'll stop by and have a piece of pie with some java.

By the way, the coffee mug is nice, heavy and large - a coffee drinker's dream!

I hope you have found this review helpful, and as always, may your next cup be your best!