Thoughts, Raves & Outright Beatings

About a month or so ago, I put myself on the mailing list of a firm called Boca Java (the logo you can see along the side bar - again, my thanks to Peg), and noted that I had a blog. They have a promotional scheme where they put together 6 coffee blends specifically for bloggers, encourage bloggers to sign up for free coffee, send bloggers who signed up those blends, and ask them to review and publish their opinions of said coffees on their respective blogs.

You can find those coffees blend here: bloggersfuel.com.

For a caffiene junkie such as myself, it's a dream come true. 6 weeks of free coffee, and all I have to do is write about the experience!

So, given that I'm putting my coffee connisouer (sp) abilities to the test, I've got 5 criteria for coffees: It's taste after the intial brew, it's taste after it's been reheated in the microwave after it's been sitting for a couple of hours, it's taste after I had to reheat it the next morning, it's taste without sweetener, and it's taste with sweetener. I HAVE to have cream in my coffee, I cannot drink it straight. I brew my coffee using a 4 cup Mr. Coffee autodrip coffee maker.

Anyway, I got my package of 6 Boca Java blogger-targeted coffee blends in early May. I've already finished off Bloggers Boot Up Blend and New Media Mavericks, and just opened a bag of Late Night Log In, since I'll be needing a kick in the butt before the hubster and I (possibly) go out this evening. Since New Media Mavericks is the one I just finished, and given that the taste is still in my mind, I'll be talking about that one this evening, as well as recall my experiences with Bloggers Boot Up Blend:

New Media Mavericks, from what I gathered on the package, is a medium roast of beans from the Tarrazu Region of Costa Rica. I recall the aroma of the dry ground beans being rich and nutty when I cut open the bag. Sometimes, what you smell from the bag doesn't necessarily translate into what you taste from a brewed cup of coffee, but in this case, it was pretty close. The taste was rich, yet smooth, almost buttery. I got no jittery effects from the coffee, even when making it stronger than required. And the flavor remained even after sitting in the decanter for a while. This is one coffee you can also drink without feeling the need to add sweetener. In fact, unlike with most blends, I discovered that adding sweetener to this blend was, in fact, a detriment to its' taste.

As with most coffees, the taste lost some of it's characteristic nuttiness when left overnight without refrigeration. But that's normal.

Anyway, if you can access it, I highly recommend New Media Mavericks, as well as the next one I'm going to discuss, Bloggers Boot Up Blend.

Bloggers Boot Up Blend was one I initially wished to discuss, but, well, I was just so eager to get through the other coffees after finishing this package off, I kinda let this go by the way side. OTOH, this should tell you how much I enjoyed the coffee, as I was anxious to see if the others were as good as this one.

From my recollection, Blogger's Boot Up Blend is light and smooth but with a kick. There's a reason why this is recommended as a breakfast coffee. Make this stronger than required, and you'll be bouncing off the walls until mid-afternoon. This (also) nutty-flavor based coffee takes cream very well, and is best with sweetener. The coffee maintains it's flavor after sitting for a couple of hours and being reheated in the microwave. Again, as with other coffees, it doesn't hold well after sitting overnight.

So, my coffee ratings:

New Media Mavericks: 8
Bloggers Boot Up Blend: 8.5

I'll be finishing off my package of Late Night Log In next week. From what I can tell you right now, it will be yet another experience, altogether.