All posts by Colin Mansfield

About Colin Mansfield

I'm a college student born in Boise, Idaho who loves coffee. BoiseCoffee.org was birthed out of a desire to share my passion for coffee with others through reviews and tips. It has since evolved into a discussion of like-minded individuals. We all seek to make the world a better place through our unique talents and goals. Coffee can help.

Take a trip to Jamaica with Reggie’s Roast

Jamaica, New Jersey,

When I reached out to Reggie’s Roast to do a review of their coffee, I honestly wasn’t expecting to get a response back. When I did, I got really excited – this is the first coffee I’ve ever received straight from a grower! As far as I’m concerned, the less time it takes for coffee to get from the ground to my cup, the better.

Right: Coffee fields at Reggie’s Roast. Bottom Left: Reggie himself

There’s nothing like fresh coffee, and I was very excited to be getting just that from Reggie’s Roast.

Reggie’s Roast is both Farmer and Roaster – we own and operate two farms in the Blue Mountain Coffee growing region of Jamaica where the coffee is processed under strict guidelines in compliance with the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board’s standards, then exported to our roasting facility in Linden, New Jersey where it is meticulously prepared and shipped as fresh as possible for your palate’s pleasure…we ONLY roast when you order!

When I received the coffee, I was blown away. Not only did RR send me three bags of coffee, the packaged was personalized as well! A note from Reggie himself, a pamphlet about the company, and a pen were all included in the package. On top of that, Reggie wrote in his note “All are ground to French Press (I read about the single cup press you use).” That is, he took the time to read up about me and my blog! Before the coffee bags were even opened I was sold on the service alone.

I was sent three different blends of Reggie’s Roast: GOLD 100% Jamaica, the Blue Mountain Irie Blend, and the Rasta Blend. Each was delicious, and I found I enjoyed each in a different way.

The GOLD 100% Jamaica coffee is Reggie’s Roast signature product. On their website they hail it as “one of the rarest arabicas in the world. Excellent body with an intense aroma.” They are spot on regarding the aroma. It is one of the most delicious smelling coffees that my nose has ever witnessed! Cracking the bag open immediately filled the entire room with the golden smell. I tried the coffee both in my aeropress and in my french press. I definitely prefer it in my french press – the taste is indeed mild and slightly sweet and I found it fit better in a cup of pressed coffee. The word that hits me must about this coffee is “solid.” The taste is unrelenting and bold, yet the coffee itself is definitely mild. It’s the perfect morning coffee, providing a strong foundation to start off your day.

Reggie’s Blue Mountain Irie Blend stuck out to me the least of the three coffees – but that’s not to say it was bad by any means. In fact, I rather enjoyed it in both espresso form (through my aeropress) and as french press coffee. It smells slightly less solid than the 100% GOLD, yet definitely smells smoother out of the two. The same can be said of taste: while the 100% GOLD could be analogous to a foundation, the Blue Mountain Irie Blend is the tile or hardwood laid on that foundation. This coffee would be the perfect lunch brew – not too heavy, but still delicious.

The final coffee that Reggie sent me is the Rasta Blend. Complete with red, yellow, and green label, this coffee stuck out to me the most out of the three. The Reggie’s Roast website says the Rasta Blend is “our tribute to Jamaica’s own Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley…” I’ve always found Bob Marley’s music to be incredibly versatile: it can cheer me up when I’m having a bad day and it can also be the perfect complement to a beautiful, sunny, spring afternoon. Versatile is definitely the word I would use to describe this coffee. It smells the sweetest out of the three, and it was delicious as black coffee, french press with cream, cubano shots, a mocha, and a straight Americano. It has a beautiful taste full of flavor and electricity. My favorite drink using the Rasta Blend was definitely the mocha. The chocolate went perfect with the already original flavor and provided the perfect balance. I’ll definitely be purchasing another bag of this in the near future!

I am extremely impressed with Reggie’s Roast. As a reviewer, they treated me with respect and definitely honored me with their personal interaction. I highly recommend their coffee (especially the Rasta Blend!).

Their mission statement?

Socially Responsible Company committed to the Fair and Dignified Treatment of our Partners; whilst ensuring that those we serve receive a Truly Valued Product!!

You can find Reggie’s Roast on their website, twitter, and facebook.
Website: http://www.reggiesroast.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReggiesRoastCoffee
Twitter: http://twitter.com/reggiesroast

The Coffee Guy

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Want me to do a review for your favorite coffee shop?

Update,

Dear coffee lovers everywhere,

Do you have a favorite coffee shop that you want reviewed? If there’s anything BoiseCoffee is about, it’s getting the word out about great local coffee shops. Is there a hole-in-the-wall mom and pop’s coffee shop that you want me to contact and review? Or, if you’re an anti-hipster, is there a chain coffee shop that I haven’t yet reviewed that you’d like me to take a look at?

Comment and let me know!

The Coffee Guy

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Up Close and Impersonal: how CoffeeAM.com smashed my preconceived notions

Online,

The coffee business is an extremely personal business. Unlike traditional fast-food restaurants or specialty chains (like Jamba Juice, for instance) there’s a certain expectation in regards to the service a customer receives at a coffee shop. Whether it be a stand, store, or full cafe, emphasis is put on quality, service, and atmosphere. I would argue that nearly half of the overall coffee experience happens outside of the cup.

That’s exactly why I was a little hesitant to do a review of CoffeeAM.com. I’m not able to post pictures of their store because, well, they don’t have one.

That being said, I did reach out to them to do the review, and they kindly obliged. I asked them to send me coffee that could characterize and represent their company well. The day I received the package from them was like Christmas. Carrying it back to my room, the sweet aroma of coffee leaked out like a sweet perfume.

Opening the box, I removed not one, not two, not even three, but four bags of coffee. (All links lead to their respective ordering pages on CoffeeAm.com)

CoffeeAM.com’s Twitter image

Yes, you read that right folks. Maple Bacon. Like when you pour maple syrup out of your Mrs. Butterworths bottle, watch it pool on a short stack of flapjacks, then cascade over the sides covering the delicious thick-fried bacon below. It even smells like that.

After about a week of sampling, field-testing, and enjoying, it’s become clear why CoffeeAm decided on these four. The Costa Rica Reserve is a lighter roast, the Altura Tollan is a medium roast, the Sumatra Black Satin is a dark roast, and the Maple Bacon…well it’s a treat I guess.

Each of these blends exceeded my expectations. Because there was no “coffee experience” packed in the package, my review is limited only to the contents within each bag of coffee. In the end, however, if you order from CoffeeAM.com, that’s exactly what you’ll be getting.

The Organic Mexico ‘Altura Tollan’ is, as I mentioned before, a medium roast. With earthy undertones and a sharp taste, I would classify this as a great morning coffee. Definitely not dark, this isn’t going to kick you in the gonads as soon as you wake up. That said, it’s no light weight. When I tried it in my French Press mug I found there to be some great singing notes at the end of each swig.

The Costa Rica Reserve is a light roast, though that doesn’t keep the taste from being distinct and delicious. In fact, I think it has a richer taste then the Altura Tollan, being smoother as well. Simply by smelling the grounds I can tell that this would be a great fit as a dessert coffee. It has the perfect taste to wash down a delicious bite of cheesecake, or spoonful of cobbler.

The Sumatra Black Satin is, as its name suggests, a dark roast. On my initial tests I didn’t find the taste to be as biting as the Altura Tollan, however the aftertaste definitely reveals what you’re truly drinking. It’s a very flavorful coffee, not burnt as one might suppose. In comparison, if the Costa Rica Reserve is a guitar, and the Altura Tollan is a piano, the Sumatra Black Satin would be an organ or bass. Dark, but rich.

Finally, the Maple Bacon. I’m not going to lie, this was the first coffee I tried. As soon as I opened up the box and saw this label, I tore the bag open and used it in a fresh pot of drip coffee. Having been on an “Epic Meal Time” YouTube binge lately, I was more than interested in what taste phenomena would be held in a cup of Maple Bacon coffee. It didn’t disappoint, for the most part. While I could detect a hint of meaty goodness smelling the grounds, after brewing a cup those greasy undertones were all but lost to the maple overtones. Still, the coffee was a decent flavored blend. Although the website doesn’t specify the roast, I would suspect it to be a light-to-medium roast. Not that it matters much. After all, it’s Maple Bacon. If you get the chance, give this a try – if nothing else, just to say you did.

Although I may have gone into my review of CoffeeAM.com with some hesitation, I am happy to say they did not disappoint. Their coffee is quality, and they have a wide range. My only problem with recommending them to you is that they are not a local coffee shop. You will not be supporting your local family of coffee roasters by buying from CoffeeAM.com. I am a firm believer in buying local, and because of that I am going to strongly recommend that, if at all possible, you do so. If, however, for whatever reason you find yourself unable to buy local, or you live in an area that is overgrown with sub-par chains, give CoffeeAM.com a try. Their website is very intuitive, and it’s pretty easy to find coffee that is highly rated by other drinkers.

Founded in 1993, CoffeeAM.com is the world’s largest online gourmet coffee & tea company. We roast, blend, and flavor all of our own coffees as well as blend and create our own line of gourmet teas. To ensure outstanding quality, all of this is done under one roof, right here in our home office warehouse.

CoffeeAM.com About page

Do you have experiences with CoffeeAM.com or other online coffee businesses? Comment and share your thoughts.

The Coffee Guy

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