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)
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
