Review #48: Counter Culture Coffee

Name of Roaster: Counter Culture Coffee Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): Durham, NC

Name of Roast: Hologram Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Light-Medium

Origin of Beans: 70% Sipacapa, Guatemala / 30% Jabanto, Ethiopia Price: $15.25 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): 28 days Aroma: Cutting open the bag, we were greeted with chocolate brownie, fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, raspberry jam, and a hint of orange peel. Baking spices, melted chocolate, toasted pecan, the aforementioned jam, and brownie crust showed on the grind. On the pour, we noted caramelizing sugar, wild honey, and light brown sugar.

Flavor Profile: The coffee had a high-to-mid entry with medium body. When sipped, the coffee rushes to the middle of the palate before going to the back of the tongue. Interestingly, the coffee concomitantly hugs the middle roof of the mouth and the front half of the tongue. Light notes of spiced chocolate and a variety of slightly acidic but rounded fruit show, with no fruit claiming prominence. We caught glimpses of orange, lemon, lime, pear, mango, and strawberry in the melange. The finish contains aromatics of balanced chocolate and a satisfying touch of orange sorbet, with some acidity lingering. Overall Impression (What did you think of it? Anything else we should know?): This blend is a standard offering from Counter Culture, and its general appreciation makes sense to us. Well-balanced, bordering on light-bodied, and with flavors that will pair well with milk, this is a delicious cup that we'd welcome each morning. We paired this with a slice of apple pie, which brought out the acidity, so we'd recommend going with a baked good and shying away from brighter, more acidic breakfast items if you are complementing this coffee with food.

Additional notes: We'd like to point out that we have seen this bag on sale in coffee shops for over $20 and for as low as $15 after tax. The Counter Culture website provides a midpoint, and Counter Culture offers an additional discount if you subscribe for shipments. We advocate for conscious shopping, as we personally do not like to overpay for any item, so we wanted to point out to our discerning readers that prices may vary depending on the shop you visit. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.7. Where to Buy: Counter Culture Coffee Looking to do a review of your own? Hop over to the Community and get to it!