Review #145: Joe Coffee

Name of Roaster: Joe Coffee

Location of Roaster (City, State, Country): New York, NY

Name of Roast: Bella Carmona

Type of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark): Medium Origin of Beans: Antigua, Guatemala Price: $15 (12 oz.) Brewing Method (Drip, Chemex, AeroPress, etc.): Chemex Time Between Purchase and Brewing (Ballpark is fine): Twenty-four days Aroma: Opening the bag, the coffee showed chocolate cake batter, cinnamon, Oreo wafer, and soft baked chocolate chip cookie. On the grind, warmer scents showed, with baked chocolate cake, crisp brownie edges, nutmeg, and soft red berry compote. Caramel, light brown sugar, wet stone, nougat, and chocolate were noted on the pour.

Flavor Profile: The coffee had a mid-palate entry and arrived medium-to-full-bodied. Soft, with first sensations of dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, and cocoa krispies, followed by a viscous deep jam of plum, blackberry, and cherry. The tip of the tongue gets lemon and bright orange, while the sides receive orange, as well, folding into the rich, dense cup before a clean finish. Overall Impression (What did you think of it?): We have no better words to describe this coffee than a pleasurable cup, with no discernible highs or lows. We'd recommend this coffee to anyone, paired or solo, as it showed well on its own and when mixed with milk. We tried it with madeleines, which was a delight. This is a good "entry" coffee for folks looking to branch out to specialty coffees. Final Score (1-10, with 10 being the best cup of coffee in your life): 7.9 Where to Buy: Joe Coffee