Skip to main content

Posts

Thomas Hammer French Roast Coffee

For the final installment of the Hammer Coffee tasting, regarding the three attributes graphed on their packaging, I try Thomas Hammer’s French Roast Coffee. As stated in my previous article (post), French Roast is graphed as having maximum roast and body with minimal acidity. To understand the three attributes of tasting coffee, roast, body, and acidity, I will compare Hammer’s French Roast with their Signature Blend. Hammer’s Signature Blend graphs roast, body, and acidity as moderate. Upon opening the bag of Hammer’s French Roast, I am pleasantly surprised with a very rich coffee smell. There is nothing nutty or any dryness suggestive about it. In my opinion, I could say nothing about the roast from its scent. It is somewhat like moist soil in a cedar grove. The taste of Hammer’s French Roast is very smoky. Like the tasting notes, it has a smoky, cedar aura. It does remind me of cedar burning on a campfire. When drinking my second cup, with sweetener added, I get a bold new flavor. ...
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

Thomas Hammer Signature Blend Coffee

  With this tasting, Thomas Hammer Signature Blend, emphasis is on the three attributes graphed on the package: roast, body, and acidity. In my previous article (blog post) I went over my understanding and research of these attributes and how they contribute to a coffee’s overall flavor. To better understand how these attributes affect the way coffee flavor and tasting are experienced, I have purchased not only Hammer’s Signature Blend but also Hammer’s French Roast. Comparing the graphs on these two coffees shows that Signature Blend rates the three attributes nominally at their mid points while French Roast rates roast and body at max, and acidity at bottom. For this critique, I have tried Hammer’s Signature Blend. When I opened the package, I shoved my nose in and took a big sniff. The scent has a very enjoyable coffee smell. It is not overpowering and is very clean, and I had to smell it a couple of times because I enjoy it. For my first cup, black and unsweetened, I was pleasa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Discussing 3 Coffee Tasting Attributes

  As a novice coffee taster, my attention has been drawn to the attribute scale (three bars) on the packages used by Thomas Hammer Coffee. The three attributes of coffee measured by these bars are: roast, body, and acidity. Professional coffee tasters know the intensity of these three attributes and their effects on the way coffee is experienced in consumption. As a novice, I do not. I have made it my duty to try a couple of Hammer’s coffees with different attribute scales and learn what it is professional coffee tasters are experiencing. Before I begin, other novices like me may want to know how these attributes are determined. I have briefly researched these attributes and will go over my discoveries here. The first attribute is “roast.” There are many ways to roast coffee. A large drum roaster using heated air is commonly used in commercial coffee roasting. The three most common levels of coffee roasting discussed are light, medium, and dark. When coffee is roasted, the beans wi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kauai Coffee, Coconut Carmel Crunch

There is a lot going on with Kauai Coffee’s coconut caramel crunch. Looking at the package, a drinker may notice that it is only ten percent Hawaiian coffee. On the side of the package, under ingredients, it says Arabica coffee is used but does not indicate a specific source for the remaining ninety percent. The package is also clear about the coffee being artificially flavored. The origin and flavor of this coffee become nearly moot when drinkers read the suggested serving advice. The suggested 6 ounces of water and cream to taste was something I avoided when I made my 8-ounce cup black. Another oddity on the side package is “Distributed by Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA Suffolk, VA USA.” What geographical rounds did this coffee make to get to my pour-over basket? I am not a fan of artificial coconut flavor, but I wanted to try something exotic this time. On the plus side: this coffee has a creamy smoothness that seems catalyzed by its caramel flavor. The caramel scent and flavor of thi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shiver Coffee Stout Beer

I tried this unique beer from Bombastic Brewing; it’s called Shiver Coffee Stout. The supposed coffee flavor isn’t the only thing about it that caught my interest; its 10.5% alcohol content made it a must try. After perusing the shelf of commercial micro-brews, the Shiver won the buzz giver award. It came in a four pack, and justifiably so for us light weights. And I will say its 10.5% did not disappoint. It is stout beer. My first impression, after a big drink, was that this is definitely dark beer. I’m not sure if my taste is consistent, black coffee and dark beer, but I’ll take it over tea and IPA. Its dark flavor made an impression. According to the can, “look for waves of dark chocolate, vanilla, and hints of molasses.” As an afterthought, they tell you, “Add Thomas Hamer cold brew coffee.” With my first taste, I was quickly aware of the beer’s dark flavor. My tongue was enriched with a thick alcoholic aftertaste broadened by intense smokey tartness, which I am accustomed to. I en...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cutters Point Original Coffee

This critique is special because I try Cutters Point Original coffee. Up front, I absolutely enjoy this coffee. Don’t let its plain brown bag appearance fool you. Its package is almost over engineered for resealing this product’s freshness. And that said, its smell is the freshest. It smells like fresh ground coffee in the northwest mountains. This coffee comes from Gig Harbor, Washington. While many of the popular coffees out now are from the Seattle area, Cutters is different for its medium roasted blend of stable flavors. There is no salient pop-culture flavor screaming for attention here. It is just the smoothest, richest, dark coffee a connoisseur can wake up too. The package describes its flavor, “notes of raisins, are balanced with an excellent caramel-like sweetness, finished with buttery undertones.” This seems complex, but my taste started with a black, unsweetened cup that had rich coffee flavor with possibly a raisin tarnish to calm acidity. My second cup had sweetener add...
Post a Comment
Read more

Black Rifle, Beyond Black

Black coffee, from my perspective, is a natural go-to for comfort.  Some people just  desire  a cup of black coffee; they do not want some fancy, complex,  extravagant  beverage that  receives  more attention than some children get in the morning before school.  With this  said,   I  decided  to try   a basic ,  black, gourmet coffee.  Beyond Black from the Black Rifle Coffee Company comes in an impressiv e package with a soldier wearing night optics pictured.  It  doesn’t  list flavors or holidays on the front and  just reads, “beyond black . ”   Upon  filling my  cup, after a simple pour-through  brew ,  I am pleased with the taste of dark, adequately roasted, coffee beans.  I get a broad swath of  black organic, caff e inated  brew across my tongue.  I get a pleasurable tinge of flavor that is not acidic. This is a smooth black coffee.   The...
Post a Comment
Read more