Before any supposed tariffs were to kick in, I purchased a bag of Peet’s medium roast, Brazil coffee. There has been some media discourse about Brazilian coffee and tariffs, so I thought I should try it. A couple things pointed out on the package are “single origin” and “tasting notes.” I am assuming that single origin is coffee from the beans of one plantation; from one plant seems beyond any mass marketable reality. Under “tasting notes” Peet’s has printed: “balanced, dried fruit, hazel nut.” I’ll get to this later. Upon smelling the coffee in the package, I notice that its scent is not overwhelming. I push my nose in and take some big sniffs. It does have an agreeable scent that lingers with my virtual senses, those senses reacquired from memory. There is nothing harsh or overly tactile about it. Upon tasting the coffee, after brewing, it backs up its scent with a very smooth presence and a decidedly pleasurable coffee flavor. This coffee seems grown in a pleasurable atmosphere. The...

For this Coffee tasting I tried Peet’s, light roast, Sun Catcher coffee. I often search for coffees that are more distinctive than contemporary, familiar flavors. This coffee seems to be commercially evasive (IMO). The package reads, “strawberry jam, citrus, and honeysuckle.” When I open the gourmet pouch and sniff, I shove my nose in to make sure I’m getting a good smell. The smell is good and unique. I think the honeysuckle and jam are new with the coffee scent; they create something I can’t describe. I brew the coffee and fill my cup. When I taste it unsweetened, I get a good, strong, coffee flavor with a light presence on my tongue. There is something going on here. The back flavor of citrus I have become familiar with, it seems to be a redeeming quality in the gourmet coffee market. The honeysuckle piques my interest, it is not strong or defining, but it is there. I like it. Strawberry jam? I don’t taste it. There does seem to be a hint at sweetness. There seems to be an abstracte...

Stumptown, Holler Mountain Coffee is quoted on the package as a signature blend. The smell of this moderately ground coffee leaves me curious. On my first taste of this coffee, it seems nothing like the flavors promoted on the package: coffee beans, caramel, hazelnut, and citrus. There is something complex going on with the flavor of this coffee. I had to let it rest on my whole tongue so all my taste buds could inform my understanding of a coffee maker’s experienced pallet. The flavors prompted on the package are not used to add flavor directly but are used to create a unique experience regarding how coffee tactilely reacts in the consumer’s mouth. There is something very blue-collar about this coffee, but at the same time, it transcends to something gourmet. With effort, there is a caramel buffer at the sides of the tongue, a distant nuttiness with the coffee, and a late, back end of citrus without the acidity. This coffee reminds me of a blue-collar ideal of working in the Southwest...

When I saw the bag for Punk Bunny, Father of all Dark Roasts, coffee on the shelf, it sold me. I have an affinity for dark coffee whether there is more caffeine in it or not. The picture of the floppy eared bunny with coffee bean eyes is a fun image and the bag has Green Day’s (the punk band’s) name on it. I went to the Punk Bunny website and, sure enough, there are the members of Green Day promoting their coffee. To open the bag, I remove a piece of clear tape and cut the top off with scissors because it is held together with glue. I sniff the coffee inside, but the scent seems scant for a dark roast. I poor the coffee into an airtight container for storage and the grind appears near fine. I sniff again and try to determine if my sense is detecting something. I’m not sure. I poor hot water through the coffee and try it. I believe that the flavor should be more pronounced. I’m not sure about its taste and decide to try it a second day. Again, when I taste it, there seems a lack of flav...

For this coffee critique I have chosen Death Wish Coffee Company’s chocolate hazelnut. Upon opening the bag, I see it is a medium grind, with an agreeable smell. I must stick my nose in the bag and sniff. It is very nutty, likely the hazel nuts. It is a very addictive smell. I pause and sniff it some more. I really like the scent of this coffee. I scoop it into the cone of my decanter and poor hot water over it. There is no difference. I fill my cup and begin to drink it. It does have a nutty flavor. The hazel nut of this coffee dominates its taste. It does seem to have an undistinguishable finish to its flavor. I am wondering if this is what professional coffee critics mean by aftertaste. I will just call it a finish. I believe that this finishing flavor is the chocolate. The difficulty for me is that I have not tried unsweetened chocolate. Overall, the flavor of this coffee is compelling. It is straight forward; yet if a person doesn’t eat chocolate and hazelnuts every day, it is qui...

The coffee tasted for this critique is Starbucks’ Cinnamon Dolce. On opening the bag, the smell is pleasant. There is a smell of cinnamon that saturates the coffee aroma or the beans. Looking at the coffee, it has a medium grind. It is not as course as say, generic, mass produced, coffee in bulk plastic containers. When I pour water over it, the room is filled with an appetizing vapor that makes the bagels smell like a new delicacy. It is chocolate bagels with cinnamon coffee. I drink my first cup with no sweetener. There is a lack of coarseness or bite that is familiar with generic coffee. Such a bite is often the case with convenience store coffees, but this cinnamon dolce has no harshness or bite. This is the case with special blends or the individual bags that people can buy at the grocery store. They are aside on the shelves from the coffees in bulk plastic containers. Starbucks’ Cinnamon Dolce, in my opinion, is a very good coffee. It has an organic cinnamon flavor with a smooth,...

What is a critic? It is obvious that all people are lay critics. Everybody has an opinion and can describe their experience with things in their own way. So why should people be concerned with what any professional critic may say? A professional critic gets paid for his/her opinion. It would seem such professionals would have a grasp of language regarding their critiques of products that is more exclusive and educated than the mass of lay persons who use the products being critiqued. Although I am not a professional, I thought it would be interesting to write my own criticism of coffee. I drink it every day and try different varieties, so I have my own opinions. When I was young and rushing to work, I had a cup of what was available to start the day and keep me going. Most people get their coffee from a convenient place and are aware of any taste difference from day to day. People occasionally try something different and can tell others about their experience with another type or brand...