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Friday, February 5, 2016

Trader Joe's Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend

Listen: I'm not a coffee snoot by any stretch. I mean, I can taste the difference between gas station and coffee shop coffee, between Starbucks and a respectable cup*, and I won't touch the stuff from vending machines at my job...but when I read descriptions on coffee cans, 90% of the time, I can't easily discern the "earthy" or "fruity" or whatever descriptor words get tossed on there. Light vs medium vs dark roast - sure. Much beyond that, dicey at best.

 That is, until I met Trader Joe's Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend.

Says right on the front: "sweet caramel flavor." Now, I drink my coffee black, nothing added...and there's absolutely something to this coffee that makes it taste like someone slipped in a small flavor shot. Without any enhancement, it's noticeable enough for a schlub like me. Darn good beans, these are. Most days, a cup or two is exactly what I need to earn the right to go home to the wife and kiddos.

I've been drinking my way thru a cannister at work over the past few weeks, and I'm impressed. If I were to pay something $2 or $3 for a decent-sized cup of it, I'd be happy....and this was pretty inexpensive, probably right around $8 or $9 for the almost-pound. Tremendous deal, especially for it being organic and fair trade. I might have myself a new regular here.

Bottom line: Trader Joe's Fair Trade Organic Bolivian Blend: 8.5 out of 10 Golden Spoons
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* Not all Starbucks coffee is bad - some of their fancier ones are just fine. But a cup of their regular stuff? Tastes like the burned charred remains of some ancient coffee bean burial rite. Will do in a pinch, but far from my first choice.

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7 comments:

  1. tinybubbleFebruary 5, 2016 at 10:21 AM

    Is the bean dry or oily?

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  2. UnknownFebruary 5, 2016 at 1:05 PM

    I'm just like you- coffee is coffee. That's all it is to me. But if you're saying you can taste the difference, I must give it a shot!

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  3. Professor PeregrineFebruary 5, 2016 at 3:24 PM

    YES! I've been drinking this stuff for a couple years and it is vastly under-appreciated.

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  4. KrisFebruary 5, 2016 at 7:37 PM

    I agree on both counts. This is good, reasonably priced coffee. Starbucks plain black coffee is horrible.

    ReplyDelete
  5. stevenpFebruary 5, 2016 at 8:50 PM

    Have not tried this yet, but I will! My current fave is the Sumatra, and I was drinking Cafe Pajaro for a while. This sounds like a mellower and sweeter option (and I usually drink it black or just milk/cream). From my Aeropress, of course. ;)

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  6. Kalei's Best FriendFebruary 6, 2016 at 7:25 AM

    I love the Guatemalan from Starbucks problem is, its always sold out (at the mkt)... and yes, the 'regular' from Stars isn't so great, I think its because they have it sitting for a long time..

    ReplyDelete