Super smooth and easy to drink, not bad at all for a K-Cup.

A very chuggable and smooth cold brew that hits the spot, though is not super interesting in terms of its characteristics. Fair amount of water, though I wouldn't call it watery.

Cupping Method:Bought this can at Eataly Boston

I received this coffee from Clive Coffee when I got my new La Spaziale Lucca A53. I thought this coffee was lively. I didnt think it made great espresso but I was also working through the ground. I tried it as pourover and thought it was solid. Citrusy with a nice hint of sweetness. Played around with extraction temperatures and liked it best at 95 celsius (usually do 94). I'd like to try more Verve and maybe I should apologize for it being my guinea pig.

Rich cocoa and chocolate nose, lots of Hazelnut. Bright but thin crema. Good acid. Big blackberry front of palate.

Cupping Method:A53 Lucca Spaziale espresso machine, 94C

Solid and versatile medium roast. Makes a good espresso, and can be used for Moka or a pourover. I did expect something a bit lighter based on what the roaster described but no complaints.

We survived on this during the pandemic. Its consistent, convenient, and easy to drink.

Notes were that this coffee made for pretty good pourover but did not stand out compared to the 2 other Free Space coffees we had, including the almost incomparable Gesha Clouds.

A Gesha that just didnt quite pop in the cup for me. Has that floral, tropical aroma but didnt express in cup.

Cupping Method:Pourover Chemex

Pretty good. Has some depth and is pretty smooth. Not a lot of distinguishing characteristics to take it to the next level but very solid. I like it a little more than Major Dickinson.

Cupping Method:K-cup

Pretty solid K-Cup. Very smooth and balanced for roast level.

Cupping Method:K-cup

Smooth, easy to drink, enough acidity for a dark roast. Was perfect coming back into the hotel from the cold.

I dont have any real complaints given the format and location. Tastes like coffee, its smooth and balanced.

Very easy to drink canned cold brew. A little vanilla/carmel burst. Solid flavor with low acidity/complexity. Clean finish, no linger.

Cupping Method:Can from Berkshire Market at airport

Got a couple boxes of Wandering Bear for the office one time, and liked enough to take camping. It's a pretty good cold brew, organic, and comes in a super easy format for certain situations.

Cupping Method:Boxes delivered

This is a solid medium roast espresso blend. I like Crema e Gusto more but this is solid. Good crema and body.

Stumbled onto an Anchorhead outpost in Nashville. Bought a bag of this coffee and liked it. Really some great flavors characteristic of Costa Rica here, cherry, hint of vanilla. Roast was little flat for me on acidity and body. Still got through the whole bag!

Cupping Method:Pourover, 207F in Chemex, steel and natural filter

Consistent and tasty!

Cupping Method:Change of pace at Starbucks

A smooth balanced coffee with nice milk chocolate and black tea characteristics.

Very nice nose after grind. Definitely some pea and other small shaped beans with irregularity. Most notable note before brewery for me was a bit of caramel. Pour over. Totally different after cooling Dark chocolate turning to Irish Breakfast tea on the back end. Seemed a bit of an irregular lot and maybe a tad overroasted (perhaps due to mixed bean sized). This came out of the Onyx advent calendar so could have been remains of a lot.

A good nitro cold brew. Better than most you can get at chain stores. Wish the roast was a bit lighter on this one but nitro offsets the dark roast. Nobl's done some light roast nitro cold brews in limited edition form and they've been mind-blowing.

Cupping Method:Can

Came recommended from a friend I trust a lot! Nice drinkable coffee that didnt pop but would gladly drink every day.

Cupping Method:Chemex pouriver, 207F

UPDATE: Awesome barista at Coffeelands in Clinton, MA gave me a pull after I said I didn't like it. Maybe the bag I got was a dud or not stored properly (I did get it from a farm store). She got a solid crema and it was a solid, neutral Italian dark roast espresso. Still didn't get a lot of complexity but it was good. Beautiful looking beans. Great company with great values. Beans smell great and don't look burned. Tried 4 different ways to get good coffee out, tried different temps of espresso machine and just doesn't work for me. Tastes bitter in moka pot. A little bit bitter with no crema in espresso machine.

If you're looking for a straightfoward coffee that has a rich and satisfying taste, then Blue Bottle Giant Steps Coffee is definitely worth trying.

Rich chocolate notes, smooth and satisfying mouthfeel. Medium dark with a decent crema to balance medium dark roast. Blue Bottle description says very little fruit or acidity, but I get some.

Cupping Method:A53 Lucca Spaziale, 94 degrees C espresso

Rock solid canned cold brews. Smooth, balanced, nice acidity. Organic. A lot of chocolate/caramel, then I get a blackberry/apple acidity and crisp finish.

Cupping Method:From the can, nice and cold

Interesting. I tried this blind and thought African/Central American blend. Very drinkable, very smooth, very fruity. A lot of apple and white grape. Plesant black tea accent throughout. Nice mouthfeel and clean finish. I dont get tons of complexity, but a nice coffee you'd be happy with any day of the week.

Cupping Method:Pourover from Barismo store in Arlington, MA

Solid multipurpose espresso. Medium crema. A little carbon as straight sipping espresso. Incredible aroma out of the bag. Makes a very nice Americano and a solid latte. Roast was a little past medium so might wife didn't love. Mostly darker roast characteristics.

Cupping Method:A53 Lucca Spaziale, 94 degrees celsius. Sampled as doppio, Americano, and latte.

Elements has been on my list to try for awhile. It was the cold brew at Bissell Brothers Brewing in Southern Portland.

This cold brew brings an unusual mix of light fruity notes and caramel sweetness, but it doesn't quite come together. The flavors lack depth and balance, leaving the experience feeling a bit flat. It's drinkable and mildly refreshing, but not one I'd rush to try again.

I can't say that I understand why Royal Cup actually exist as a brand or gets selected to be in decent hotels like the Marriott. This is a solidly mediocre cup of dark roast. Drinkable but lacking depth in any of the notes you want in a dark roast. There's a little bit of water down chocolate and then some citrus. it needs a bit more natural sweetness, and it has a slightly chemical aftertaste. I'd say it is balanced and smooth alongside all of that. Bold? I don't know.

Cupping Method:K-Cup at Marriott in Portland,Maine

I found this coffee to be either nor bad and about the same level as hotel coffee. It has a good chocolate and molasses base and isn't bitter. There's a slight streak of that robusta funk/rubberiness but it's not major. The level of ice was just right and I preferred it to the cup of coffee I got from the Marriott this morning.

Cupping Method:I stopped at Whataburger in San Marcos, TX

Smooth and interesting medium dark roast with some nice characteristics. Deep chocolate flavor, and then some funkiness. I can buy poached pear, and definitely get a bit of sweet orange. I also get some tamarind and guarana notes. Those traits were actually pretty consistent across pourover and espresso. The big thing that's missing here is any type of meaningful acidity. That would help a lot with the balance and to turn the fruit notes that are present into winners.

Cupping Method:I made as espresso and pourover. I liked it best as espresso.