Coffee has been called many things, joe, java, motor-oil, giddy-up juice and a good deal more. So it’s pretty easy to figure out why and where RocketfuelCoffee.com got the idea for their name. I was recently sent a care package by Lisa of Rocketfuel Coffee that included two different samples of Coffee, the first of which being the Hawaiian Kona Dark, and the second being the Millionaires Blend, but that is a story for a different time.
Lisa Rotenberg the owner and artist for Rocketfuel coffee focuses on specialty coffee, the high quality Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Kopi Luwak ect.
The Contestant this time is the Dark Roasted Kona. Certified with a lovely embossed stamp affirming that the product is in fact 100 percent Kona Coffee.
All Tastings
- Smell: The Start of your journey
- Taste: Obvious and penultimate
- Mouthfeel: Besides the taste how does it feel while drinking
- Usually I use a french press fresh ground with a 4 minute steep.
- I also
Tasting: I usually taste all coffees with a french press, a fresh coarse grind and a 4 minute steep.On the darker roasted coffees I have sampled I’ve had good luck giving them a go as a single origin espresso espresso as well. So I tried it with this one as well.
Smell: The first thing you experience with any coffee is the smell. Even such generic brands as Folgers recognizes this and incorporates it into their ads. If Folgers smelled anything like this life you could pull me down the stairs by smell alone. The rich earthy aroma with a hint of nutty overtone fills your nose with a wonderfully strong yet gentle coffee smell. Some specialty coffee’s smell great but not like great coffee, if that even makes sense. This Kona however has a wonderful aroma.
Taste: This very deep roasted Kona had a wonderful chocolate tone to it with hints of dried fruits, like dates or raisins. There was a hint of sweetness to the coffee without being overpowering.
Mouthfeel: A very well rounded cup, with bold start and a smooth finish. No aftertaste or acid to speak of. Only leaves you wanting more.
Notes: Usually a darker roast on coffee is enough to hide the terrior of the beans. However the Kona was and is strong enough to hold up to the darker roast much better, which is also one of the reasons i tried it as a single orgin espresso as well.
Espresso: As an espresso the sweetness was no longer there and the chocolate tones became stronger, with less of the fruit peaking through. However it was a truly wonderful espresso with a great round mouthfeel.
Packaging: The owner of Rocketfuel Lisa is also the artist responsible for their very intriguing packaging. I love the Kona packaging specifically, its just obtuse enough to hang on a wall without being related to coffee, but Hawaiian enough to give you the idea of why its there. Incredible.
Cost: The Kona Dark comes in at 20 dollars per half pound, 36 dollars per whole.
Conclusion: I usually judge coffee by a jury of their peers. you match the commercial brands against others on the supermarket shelves. You match high quality coffee against their brothers in delicious arms.Good coffee costs a decent amount. At 20 dollars a half pound this is far beyond what I would use for everyday, but well worth it for a gift for someone especial or as a treat for you own hardworking self. I would buy it just for the espresso qualities.
*Full Disclosure: I was sent a lovely care package at no cost by Lisa of Rocketfuelcoffee.com for review purposes.
Check out the Slide-show or Flickr for the rest of the photos of this tasting.
Thanks to Lisa for sending this my way.