CoffeeCow Reviews Green Mountain Sumatran Reserve K-Cups

 Strong coffee lovers have been flocking to Green Mountain Organic  Sumatran Reserve, but for those that want an event stronger, bolder, espresso-like dark roast blend, we’re pulling a rabbit out of the hat with Green Mountain Dark Magic Extra Bold K-cup. The truth is in the brew, so we rounded up our dark roast coffee enthusiasts around the Coffee Cow office to give their verdict on this très intense dark roast coffee blend.

The Test: We popped a K-cup into our Keurig coffee maker and immediately noticed its pleasing aroma with an espresso vibe. At first sip, we realized that Green Mountain’s Dark Magic coffee was the real deal. The flavor has a spellbinding complexity with a strong yet smooth taste combined with an almost ethereal sweetness. The K-cup was strong enough to deliver its bold, dark roast flavor on the largest cup setting on our Keurig Brewer. During a second round, we added a bit of flavored creamer and noted that this exceptional dark roast can easily be morphed into a latte experience. It’s obvious that this K-cup will also keep its flavor and strength as an iced coffee.

The Result: On a scale of 1-5, we give Green Mountain Dark Magic K-cup a 4.9. For serious coffee drinkers, this is a must-have first cup of coffee in the morning. We imagine this coffee will hit the spot during the mid-afternoon slump, as well! The body has an attractive feel and no bitter aftertaste. You will not find a blend like this on your average supermarket shelf. This coffee is for real coffee drinkers, but adventurous light and medium roast drinkers could learn to love its robust flavor.

General Information: Each box Green Mountain Dark Magic Extra Bold Coffee K-Cups contains 24 single-serve cups for your Keurig K-Cup brewer.

Ideas about what we can review next? Let us know in the comments below!

Visit Coffee Cow.com today and browse our entire K-Cup selection.

CoffeeCow Reviews Tassimo’s King of Joe Dark Roast T-Discs

If you’re given the title of “King,” it’s a clear indication that you rule at something, right? We’re taste testing Tassimo’s King of Joe Dark Roast T-Discs today to see if this king rules over other dark roasts. The question is - will this King of Joe live up to his title?

General Information:

Tassimo’s King of Joe Dark Roast contains 16 T-Discs per box. Each T-Disc brews a single 8-ounce cup for your Tassimo coffee maker.

The Test:

Your sense of smell will be the first to experience this King of Joe! Once brewed, the aroma reveals a slight smokiness and hint of charred wood that mingles with a very mild, syrup-like bouquet and blends with a delicate scent of walnuts and toast. Overall, the aroma is inviting and will leave you looking forward to your first sip.

With your sense of sight, hold your freshly brewed cup of King of Joe Dark Roast coffee up to the window and allow the morning sunlight to shine through! Dark amber and brown tones will further entice you to taste this dark roast coffee.

Finally taking that first sip, you’ll notice the coffee has a medium to medium-thin mouth feel. This means that it isn’t thick and creamy like some coffees but isn’t too thin or watery, either. In a word, well-balanced describes this T-Disc to a tee.

These dark roast T-Discs are slightly sweet with light acidity and saltiness that finishes with a very mild charred flavor.

The Result:

On a scale of 1 to 5, we rate this coffee a 4. It’s not as robust and dark as the Tassimo Gevalia Dark House Blend or the Tassimo Gevalia Dark Italian Roast, but it is a good daily morning wake-me-up. This package also provides twice as many T-Disc’s as the Gevalia Dark House Blend or the Gevalia Dark Italian Roast.

Tassimo King of Joe Dark Roast T-Discs may not be the best choice for the diehard dark roast coffee drinker, but it’s a great choice for a coffee lover on an average morning. It’s proven to stimulate the senses while providing a lot of body, flavor, and finish - making this coffee a great-tasting daily starter!

The answer to the question will this King of Joe live up to his title is YES! Tassimo’s King of Joe Dark Roast T-Discs will continue to reign for another day. Check out CoffeeCow.com for more single serve coffee choices.

Dark Roast vs. Bold

Did you know that dark roast coffee and bold coffee are actually two different animals? If you didn’t, you’re not alone. Many people mistake one for the other or think they’re the same, not realizing they are very different - right down to the process in which they’re made.

Dark Roast Coffee

What does the term “dark” mean when referring to coffee? Dark coffee generally deals with the roasting technique. When the roaster roasts the coffee beans, they go through what is referred to as the 1st crack and the 2nd crack. The term “crack” is actually the sound the beans make as they become hot in the roasting process. It sounds like popcorn popping, but the beans are actually cracking. The 1st crack creates light, mild, and the early part of the medium roasts, while the 2nd crack creates medium dark and dark roasts.

This means that the same beans roasted differently will have different flavor profiles. Darker roasts will have more of a smoky overtone with a little more bitterness on the finish while the lighter roasts will have more fruit and earthy qualities.

Roasters know that catastrophe strikes when roasting past the 2nd crack! Roasting past the 2nd crack leaves the beans overcooked, bitter, burnt, and less desirable, as most of their flavor will be lost.

At CoffeeCow.com, we believe that coffee tasting is similar to wine tasting, and just as fun. Coffee has many flavor wheels, charts, and an entire process to roast and triple taste a coffee to determine the best roasting method for the bean. Try brands such as Dolce Gusto: Dark Roast/Grande Intenso, Tassimo Gevalia: Dark Italian Roast T-Discs and Wolfgang Puck: South Pacific Organic Pods, just to name a few.

If You Gotta Be Bold, Try Bold Flavored Coffee

Could singer/songwriter Des’ree really be talking about coffee in the 1994 hit song entitled “You Gotta Be”? Sure, love will save the day, too. We’re just saying that coffee - especially bold coffee - is just as capable of saving the day.

Let’s start with the basics and explain what “bold” means when you’re referring to coffee. In general, bold coffee simply means there’s more coffee flavor.

Think of it like this: Say you use a teaspoon of coffee to make a 6 oz. cup of regular coffee. The bold coffee would be like using two teaspoons of coffee to make the same 6 oz. cup, leaving you with more coffee flavor instead of just more coffee.

Oh, and we’re bold alright. Bold enough to carry coffee with those day-saving, bold flavors you love! Savor the boldness with brands such as Cafe Classics: Classic Bold Pods, Green Mountain: Double Black Diamond X-Bold K-Cups and Emeril's: Big Easy Bold Coffee K-Cups.

As Des’ree might say, all I know, all I know is coffee will save the day. For a full list of our coffee products, visit CoffeeCow.com today!