Xtraction Coffee: Good to the Last Drop

Xtraction Coffee is a unique organization because their cold brew is their flagship product. I had a good time working through their coffee, but somehow I was left wanting more…coffee. And that's a good thing. I have had coffees in my life that were a struggle to finish. I tried as hard as I could to finish them to no avail. All I was left with was coffee collecting dust on a nearby shelf. To me, that's tragic. That's not the case with Xtraction Coffee.

I am usually wary of any kind of coffee that's flavored. Too many coffee producers like to load their blends with artificial flavors that tend to stick out. The coffee almost becomes unenjoyable to drink because all you can taste is what the producer wanted you to taste, not the coffee you’re supposed to be enjoying. Xtraction Coffee has a hazelnut coffee that is not like that at all. I felt like the coffee and hazelnut flavorings were well balanced with one another. I savored each sip of this kind because I was stunned at how they were able to pull off this flavoring so well.

Xtraction Coffee is a company that's well deserving of more attention than they’re receiving. I’m not saying I’m the guy that's going to get that attention for them. I will do my best to sing their praises in the hopes that someone else will be able to glom on to my enthusiasm and give them a try for themselves.

As I sit here writing this article, I’m forlorn because I know I don’t have any Xtraction Coffee in my fridge. I kept one bottle around for a while because I knew that this moment was coming. Every time I opened the fridge that bottle looked me right in the eyes and dared me to drink it. I resisted the urge for so long before I had to give in. Once I put the empty botle down, I realized what had happened. I didn’t care because I enjoyed every minute I spent drinking this coffee.

I know you will feel the same. Order some today.

KonaRed: A Unique Pleasure

KonaRed is a company I have had my eye on for quite some time. I was pleased to find out their products were being sold in my local grocery store. Being the consummate coffee reviewer I am, I couldn’t invest in the product without trying it first. I resisted the urge to contact them right away. I don’t know what it is but there’s something intimidating about contacting a company that's sold in the grocery store. I finally got over my fears and sent them a message. To my surprise they replied and it was copacetic from then on.

I had the pleasure of trying out all three varieties of KonaRed’s cold brew: Hawaiian Vanilla, Espresso, and Original. Due to my passion for strong coffee, I gravitated to the Espresso variety and was instantly impressed. There was something about this coffee that I couldn’t put my finger on and I liked it. Like many times before, I found myself down to my last bottle, which sits in my fridge as we speak. I don’t want to take it out because I know what will happen. I will drink it in the blink of an eye and it will be gone, leaving me with only fond memories of this coffee.

With the word kona in the name, I was hoping that KonaRed would carry some of the stuff. I could hardly contain my joy when I found out that they did. I would be honored if they would be willing to participate in my kona profiling project on here. If their cold brew is any indication, I know that their kona coffee will be the highest level of quality.

As I close out each of these reviews, I’m filled with a feeling of dread. I have enjoyed talking to this company and their products are top notch. I don’t want it to end when I click the post button. If that's how it has to be, I will accept this fate. I will have fond memories of the strong and fruity blends they produced as well as yet another product that makes me enjoy flavored coffee.

Caveman Coffee Co: Stylish and Delicious

The cold brew I received from Caveman Coffee had a certain addictive quality to it. The problem was I got hooked too quickly and downed what they sent me without even noticing. Something has to be said about a coffee that goes down like water. You don’t even realize that you have finished everything that you had stockpiled until you take a look at your stash and realize that you have run out.

I applaud the people behind Caveman Coffee for producing their cold brew in aluminum cans. Between the design of these little guys and their flavor, I was in awe of the whole package. I have said many times that image is an underrated part of what coffee companies produce. Some companies are content with releasing products that are plain looking. That's fine as long as the product is great. A company that's able to package great products in appealing packages is one that's worth receiving all the applause.

Their online store is stocked with a number of different coffee options. Besides their cold brew, they have several coffee varieties in bean form. Each one of them is more impressive than the last. I’m particularly impressed with their white coffee.

Their website describes their white coffee as follows, “The unique flavor, color, and quality of this bean are achieved through a one of a kind roasting process, never used before. The result is a coffee that's almost white. It's light, creamy, nutty and perfect for mixing with your favorite fats.” I am shocked that I have never heard of such a thing before. All I know is that I am dying to try it.

It’s not every day that you find a coffee company that gives you the opportunity to brew coffee and get it out of the fridge while also decking you out in some stylish threads. You wouldn’t think all those things would go together, but they do and Caveman Coffee does it spectacularly. I look forward to the possibility of continuing to communicate with this fine organization.

Guys, you can back the truck up to my house anytime. I’m ready.

Forest Coffee Trading Company: Impressive to the Last Drop

The people over at Forest Coffee Trading Company were gracious enough to send me some of their cold brew. After having a few bottles, I’m impressed. The coffee is smooth and powerful at the same time, which is exactly how I like it. Let’s just say that this particular variety of cold brew did nothing to quench my hunger for more cold brew. I’m happy that they sell their cold brew in nine bottle packs because if I had any fewer I might not know what to do with myself when I was done with the last bottle.

As soon as I picked up one of the bottles their cold brew comes in, I immediately noticed its thickness. Once I was able to get a bottle straight out of the fridge, I took my time to savor the flavor. The drink stayed cold for much longer than I had anticipated. This was helpful because when you want hot coffee, you drink hot coffee, but when you want cold brew, you want it to stay cold. That wasn’t a problem here.

I plan to play around with this coffee to see what it can do. Perhaps I will add it to things or create different drinks using it. None of these things would be a problem because the coffee contained in these bottles is flexible. If you picked up a pack, you would have a hard time not wanting to share with your friends. Don’t worry if you’re feeling a little possessive about the bottles you have left. I know I have been feeling that way since my cold brews arrived.

I was pleased to find out that Forest Coffee Trading Company also carries coffee beans in their online store. This is an intriguing process because of the differences between coffee when it’s brewed hot and coffee when it’s brewed cold. I will have to see if I will get the opportunity to try out their brewed coffee as well.

I’m impressed with this company from top to bottom. I only hope that they will continue their dedication to quality and see to it that they add to their product line in the future.

Kona Coffee: Let's Talk About It

I’m on a bit of a kona kick lately. In the coffee world, there’s a certain mythology that surrounds kona coffee. If you’re someone who’s in the market for a good cup of joe, chances are not too much time will pass before kona is brought up.

Kona coffee is stronger on flavor and potency than most coffee varieties you will try. The people who produce this coffee are some of the most passionate individuals you will ever meet. Their dedication to their craft shows in the quality of the products they put forth.

I recently reached out to many kona coffee producers. The results were mixed, but I was able to make some great contacts. I plan to continue this project until I’m able to explore the breadth of the kona world. It’s difficult to know how far something goes if you never follow it through to its end.

Whenever I dip into a certain segment of the coffee industry, I always feel like an interloper. All these coffee companies get requests for free products all the time. I understand when their first response is to treat me like an irritant. My goal is to be anything but that. I envision building partnerships with the companies about which I write in the hopes that it will form a sustaining bond that will lead to many more pieces of content.

Prior to my time reviewing coffee, I read how many other writers approached the topic. I found that they were not invested in what they were talking about. They put out words about the topic, but the meaning behind those words left a lot to be desired. I want to treat each article like a personal conversation where I bring you to into the experience I have trying out these coffees.

Coffee is not serious. It’s wonderful. I love drinking it and I want to tell you about why it’s so great. The kona side of the coffee world is truly magical. I received some samples from a few purveyors. I will be talking about them first. After that I will make an effort to contact more in the hopes of fleshing out this section of the blog with more content.  

Two Rivers Coffee: Where Can I Get Some Select By Trump?

Ever since I heard it existed, I wanted to get my hands on Select By Trump. It’s a brand of coffee that’s offered through Two Rivers Coffee. They have some other appealing products I would like to try, but, since it’s the election season, I feel that it’s only right to make acquiring Select by Trump my highest priority.

I recently had a family member gift me some Brooklyn Bean coffee. I didn’t know what to think. After I made a few cups, I was hooked. I couldn’t drink the coffee fast enough. Unfortunately, as with every sampler pack, this one quickly ran out, leaving me wanting more and more.

I have read so much about politics. I keep track of the election, even when doing so fills me with tremendous nausea. Coffee helps me get through these moments. Imagine what this experience would be like if I had a cup full of Select By Trump. By no means does my consumption of said coffee constitute an endorsement of the candidate after which it’s named. I just think it’s funny that there’s a coffee bearing his name. I would feel like this blog is inadequate if I did not review it in time for the big day in November.

Their line of Friendly’s coffees is intriguing to me because each type of coffee is modeled after a flavor of ice cream. If these coffees are anything like their Brooklyn Bean varieties, I know that I would enjoy them if I were to try to them.

My interactions with this company have been limited. I interacted with one of their representatives regarding their Brooklyn Bean coffees. The conversation was warm; however, it didn’t go beyond that. I attempted to jumpstart some sort of dialogue to no avail. There has been no communication since then.

I have never encountered a coffee company that has such diverse product lines in k-cup form. I am not sure what kind of relationship Two Rivers has with Brooklyn Bean Roastery because they seem like two separate entities. To distinguish between the two, I will write a more elaborate review of Brooklyn Bean Roastery in the future.

Until then, here’s to hoping I can get my hands on some Select By Trump.

Metropolis Coffee Company: Beautiful Windy City Brews

I wanted to talk to Metropolis Coffee Company because their imaging was so appealing. I realize that image isn't everything, especially when it comes to products that need to be more tasty than pretty. At the same time, a bag of beans will be more appealing if it looks good.

I contacted Metropolis thinking that they would never contact me in a million years. To my surprise, they reached out to me and couldn't have been nicer. I asked them for a sample of their cold brew and they wasted no time in getting a package out to me.

When I received the package, I couldn't open it up fast enough. Since the bottles had traveled a fair distance to get to my door, they were on the warm side. Rather than wait for them to chill naturally, I put some ice in a glass and went to town. The experience that followed was practically transcendental.

I am a person who obsesses over anything I like. I loved the cold brew from Metropolis Coffee, so the level of obsession was tremendous. In the blink of an eye, the samples I received were gone, leaving me forlorn in the process. I wrote several positive tweets about them leading up to the finalization of this review. Things are copacetic between us.

I have written on and on about the kinds of relationships I would like to have with the companies I review. I don't want these to be one and done scenarios. I want to be able to work with these companies in the future. As a creative person, I'm driven by anything that fuels collaboration. While there are a lot of creative people in the coffee industry, I think the coffee would benefit from more creativity.

Coffee companies often have blogs on their websites that are used to promote product releases and other happenings within these organizations. There's nothing wrong with using blogs in this fashion; however, I feel like impersonal, casual blogs would do a lot for developing a relationship between the coffee company and their customers. I'm not saying that I would be the best person for this role. What I am saying is that I know I could add something to the conversation.

Coffee drinkers have a tendency to get stuck in ruts. They find one kind of coffee they like and they stick with it forever. Bigger coffee companies could not care less about their customers' ability to try new things. They want to keep you drinking their coffee until the end of time. I used to think that way. That was until I broadened my horizons.

I don't want my work with Metropolis Coffee Company to end with my review of their cold brew. I would love to have the opportunity to try all their products and attempt to make my own version of their cold brew with their cold brew blend. I want to explore all possibilities because I want anyone who's reading my articles to know what Metropolis Coffee Company is all about.