By: Bryan

Bryan — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 17:35:13 +0000

I do wish I could leave a positive review
I know a thing or two about coffee. I’m kind of a snob about it. I apologize for that in advance.I always like to try new things, and I was a few bucks short of qualifying for free delivery on my Whole Foods order. I added a bag of coffee beans to qualify.I typically buy coffee from local roasters here in Arizona. For coffee snobs like me, that’s the competition.I was impressed out of the gate because the coffee had an expiration date, which is pretty rare in the coffee world (but is becoming more common). With an expiration date of May 1, it looks like I got my coffee beans when they were only a couple of weeks old. Bonus.I used a pour over to brew this coffee. My first cup was interesting. It was smooth, I’ll give it that. But it was also weak, and it lacked any defining characteristic or flavor.I tried brewing my second cup with about 25% more grounds. The result? A bitterness that I really don’t like came through, and it’s still kind of weak.The coffee doesn’t taste stale. That will immediately earn a 1-star rating from me. It just tastes like they used lackluster beans to start with, and that may just be a side effect of a seasonal brew like this one.So now comes my coffee snob edit. The beans were good and fresh. The flavor was on the savory side with just a hint of tannin. The interesting part is that the coffee itself did not have any of the bitterness or grittiness that typically accompanies a coffee with this flavor profile. That’s how I can tell it’s good coffee. It’s just not my cup of coffee.I’ll try these guys again. I’ll look for a single-origin from one of my favorite countries, and I’ll see how it compares to my favorites. On a blend like this, it’s difficult to tell what the roasters had in mind. For this one, it’s almost like they were going for an unobjectionable brew that would be widely satisfying without adding any special flavors that might be off-putting to some. I can see how that flavor would be appealing to a lot of folks. For me? I’ll drink this. It’ll be weak, but I’ll drink it. It was very uninspiring, though, and I’ll need to make sure I have another bean in the kitchen so that I can take a break every couple of days.

Comments on: GROUNDWORK COFFEE CO Holiday Blend, 12 OZ

By: Bryan