New Brews

I just got a couple new samples of beans. More reviews are just around the corner!

Oh yes it does!

Absolutely

FTHB

First cup from bag number two of the Fairway to Heaven Blend.

Fairway to Heaven Blend

Probably the best part about buying coffee at Fairway Market is the group of dedicated and knowledgeable employees. It seems that each department is staffed with experts in their field. The coffee department is no exception. I have only been to the Fairway in Paramus, NJ, but there is another in Woodland Park, NJ and several in NYC. (Yes, I'm currently a Floridian, but from NJ.) The Fairway in Paramus has no less than 20-25 different types of whole beans. The clerk will grind to your specifications and offer suggestions if you're looking for something particular or if you have no idea at all.

Here is the rather nondescript bag that all of their coffee comes in. I find it a nice touch that they put the price tag label on the bottom. It leaves the skyline packaging unblemished. Getting into the coffee, I need to make note of the price, $6.99/lb. I consider this a fantastic bargain for whole bean coffee. For me once coffee goes above the $9.99/lb threshold I really have to be committed to buying it. Anytime I can find a good coffee below that price I'm thrilled! This is one of them.

This is definitely a mild medium roast coffee. In fact it could easily be described and right down the middle. Not too mild, not too much bite, and no bitterness. Despite it's middle-of-the-road flavor it truly makes a great cup of coffee! Please don't take my description as this being a boring coffee. Every sip from the first to the last is just as enjoyable.

If you're looking for a mild medium roast coffee for your day-to-day blend this is it! Would I serve this at a party, sure! It still has great flavor and it's low cost makes it a fantastic value.

Bottom Line Rating: 4 out of 5

The best part...

Fairway to Heaven Blend. Review coming soon!

Catch-up Post

This blog was born out of a piece of paper on my refrigerator. For my own curiosity, and goal of not repeating coffee blends too often, I write down when I start using a particular brand/bean. Since I'm the only person in my home who drinks coffee and I only drink in the morning, a typical pound of coffee lasts a few weeks. The blog started because I thought, "Hey I should type this list on my computer so I don't lose it." Then I had the realization, "Maybe I should blog about my coffee!" In order to catch-up to what I am presently drinking, here's a review of what I've been drinking over the past few months along with my thoughts on what it tasted like, for those that I can remember. You'll be able to see how inconsistent I was with writing down, particularly though most of 2012


2011
9/1 - Barnie's Guatemala Antigua
9/25 - Barnie's Ethopian Sidamo
I have tried this a few times and have been pretty pleased.
??? - Sweetwater something
11/21 - Barnie's Tanzanian Peaberry
I am amazed how well this bean lives up to the title of peaberry. It's TINY! I don't recall much about the flavor, but the bean is close to half the size of other beans.

2012
3/24 - Barnie's Blend
This blend was likely something that I drank though much of that blank space. I would purchase it roughly every 3rd bag. It's fairly inexpensive, for Barnie's coffee around $9.99/lb if I recall. Simple flavor, nothing complex. The kind of coffee that you can drink a couple cups and will still enjoy every last sip.
8/2 - Barnie's Global Blend
If I remember this correctly this is a little more pricey than the Barnie's Blend with maybe a little more complex flavor.
9/2 - Fairway Supreme Blend
Fairway Market is a wonderful supermarket to shop in. It has a feel of a small mom and pop store. Every employee is an expert in their area and the coffee guy/girl is no exception. I don't recall details on this coffee, but will have a detailed review on Fairway to Heaven Blend very soon. (I'm drinking that one now.)
9/2 - Dunkin Donut's
DD's used to be a great coffee to drink at their stores. When I made it at home it didn't have the same smoothness. Now both the coffee at their stores and making it at home is less than stellar. I've messed around with different amounts of beans/water, but can't seem to find the right mix between bitter and watered-down. I'm pretty sure this was BOGO at Publix, which is why I bought it.
10/6 - Sweetwater Viennese
From what I recall this was a very tasty coffee.
11/1 - Publix Greenwise Columbian
Another sale coffee. I had low expectations for this coming in, but was pleasantly surprised. Publix brands generally are pretty good (their muenster cheese is 1000x better than Boar's Head!) It's a decent coffee especially when you catch it on a good sale.
11/15 - Caribou Mahogany
Yuck! Taste's like blah with a splash of caramel.
12/2 - Caribou Columbia
Yuck! Taste's like blah without the excitement of caramel.
??? - Santa's White Christmas
It's not Thanksgiving/Christmas without this wonderful coffee! Generally I am not a flavored coffee fan, except for in the evening. Since I VERY rarely drink coffee at night it's even more rare for me to drink flavored coffee. SWC is the perfect amount of holiday flair and just good coffee. The good news is Barnie's does stock this year-round, so if I get the holiday urges in July I can satisfy them. Wait!?! Who gets holiday urges in Florida, in July, when it's 95 degrees out!?!

Look for 2013 in future posts! Fairway to Heaven Blend is up next!