KaffeBox Subscription Box Review – February 2016

Kaffe Box is a monthly coffee subscription featuring select whole bean coffees from Scandinavia’s best roasters.  Each month, you receive 1-4 bags of beans from a different roaster.

The interior of the box arrived lined with a coffee-themed sheet portraying scenes of coffee processing.  The paper was glossy and actually makes a cool approximately 10″x 16″ poster.  They seem to use the same poster every time, so an enterprising drinker could always save it up to wallpaper his coffee nook!

The info card has a giant Kaffe Box logo on one side and details on the coffee on the reverse side.

The card contains information on the coffee selected for this month’s box, as well as a bit of background on the roaster who produced it.  Kaffe Box lets the roasters select which beans will represent their work, ensuring that you receive the beans of which they are most proud.  This month’s offering comes from Kafferostare Per Nordby, a roastery based in Goteborg, Sweden.  

The bags are provided with the roaster’s labels, which is a bit different than most coffee subscriptions that rebag in their own branding.  I think this is a good thing — you get the coffee just as it would be packed for customers at the roasters, so you get the authentic experience.  Plus, you get to check out the distinct labeling of each roaster, which can be fun.  The only drawback I see is the potential for scant labeling from some roasters — but the Kaffe Box info card is very thorough, so I don’t think you’d miss much.

Kafferostare Per Nordby provided an Incahuasi blend, comprising Typica, Caturra, and Bourbon varietals from Peru. The tasting notes suggest milk chocolate, green apple, and ripe fruit as the dominant notes.  This blend and roast, though from a Swedish roaster, reminded me greatly of classic German desserts — the mellow and not-too-sweet milk chocolate German chocolate cake and the tart green apple  bring to mind the Northern European fondness for dark, hearty breads, and tart fruits and candies.  The tartness of the fruit flavor lasts the longest of the notes, long surviving the medium, well-rounded body.  The roast doesn’t appear to contribute any dark or toasty notes.

The roaster’s label has some notes on the coffee’s origin and process, as well as tips on preparing it.  The tasting notes and coffee specifications are translated on the KaffeBox info card.

The beans had a moderately light color and a roast to match.  You can see the slight difference in tone that distinguishes the three varieties going into this blend.

This is a good coffee subscription, and I like the geographic appeal — this is a nice way to sample some quality goods from Scandinavia without worrying about salted licorice or fermented fish!   If our selections so far are indicative of the coffee preferences of the region, the Swedes prefer lighter roasts and flavor profiles in their coffees than either their Southern European neighbors or the Seattle-dominated U.S. coffee culture.  The different roaster each month promises tons of variety, each with new packaging to admire while you sip.

Visit KaffeBox to subscribe or find out more!