Blue Bottle Coffee Review + Free Trial Offer – September 2016

Blue Bottle Coffee is a whole-bean coffee subscription with multiple options to suit your coffee needs. Generally you’ll get 12 oz of beans every other week for $17, or double your bag for an extra $11. They also offer half bag and triple bag subscriptions. The prices vary by a buck or so on your coffee selections.

This particular box has an extra little note for subscribers.

It was a rumination by Blue Bottle’s “James” on the fleeting Summer in San Fransisco (I’m sure those of us in the Northeast or Upper Midwest are crying James a river right now), and its relation to iced coffee season in Blue Bottle shops.

The insert ends with a recipe for a “frappe” or iced coffee.

My most recent arrival was Three Africans.  I have the Origins subscription, but it’s easy to switch between the 3 types (Origins, Blend, Espresso) or one of the 8 specialty subscriptions available, as well as change the frequency and amount of coffee you receive in each shipment.  Each is produced from high-quality beans — it’s just a matter of what your taste preference is.  

After many months with the Origins subscription I decided to switch to Blends. The Origins provides a variety of flavor notes and combinations plus delightful “rough edges” of single-origin brews but it was time to check out how Blue Bottle mixes it up.   Currently, I prepare my beans with a Baratza Virtuoso burr grinder and make my coffee Americano-style with an Aeropress.  

Every bag includes the date on which it was roasted — this one was prepared on August 23, 2016.

Blue Bottle Coffee‘s notes do a great job of laying out the growing conditions and peculiarities of each coffee.  More than any other coffee subscription, Blue Bottle tries to capture the feel and essence of its coffees rather than declaring flavor notes with absolute authority.  They are fairly accurate with both identifying the specific notes and conveying a sense of the taste.

Three Africans is a blend of two Ethiopian coffees (one wet and one dry process) and a Ugandan coffee.  Blue Bottle identified three main flavor characteristics:  fruit, radiance, and creaminess.  The notes suggests that the Ugandan coffee provide the staid and solid body, while the Ethiopians provide the wow factor.  I detect a strong overtone of ripe fruit, specifically, red apple.  The coffee has a creamy mouthfeel and bright but solid body.  This blend does a great job of showcasing a couple of lovely flavor notes while maintaining a satisfying and well-rounded overall profile.

Visit Blue Bottle Coffee to find out more or to subscribe. Get a free trial when you use this link!