Fresh Roasted Coffee put it all on the label. Three words that tell you exactly what you're getting. No witty or punny or hipster coded name. Just coffee, roasted recently.
In order to properly review these blends, I'm eschewing my typical morning coffee routine. That means not adding enough protein powder to turn each cup into a low-key warm milkshake but also wash over the actual coffee taste with chocolate or vanilla or, in the most dire of times, a Fruity Pebbles blend that tastes like the plastic of a Happy Meal toy.
That should give you an idea of how basic my coffee tastes are -- and temper your expectations for this review accordingly. Let's see what we've got.
Octane Artisan Blend Dark Roast: B-
Three of my sample bags lean toward darker brews. Those aren't my favorite --
a little too heavy for me -- but I'm still fine drinking them. My cup has one Splenda packet and slightly more Oatly creamer than I'd intended, leaving my mug a khaki color. The smell is warm and inviting with just enough of a roasted, slightly malty edge to prime your senses for a quick wake-up.
Fresh Roasted hits its bold promise, delivering big, warm flavors. It's slightly dry and acidic, bringing a bit of the smoke from its origin story with it to the cup. Here, it's rising above that cream mispour and snapping off each sip in a way that's rewarding but absolutely promises to leave me wallowing in some truly horrific coffee breath in about an hour.
That leaves you with an entirely solid, but dry, dark roast. You get those baking spices and dark chocolate and a little bit of char in a way that ties it all together. The balance is key, and while it's not remarkable it's still pretty dang nice for a drip-through cup on your kitchen counter.
Black Knight Artisan Blend: B
Opening the bag unleashes a wave of refreshing flavors. It's sharp roasted coffee with just enough sweet notes to keep it from feeling too powerful. I'm sure there's more to it, but my extremely basic coffee brain isn't picking it up.
Again, I'm rolling with Splenda but adding two percent milk instead of oat milk to see how it stands up. It smells exactly like you'd expect after about 10 minutes on the drip. The taste is less dark than the previous roast, allowing it to melt into that sugar (substitute) and dairy in a way that makes it a bit more approachable. That means sacrificing some of those bolder flavors, but I'm OK losing a little bit of bitter chocolate this time around.
You're left with a nice stop between light and dark. There's enough of an acidic tang here to keep you coming back, but not so much that you start to feel fatigued by it. The roast is modest but apparent. Adding some French vanilla Bulletproof creamer -- hey, I have no idea if the health benefits are legit but I do like the taste -- actually overwhelms it a bit, allowing it to get lost in the sauce in a way the dark roast didn't.
Pumpkin Spice: B
Let's get seasonal with a blend that smells fresh, sweet and wildly appealing once you pull the rip cord on an already ground bag. As usual, we're sipping with a packet of Splenda and a little milk. The aroma off the brewed cup is sugar with fall spices peppered in; nutmeg, cinnamon, maybe a little clove. It's a rewarding wake up after third grade drop off.
The opening sip is sweet and rich. It feels like that Splenda was borderline overkill. The pumpkin comes through cleanly without being overpowering. The spices add to that balance, providing the pie vibe that makes the drink so popular every year when the leaves even begin considering changing color.
It's very drinkable, though cup No. 2 is a "just milk" situation. It holds up. The brew is sweet and flavorful enough to sip on its own even if you don't like black coffee. It brings a slight chai tea feeling with it; sweeter, almost savory spices that bring a little extra depth. All in all, it's a nice cup of coffee -- something that works without adulteration but can also rise to dessert levels with just a few typical additions.
Maple Creme: B+
There's a familiar diner scene you're briefly transported back to upon opening the bag. Ground coffee, sweet maple syrup and a dollop of butter on top of a short stack of pancakes rush into your brain. It lasts through a brewed cup; it really feels like I should have a side of bacon with this.
Like the pumpkin, there's an innate sweetness to this one that makes my Splenda a bit redundant. The creme flavor is readily apparent, softening the acidic brew up. The maple is a bit muted, but comes through more in the finish. There's much more sweet creme to this than pancake highlighter,
That creme cuts off the snappy finish I want from a coffee, but there's no denying it tastes good. It satisfies your sweet tooth in the morning, swirling a handful of breakfast flavors together so it doesn't feel too far outside the ordinary.
Salted Caramel Mocha: B-
This smells incredible. Sweet and slightly decadent, like folded waves of caramel sauce hitting the top of a bowl of ice cream.
The first sip, with a packet of Splenda, is almost overly sweet. This is coffee for people who don't love coffee, which sounds like an insult but covers me through my first decade out of grad school pretty well. The salt here is minimal, a very slight brine that helps tone things down a bit at the end of the sip.
It's a bit much for me. While the maple was swirling breakfast flavors, this dives straight to dessert. There's enough mocha here to cap off the sundae topping analogy, which is great if you've got a sweet tooth and a bit of a letdown if you were hoping for something more subtle.
Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's?
This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I’m drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That’s the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm’s. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Fresh Roasted Coffee's, uh, coffees over a cold can of Hamm’s?
Yes. It delivers everything it says on the label, providing rich, flavorful coffees that make your mornings a bit easier. Even if the flavored varieties can be a little too much.
This is part of FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Fresh Roasted Coffees deliver everything on the label
