So, I purchased a 40-count coffee sampler box. I was super excited to see the amazing variety of flavors so that gave me the idea of writing my own personal reviews. I love coffee and I love trying new flavors. My go to coffee would be one that is rich and bold. So, let’s see how these turn out!

 

1.       Barrie House Expresso Blend –  This is a great blend to start a busy day. The aroma is enticing. It’s bold, which I love and strong. The coffee is smooth, a little woodsy with a strong aftertaste. So, if you need a great kickstart this coffee is a winner.  I love this blend and would definitely buy again.

 

2.       Cake Boss Hazelnut Biscotti – First of all this coffee smells like a bakery when brewing. I’ve never been crazy about hazelnut but wow! This has got to be as close to drinking a cookie as can be. Delicious. Period. So smooth and no bitter aftertaste. I’m glad I got this in a sample because it’s not something I’d normally buy, but I have a feeling this coffee is going to be craved!

 

3.       Robin’s Medium Roast – Nice smooth finish. Sweet flavor and amazing taste. This blend will leave you wanting a second cup. This is a coffee I’d buy on a regular basis. Really impressed. Wow! If you haven’t tried this yet, what are you waiting for? 

 

4.       Double Donut Coffee Breakfast Blend – Super light. Little taste. More like hot water than coffee. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would enjoy this blend, however, I’m not one of them. Not a fan at all. Perhaps I should have put a donut in the cup…

 

5.       EkoCups Organic Fair Trade Just. Better. Bold – I’ve been super excited to try this one and believe me, I’m not disappointed. That first sip was that super smooth, bold taste I crave, as was each sip to the very last drop. No bitterness at all. This is just an excellent coffee. I’m looking forward to trying the other blends by this one!

 

6.       Marley Coffee by Buffalo Soldier – I was expecting great things from this one and I was not disappointed! The aroma was not what I expected but the first sip was full bodied with lots of flavor. It does have a bitter finish but with hints of unsweetened dark chocolate. When sipping you get smooth bold flavor. Love it!

 

7.       Double Donut Expresso Blend – After the bland experience with the last blend I tried by Double Donut, I was looking forward to trying this one. I’m a sucker for snazzy packaging and theirs is eye-catching. Back to the coffee. Yum! The bold, full bodied taste I love. No bitterness and super smooth. Full of flavor. This is a blend I’d buy repeatedly. 

 

8.       Jet Fuel by the Coffee People– This is a real smooth coffee with no bitterness, and when I say smooth, I mean super smooth. Full of flavor with hints of chocolate creamy goodness. It’s a dark roast that will get your morning started off right. It packs enough boldness to win me over!

 

9.       Crazy Cups Pumpkin Vanilla Crème – This is a medium roast coffee that is not at all disappointing. The pumpkin flavor is subtle and seems to become more noticeable towards the end of the cup. The vanilla is subtle as well. Not as bold as I prefer but I did enjoy flavor. Definitely a great blend. 

 

10.   Tiziano Bonini Columbia Aroma – The name serves this coffee right; the aroma is that of a delicious Columbian coffee made in Italy. Go figure. It has a great flavor and is quite smooth. This is not a bold blend at all, but it still packs enough flavor to satisfy your coffee cravings!

 

11.   Jammin Jamaican by Barrie House – I like that this coffee is marked with an intensity level of 6. I thought it was light, smooth and a nice change of pace. Not one I’d reach for first thing in the morning but more so in the afternoon or evening. The aroma is great!

 

12.   8 o’clock Original – Okay, so this coffee has been around awhile. I can remember going to the grocery store with my mama and granny and looking forward to being able to grind the beans of this one right in the grocery store. So, I guess you could say this one is sentimental. To me, it’s always good. The Keurig cup is no different. This is a great coffee. It’s not too bold, not too (weak). In my opinion this is a coffee that should please everyone.

 

13.   Tully’s Breakfast Blend – I have yet to be disappointed by any blend I’ve tried from Tully’s, this light roast is no different. I tend to avoid breakfast blends because for some reason I find the flavor lacking. However, this one from Tully’s is incredibly flavorful. It is not weak at all. This is just a great cup of coffee!

 

14.   Barista Organica Peruvian – This is a medium roast full of flavor. Smooth and rich. What it lacks in boldness is made up for in flavor. And did I mention the aroma? Wow! This is a blend I will want to keep around.

 

15.   Ekocups Guatemalan – This blend has a somewhat bittersweet taste. The aroma is nice. First sip is a little smoky, which I like. The aftertaste does stay with you. It’s very flavorful. Not a bad cup at all, although it’s not my favorite. 

 

16.   Tiziano Bonini Italian Roast – First of all this blend has such an amazing aroma when brewing, you can’t help but be excited for that first sip. It is extremely smooth with a comforting flavor (is that a thing?). There is no acidity or bitter aftertaste. This is an amazing Italian coffee! I totally recommend trying this one!

 

17.   Green Mountain Dark Magic – This dark roast is exactly what I look for in a cup of coffee. Bold and full of flavor from the first sip to the last. It has a slight acidic aftertaste, but it’s not too much, in fact I believe that makes it more power-packed for a great pick me up! Love it!

 

18.   Entenmann’s Dark Roast – This blend has a small bit of acidity, although it’s not too much it compliments the coffee’s light taste. I know, it’s a dark roast, right? But it doesn’t pack the punch I look for in a roast. This one is not for me, but I don’t hate it.

 

19.   Gourmet Coffee Hawaiian Kona Blend – This one has that aroma that calls your name as it’s brewing. The first sip is no disappointment, come to think of it, it’s like sipping heaven from a cup. I love Kona blends but had not tried this one until now. It’s smooth and rich. You can’t get a much better cup than this!  

 

20.   Skinny girl Americano – Wow! This may be my new favorite coffee! It’s an expresso roast and it is so delicious. The flavor is full bodied, bold and has everything I look for in a cup of coffee. The aroma while brewing is awesome. The first sip had me hooked. Just a perfectly strong coffee that makes you look forward to another cup… or two! I will be buying this one for sure!

 

21.   Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll – This coffee is appealing to me simply because of its name. The aroma is of fresh baked cinnamon rolls. The first sip is surprisingly light. The flavor of cinnamon lingers lightly to the last sip, but the coffee just didn’t meet the high expectations I set for it, which was disappointing. If you like breakfast blends or (weak) coffee, you’ll love it.

 

22.   Crazy Cups Frosted Oatmeal Cookie – The enticing aroma of baking oatmeal cookies will fill the room when this blend is brewing. The taste is amazing! If you love cookies, you’re going to love this coffee. I was pleasantly surprised when I took the first sip. It certainly has the boldness to go right along with the delicious oatmeal cookie flavor. Try it, it’s a treat!

 

23.   Barrie House-House Blend Extra Bold – If there was ever a morning I needed an extra bold cup of coffee, it’s today. Fortunately, this blend is no disappointment. The aroma from brewing was even quite bold. The first sip is a delicious, creamy yet strong coffee flavor that gets your morning off to a better start. (mine anyway) One of the best house blends I’ve tried. Winner!

 

24.   Diedrich Rio Blend – This medium roast is one of the smoothest blends I’ve tried. It had incredible flavor from the first sip to the last. No bitterness. No acidity. Just good smooth coffee.

 

25.   Hurricane Nor’easter – I’d never heard of this brand before, so I was excited to give it a try. This one’s a dark roast. Tastes more medium to me… It’s a very smooth blend. Rich and creamy. It has a nice flavor even though it’s not the super strong coffee I usually go for. 

 

26.   National Geographic Rain Forest Blend – Who knew National Geographic made coffee? Not me! I really like it. It’s full of flavor with an aftertaste that leaves you wanting that next sip. Curious in a good way. Definitely worth a try!

 

27.   H K Three Star Blend – So Hell’s Kitchen has inspired a coffee blend. I’ve only seen the previews of this show on commercials, so with that in mind, I’d scream profanities at Mr. HK and ask what the hell was he thinking making such a weak ass coffee? People need flavor! People need bold! People need caffeine! Three Star? You’d be lucky to get a half star. Seriously though, I wasn’t impressed. 

 

28.   Tully’s Italian Roast – I love Tully’s. It’s by far one of my favorite brands. Great quality and even better taste. The Italian roast is not my favorite of all their blends, but it’s still delicious. It’s smooth and flavorful. 

 

29.   Emeril Big Easy Bold – This is easily one of my favorite coffees. It has the boldness that I look for in a coffee. No acidity or bitter aftertaste. A delicious flavor that have you hooked! I recommend trying this one. It’s a great blend to have on hand.

 

30.   Copper Moon Sumatra – This blend is smooth and flavorful. A creamy blend with a hint of fruit? I’m not sure… Whatever it is, is good! Nice from beginning to end. I great cup to sip, enjoy and relax.

 

31.   EkoCups Just. Better. Burnt Caramel – Can a coffee be seductive? This coffee completely enticed my senses as the aroma of baking caramel filled the room while brewing. The taste is amazing. A perfect sweetness that will leave you looking forward to the next cup. A must try!

 

32.   Barista Prima Italian Roast – One of my favorite things about this coffee is the aroma of fresh ground beans, the other is the powerful flavor. It’s an addicting boldness that sets the bar for all other coffees. Warning, it’s not for the faint of heart, weak coffee lovers. I love it! One of my favorite coffees ever!

 

33.   EkoCups Just. Better. Ethiopian – These EkoCups people are kicking ass with their coffee. So far with each blend I’ve tried, I’ve loved it more and more. This coffee smells incredible. I mean you can smell the smoothness! The taste is unmatchable. No acidity whatsoever. Bold and smooth in the perfect balance. This is a blend I will keep around!

 

34.   Double Donut Bold Blend – This blend has a smooth, creamy flavor. It’s bold but with a slightly bitter aftertaste. I wanted to be crazy about this one but it’s just not what I expected. It’s worth a try for sure, but not one I’d buy on a regular basis. 

 

35.   Jammin’ Java Dunn’s River Dark – Just to be honest the aroma was not appealing to me. I just didn’t get that fresh bean aroma that I love, instead I got a hint of dirt… With that being said, in the first sip I got a sweetness that reminded me of cotton candy, and I love cotton candy. I found this blend to be more sweet than bold. Regardless of the bad start with the aroma, this was actually a decent cup of coffee. I don’t think I’d buy it regularly, but I’d definitely drink again.

 

36.   Balzac’s A Dark Affair – This blend has an aroma of boldness. The taste is incredibly bold. Super strong and full of flavor. There is a bit of acidity in the aftertaste but it’s the perfect amount for a great cup of coffee. This coffee is my cup of tea! Ha! It’s an incredible combination of smooth and bold with the strength for those coffee lovers who want a coffee that is a real eye opener. 

 

37.   Wolfgang Puck Go Bold – The aroma is light and leaves you wondering how the first sip will taste. Wait no more! The first sip is so smooth. There is absolutely no acidity. The aftertaste is nothing but the remnants of a great blend of coffee. I must say this coffee is amazing. The flavor is the perfect amount of smooth and bold combined. I’m impressed! Winner!  

 

38.   Eight O’Clock Dark Italian Roast – This is an incredible cup of coffee. So bold! So smooth! So full of flavor. No acidity. This is a blend I could drink every day! Why haven’t I tried this before? Try this coffee! 

 

39.   Manatee Island Dark Roast – I was excited to try this gourmet coffee. It is pleasantly smooth with a silky flavor. This is a coffee I could drink daily. Yum!

 

40.   Jim Beam Spiced Honey – Oh Jim Beam! How did you end up in coffee with no alcohol content? I can’t dislike this coffee because of the name alone. The sweet taste of the famous Kentucky bourbon whiskey is in every sip. I got more spice taste on the front and the honey in the finish. This is not a blend I’d drink first thing in the morning but more so in the evening or after dinner. Pretty cool blend if you want to try something completely different.  

 

Well here it is, my personal opinion of forty different coffees. I had a great time sampling all of these, some more than others. If anyone is ever bored enough to read these, I hope my rookie critique helps you find a blend you’ll love or even inspire you to try a sample pack of your own. (rookie at writing reviews, not drinking coffee)

 

Top 3: 1. #Skinny Girl Americano 2. #EkoCups Just. Better. Ethiopian 3. #Barrie House – House Blend Extra Bold

 

 Bottom line is there were a lot of great coffees in this sample pack that I normally would not have tried. So, try sample packs people! You might find something you can’t live without!