Saturday, November 15, 2008

Organic Fair Trade Scandinavian Blend Coffee


Rating:
Price: $6.99
Features: "A combination of medium and dark roasted beans. Blanced, yet lively." Organic, fair trade, 100% Arabica beans
Found in: Coffee / tea aisle, or perhaps being brewed at the demo stand

I have had varying success with Trader Joe's coffees. I usually wait until I have a chance to sample a coffee at the demo booth before I buy it. Even then, I have had some that I found tasty in the store, but were a disappointment when I brewed them at home. Luckily, this Organic Fair Trade Scandinavian Blend is satisfying all around!



Though this coffee blend is 100% Arabica beans (no lower quality robusta beans as filler), I have noted that TJ's coffees never use the absolute top quality beans. You can always spot a few shriveled specimens in the can, which isn't the case with higher end products. No matter, I can't taste the difference, and a 13 OZ can of these bean is only $6.99 - great deal! Let's learn a little more about this history of the Scandinavian Blend and the beans within courtesy of the back of the can:
Legend has it that in the late 60's in Stockholm, Sweden, a coffee roaster named Jens unintentionally mixed some lighter roasted beans with darker ones. Being the frugal sort, he decided to give it a try. Jens was amazed when he realized it appealed to such a diverse group of people. He decided to sell it in his shop, and the style caught on. Somewhere along the way, Scandinavian blend was born (or Bijörn).

To create our own harmonious Scandinavian blend, we draw on a trilogy of sustainable high grown coffees, sourced from fair trade co-operatives in Columbia, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. The Colombian and Peruvian beans are dark roasted and provide a baseline that reveals bittersweet caramel nuances underscored by notes of creamy milk chocolate. These beans demand a dark roast for optimal flavor and characteristics. This coffee's finish is very smooth and sweet with floral hints. We attribute these traits to the Dominican beans which are given a medium roast. The resulting unique flavor of the combination of dual roasts makes for a lively well-balanced cup of coffee.

Well - there ya go! I couldn't have said it better myself :-P
Definitely recommended as one of the best deals on an organic and fair trade "daily-drinker" coffee!

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Now playing: NPR - Car Talk 0846 November 15, 2008 Show#0846
via FoxyTunes

1 comment:

Terry Hardy said...

I have also had some mixed results with Trader Joe's coffee. After a few purchases that I quickly regretted, I decided to just stick with my proven organic coffee, thank you very much. However, Trader Joe's does have a fantastic Organic Cocoa that I would highly recommend you give a look!