Our Pick
#1 Recommended
Like a Visit From An Old Friend: Kicking Horse Grizzly Claw (Dark Roast)
Kicking Horse is a consistently good roast. By consistent, we mean not just all of their roasts are good, but more importantly, their roasts taste the same across many batches and years. This is one of the hardest arts of roasting, and I don’t think Kicking Horse gets enough credit for it. They are definitely stronger in their darker roasts than their lighter roasts, so we’ve been drinking Grizzly Claw and loving it yet again.
The Newcomer: Real Good Coffee Co Whole Bean Organic
There’s no shortage of great roasting going on in Seattle (and the entire Pacific Northwest) so we were a little skeptical this could be anything remarkable when it was first recommended to us. After all, Seattle is a tough playing field in coffee.
Well, it turns out we were happily wrong. The medium and dark roasts both have an almost citrusy crispness to them, with just a hint of nutty sweetness balancing the medium roast. We had no idea the Real Good Coffee Company has been roasting for more than 30 years, but after just a few fresh cups this was no surprise at all. Recommended brew method on these beans: hand pour.
Kult Favorite: Koffee Cult Organic Whole Bean
Always wondered why there’s so much good coffee in tropical areas? I have zero science to back this up, but I’m convinced roasting in a tropical (aka humid and salty) environment adds complexity to the flavor of the beans–something you just don’t see in Seattle roasts.
So it was a delight to see some Koffee Kult arrive in our mailbox. Roasted in the warm ocean air of Florida, these coffees have the flavor I think other roasters are going for when they call it “caramel.” A tinge of salt, with rich lingering fruitiness. We’re definitely keeping these beans on hand to lighten the winter mood!
One More: Verena Street Julien’s Breakfast Blend
This was an unexpected gem. I forget who first mentioned this coffee to us, but after one cup it was clear there would be many more. We strongly recommend the medium roast in a french press, especially if this really is your breakfast blend. The dark roast succeeds much better as an espresso coffee. If using drip or hand pour, I would prefer the medium roast, but every other taster disagreed and recommends dark. You decide!
How We Find Our Favorite Coffees
A little background on our monthly favorites…
As fourthestatecoffee.com has grown to more and more of an authority on all things coffee, we constantly receive recommendations to try new roasts, beans, or products. And the truth is, we love coffee! So we try as many as we can.
Unfortunately, we can’t try everything and we can’t write about everything we try. But there are always a few standouts, so when we have the time, we try to share them here with you. Let us know what you think in the comments!