I love trying different coffees, smelling their differences and tasting their individual characteristics. If I had an unlimited budget I would try a different coffee every morning. I’m very fortunate that coffee companies send me coffee to review, but I’m still nowhere near tasting a different coffee every day. However, with Craft Coffee I’m on step closer to that this month.

Craft Coffee is an online site that sends coffee fanatics three different coffees to your door every month. It starts out at $18.89 a month if you pay annually or $20.99 if you want to pay monthly. It includes free shipping and three four ounce bags from premium coffee roasters like Four Barrel, Higher Ground and Intelligentsia.

Each shipment comes with a note card that tells a little bit about the background of the coffee and a short description about what to expect in the taste and smell departments. They earn bonus points for including a roasted on date. Way too many coffee roasters seem to be afraid to do that.

Recently, they sent me coffee from Great Northern Roasting Company, Irving Farm and Temple Coffee. It was the first that I had heard of any of them so I couldn’t wait to rip open the bags and taste them.

The Drink: Mexico Dry-Process Organic Peaberry Microlot From Great Northern Roasting Company
Type: Whole Bean Peaberry
Overall Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

First into my French Press was the Mexico Peaberry. Only five percent of coffee grown in the world is peaberry, which is smaller than the average coffee bean but tend to pack a powerful taste and smell in it’s smaller bean. I’ve had some great peaberry’s in the past, so I was hoping that this one would be like those.

I wasn’t disappointed. It had a sweet and spicy that got my nose’s attention. There were hints of cinnamon, chocolate and what reminded me of a fruit syrup for pancakes or waffles. The taste wasn’t overwhelming, but it was good. It was sweet with a blueberry syrup flavor. This coffee made me crave blueberry syrup on pancakes, which isn’t exactly a bad thing.

It earned a well above average rating of 4 on the Daily Shot Of Coffee scale. So far so good!

The Drink: El Salvador Everest From Irving Farm
Type: Whole Bean Single Origin
Overall Rating: 4.25 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

Next up was El Salvador Everest from Irving Farm. It’s grown at 1450-1700 meters (high – which is a good thing) and in rich volcanic soil (another good thing unless the volcano is in the process of erupting).

El Salvador Everest was a unique coffee that stood out with a spicy aroma, with hints of peaches and apricots. I also noticed, that there was no nutty aroma that seems to show up in so many of my reviews lately. It had a light body, with a heavy flavor. There was dark chocolate, a hint of spices and fruit background. It was a little tart like a fresh lemon on tail end. No nutty taste either!

This was my kind of coffee, the kind of coffee that I would love to drink every day. It earned a top notch score of 4.25 on the rating scale. Not exactly a rating that I give out very often.

The Drink: Rushashi From Temple Coffee.
Type: Whole Bean Single Origin
Overall Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

My final coffee was Rushashi from Temple Coffee. Rushashi comes all the way from Rwanda, a country that used to be known for their civil strife and poor quality coffee crops. However, over the past ten years the government has stabilized and their coffee quality has improved. A cool side note, 80% of the farmers in the coop that produced this coffee were women. That’s a first that I’ve seen a number that high.

But of course, none of that matters if the coffee doesn’t taste that great. Turns out that I had nothing to worry about. It had an inviting cherry aroma that I couldn’t miss. The fruity flavor was balanced out by a hint of spices and a bit of something that reminded me of a good BBQ. The taste was just as interesting, creamy, medium roast flavor with dark cherries and hints of spices. It was a smooth sip, that left my tongue feeling dry.

Another winner in my books. It earned a four on the Daily Shot Of Coffee scale.

Overall, I loved the coffees that Craft Coffee sent me. The price tag seems a little high for twelve ounces of coffee, but if when I break it down to the three top notch coffees that I received, it starts sounding like a better deal. And when they throw in free shipping, it’s basically what you pay for a bag of coffee for an average roaster online.

If you’re looking to try three new coffees, a month Craft Coffee is a great deal to get world class coffees. If you like the coffee, you can go directly to the roaster and buy more. If you don’t like the coffee, it’s only four ounces so it’ll be gone before you know it. However, I think you’re probably going to like the coffee the send you.

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Fine Print.

Testing Out My Taste Buds With Craft Coffee is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Here’s 42 must read coffee blogs, including some of my long time favorites and some new faces. I think I love reading about coffee, almost as much as I enjoy drinking about coffee. It allows me to looking into the world’s of professional barsita, learn what other average joe and jane coffee drinkers like and much more.

About.Com Coffee/Tea: About.Com’s page on coffee (and tea if you’re into that sort of thing).

Barismo: Blog of an Arlington, Mass small batch coffee roaster.

Baristaing: Thought provoking articles about coffee.

Brewed Boy’s Blog: Entertaining blog of a street Barista. Warning some NSFW language.

Brewed Coffee: For coffee addicts only.

Caffination: Podcast dedicated to technology and coffee. Win/win.

Clean Hot Dry: Thoughts, rants and dreams of some top notch barsitas.

Coffee & Conservation: The blog for information about bird and earth friendly coffee.

Coffee Cup News: The home of Jason Coffee and his entertaining videos.

Coffee Detective: Have all your coffee questions answered here.

Coffee Lover: Fun coffee reviews and informative articles.

Coffee Nate: Informative coffee videos and a guide to drinking better coffee.

Coffee Sage: Coffee news ripped from the day’s headlines.

Coffee Stork: Coffee reviews (a new to me blog that I’ll be checking out more).

Coffee Vanilla: Delicious coffee recipes and some coffee reviews.

Confessions Of A Coffee Junkie: Coffee Kween’s videos about everything coffee.

Daily Demitasse: Informative coffee articles, plus barista interviews.

Daniel’s World Of Coffee: Diary of a coffee consultant and educator.

Dear Coffee, I Love You: Fun, informative and always appealing to the eye.

dirtyCup: Another new to me blog that I’ll be checking out more.

Espresso Melbourne: Further reasons for me to travel to Melbourne at some point.

God Shot: Blog of a former barista.

Has Bean: Fun and informative videos that include how to’s, travel diary’s and more.

I Need Coffee: Monthly magazine with coffee articles, how to’s and recipes.

JimSeven: Home of World Barista Champion, includes his thoughts and coffee experiments.

Man Seeking Coffee: Seeking a good cup of joe at coffee shops across the country.

Melbourne Coffee Review: Reviews of coffee shops in Australia that I would really like to visit some day.

Muddy Dog Coffee: Home to Muddy Dog Coffee Roasting Co., as well as informative coffee articles and recipes.

Notes From The Underground: The Metropolis Coffee Company Blog. Much more than just coffee and a place that’s only list to check out next time I’m in Chicago.

Pure Coffee Blog: Coffee reviews and reviews of coffee shops from all over the country.

Shot Zombies: Spotlight on the specialty coffee industry.

Single Serve Coffee: The source for everything single serve coffee related. Everything.

Sprudge.Com: The tabloid for coffee insiders.

Starbucks Melody: Melody is Starbuck’s biggest fan and shares information about their stores and coffees.

Take Courage: Where God meets coffee. (Plus, Bill is a regular writer for Daily Shot Of Coffee).

TampTamp: Blog of a coffee consulting and barista training company.

Texas Coffee People: Home of a roasting company from the lone star state, as well as coffee related pictures and videos.

The Coffee Adventures: Jamie’s coffee reviews and notes on home roasting.

The Coffee Artisan: Information on single serve coffee machines.

TheShot From Coffee Ratings: Coffee and coffee shop reviews, as well as in-depth coffee articles and opinion pieces.

Transcend: Informative coffee articles, information about the Transcend coffee company and moustaches.

Weekly Roast Coffee Blog: A blog written by Ken, owner of an online, mail-order coffee roasting company with information about his coffee as well as informative coffee articles.

Thanks to Presso for adding to my list.

I know that I’m missing some blogs, so if you know of any that aren’t on the list, please share.

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Photo by tskdesign.

42 Must Read Coffee Blogs is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

I’ve had a lot of exciting coffees come into the Daily Shot Of Coffee Kitchen. However, Community Coffee has sent bag after bag of quality coffee that has stood out, so I’m excited to announce that they are officially part of the Daily Shot Of Coffee supporters.

Community Coffee promises Louisiana’s most distinctive coffee, made up of 100% Arabica beans selected by the founding family, the Saurage’s. They describe their coffee as “a perfected a full-bodied yet smooth flavor that reflects the extraordinary culinary traditions of Louisiana.” Community Coffee is served in some of the best New Orleans restaurants and is drank homes across the South.

They are the largest family-owned retail coffee brand in the US. Their Company started as a small country store in Baton Rouge, where more than 90 years ago, founder Henry Norman “Cap” Saurage brewed his coffee. The coffee became so popular that he named it “Community” in honor of his loyal friends and customers. Cap eventually turned his attention away from the grocery store and devoted all of his time and energy to making great coffee.

Today, Community Coffee Company is so much a part of people’s lives and spans so many generations that it has been dubbed the State Coffee of Louisiana.

If you haven’t tried their coffee, try Community Coffee out for yourself and see what you think. If you have tried it, and I know more than a few Community Coffee fans are regular readers, what are you favorites from Community Coffee?

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Photo by INeedCoffee / CoffeeHero.

Community Coffee: Introducing Daily Shot Of Coffee’s Newest Advertiser is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Since I first caught a glimpse of the Presso, this espresso making gadget has been on my radar. The Presso is an environmentally friendly espresso maker. It uses only a little elbow grease and the power needed to boil a cup of water in a kettle. And I’m proud to announce that Presso USA is the newest sponsor here at Daily Shot Of Coffee.

The Presso can be used anywhere that water can be boiled. It creates 5 to 10 bars of pressure depending on how firmly the arms are pressed down. It’s easy to clean and made of recyclable aluminum. If you are looking for an espresso maker that’s environmentally friendly and portable, you have to check out the Presso.

Have you tried the Presso? What did you think of it?

Introducing Presso USA: Daily Shot Of Coffee’s Newest Advertiser is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Since I was introduced to Go Coffee Go back in December, I’ve become a huge fan of the online coffee shop. In fact, the more that I learn about them, the more I’ve become a fan. Now, I’m very excited to announce that they are the newest advertiser at Daily Shot Of Coffee.

Go Coffee Go sells coffee from some of the top roasters across the country. Their lineup includes Atomic Cafe, Barefoot Coffee and Cuvee Coffee to name just a few. Of course, I have to mention my favorite, Higher Ground.

The team behind Go Coffee Go go as far as traveling to visit the roasters in person to make sure that the quality is the best and constantly follow up to make sure that the customer experience is top notch for every order.

I’m not a fan just because, they’re sponsoring Daily Shot Of Coffee. I’ve placed multiple orders from them and honestly can’t believe how quickly my orders arrived. Plus, their selection, with their recommendation system has resulted in an easy shopping experience.

Have you tried Go Coffee Go? What did you think?

If you haven’t, take a minute to visit Go Coffee Go today.

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Fine Print.

Introducing Go Coffee Go: Daily Shot Of Coffee’s Newest Advertiser is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Behind the scenes, I’ve been working on a project called Shop Daily Shot Of Coffee. It’s a response to questions about where to purchase items reviewed on Daily Shot Of Coffee and what coffees and related coffee equipment I’d recommend.

Click here to check out the Daily Shot Of Coffee Store

For now you can find select coffees from Community Coffee and Marley Coffee. There’s also some of the most popular coffee makers and other coffee equipment that received positive reviews on the site. There’s also the amusing and somewhat hilarious Daily Shot Of Coffee mugs.  There’s plans to add more coffee and more coffee making equipment in the near future.

Each buy now link leads to partner stores like Amazon, Community Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Marley Coffee and Zazzle. They ensure that the order is sent out quickly and without any problems.

When you buy something, a portion of the price gets credited to the site like a commission. All the money raised, goes to pay not so fun things like hosting bills and other random expenses that are part of running a blog.

The site is a work in progress, so I’d love to hear what you think of it in the comments and how we could improve it.

Unveiling The Daily Shot Of Coffee Store is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

on Coffee Cup News today! Tonight, Jason from was gracious enough to let me join him for one of his live shows.

Tonight’s show is at 6pm EST. Click here to join us.

I have no idea what’s on the agenda, but Jason’s live shows are always entertaining and informative. Who knows, we might even get to see Jason dunking nachos in coffee again. If you love coffee, they’re a must see even when I’m not on the show.

Anyways, hope to see you there!

Daily Shot Of Coffee Goes Live is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

Last August, a brand new online coffee shop called ROASTe introduced me to some world class coffees that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. They had names like Romance by Paradise Roasters and an amazing coffee called Colombia – Guiterrez. In other words, I’m a fan of there’s and I thought I would pass on some information they sent me about the redesign of their site.

Unlike a lot of site redesigns, they didn’t just make it look pretty, they added a one-click search right from the homepage, that makes it easier, faster, and more “fun” for people to find the most popular gourmet coffees according to their tastes.

In one click, customers see gourmet coffee choices in top-ranked order, in the categories – organic, strong, award-winning, sweet, Asian, Fair, light, African, spicy, chocolaty, creamy and French. Peer reviews from fellow coffee aficionados provide an additional layer of feedback, helping customers find coffee they’re most likely to enjoy.

Another thing that I like about ROASTe is that on their homepage is a rotating list of more than thirty micro-roasters, many of them award-winners such as PT’s Coffee Roasting Company, Higher Ground and Kickapoo Coffee. Other highlighted sections include the overall most popular coffees on the site, top-rated coffee makers, a featured customer review, a “Special of the Week,” and a featured coffee blogger.

With a $15 gift card from them, I couldn’t resist giving their redesigned website and giving it a test drive. They have a lot of coffees, which is a good thing, but can make it a little overwhelming if you’re just browsing. However, with the aid of their new one-click search, I was guided to a couple of coffees to try. Expect the review coming soon.

ROASTe is offering free shipping for a limited time. Customers interested in the “Special of the Week” will enjoy a 10-20% discount on a highlighted specialty coffee.

Have you tried ROASTe? What was your experience like? What’s your favorite site to buy coffee online?

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Fine Print.

ROASTe Website Redesign And Free Shipping is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

You might be wondering what is Go Coffee Go? No it’s not the best cheerleader cheer ever. It’s a brand new coffee shop that launched online in Novemeber. A few weeks ago, they sent me a gift certificate to try out their website and order some coffees. I’m not one to turn down coffee, so accepted their offer.

I really like Go Coffee Go. I’ll probably be ordering coffee from there even without a gift card. But to be fair, I looked for some things that I didn’t like. I didn’t want to sound like an advertisement for the site, but I really couldn’t find any negatives.

Go Coffee Go is like an online shopping mall for coffee. You can order coffee from 12 roasters. One thing that I like is that the coffee isn’t stored in a warehouse. It’s freshly roasted and shipped directly from the roaster.

The roasters are some major names in specialty coffee like Barefoot Coffee, Higher Ground, PT’s Coffee and Ritual.

Just as impressive as some of the roasters include, was the amount of fair trade, organic and shade grown coffees that they sold.

The site was broken down into categories by coffee type, region, roaster, roast type and more. It even made it easy for me, a very picky coffee shopper to find more than a few coffees that interested me.

There were recommendations from the Professor Peaberry, who seems to be the site mascot. Luckily for me, this was no Phillie Phanatic mascot. I can only imagine what he would recommend to a Yankees fan. Professor Peaberry’s recommendations were fun to read, but also informative and helpful. If for some crazy reason, you’re not a fan of mascot reviews, you can also check out the picks of people who have bought coffee from the site.

The prices were reasonable and so were the shipping costs. I bought two 12 ounce bags of coffee, the total was about $18. The exact same price as on the Higher Ground website. Shipping was close to $7, which is pretty similar to what I’ve paid in the past. There were also deals from select roasters for free shipping if you bought X amount of bags.

The coffee was at my door extremely quick, I ordered it late Thursday night and the UPS man dropped it off on Tuesday. That pretty much means they put together the order on Friday and shipped it out the same day. For someone who needs their coffee as soon as possible, it was perfect for me.

What about you? Do you buy your coffee online? Have you tried Go Coffee Go, a similar site or purchasing directly from the roaster?

Go Coffee Go Review is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee

If you’re looking for a single serve coffee maker, check out my friend Stephen over at One Cup Coffee Titan. It’s the source for one cup coffee makers, you can purchase the machines there, but they also have everything from reviews of the newest machines to discount information on the most popular brands.

Keurigs are just the beginning there, they have everything from a variety of singe serve coffee machines to french presses. They also have the all of the supplies like K-cups, T-discs and more.

From their site:

Our highly caffeinated monkeys are constantly scouring the Net to find the best deals on the top brands of single serve coffee brewers for you!

How can you not love a site that involves caffeine and monkeys.

It’s definitely worth at least a quick visit.

One Cup Coffee Titan is a post from: Daily Shot Of Coffee