French Roast K-Cup Face Off

Today’s hockey style face off features six French Roast K-Cups. I’m more of a medium roast drinker, but I was hoping to find a dark roast in this bunch that I could enjoy.

The Drink: Caribou French Roast
Type: K-Cup
Overall Rating: Three Out Of Five Coffee Mugs

The K-Cup to skate on to the ice today was Caribou’s French Roast. It’s Rain Forest Alliance Certified and promises a smoky, rich blend that has a decadent, bittersweet flavor with a smooth, heavy body.

This French Roast is a combination of coffees from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia, and New Guinea. It’s one of the few K-Cups that I’ve seen that actually reveals where the beans are from. I wish more K-Cups came with that kind of information.

Caribou’s French Roast had a burnt aroma with a side of extra nutty. The taste was burnt with a side of dark roast. It had a dry feel on my tongue and a light body, even though they promised a heavy body.

Caribou French Roast earned an average three on the Daily Shot Of Coffee K-Cup scale. They took a shot at the net, but it went wide – I’d have to add cream to like this coffee.

The Drink: Coffee People French Roast
Type: K-Cup
Overall Rating: 3.5 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

Next on to the ice was the French Roast from Coffee People. The say that this is the darkest of their roasts, with a toasty aroma and crisp molasses flavor that is not for the faint of heart.

This French Roast had a medium-dark roast aroma with hints of smoke. The taste was similar – medium-dark with hints of something darker. It was very drinkable and not an over the top dark roast.

After reading the description, the medium roast drinker in me was nervous about this French Roast. However, it turned out to be an early favorite in today’s match. It earned a solid 3.5 on the K-Cup scale.

The Drink: Diedrich French Roast
Type: K-Cup
Overall Rating: 2.5 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

The third competitor to step on to the ice was Diedrich’s version of the French Roast. They also said that it was the darkest of their roasts. They describe it as delivering a hearty taste with a light desirable toasty flavor.

It sounded interesting, but that’s about it. It had an ashy aroma and flavor that I liked, but it had hints of a spoiled chemical taste that I didn’t like.

It earned a below average 2.5 on the K-Cup scale. There wasn’t much about this one that I liked and 2.5 might be on the generous side of things.

The Drink: Green Mountain Coffee French Roast
Type: K-Cup
Overall Rating: 3.25 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

Next to tie on their skates was Green Mountain Coffee’s French Roast. Their description is that it is their most intense roast and the most pronounced in terms of dark, deep roasted flavor and smokiness.

They do describe the origins of the beans – high-grown American – but leave a lot to the imagination. I’m not sure what high-grown American beans are, but they could be from Central or South America or even Hawaii I suppose.

This coffee had an earthy aroma mixed with the smell of a burnt log the morning after a campfire. Even the medium roast fan in me, like this aroma.

It had a warm, dark roast flavor with hints of ash. It wasn’t too dark and was very drinkable.

It earned a slightly above average 3.25 on the Daily Shot Of Coffee K-Cup scale. It was good, but not great. It seemed to be missing a little bit of life in the taste department.

The Drink: Tully’s French Roast
Type: Extra Bold K-Cup
Overall Rating: 3.5 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

The fifth skater in today’s face off was Tully’s French Roast.

True to a traditional French Roast, this full bodied coffee reveals deep roasted aromas, and smoky flavors reminiscent of a quaint Parisian cafe. The sophisticated finish highlights the coffee’s sweet side and begs to be shared with a rich and chocolatey pastry.
1QuickCup description

This K-Cup had a dark nutty flavor with hints of honey and coals. By coals I mean the burning wood after the flame dies down that’s perfect for roasting marshmallows.

Tully’s had a dark nutty flavor that almost tasted burnt, but on the good side of the dark roast line. There were hints of honey and sweetness.

It left a dry feeling on my tongue and had a very heavy body, especially in the after taste.

Tully’s French Roast earned a solid 3.5, tying it for the lead in today’s contest.

The Drink: Timothy’s French Roast
Type: K-Cup
Overall Rating: 2.5 Out Of 5 Coffee Mugs

The final challenger was Timothy’s French Roast.

Using a dark Parisian profile, this blend is roasted to perfection. The coffee taste is strong, sweet and sharp. Enjoy the intensity of espresso flavor with no bitter aftertaste.
1QuickCup description

Not sure what they’re talking about bitter after taste (sounds like they had some poorly made espresso), but I was going to give this one a shot anyways.

This French Roast had a burnt aroma that mixed with a nutty flavor.

A chemical flavor lead off the taste on my tongue. That mixed with a dark, burnt nutty flavor. The after taste was even more chemically.

Timothy’s definitely wasn’t the winner today – it earned a 2.5 on the K-Cup scale.

Today’s Face Off ends in a tie with the Tully’s and Coffee People’s French Roasts. If you’re looking for a French Roast K-cup, I’d check out those two first.

You can buy 24 packs of any of these K-Cups for $10.95 at 1QuickCup.

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Fine Print.