French Vanilla from Eight O’Clock Coffee – What I’m Drinking

by Mike on October 22, 2009 in Coffee Reviews

The Drink: French Vanilla from Eight O’Clock Coffee
Type: Whole Bean Flavored Coffee
Overall Rating: Three Out Of Five Coffee Cups

French Vanilla has been my favorite flavored coffee since before I even knew how to work a French Press. I’ve enjoyed some good ones, I’ve suffered through a lot of bad ones. French Vanilla from Eight O’Clock Coffee is right there in the middle.

Eight O’Clock coffee gets points for not making a coffee that has too overwhelming in the aroma department. That’s become one of my pet peeves with some coffee companies and their French Vanillas, I don’t mind smelling it when I open up the bag, I don’t want to be able to smell it on the other side of my house. I’d be happy just tasting it on my tongue.

Unlike some brands I’ve tried, instead of smelling like French Vanilla extract, it was more along the lines of a delicious sweet vanilla ice cream.

The taste didn’t gain them any points. I expected sweeter and more French Vanilla taste. Their website said that this coffee was only lightly roasted, but this tasted more like a dark roast with a hint of vanilla. It was even slightly bitter like a darker roast. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just wasn’t for me or at least not what I was expecting to taste. Some people may like that, just not me.

The after taste was more vanilla like, a lot more along the lines of what I’m used to with good French Vanilla Coffees.

Not that the Eight O’Clock version was bad, on the Daily Shot Of Coffee scale, I gave it an average three out of five rating. It may not be my first choice for French Vanilla, but I could see myself getting again.

They do get some bonus points for having such a wide variety of whole bean coffees at the grocery store. I wouldn’t complain if more companies offered that at the grocery store.

However, I’m taking back their bonus points for having a “best used by date” of 10/1/2010. I’m not sure if that means that my my coffee was roasted at the beginning of this month, but I am sure that coffee that’s a year old is stale, no matter how you package it. I’d much rather see a roasted date on their bag That goes for all of you other coffee companies big and small too.

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Tagged as: Eight O'Clock Coffee

Article by Mike Crimmins

Mike Crimmins is the highly caffeinated blogger behind Daily Shot Of Coffee. Besides drinking way too much coffee, he's obsessed with the Yankees and getting dirty on his mountain bike.

Mike has written 584 awesome articles.

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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Tara K Aiken October 22, 2009 at 8:08 pm

This is my favorite “grocery store” coffee. I once took advantage of a sale & coupons to purchase 30 lbs for $10. Yes, the cashier and those in line behind me looked at me like I was on some kind of drugs. Did they not realize I was not planning on drinking it all at once? =)

But, yes-in general I am against grocery store coffees due to their use-by date. I just cannot fathom the idea of drinking year-old coffee when I can get some that has been roasted that day!

Mike October 23, 2009 at 4:17 pm: Thirty pounds for $10! What a great deal.

I rarely get grocery store coffees, but there are some that are better than others. So far, Eight O’Clock coffee is better than others.

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Chris October 23, 2009 at 2:44 pm

Good point. I guess I never considered that coffee was packaged months or years prior. I prefer it fresh even though it may be more expensive. This coffee doesn’t sound like it would be for me.

Mike October 23, 2009 at 4:16 pm: From what you’ve commented before, I would say that this wouldn’t be a coffee you’d like. And I agree, for myself I have no problem paying more for fresh coffee.

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Extreme John October 25, 2009 at 6:04 pm

I have seen this coffee a few times and considered purchasing a bag to give it a try, not sure with the three cup rating that I will be trying the French Vanilla.