MistoBox: Try A Whole Lot Of Coffee Without Spending A Whole Lot Of Money

Don’t have a ton of money, but want to try a whole bunch of awesome coffee? I think I have something you might be interested in. It’s called MistoBox and it’s the latest coffee subscription service to pop up on the scene.

How does MistoBox work?

I’m glad you asked! Each month they ship out four sample sizes of coffee from specialty roasters across the country. They ship the coffee directly to your door for you to try. Prices start at $15 monthly, or you can save a little bit if you want to subscribe for six or twelve months at a time. As a little bonus, if you try a coffee that you really like, you can buy a full size bag from their website and get free shipping.

How is it different from other coffee subscription services like Craft Coffee?

I was wondering the same thing. The first thing is the price, at $15 a month it’s the lowest price option. Also, instead of sending you three bags. MistoBox sends out four sample sized bags. The one thing that I didn’t like about MistoBox is the size of the bags. They’re small, big enough for most brewing methods…but not enough beans for my favorite, the French Press.

Any other complaints?

Nope, that’s it. And it’s a minor complaint overall, the sample size bags have enough beans for most other pourover and drip brewing methods.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I love the MistoBox concept. It’s a great way to discover new coffees from new roasters. Three out of the four roasters I’ve never encountered before and four out of the four coffees I’ve never tried before. Count me in as a fan of MistoBox.

Here’s What I Found In The July MistoBox

The Drink: Finca Santa Clara – Guatamla from AJ Coffee Company
Type: Whole Bean

Background

This balanced roast sells like hot cakes.

Ethics: Premium Price
Processing: Fully Washed and dried on patio
Altitude: 1,600-1,830 Meters
Varietals: Bourbon, Caturra
Farmer: Zelaya family
Farm: Finca Santa Clara
Region: Volcán de Agua, Antigua valley

Flavor Profile: Structured, well-balanced with refined acidity, medium body, juicy mouthfeel, notes of cherry, guava and plum.

The Zelaya family has been growing coffee for over 100 years and four generations. This renowned family owns farms throughout Guatemala and grows one of only a handful of genuine ‘Antigua’ coffees (coffees grown in the Antigua valley area bounded by three volcanoes – Agua, Acatenango and Fuego). Finca Santa Clara is located on the fertile southern slopes of the Volcán de Agua in the Antigua Valley at 1,600-1,830 meters. The farm has been managed since 1988 by Ricardo Zelaya, the 4th generation of the Zelaya family to have produced coffee at Santa Clara.

My Review

Finca Santa Clara – Guatamla from AJ Coffee Company had me from hello. The fruity aroma that greeted me was full of dark cherries and strawberries. A Chocolate fudge scent balanced out the fruitiness to make an overall aroma that made my mouth water.

I had no complaints about the body of the coffee, it was buttery smooth, with a medium-light body.

The taste brought it from interesting, to excellent. The flavors included dark fruit, a dark syrupy flavor and hints of lemon tartness at the end. Mouth watering.

Final Score

Holy smokes, I loved this coffee from AJ Coffee Company. I wish the bag had been larger! It earned a top notch score of 4.25 out of 5 on the daily Shot Of Coffee scale.

The Drink: Creamy Dreamy Blend from Chazzano Coffee
Type: Whole Bean

Background

This blend is not named after any TV stars. This bold, creamy and crazy coffee has spicy notes of cinnamon and pepper with luscious apricot and apple notes.

Roast: Full City

My Review

I would’ve liked to know more about the beans included in the coffee. However, sometimes I like to live life on the edge so I decided to dig in anyways and give this coffee a shot. Call me a rebel without a cause or something.

Creamy Dreamy Blend delivered a smoky aroma with a sweetness to it. The smoky aroma made me a little nervous, it seems I’m afraid of burnt coffee beans. However, hints of blueberries, dark chocolate, creamy milk chocolate gave me something to believe in.

This coffee had a smooth body with a bit of tartness and bitterness towards the end.

As far as taste, dark, dark chocolate with a hint of charcoal dominated the flavor.

Final Score

Creamy Dreamy Blend from Chazzano Coffee was good, but I think it would appeal more to an audience that likes darker roasts. It earned a good score, 3.75 on the scale, but I think there could’ve been more in the taste department.

The Drink: Las Capucas Honduras from Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters
Type: Whole Bean

Background

Coffee with a meaning. Coffee from this farm helps support the local economy in Copan, Honduras.

Process: Washed
Varietal: Caturra, Catuai
Region: Copan
Altitude: 1200m – 1800m
Producer: Fairtrade Cooperative

Cup Characteristics: Honeysuckle, Maple, Green Apple acidity, Bakers Chocolate Finish

Capucas is located in the west of Honduras near the well Known National Park “Celaque”, which means box of water.

The land about this small village is ideal for growing coffee due to the good soil and climate conditions and the high altitude which is between 1200m and 1800m. In Capucas, the cooperative has installed an excellent system for wet processing, new drying machines and last but not least a fully equipped laboratory enabling sample testing of roasted coffee.

COCAFCAL Coopertiva Cafetalera Capucas Limitada promotes sustainable development of the local economy in the southern region of Copan, Honduras. It helps to develop financial, technical, productive and marketing services within the frame of cooperatives. It is a shared effort trying to reduce poverty and increase the quality of life in the rural communities of western Honduras.

My Review

Las Capucas Honduras started with an earthy aroma, it was slightly spicy with scents of chocolate and honey.

The body was smooth, with a bit of dustiness as the sip faded away.

It had a woody flavor with hints of orange or maybe lemon tartness. Underneath that was an earthy flavor.

Final Score

This offering from Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters was good, but it needed something. It earned a well above average rating, 3.75 on the Daily Shot Of Coffee scale.

The Drink: Tanzania Kilimanjaro Peaberry
Type: Whole Bean Peaberry

Background

Intense and packed with flavors that include cinnamon, mint and green apple. This peaberry has a wild side every connoisseur needs to experience.

Region: Kilimanjaro
Farm: Kilimanjaro Plantation
Altitude: 1050-1400 M
Roast: Medium
Notes: Peaberry

This intense little peaberry is packed with flavors. Along with a nice balance of body and acidity, this spicy bean’s wild side features Cinnamon, Mint and Green Apple. A unique, medium roast with a distinct flavor that cannot be missed.

My Review

Kilimanjaro Peaberry woke me up with a unique aroma: a sweet, spicy mix. There were hints of red wine, creamy milk chocolate and darker chocolate hidden in between.

The body felt exceptionally smooth and had a hint of tartness before the sip disappeared.

Like aroma, the taste didn’t fit into any stereotypical rules. It had a nutty flavor that blended with a grape/red wine taste. I picked up on a hint of spice and a lemon tartness as it faded away.

Final Score

Kilimanjaro Peaberry was an interesting coffee, that isn’t like any other coffee that I’ve tried before. It earned an excellent four on the rating scale.

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Final score.