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The Drink: Rocketfuel XXX – Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Bold from Rocketfuel Coffee
Type: Whole Bean
Overall Rating: Four Of Out Five Coffee Mugs
It’s no secret that one of my favorite coffee roasters, is a small company out of Toronto called Rocketfuel Coffee. They’re constantly sending me delicious coffees to review. This week it’s the Rocketfuel XXX.
I reviewed the original version Rocketfuel XXX back and September and I can still remember the way that it tasted. There was no need to change up the formula, it was that good. However, they did, now they make it with Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. I was worried that they fixed something that didn’t need to be fixed, but they didn’t disappoint me. I can’t say either version is better than the other, I will say that they were both well above average coffees.
With the current version, I was won over with the first sniff. The aroma had just a hint of a medium-dark roast around the edges, mixed with a fruity scent. In between was a warm, pleasing nutty aroma.
The taste had me hooked. It grabbed a hold of my tongue and didn’t want to let go. The initial sip had the medium-dark roast flavor, followed by a fruit/berry explosion. The flavor was a mix of strawberries, cherries, hints of chocolate and a nuttiness that completed it all.
Altogether it had a slightly sweet taste and exceptionally smooth.
If you couldn’t tell, I’m pretty excited about this coffee. It was just as good as the original version, which I loved. Like the first version, this one earns an excellent rating of four out of five too. I really don’t know if they could top the taste and aroma of this version.
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Fine Print.
Allow me to help out with some info. First, we changed this coffee to a single origin after comments from the Gourmet Food and Wine Show, asking why a coffee called XXX is not stronger. The Yirgacheffe Bold is an Ethiopian Bold, wonderful coffee. The original XXX is a blend of Jamaican Blue, Kona and the Yirgacheffe, now called Global Warming.
This coffee is an organic, Fair Trade coffee, city plus roast.
Delicious!
I trust your judgment Mike. I will try it. Sounds delicious. The name alone “Rocketfuel” would get me to try the coffee.
.-= Rose´s last blog ..I’m Taking a Poll =-.
Thanks Rose, it’s a really good coffee company overall.
Interesting review, but not enough information Mike! (Sorry my friend!). I recently cupped two Ethiopia Yirgacheffes side by side (both were Starbucks) and one was a washed Yirg and the other was a sun-dried. It would be great to know the process method used for the beans for the Rocket Fuel Yirgacheffe. (Washed, Semi-Washed, Sun-Dried). You’ll find a much heavier body to the Sun-Dried coffees. You don’t tell us too much about the body of the coffee.
Also it would be nice to know the depth of the roast. A lighter roast will easily bring out the tea-like notes to African coffees, though I understand this is very subjective, but I prefer a darker treatment.
Tell us more Mike!
.-= Melody´s last blog ..Starbucks store reviewer Juan Valdez rides again! =-.
Will do Melody!
However, as far as the drying process, a lot of the time that information isn’t available.
I stopped including body information because I don’t think I’m very accurate unless the body is very obvious or I’m tasting two coffees side by side. That being said, I think I need to step up my game in that department.
As far as the roast, it was a full plus city roast, although it tasted a little darker to me. I’m the opposite of you, I prefer the lighter roasts because I think the darker roasts hide a lot of the unique flavors of the Yirg.
Thanks for the feedback overall. That definitely helps me a lot!
Is is called rocket fuel for a high caffiene content?
I don’t believe it is, but I’ll have to ask Lisa…the person behind Rocketfuel Coffee about where she came up with that name.