First of all, I think that Boca Java coffees are good, but not over the top. As for the flavorings, I think they are very imaginative but for my money Kaffe Magnum Opus takes first place in flavored coffees, other than a local roaster that I use. Boca Java flavors just don’t have the intensity that I am looking for. And…you can’t smell them when they are brewing.

Now, Marc says that is because we have a 600 square foot kitchen. Given. It has 11 foot ceilings and that may have something to do with it. But other flavored coffees have filled the kitchen with scent and wafted up the stairs. This one just doesn’t.

Saying that, the Surfin’ Safari is good. First flavor is sort of a nutty buttery caramel followed by the Kalhua and finishing with delicate vanilla notes. The coffee is somewhat rich in the mouth and without bitterness in the aftertaste.

This is a nice afternoon coffee. It would pair well with shortbread cookies or plain biscotti.

image:Boca Java

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I may definitely need to try this one. I am not a drinker at all, but I used to like an occasional shot of good  scotch. The combination of the buttery sweetness of the scotch with the flavor of the coffee is intriguing to say the least. I think I could plan a whole menu around it.

I don’t know. So much coffee….so little money. sigh.

If you have some extra time on your hands and you want to shop some really unique flavors of coffee, you need to head over there. It is amazing what they come up with, I have seriously never seen anything like it.

image:Kaffe Magnum Opus

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Inspired by the international favorite and original New Orleans dessert, this is a triple-treat pleasure! Bananas Foster Float mixes banana, cinnamon, brandy and brown sugar into a base that’s full-bodied and complex. It offers an outrageously delicious taste sensation.

The flavor is somewhat subtle, lingering in the aftertaste rather than identifying itself in the fore-taste.  This was somewhat disconcerting to me…I am not sure why.  There was the sip of a medium to light roast coffee, bright and with moderate acidity and then after the swallow the banana flavors wafted back around my mouth reminding me that the coffee had been flavored.  It was a unique experience.

I have had coffees that have more intense flavor, but none that had the subtlety of this coffee.  I am not saying that I liked it better or worse than other brands I have had…just that it was unique in the way the flavor presented itself.

I did not taste brandy, brown sugar, nor cinnamon.  I have rather a sensitive sense of taste, I am generally able to recreate a recipe after having eaten it one time, but this coffee did not bring any of those flavors to mind.  I would drink this again, but I don’t know that I would buy it again.

The coffee I liked best from Boca Java was the first one I reviewed, South Beach Rhythm.  The two flavored coffees I tried came next, with the Tropical Kiss coming slightly ahead of the Banana Foster Float.  The Boca Villa was last on my list, and my least recommended.  I have ordered 4 more coffees from Boca Java, and will be reviewing these in about a month.

image: Boca Java

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Boca Java Tropical Kiss has an intense coconut flavor that fades out into lingering Belgian chocolate euphoria.  Usually with black coffee the flavor is not apparant.  This is not true with the Tropical Kiss.  The flavor is a bit more adult, a bit less sweet, maybe somewhat more subtle but it is there in the black coffee.  Add a few tablespoons of cream and sugar and you are back to drinking an Almond Joy bar.

This is a great afternoon coffee with a light snack of carrot cake, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, or coconut macaroons.  It is not  rich enough to be an after dinner coffee, in my opinion.  Not enough richness in the mouth…but as an afternoon pick me up? Perfect.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

image:Boca Java

Post from: Kettle and Cup

If you are looking for a flavored coffee to finish off the Easter meal then you might want to consider some of these.  I haven’t tried them, so I can’t advise, but I have had their coffees and they are always good.  This year, for Easter, they suggest:

• Chocolate Covered Easter Egg- Toasted marshmallow dipped in a pool of rich, dark chocolate
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup- Chocolate and peanut butterand coffee…hmmm
• Vanilla Butter Cream- Tastes like Belgian chocolate with buttercream filling
• White Chocolate Wrascally Rabbit- White chocolate

All of the flavors come in decaf as well.

Honestly, I am not sure about the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup.  That one may be a little wild for my tastes..on the other hand it could be incredible..but the Chocolate Covered Easter Egg?

Now that it tempting.

Kaffe Magnum Opus also has their Spring flavors listed so check them out.  I have always found their quality to be excellent and the prices are very reasonable.  You can order the cofee in wole bean or various grinds.

image:Kaffe Magnum Opus

Post from: Kettle and Cup

I don’t know where these guys get their imagination but they have 6 Valentine’s Day coffees in both decaf and regular that are sounding pretty good.

If you are planning a Valentine’s Day party or dinner and you want to have a special coffee on hand for it, check these flavors out.

• Almond in the Mood for Love:A delectable blend of fresh-roasted almonds with a hint of toasted chestnuts and lots of Amore!
• Apple of My Eye:A tantalizing blend of exotic sweet Fuji apples with the inviting aroma of cinnamon spice
• Caramel Smooches:Coy and playful at first sip, this coffee will get your attention with an alluring caramel seduction, a stimulating hint of vanilla, rich butter notes and sweet brown sugar.
• Chocolate Cherry Kiss:Sweet, fresh cherries smothered with warm chocolate candy kisses!
• Dark Chocolate Ecstacy:Just close your eyes and savor the pure chocolate pleasure… don’t you deserve to indulge your chocolate cravings everyday?
• Nuttin But Kisses:A sweet, roasted nut mixture rolled in a vibrant pool of vanilla and nuttin else!

I am leaning toward the Caramel Smooches myself.

Check them out at Kaffe Magnum Opus

image:marye audet

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Flavored coffees are the favorite of many but did you ever wonder how they got the flavor in the beans?

Generally the beans are roasted and then flavorings are added.  Many times the flavorings are chemical based, although not always. It is also sad to say that the beans are generally the ones that don;t pass muster for unflavored coffee, since any flavor that is added will cover up the poor quality of the bean.

Let me say that I love flavored coffee.   I just think it is important that you know what you are drinking.  After all, we should all drink responsibly, right?

With many flavored coffees the aroma is better than the taste because the chemical dissipates in  hot water.  All of that aroma that you smell is the scent of the flavor leaving your coffee.  Again, this depends on the coffee, the flavoring agent being used, and other things.

There are other ways to get those flavored coffees you love.  One easy way is to add flavored coffee syrups.  Like southern pecan flavored coffee? Get a good medium roast and add a tablespoon of Monin pecan syrup, and a half tablespoon of Monin Vanilla. You may prefer Da Vinci to Monin, and that is fine.

Most of the companies that do syrups have twenty to fifty different flavors so that you can create any flavor that you like, or that you can imagine.

You can also add a piece of vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, or hunk of nutmeg to the ground coffee when you are brewing it.

So, buy flavored coffees by all means, just know what you are buying.

Image:Maple Brown Sugar Snickerdoodles (c) Marye Audet

Post from: Kettle and Cup

Kaffe Magnum Opus is on of the coffee companies that I used when we had our tearoom.  The coffees that they have are very high quality and if you are looking for flavored coffees you will be in coffee heaven.

I was checking out the site to see what they had come up with for autumn.  They has some really interesting ones:

• Baked Apple Dumpling
• Blueberry Cinnamon Crumble
• Cranberry Nut Cream
• Harvest Spice
• Momma’s Molasses Spice Cookie
• Pumpkin Spice
• Toasted Cinnamon Cahsew
• Maple Nut Crunch

Now, they also have unflavored coffees, green coffee beans, and they have over 200 flavored coffees.

Add the link to your drool list.

Image:Marye Audet

Post from: Kettle and Cup