Oh boy have I been wanting to share this with you.  I recently was able to taste-test two of Volcanica Coffee’s blends. If you haven’t tried this company, you should. They are quite good. I was provided with a credit toward one pound of coffee and shipping; I decided I would try two of their flavors and shell out a little bit of cash from my own pocket to try the second. The first was the Costa Rica Coffee and the second was the Amaretto.  Since I love coffee even more than I even love wine (I think my blood is 85% caffeine – HAH!), I was really excited that the company approached me to try some of their flavors.

A little bit about Volcanica Coffee

Volcanica Coffee  grows their coffee beans “on rich volcanic soil producing an exotic gourmet coffee with a smooth and rich flavor.” They offer many Fair Trade (vital), organic, Rainforest Alliance Certified, and Shade Grown varieties of coffee. Prior to working with them, I hadn’t heard of their brand, but i was happy to learn more though their website and through partnering with them. They roast their beans fresh prior to shipping, so that they arrive with a wonderful aroma.

One of my favorite smells in the world is coffee, and the bags did not disappoint when the arrived! They work hard to pay the farmers a fair share – which appeals to me, since I support ethical companies and Fair Trade companies when it comes to coffee and chocolate. Both coffees were ordered whole bean, and we ground them using a burr coffee grinder just before brewing.

**The links in this review are affiliate links. Should you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive compensation. However, all opinions expressed concerning the quality, like always, are my own. I enjoy sharing cool stuff I find with my readers.*

The Costa Rica Coffee

The Costa Rica Coffee is one of Volcanica’s most popular blends, and so I thought it would be a good one to try. It’s Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified, and Shade Grown. It’s a medium roast – but not lacking on flavor. It’s grown in the mountains in Tarrazu. According to the website description, because it is grown at a high altitude and in volcanic soil, the cherries mature at a slower rate, making them more flavorful. 

We made the Costa Rica Coffee using a French press to help really bring out the nuances in flavor. Although I’m normally a sugar and milk kinda gal, I abstained from adding either to my tasting of the coffee. It had a wonderful nutty aroma. Upon tasting, I found hints of chestnuts, and even a molasses-like flavor to it. It was definitely medium-bodied and very smooth but with a full flavor. Wining Husband usually prefers dark roasts, and he’s not too big on “flavored” coffees. He liked this one as well. There was a hint of smoke and ash in the flavor – presumably picked up from the terrain where it was grown. It also had a black cherry finish. I have to say, that even though I’m an habitual adder of sweet and milk to my coffee, this roast did not need either to pack a punch.

The Amaretto Flavored Coffee

I happen to love flavored coffees. I was a little nervous when Wining Husband went to taste this one with me, because as I mentioned, he’s not a big fan of flavored coffees. Each of the flavored coffees offered by Volcanica is roasted just prior to shipping. That means that the coffee is super-fresh when it gets to you, a good thing. They also don’t add any sugar or additives or chemicals to their flavored coffees, which is a huge plus for me. I’m super sensitive to various chemicals and preservatives, so a company that sticks to natural ingredients gets major kudos in my book. So, when I ordered Volcanica’s Amaretto Flavored Coffee, I was really excited for it to arrive so I could try it out.

As with the Costa Rica Coffee, we brewed the amaretto flavored coffee in the French press and enjoyed it unadulterated. It had a wonderful nutty aroma, and I could pick up the hints of amaretto on the nose. Like the Costa Rica Coffee, it was medium bodied and smooth – but without loosing the flavor. There was a slight oily quality to the coffee, and it was easy to pick up the amaretto flavor. This would be a great coffee to serve with dessert – particularly one that had some amaretto in the whipped cream. (Hmmm…ideas!)

Win a credit toward your Volcanica coffee purchase

I have three $30 purchase codes to give away to three lucky readers. You just have to answer a simple question: Which of Volcanica’s Flavoured Gourmet Coffees would you pick for your morning cup of coffee?  The giveaway runs from 3/17/2015-3/25/2015 at midnight

In the meantime, I also have a special deal for you. If you make a purchase from Volcanica Coffee and use the code “WiningWife” between now and March 31st, you’ll receive an extra 15% of an order of $40 or more.  Don’t forget to enter using the Rafflecopter and share with your friends! 

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway