Peet’s Coffee
Whether you drink a cup as your morning pick me up, or you pair it with something sweet in the evening…
High quality coffee like Peet’s is sure to please!
As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, Peet’s sent me this great packaged to review and SHARE!
$2 off coupons, 2 bags of their new medium roast blends (Cafe Solano and Cafe Domingo) and a travel mug! For 45 years, Peet’s coffee has been known for artisan-crafted, deep-roasted coffee. Recently Peet’s collaborated with coffee roasters and experts to launch these medium roast varieties. You can order these and many others from Peet’s website, which has tons of information on coffee pairings, tastes, brewing tips, and much more. I think the two tips that I find most helpful are:
- Store coffee in a cool, dark, dry, air-tight container to keep it as fresh as possible.
- Use filtered water when you brew.
Just like wine, there are terms for different tastes coffee imparts and the different mineral or nutrient content in water can alter those flavors and tastes. Peet’s Tasting Terms for Coffee include:
Acidity (Palate Acidity)
The liveliness in coffee. All good coffee has some acidity; without it, coffee tastes flat and dull.
Aged
A pleasant, distinctive “cellared” aroma, found in aged coffees.
Bitter
One of the four basic tastes; a certain degree of bitterness is inherent in the fullness of all coffee’s flavor.
Body
Tactile impression of thickness in the mouth, independent of taste and aroma.
Caramel
A sweetness inherent to the bean or produced by roasting.
Chocolate
A flavor reminiscent of unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder.
Clean
A coffee with clear and refined texture in the mouth.
Complex
A taste or aroma with many layers or facets.
Dry
A coffee with a parching, lingering finish.
Earthy
An aromatic fresh soil or wet earth taste characteristic.
Flat
A lifeless coffee lacking in palate acidity or freshness.
Floral
Flowery or perfumy.
Fruity
A sweet berry or citrus flavor.
Herbal
Aroma or flavor of grass, dried herbs, grains, or fresh foliage.
Mild
A rounded and balanced coffee, with mellow acidity and sweetness, and without pungent or dry flavors.
Nutty
Reminiscent of freshly roasted peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.
Pungent
A strong, penetrating effect on the palate.
Rich
Full, complex in flavor and texture.
Roasty
Smoky bittersweet note more prominent in dark-roasted coffee.
Smooth
A coffee with full, pleasant texture or mild acidity.
Spicy
Pleasantly sharp or specific notes of warm spice, such as pepper, cinnamon, etc.
Strength
Often thought to be intensity of flavor, but it’s actually the ratio of ground coffee to water.
Sweet
One of the four basic tastes; a mild coffee with fruity, caramel, or chocolate flavors.
Tangy
A savory combination of sweet and tart.
Wild
A coffee with varying, intriguing and potent flavors.
I’d give the Cafe Solano the following terms: earthy, lively, strong, flowery, rich and wild. I’d give the Cafe Domingo terms like smooth, roasty, mild and clean. I had saved this coffee specifically to share with the people I love the most! We all enjoyed Peet’s because it wasn’t too bitter, too strong, too weak, and had great flavor. We also enjoyed pairing dessert alongside it: Tiramisu, Double Chocolate Cake and The Oakmonter (2x).
Of course these cakes deserve a review post of their own, and I think I will review several of the bakery treats in a future post. For now though, most people know tiramisu and could guess the divine double chocolate cake. The Oakmonter must be described. It starts with a creamy Italian style cheesecake, then a thick layer of fudge icing. Next, a layer of moist, dark chocolate cake completes the inside of this amazing dessert. The entire cake is covered by milk chocolate frosting. The decadence continues with drizzled ganache, chocolate bar pieces, cherries and vanilla cream.
…Of course I had to try a piece of each dessert with my cup of Peet’s to make sure that I could state the following: Peet’s Cafe Solano was a perfect pairing with each of these scrumptious desserts.
Thanks to Peet’s and the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program! If you would like to try Peet’s and I highly recommend you do, I would be happy to mail you one of my $2 off coupons OR you can get your very own online coupon by going here.
Do you have a favorite kind of coffee?
