Coffee of the Moment - Kimera Koffee

Fellow coffee addicts - I am back with a new coffee post.  As you know (or maybe don't know) I like to use my Keurig machine to brew several fresh cups of coffee per day.  I also like to share my love of K-Cup coffee with you through my review of a K-Cup - THE K-Cup of the Moment.

If you recall each week I reviewed a new delicious K-Cup on an "official" coffee grading system that emphasizes four critical categories: (1) Aroma; (2) Strength; (3) Taste; (4) Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup. This post is different, however.  

This week I would like to share my experience with ground coffee that I brew in a travel French Press that I received via a "Man Crate" (which deserves its own post) which my wife purchased for me.  This week's Coffee of the Moment is Kimera Koffee. 

A little background is needed before we dive into any reviews.  Kimera Koffee isn't any ordinary cup-o-joe.  "Kimera is packed with premium-grade Nootropics, proven to help you increase focus, power output and cognition. Nootropics are powerful cognitive enhancers that improve some aspect of mental function. The Nootropics in Kimera Koffee are all-natural amino acids typically found in protein-rich foods but not always easy enough to get from diet alone."

After settling with regular coffee for several years, I needed a change of pace.  Additionally, I drink a cup of coffee before my workout in the morning.  If you take a gander at Kimera Koffee's website and social media posts, you will see pictures of athletes who also partake in a cup of Kimera Koffee before their workout (actual athletes -- not unathletic humans - like myself).  

Aroma:  9

Pop open a bag of Kimera Koffee and you are immediately greeted with the glorious scent of a deep rich coffee roast that will have you grinning from ear to ear.  

Strength: 10

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be a lion?  Well,  have a cup of Kimera Koffee and you'll see.  Check out my before and after photos after having my first cup of Kimera Koffee.  

In all seriousness from a workout performance standpoint,  I felt like I was able to push through cardio moves with more focus and intensity than I normally do with just a dark roast K-Cup.  

Taste:  10

I really enjoy the taste of Kimera Koffee -- especially in a French Press.  The coffee is very smooth and that rich coffee flavor that I really enjoy.   

Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said Coffee:  10

Not a chance that I share this coffee with my co-workers.  Also, I do not want to be responsible for what happens if they try and do a back flip off of their desk chair to try and get to the printer.  

Despite not treating my office to heart palpitations and a transformative experience that will turn you into an animal from Jumanji,  I was very much intrigued by Kimera Koffee's approach to coffee and was not disappointed. 

Overall: 10

I am a big fan of floating above my body and therefore I am a big fan of Kimera Koffee.  I use it as a pre-workout drink and have found it very beneficial to my workout routine.  If you are looking for something a little different with natural ingredients to help increase focus and intensity - give Kimera Koffee a shot. 

Office Snacks: The Current Landscape and the Need for Change

Unless your office is Chick-Fil-A, Dunkin' Donuts, Krystal or some other fine dining establishment, the food offerings at the office may be less to be desired.  Some employers offer their employees the opportunity to pay for snacks via a vending machine.  These lucky employees get to spend their hard earned dollars eagerly pressing "E3" or "D4" on the vending machine and watch a "claw" grab their package of Grandma's Cookies and it drop down to the opening at the bottom of the machine.

Other employees are a little more spoiled.  Their employers stock on site kitchens with goodies such as Nature Valley Bars (likely Oats and Honey) -- take one bite of these succulent snacks and three quarters of the "bar" is gone because its all over the floor of your office.  Maybe there is some communal trail mix sitting on the counter which "Dan the IT Guy" dips his hand in three times a day after changing toner cartridges all day on your office's malfunctioning printers.   Perhaps your assistant is the designated person who keeps a glass dish near her desk or cubicle stocked with Halloween candy so you can scarf down two or six mini Snickers as a satisfying snack.  

My office certainly meets some of the criteria above; however, I don't partake in such snack shenanigans.  No, thank you.  I bring my own snacks and you should too -- the snacks taste better and they are less likely to cause your ass to outgrow your desk chair every six months. Snacking will also help curb that loud awkward stomach growl that interrupts every meeting you have between 10 and 11 am and 3 and 4 pm and save you from having to say excuse me because it's awkward that your stomach made a loud alien noise. Here are some of my go-to snacks I like to have available in my office at all times.  

1.  Field Trip, Turkey Jerky.  First of all, as you can probably imagine, having a large bag of turkey jerky sitting on your desk is a wonderful conversation starter.  Second, this meaty snack is delicious. Third, its a healthy snack (1 oz = 70 calories).  Field Trip is sold at wholesale stores such as BJ's -- so you can purchase a large bag -- which can last you while.  I am currently munching on the cracked pepper flavor.  

2.  Larabar, Cashew Cookie.  Snack bars are a favorite among attorneys.  If I had a billable hour for every snack bar I watched an attorney consume, I'd finally get that bonus I was told I would be eligible for.  I enjoy a good snack bar; however if you look close enough at the nutrition label (or bother to look at all), you will see many ingredients that look similar to the names of items you listed on the product liabilities complaint you just filed.  Larabars, however, have all natural ingredients.  My favorite is the cashew cookie flavor.  Here are the ingredients of the cashew cookie Larabar:  Cashews and Dates.

3.  Apple.  How about them apples?  Yes.  I bring an apple to work everyday as a snack.  Not only do they fill me up for a little afternoon snack, but apples have lots of health benefits including lowering cholesterol, boosting your immune system, and helping increase brain function (not sure about this one).

So next time you find yourself scrolling through Facebook and suddenly juking your eyeballs out of their sockets as you try and catch that Tasty video showing you how to make Mozzarella Stick Onion Rings, you can just keep on scrolling as you now have a few delicious snack options for your office snacking pleasure.  You could also watch the Tasty video.  It's really up to you.  

K-Cup of the Moment: Death Wish

Coffee addicts rejoice -- It's K-Cup review time. One reader emailed me recently that reading these posts is the difference between having a K-Cup and an OK Cup. If you recall each week I reviewed a new delicious K-Cup on an "official" coffee grading system that emphasizes four critical categories: (1) Aroma; (2) Strength; (3) Taste; (4) Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup. I concluded each review with an Overall grade.  Because I'm unreliable piece of shit,  the posts may or may not be weekly anymore -- hence the change in the name of the post to K-Cup of the Moment.

Nonetheless I've been dying to review this one for you (pun).  This week's K-Cup (or Death Cup) is from Death Wish Coffee Co.  And it's called Death Wish.

Aroma: 10

When you pull open the bag containing the capsules of joy for the first time you get smacked with a wonderful aroma of a deep rich coffee roast.  The aroma continues once brewed as well.

Strength: 10

The coffee proclaims to be the strongest coffee in the world.  I've spoken to others that have had the coffee and they told me they experienced an added jolt to their day -- others felt that they were having extreme heart palpatations.  I felt an increased jolt as well.  I actually had two cups of Death Wish in one day.  It was neat having an out of body experience.

Taste: 9

This is an extra bold coffee.  It's called Death Wish.  Not sure if that was an indication of boldness.  Despite being extra bold, the coffee doesn't taste bitter at all -- and I drink my coffee black. 

Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup: 10

Since death is often a wish of many employees of a law office - this K-Cup is a natural fit for a law firm.  From a packaging standpoint - this K-Cup really stands out.  It comes in a bag and the cups are environmentally friendly -- the coffee spares the environment but not the drinker.  

Overall: 9.5

I really enjoyed Death Wish.  It's to die for (if I lost a reader or two here I understand).  The coffee has a lot of the characteristics I look for in a great cup of joe. It's a little pricier than other K-Cups out on the market -- but worth a try. 

K-Cups of the Week: Starbucks Rift Valley & Laguna de Ayarza ('Single-Origin' Coffees)

Each week I review a new delicious K-Cup on an "official" coffee grading system that emphasizes four critical categories:  (1) Aroma; (2) Strength; (3) Taste; (4) Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup.  I conclude each review with an Overall grade.   Due to the lack of a K-Cup of the Week last week, I am throwing down two K-Cups this week.  They are both from Starbucks and are part of their 'Single-Origin' blend series:  Rift Valley (Rwanda) and Laguna de Ayarza (Guatemala).  

Aroma:  Rift Valley (8); Laguna de Ayarza (8)

I find that each time I walk into a Starbucks (excluding "We Proudly Brew" locations), I am greeted by a consistent and familiar coffee scent -- one that is different from that of Dunkin' Donuts or other coffee roasters.  It's the smell of a deep coffee roast mixed with hardworking Apple electronic products.  Somehow, even hailing from single-origins, these coffees emanate that same familiar Starbucks scent that keeps me coming back for more coffee.  

Strength:  Rift Valley (8); Laguna de Ayarza (8)

Starbucks characterizes both K-Cups as a "Medium" roast profile -- one that is "balanced, smooth & rich."  I find that Starbucks blends give me the proper surge I am looking for in a coffee.  These coffees are no exception.  

Taste:  Rift Valley (7); Laguna de Ayarza (8)

Starbucks explains on its packaging that "[s]ingle origin coffee gets many of its distinguishing characteristics from the terroir- the soil, climate, and elevation particular to where its cultivated.  And like fine wines, the resulting flavor is unique to its origin, with a taste all its own."  I have never been to Rwanda or Guatemala.  I am not sure what the soil tastes like there. However, I did find the Laguna de Ayarza cup to be a bit smoother than the Rift Valley.  The Rift Valley K-Cup had more of a cocoa flavor, than the Laguna de Ayarza -- which is not a bad thing necessarily.  I just prefer a more pure coffee taste -- which is what I got from the Laguna de Ayarza.

Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup:  Rift Valley (10); Laguna de Ayarza (10)

Starbucks.  Single-Origin.  Rwanda.  Guatemala.  Enough said.  

Overall:  Rift Valley (8); Laguna de Ayarza (9)

I really enjoyed drinking both K-Cups.  Starbucks already produces one of my favorite go-to K-Cups in Pike Place.   I put the taste of these K-Cups on par with Pike Place. However, these single-origin K-Cups are going to run you  a few extra bucks.  If you find them on sale (like I did at Publix), I recommend you give them a shot.  

K-Cup of the Week: Black Tiger

If you read my first blog post, you already know that I drink a ridiculous amount of coffee.   Each week I review a new delicious K-cup on an "official" coffee grading system that emphasizes four critical categories:  (1) Aroma; (2) Strength; (3) Taste; (4) Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup.  I will conclude each review with an Overall grade.  This week -- Coffee People's Black Tiger. 

Aroma:  6

Black Tiger is not an aromatic coffee -- at least not to the point of making others in the office think they are in a coffee shop.  

 Strength:  9

This kitty purrs.  Black Tiger is an "extra bold" blend that will make you believe you are ready to out run a tiger.  As Dr. Seuss once said, "one cup, and your up."

Taste:  8

The Black Tiger sure does have a bite.  I drink my coffee black, like the tiger herself.  Therefore, the taste is likely stronger than when it is diluted with a gallon of milk (as many so-called coffee drinkers prefer to drink their coffee).  

Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup: 9

With a name like Black Tiger, you know the coffee has to be good.  My only question is why the tiger looks like a typical tiger, and not an actual black tiger. 

Overall:  9

This is one of my go-to K-cups.  If you need a real pick-me-up, try Black Tiger.  

K-Cup of the Week: Dark Magic

I drink a ridiculous amount of coffee.  In fact, I like to have just enough coffee where I begin to levitate above my own body. 

Each week I plan on showcasing a K-Cup that helps me achieve this goal.  This week, Green Mountain Coffee’s Dark Magic.

I will review the delicious cup on an "official" coffee grading system that emphasizes four critical categories:  (1) Aroma; (2) Strength; (3) Taste; (4) Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup.  I will conclude each review with an Overall grade.  

Aroma:  8

Dark Magic doesn’t quite sting the nostrils, but the office will know you are drinking some Joe.

Strength:  8

I usually drink 2 cups of coffee at the office.  After the second cup of Dark Magic (20 ounces deep), I begin to levitate. This is a bold coffee.  Amazon's tasting notes provide that Dark Magic has "Spellbinding complexity.  Deep, dark and intense."

Taste:  7

Not bitter, but not the smoothest coffee I have ever tasted.

Marketing Tactics that Forced Me to Force My Office to Purchase Said K-Cup:  6

It's hard not to be intrigued by a beverage called Dark Magic.  Anything magical at the office is a must try in my opinion.

Overall: 8

If you are looking for a reliable, bold coffee for your Keurig morning routine, give Dark Magic a try. 

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