I have been known to be a bit of an impulse shopper, especially when it comes to my coffee purchases.  I will buy coffee based on a cool bag design, a great color combination, or even its placement on the grocery shelf.  While it is said you cannot judge a book by its cover I am not sure the same can be said for coffee beans, as I have stumbled upon some really delightful blends based on looks alone.

I bought Jim’s Organic Coffee - Jo-Jo’s Java based on a sticker on the bag.  No joke.  I bought it during a particularly overwhelming week of parenthood, when my son and daughter were constantly at odds, my clothing was incessantly tugged on by sticky toddler fingers, and my sense of self had retreated into a dark corner, where it chose to hide and quiver in fear.   In the coffee aisle at the grocery store I found a sticker that made me laugh and I bought the bag of coffee it was adhered to so I could read the sticker at home and (hopefully) laugh again.  The sticker said:

Jo-Jo’s Java

For my wife,

this blend of grace,

full of aroma and good taste.

You’ll love its smoothness,

it’s never bitter,

so relax with a cup, leave

the kids with a sitter.

Ok, so it’s not really that funny in retrospect, but it is clever and I was having a really bad week.  The good news: The coffee is great.  Here is my official review, written as I drank the final pot of coffee from the last few beans this bag had to offer.

About Jim’s Organic Coffee (Brags Taken Directly From the Bag)

• Organic; grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.  Organic coffee improves the ecosystem of the farms and surrounding communities through improved water quality, topsoil retention, and increased biodiversity.
• Jim’s Organic Coffee is grown under shade canopy
• Jim’s Organic Coffee works with farmers and pays premium prices for premium quality, thus allowing farms to treat their land, air, and water tables with respect AND sustain themselves and their communities.
• Beans are slowly hand roasted to deliver you a rich, full and clean cup

Out of the Bag

The beans are a rich, dark chestnut color with a glossy surface.  Because this is a whole bean coffee I had to grind my own, which I accomplished with the aid of my Braun Model KSM2(4) Household Type coffee grinder.  Upon grinding, the coffee takes on a nice medium brown color, much like that of a milk chocolate bar.  The grinding process also fully releases the aroma of the beans: a strong, deep, and layered smell which I would describe as earthy.

Let’s Brew

I used my home coffee pot, a Mr. Coffee model FT X29, which is a drip system.  I made six cups of coffee and had my coffee pot set to the strong setting, which allows for a slightly darker cup than the regular setting.  The coffee in the pot was dark in color, and smelled strong but not bitter.

In My Mug

As I poured Jo-Jo’s Java into my mug, I noted that it had a chestnut color similar to that of the whole bean before grinding.  I normally prefer my coffee with cream and sugar, but for the purposes of this review I also tried it black, with cream only, and with sugar only.

Black: I would describe this coffee as very brisk when taken without cream and sugar.  It is decidedly too strong for me in this form, but it certainly perked me up, as good coffee should.

With Whole Milk Only: Now we’re talking!  The addition of cream not only changes the color of this coffee to a satisfying light brown, it also smooths out the flavor, removing the super strength that made my tongue curl when I tried it black.  I still find myself missing the richness that sugar will bring.

With Sugar Only: I used Raw Sugar which I prefer over refined white sugar and Splenda alike.  The addition of one teaspoon of sugar rendered the coffee less edgy, but still not quite sweet enough for me.  I added a second teaspoon and found myself smiling.  The sweetness really takes away the edge, leaving in its place a rich, flavorful coffee.  It’s still not perfect for my palate, though, so we move on to sugar and cream.

With Sugar and Cream:  Whole milk and two teaspoons of sugar make for a perfect cup according to my taste buds.  This is a very smooth cup, with earthy undertones and not even a hint of bitterness.  Too soon my cup is empty and I am reaching for the pot again, this time skipping directly to cream and sugar.

The Final Word

Overall, this is a great, well rounded cup of coffee.  I like my coffee dark and rich, and Jo-Jo’s Java delivers the right combination of those without going over the edge into bitterness or strong aftertaste.  I also felt good about drinking a pot of coffee that was grown organically, knowing that the farmers, the growing fields, and the surrounding ecosystems were tread upon only lightly in order to bring me my morning coffee.  Jo-Jo’s Java has become one of my favorite blends, and I am eager to try other selections from Jim’s Organic Coffee.

Ask for Jim’s Organic Coffee at your local grocery store, or find it on the web at: http://www.jimsorganiccoffee.com and Amazon.com

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