This K-Cup Challenge review of Gloria Jean’s Special Blend is sponsored by OneGreatCup.  Not only is OneGreatCup sponsoring this particular review, but on coincidental note, they’re also offering 5% off all Gloria Jean’s K-Cups (both Coffee and Tea).  Use coupon code “GJ” when checking out (because I know you want to support my sponsors).

Having great sponsors (like OneGreatCup) means I get to sample a lot of K-Cups from a lot of different coffee makers.  So far it’s been a lot of very jittery fun, and it’s always interesting try a new brand for the first time.  GJ’s Special Blend offers our first taste of Gloria Jean’s Coffee, and to make a long story short, I’m feeling less than qwow’d about the whole experience.

The Description

Our top selling non-flavored coffee, Gloria Jean’s Special Blend is a complex coffee that is balanced and smooth, with a slightly floral aroma. Absolutely delicious and satisfying.

The Aroma

Maybe I missed something…I didn’t get a whole lot of flora aroma steaming out of my two cups of GJ’s Special Blend.  It’s just as well as I’m allergic to most flowers, and the last thing I want is a coffee that makes me all sneezy in the morning.  I was thinking winy, with fruit notes.  Again…maybe it’s just me and my unsophisticated sniffer.

Drinking It Black

I came away from both cups I sampled thinking it tastes a little bit bitter, a little bit bland.  Although I liked it a bit better the second time around, there isn’t really anything about the flavor I particularly enjoy.  It’s totally unspectacular.  Boring.

With Cream and Sugar

Adding cream and sugar to a cup of coffee I otherwise wasn’t enjoying has been the failsafe of cups past.  Unfortunately for me, this isn’t the case with GJ’s Special Blend.  If I had only one word to describe my experience with this medium bodied coffee, it would be an uninspired “bleh”.

I suppose it’s an ok cup of coffee, but comparatively speaking, against many of the other varieties I’ve sampled so far, it pretty bad.  It reminds me a bit of church coffee (not the kind with arsenic or anything), but nothing I’d feel good about serving to my guests either.  Maybe this is the East Coast / West Coast thing, I don’t know.   What I know is that it’s the first K-Cup I’ve sampled that’s left me feeling openly hostile; like I was just cheated out of my morning fix.

Final Thoughts

So it’s pretty clear I’m not enamored with GJ’s Special Blend.  I’ll agree that it’s a blend (of what I’m not sure), but it’s not the least bit special.  I think I’d sooner follow Rachel Ray to the Double-D before I’d actively seek out another cup.  To me, it just doesn’t taste like coffee should.

I’m not one to hold a coffee-grudge, however.  I’ve got a few more Glora Jean’s varieties sitting on a shelf in my dining room.  I’m certainly willing to give them a chance, as it’s pretty unreasonable to expect that I’m going to like every blend that I sample.

For what it’s worth, reviewers on Amazon love the stuff (which makes me feel a bit like a crazy person).  One reviewer actually commented that GJ’s Special Blend is the closest to Tim Horton’s they’ve found in a K-Cup.  I’ve never tried Tim Horton’s (and since it’s not available in a K-Cup, I likely won’t anytime soon), but if you’re a fan of Tim’s coffee, it might be worth a shot.

Shameless Plug

Gloria Jean’s Special Blend (as well as the entire Gloria Jean’s K-Cup lineup) is available from OneGreatCup.  Use coupon code “GJ” until the end of this month (May 2008) to save 5% on all Gloria Jean’s K-Cups.

While you’re here, check the growing list of reviews in my K-Cup Challenge.

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