This makes the 3rd review of Gloria Jean’s Coffee from a sampler sent to me by K-Cup Challenge sponsor OneGreatCup.  I have thus far, to put it mildly, been less than enamored with the Gloria Jean’s brand.  If nothing else I’ve learned that maybe K-Cup variety packs are the way to go because, when the coffee is bad, at worst, you only have 4 more to swallow down (or toss).

I didn’t care for Gloria Jean’s Hazelnut, or their GJ Special Blend, but I’m not one to hold a grudge, besides, with a name like Black Gold, it has to be good, right?  Right?

The Description

Gloria Jean’s Black Gold is a full flavoured coffee. It is a blend of coffees from the high mountain regions of Costa Rica, and the smooth clean cup feel of the Indonesian coffees.

The Aroma

The aroma is outstanding, the best of the GJ brand I’ve sampled to date.  I’m getting fruit notes and floral essence.  Deep, dark, and robust.  So far we’re on track…finally!

Drinking it Black

There’s not a lot of subtlety here.  The coffee has the flavor of a darkly roasted bean; almost what you’d experience chewing the bean itself.    It is bold, but not burnt.  Smokey with perhaps a hint of blackberry at the finish.

Black Gold does linger, sitting on the back of the throat longer than some, but thankfully it’s not bitter.

With Cream and Sugar

The medium body of Gloria Jean’s Black Gold takes kindly to cream and sugar and lightens up with more ease than most dark roasts, particularly extra bolds.  Black Gold succeeds at holding on to it’s whole bean flavor while becoming a very easy drinking cup of Extra Bold.  No watered down Rachael Ray garbage here.

Final Thoughts

Having been less than a fan of the first two GJ blends I sampled I was beginning to think the brand simply wasn’t for me.  The Black Gold, however, spun me 180 and has me running back to Gloria Jean for more.

What a fantastic way to answer the pre-6am bugle call, and a refreshing reminder that the Keurig brewing system isn’t about providing a tremendous selection of coffee, it’s about offering a tremendous selection of very good coffee.

You can add Black Gold to the expanding list of coffee I’d happily drink on a regular basis.  Unfortunately for me though, there’s a down side to variety packs as well.  When you find something you really like, you’ve got, at best, 4 more K-Cups to brew before you’re all out.  In the case of Gloria Jean’s Black Gold, that’s a total bummer.

Shameless Plug

Based on the samples I’ve tried so far (compliments of Ken Rhodes at OneGreatCup), my recommendation would be to skip the Gloria Jean’s Variety Pack, and go right for a full box of Black Gold, but hey, you do what you think is best.

If you haven’t picked one up already, I’d suggest you grab one of the three models (soon to be 4 I hear) of Keurig Home Brewers.  It’s my believe that we’re on the verge of a tipping point in the single serve coffee world, so buy now and stay ahead of the curve.

While you’re here at Qwowi.com, check out all the reviews in my K-Cup Challenge.

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