Barnie's Colombian La Tolva

It has been quite a while since I've had Barnie coffee. Ever since Trader Joe's opened up that's been my go-to coffee place. Barnie's is a little further across town and more expensive. The more expensive is an understatement. Well over a year ago they took out the loose beans and only sell pre-sealed bags. Generally loose coffee was $9-$15/pound (except for expensive stuff). The bags are still around $9-$15 each, but are only 10 ounces! Six ounces less for the same price. Thanks, but no thanks! Anyway, I splurged and got some for old time sake.

The Barnie's Colombian La Tolva beans are clean looking medium roast. Good aroma to them, maybe a little on the strong side, forecasting what's to come. The aroma isn't as complex as I like to get from some other coffees. Packaging is the standard Barnie's foil wrapped bags, 10 ounces in case you forgot.

As I just hinted, this is STRONG coffee. In fact after taking the first sip I texted a friend to share how strong it was. I'm generally not much of a fan of strong coffee, but this is a good strong coffee. There's a consistent flavor from sip to finish, with that constant reminder that it's a STRONG coffee. What was pleasant about it was that there is not a harsh acidic aftertaste that can occur with some dark roast or strong coffees. If you like STRONG coffee, and have a good sized coffee budget, I'd recommend Barnie's Colombian La Tolva. If you're not fully committed to both of these, move on to something else.

Bottom Line Rating: 3.5/5

Tree City Coffee Roasters

I should lead off this post by admitting I am a terrible blogger. No, not because I'm not having regular updates. Yes, I drink coffee regularly, but honestly the drinking part is much more fun than writing about it. Not because I failed to respond to comments. The few I get, hint hint keep more coming, I do respond with at least a "thanks!" My faux pas is that I did not record the type of Tree City coffee I was buying!

I was in the local Ward's Supermarket, nothing really super in size about it, but great produce prices and locally family owned. I was there to buy some Sweetwater Coffee. They had so many varieties of the Sweetwater coffee that I was just getting plain frustrated. As I was about to fill up a bag I noticed a lone dispenser with Tree City Coffee Roasters. Noticing that it was locally roasted I had to get some! It literally is a mom and pop operation without any store front. They sell online and in three local supermarkets/food stores here in Gainesville, FL.

I'd describe it as a medium to medium dark roast, possibly their breakfast blend? The beans have a great aroma, not too oily and have a warm rich aroma after grinding. The coffee itself is fantastic. There's a certain smoothness to each sip, yet complex flavors that dance across your taste buds. Not acidic and a warm aftertaste that makes you want to sip over and over.

Packaging is uneventful, but to me that's of no real concern. Coffee doesn't last too long in my house and as long as I can keep it fresh for the short week or two it sits around I'm happy. The packaging is a simple brown bag with a single sticker on the front. In hind sight I wish I had written the type on the bag! Prices are $10/lb on their website with free shipping 5+ pounds and free shipping in Gainesville!

This is a great coffee that I will definitely revisit, if only to figure out what I was drinking! If you're in town or want to place an online order I would highly recommend it.

Bottom Line Rating: 4/5