Hawaiian coffee roaster creates Barack Obama blend

 Photo by Kim Winklhofer

In honor of our new president, Kona Joe Coffee has inaugurated a new coffee: Barack O Blend, a combination of Hawaiian, Kenyan and Indonesian coffees roasted to a medium brown “American roast.”

At my request, Joe generously sent me a sample of the Barack O Blend and it’s absolutely delicious. I’m not skilled enough to call myself a cupper (a professional taster), but the first adjectives that came to mind as I sipped my brew were smoky, lush, and then a moment later it seemed sweetly caramel. The coffee had a smooth, velvety feel in my mouth, reminding me of a high quality leather couch. Not that I often have leather couches in my mouth or that the coffee tastes even remotely like leather, but hopefully you know what I mean. You have your run of the mill fabric-upholstered couches, and then you have glossy, sinful against your skin leather couches. That’s the Barack O Blend for you.

Kona Joe Coffee is famous for its Kona coffee (an article is forthcoming on what makes Kona coffee so unique), so I’ll have to hit Joe up for some of that next time. Until then, get yourself a pound of the Barack O Blend. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.