Bones Coffee's Army of Dark Chocolate

Although it wasn't the first blend I posted about, it was Bones Coffee Company's Army of Dark Chocolate blend that made me notice them. The packaging and name--blatant references to the Bruce Campbell-starring "Army of Darkness" horror comedy, so it was a no-brainer that had to order myself a package. When I realized how good it tasted, I decided to order more flavors from the firm, and thus a post series was born. So now, with the Halloween here, I've circled back to give the Army of Dark Chocolate the formal treatment.

BONES COFFEE: ARMY OF DARK CHOCOLATE

This review is based on another 4-oz., pre-ground sample pack. If you've read previous articles in this series, you've probably gathered that medium- and light-roasts are what my tastes go toward, not the intense flavors of the dark-roasts. Given the emphasis on flavored blends, you've probably also puzzled out that I am quite the fan of fru-fru coffee; I hardly ever drink it straight... and until I came across certain Bones flavors (like their Salted Caramel) it was never something I would do by choice.

The Army of Dark Chocolate blend has changed that. According to the Bones Coffee Company website, this was their first crack at a dark roast, and I think they've done a wonderful job. While it's brewing, it gives of a pleasing aroma of coffee and chocolate, which also rises from the cup once it's been poured. And while it has the expected powerful coffee taste of a dark roast, the flavor of chocolate also came through strong, smoothing it out. In other words, the taste matched the aroma perfectly with full-bodied flavors that blended perfectly. Even better, this was the first dark roast I've had where I didn't immediately feel the need to reach for sweeteners and creamers to take the edge. Without a doubt, this is a flavored blend for those of you out there who love both coffee and chocolate. As you drink it, the flavors remain steady and in balance, unlike some other Bones blends I've reviewed where the flavor lingers in your mouth. Here, it's coffee and chocolate, going down smooth and tasting the same with each sip and swallow.

When I did try it with unsweetened almond milk, the edge was taken off the coffee, but the flavors remained strong and full-bodied. The chocolate even seemed to be a little enhanced. I tried another cup with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and the result was even better. The vanilla taste mixed extremely well with the strong coffee flavor, and the chocolate popped as well. I also tried it with a dash of sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream, and like the vanilla almond milk it didn't detract from the coffee but rather caused the chocolate flavor to stand out more.

This blend remained tasty as it cooled and was drinkable at room temperature, especially when taken with the unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It was also good iced where it seemed to work best straight or with a bit of unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Like when it's hot, the coffee flavor was powerful but the chocolate made it go down easy. Both tastes also remained nicely blended and stable. All-in-all, whether you like your coffee hot or iced, this is a blend that will satisfy.