Bones Coffee's Paradise Pie

Does coffee taste better when you're not wearing pants? We here at Shades of Gray have been conducting a study, and we reveal our findings at the end of this post. But before that, here's another review of a flavored blend from Bones Coffee Company--one that is marketed to drink while not wearing pants!

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: PARADISE PIE

The Paradise Pie blend is one of the many flavors that come and go from the line-up offered by Bones Coffee either through their website or at Amazon.com. The fun with this one begins before you open the bag, because it's among the many of their offerings that features a drawing of the Bones Coffee mascot in a funny situation. In this case, our skeletal friend is relaxing in a hammock while eating pie and not wearing pants. 

When opening the bag, there's a sweet smell of sugary key lime that is definitely reminds one of key lime pie flavor that this blend is supposed to reflect. That aroma is also faintly present in the air as the coffee brews: It's not as strong as what can be experienced with other Bones flavored blends, but it mirrors the aroma of the coffee as its poured.

When I tried to coffee black, the key lime flavor was present as a slight sweetener blended in with the mellow medium-roast flavor. It wasn't quite enough to make me want to drink this blend without adding milk or creamer, but I think people who like their coffee with just a touch of sweetener (be it sugar, honey, or some variety of fruit juice) will like this just as it is. Further, as the coffee cools, the key lime flavor grows more evident.

I put this blend through the usual taste tests that I do with coffees I drink for these posts. As mentioned above, I start with trying it black. I then move onto Unsweetened Almond Milk and then sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. All three versions are consumed hot, as they cool to room temperature, and iced.

I found that I liked the Paradise Pie blend best when it was mixed with the Unsweetened Almond, and I really liked the way the key lime flavor seemed to grow stronger as the coffee cooled. The key lime flavor mixed less well with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer; it was okay when the coffee was hot, but as it cooled, the flavors mixed poorly and caused the drink to taste as if I'd made it wiht sour milk. To make sure this wasn't a fluke, or that somehow my creamer had actually spoiled, I tried a second cup with the same mix... and the result was the same.  

Interestingly, the flavors were almost the same when I drank this blend iced, whether I had mixed it with almond milk or the creamer. Naturally, the blend with the creamer was a sweeter than the one with the unsweetened almond milk, but something reminiscent of the graham cracker crust that would be on a key lime pie had crept into the mix. Whether it was this additional flavor--which was little more dominant in the cup of iced Paradise Pie with Unsweetened Almond Milk--or just that the drink was chilled further, the sour milk taste that was present at room temperature was no longer in evidence. I am also happy to report that this is not one of those Bones blends that have a strong saltiness when iced. I should also note that this blend is also quite pleasant straight black when iced.

The Paradise Pie blend is a drink of extremes that works best when it's hot or iced, whether you drink it black or mixed with milk or creamer. Overall, I think it counts as another win for the Bones Coffee Company, even if it's not quite as versatile as some of their other blends. (Although, speaking of versatile, I did try a cup of it iced with vodka. That was also an excellent combination.)

As for the question that an answer was promised to at the top--does coffee taste better if you drink while wearing pants or if you drink it when not wearing pants? Everyone at the Shades of Gray offices were drafted for a very scientific study. See the bottom of the post for the results.

 

The Science Is Settled: Coffee Tastes Better When You're Not Wearing Pants!