Coffee Beanery's S'Mores

It's summer, and people are sitting around campfires and making S'mores. And for those of you who can't escape into the great wilderness and are stuck at work, perhaps some flavored coffee will lift your spirits and transport you to the campfires of your minds! (Yes, it's Sunday at Shades of Gray, so it's time for another coffee review!)

COFFEE BEANERY: S'MORES
When I reviews Bones's version of s'mores-flavored coffee, I confessed that I have no idea what s'mores are supposed to taste like. I imagine the taste has to be somewhat smoky with strong notes of chocolate, marshmallow, and a little saltiness from the crackers. But, mostly, I would expect a s'more to at least taste smoky and sweet.

And that's what Coffee Beanery's take on this flavored variety delivers. Where Bones leaned heavily on the sweet, the Beanery's variation is heavier on the smoky.... which was initially a little surprising because when I opened the package of pre-ground coffee, a strong sent of marshmallow wafted up from it.

When consumed black, the clearest flavor of the blend is the medium-roasted Arabica beans that form its foundation. Mixed with that is a smokiness that does invoke the sense of drinking this coffee around a campfire and it a surprisingly pleasant edge. There are also faint tastes of vanilla and chocolate and perhaps even a hint of the marshmallow. It's still a little too harsh for me to drink a whole cup black, but if you take your coffee with just a little sugar or a dash of milk, I think you'll find Beanery's S'Mores blend very potable.

When I added Unsweetened Almond Milk to the cup, the smoky flavor was enhanced, as were the vanilla and chocolate notes. The blend became tastier with the almond milk, but it turned fabulous when mixed with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. The coffee flavor and smokiness were muted while the chocolate taste was enhanced. I also thought that I could taste the marshmallow more strongly. As the drink cooled to room temperature, the various sweet flavors grew stronger, with the vanilla and marshmallow flavors really coming through.

When I tried the blend black, chilled, and over ice, the chocolate and vanilla flavors leapt to the front. A little bit of saltiness also crept in. That could have been the Graham crackers finally manifesting, or it could be the sort of thing that happens with a number of flavored blends when they are iced: Flavors turn salty.

The Coffee Beanery sample packs are small and only make a single pot and I wasn't frugal enough to get all the tests in with the coffee iced. I tried it with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, but I did not have enough coffee to try it with Unsweetened Almond Milk. But, as far as my taste tests went, I liked this blend the best when it was iced, whether black or mixed with the creamer.

This is another hit for Coffee Beanery, although I think the Bones Coffee take on this flavor is superior overall. Your mileage may vary though. The Bones variation skews sweeter with a fainter coffee vibe than this one from Coffee Beanery, so it depends on how you take your coffee.

Sidenote: I just noticed that shipping rates for some Coffee Beanery products through Amazon are REDICULOUS. As much as I love to get a few pennies in Affiliate fees (so if you like the content here, please shop Amazon through the links on the blog), I recommend looking closely before ordering.