Guilt Free Drinks
by Jay Beaton on 10-10-2010 • Category: Coffee Products • 10 comments
With the corporate attitude of making the world a better place one cup at a time, I felt a positive vibe to highlight the products of Guilt Free Drinks. When researching this company I quickly noticed their success of performing current industry trends that exclusively use organic products for coffee production. And they do this not just because it's a catchy slogan but because they truly believe it's the right thing to do.
When it comes to processing, their coffee products are roasted daily through private label collaboration with Gem Coffee; a certified organic roaster located in Idaho. This Mid-west tandem provides the consumer with an eco-friendly coffee purchased through an internet-based supplier. All their coffees are Organic Certified as well as Fair Trade certified. Beyond that, they've worked with Sterling Biosciences to help calculate their Carbon Footprint, and have taken steps throughout the production and transport process to reduce their environmental impact. Guilt Free Drinks utilizes a catalytic oxidizer in the roasting process, which nearly eliminates the smoke, odor, and emissions produced during coffee roasting. This also reduces gas consumption over thermal oxidizers, helping to reduce the Carbon Footprint and environmental impact. Their achievement to maintain their carbon neutrality is explained further on their homepage, demonstrating a great public level of transparency.
But let’s move from the company background and into the coffee.
As we look to the cup at hand…my real concern is that the coffee is pre-ground. Even though the coffee is sealed in an airtight one-way valve package, some oxygen will inevitably work its way into the bag and begin the degassing process. The bag is made to be re-sealable, but once you open that bag for the first time, the coffee loses its luster within a couple of days. I would be interested in the option to receive the coffee as whole bean to see how it reacts when ground fresh and prepared through a French press.
We ordered both the Medium and the Bold blends, but decided to focus on the Bold since it stood out as a better flavor of the two offerings. The Bold blend is an Indonesian & Central American Blend, and right when opened we get a great nutty, earthy scent with hints of subtle sweet spices. As good as the beans smell, it gets better once you start brewing. The brewed coffee sends off strong brown sugar and oatmeal scents; it is eye-opening, smooth, and enticing. Both of the initial sensual experiences parlay into the sight, aroma, and taste of the coffee itself.
The coffee is a dark brown, somewhat murky, and looks just like a stout when the brewing is finished. The oatmeal and brown sugar flavors carry over into the cup which is the source for the comparison to the microbrew. I found it slightly bittersweet, but that only adds to the allure. Although I could find myself easily drinking this at most times during the day, I would recommend that this be your first cup of the morning or after dinner. It has such an attention grabbing effect. It can shake off the cobwebs, or help avoid the after-dinner groggies.
Purchases are made through their website: Guilt Free Medium, Guilt Free Bold, and Guilt Free Decaf Coffee. They come packaged as a 12oz sealed bag, and go for $10.80 with a $5 flat shipping rate. At first, you think that is a one-time charge, but it’s actually $5 per ordered bag. PayPal is currently the only accepted payment method.
YouTube Commercial (amusing)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UESG2jgAh4
Website
www.guiltfreedrinks.com
