Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters: Blackberry

Over the past months my family has started a tradition of trying different rolls and flavored coffees each Saturday morning. We've found that the 1.5 ounce "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters" are a nice way to start the weekend. "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters" come in a HUGE variety of flavors, with 55 different varieties listed on their website. (I will not list them here but if you would lie to check them out here's their website: www.berresbrothers.com )

We buy "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters" at Hy-Vee, for $1.29 each. For quality they are comparable to Millstone's flavored coffees (which I have reviewed before), and they offer more flavors. However, we have found that the flavor assortment offered LOCALLY is about the same or less as those offered by Millstone. I'd never heard of many of the types listed on the website (Apricot and Autumn Apple, just to touch on the "A"s) so I am guessing that they are offered seasonally or regionally. As the seasons pass, we'll have to keep looking.

This review is specifically for "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters" in the "Blackberry" variety. This coffee comes in a light and dark purple striped pouch, with black edges dashed through with purple zig-zags. There's a jazzy little coffee cup at the top. The label claims that the "Blackberry" flavor is "Cheerfully fresh, splendidly fruity. Full berry flavor and toasty warmth make for a fresh cup of coffee." Sounds wonderful! And while there's some creative liscense in the description, the "Blackberry" flavor of "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters" is very good.

The "Blackberry" flavor of "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters" SMELLS "splendidly fruity". I couldn't wait to try it! But if you expect the berry flavor to be as strong as it smells, you will be a little disappointed. The berry flavor really does come through in this one though, more so than some of the other berry varieties. The berry flavor comes through a bit further back on the tongue than the base coffee flavor, which is smooth and just a little bitter. I like that this coffee doesn't try to do too much, This straightforward flavor is better than some of the more complex ones.

The nice thing about flavored coffee, is that, unlike cappuccinos and other flavored coffee drinks they allow you to control your calorie intake and still feel indulged. According to the package there is less than one calorie per cup of "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters" in the "Blackberry" variety.

Some of the flavors offered by Berres Brothers sound very enticing. ("Turtle Sundae" anyone?) The "Blackberry" variety was my favorite berry flavor so far, and I recommend it as a flavor to try. I look forward to trying other flavors of "Berres Brothers Coffee Roasters "as we find them!

Enjoy!