If you're on Facebook and follow at least one coffee page, you likely see Bones Coffee advertisements quite often. After seeing an ad that offered free shipping, and seeing that they had "make your own sampler" as an option on their site, my girlfriend and I decided to give it a try. We got a sample of five of their coffee varieties: Maple Bacon, Strawberry Shortcake, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Coconut Rum, and Carrot Cake.
Maple Bacon: I've seen a lot of people saying this is an underwhelming "normal tasting" coffee that is slightly salty -- I found it delicious, and maybe my favorite of the five. The added flavor isn't strong until the aftertaste (a common theme from Bones' coffee), but I find it different every sip. It tastes like bacon on one sip, then maple syrup the next. Also, for the vegans or vegetarians out there, this coffee doesn't have any actual bacon in it. A-
Strawberry Shortcake: Smells like Cap'n Crunch Crunch Berries, really -- again, that flavor is mostly in the aftertaste. Not much like cheesecake per se, but tasty nonetheless. Not a strong coffee flavor, but it's there enough. I think this would be excellent iced. B
Peanut Butter and Jelly: Probably my least favorite of the bunch. The grape smell dominates, and there's no peanut butter to be found. I think of it as the Strawberry Shortcake variant with grapes in place of strawberries. This coffee should have been called "Jelly Filled Doughnut" over PB&J, because this lacks peanut butter -- good for what it is, just not aptly named. C+
Coconut Rum: The smell is strong of coconut rum -- how surprising. It almost comes off smelling like alcohol it's so strong. Brewed, it's still potent, but not as much on the taste buds at first. Not my favorite variant, as I think the rum is somewhat too strong, but rum and coconut lovers would really like this one -- I just think it's about average. B-
Carrot Cake: Well, carrot cake. The flavorings in this are suited better for coffee than maybe the Strawberry Shortcake or PB&J ones. It tastes like fall or winter to me -- not like pumpkin spice necessarily, but a similar vibe. Very tasty and not overbearing. B+
If you're curious about Bones like I was, I don't think you'll be disappointed if you go in open-minded. So-called "purists" bash flavored coffee like it's the devil, but they're just too lame to try something new. If you're feeling adventurous, I recommend you pick a few that pique your interest to have shipped to you. $30 for five samples may seem a bit pricy, and maybe it is, but rest assured it's quality coffee in pretty nicely sized bags.
B+
+: Great customer service, unique flavors, quality coffee, awesome label art.
-: Some flavors could use a bit of work, premium cost.
