Club Coffee Imperial Roast Coffee Pod
When it comes to determining what type of K-Cups to purchase for my Keurig brewer I typically shy away from coffee pods as air is one of the worst enemies of coffee. Usually found in sealed bags of 12, you’re on the clock to drink the entire batch as the coffee filter is exposed allowing the grinds to oxidize. Even though you can try to re-seal the bag, the next cup isn’t going to be as potent as the first you make. There is one thing going for pods though – they are inexpensive compared to their plastic cup cousins at around $0.58 cents for a mug of caffeine (i.e. Green Mountain “Our Blend” at ECS Coffee goes around $0.65 when you purchase in boxes of 24). When Club Coffee pods went up for sale at ECS Coffee it made the value prop that much better and I just had to grab a bag.
So let’s see what we’ve got. I choose the “Imperial Blend”, and according to Club Coffee, it’s a:
Blend after roast, full-bodied coffee, distinct flavour, smooth and delicious. Medium Roast
This is a medium roast coffee made with 100% Arabica beans; as such I’d expect low bitterness, mild acidity, an no harsh aftertaste.
Fragrance
With soft coffee pods you are able to smell the grinds before brewing to get a sense of the drink you’re preparing. It was nice to experience this again using a coffee pod; Imperial Blend has a nice roasted scent and to my nose it’s a bit nutty – perhaps hazelnut?
Aroma
Like most K-Cups you really can’t smell anything from the coffee once brewed. This isn’t any different and I couldn’t detect any noticeable aroma coming off the cup no matter how hard I tried.
Body
This pod has nice body; coats the tongue surprisingly well allowing for the flavours to settle in your mouth. It has a nice tangy finish and again that hint of hazelnut that first appeared itself when you first smell the pod. Letting the drink for a few minutes reveals a taste that is slightly more complex – there is nice bitterness and mild acidic brightness. Club Coffee states that “Imperial Blend” is a full bodied coffee and for a K-Cup/Coffee pod I’d have to agree.
Environmental Friendliness
As a pod, it is more recyclable that it’s plastic K-Cup brethren. The filter and grounds go directly into the composter and all you’re left with is a small plastic ring and a small piece of foil to be recycled. Removing the filter from the ring is not difficult.
Update Jan 14, 2013: ECS Coffee informed me today that the filter portion of the soft coffee filter pods should not go into compost. The grounds can go into the compost, the foil and the plastic ring goes into recycling and the filter should go into the garbage.
Verdict for Club Coffee Imperial Roast
This coffee is smooth with no harsh aftertaste – exactly how Club Coffee describes! It’s a good all purpose coffee to have around the house – grab a cup to go when you’re in a rush, or take some time to drink it while catching up on some reading. Allowing the drink to cool for a few minutes is definitely the key to enjoying this coffee so make sure if you’re taking it in a travel mug to open the lid to lower the heat before drinking. My wife and I enjoyed this blend and we drank all twelve servings that came in the bag in less than a week; unfortunately this means I can’t tell you how well this stores if you are not storing it in an air tight container. For a coffee pod, I am surprised at how well I enjoyed “Imperial Blend” and it’s one of the better tasting cups of coffee I’ve had from my Keurig brewer.
Tasting notes
- The drink was prepared black.
- Reverse Osmosis filtered water was used to brew the coffee.
- Mug size 4 on Keurig Platinum Brewer
- Ceramic Mug was used.
- K-Cup was purchased at ECS Coffee in Kitchener, Ontario
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