It’s the most liminal time of the year. The days between Christmas and New Year’s Day seem to be between times. We really don’t know quite what to do with these particular days. One constant in my life during these times is the need for coffee. What was left under the tree for me this year was a treasure trove of beany goodness. Exactly how those beans arrived is a circuitous tale (and is the subject of this post). My car was a bit…persnickety…so I was doubly grateful that the coffee came to me this time. Without further ado, here are four new varieties for your vicarious perusal:

Bewley’s Rich Cafe Blend

Bewley’s is a venerable tea and coffee company. It’s just not known well here in America. I believe I reviewed one of their blends last year. A small Celtic specialty shop near where I live carries products made throughout the British Isles. The one I received this year (shown below perched upon my mom’s stainless steel countertop) was their Rich Cafe Blend. Bewley’s is a fantastic standby. It’s a good coffee when you want something solid, as it lived up to the designation ‘rich.’ I feel like there was a Latin American component here; whatever the case, it was savory without being too dense. Bewley’s is a major company, so I expect that theirs is the Irish equivalent of big-name coffees here. If so, British offices are lucky to have this solid offering as a go-to.

Dark Canyon Coffee Company: Highlander Grogg

On the other hand, there is a rich roast out there that is incredibly dense: That would be Highlander Grogg from Dark Canyon Coffee Company in Rapid City, South Dakota. A family friend sent this after moving from Wyoming to work in Rapid City. I’ve never been there, so I had no idea what to expect regarding coffee culture. I must admit, I’d stereotyped the situation. South Dakota isn’t the place you think of when you imagine hipsters, hippies, and the boutique coffee that tends to arrive with them. Oh, how wrong I was. Dark Canyon is apparently another sizable outfit, but you wouldn’t know it from their very Western brick-and-mortar store. If that’s indicative of life in Grand Rapids these days, I might just have to make a visit.

Highlander Grogg epitomized the idea of the “dark roast.” It’s thick, rich, almost syrupy. The friend who sent it says it’s the regular coffee at her office. Believe me when I say it would be the coffee equivalent of having daily ice cream. Fantastic in theory, but in practice, it’s a bit too rich for my blood. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no problem with the coffee. In fact, I’d call it an ideal dessert coffee. Yes, I’ve coined a phrase there. This brew is what I’d term ‘situational.’ Have it as a treat, not a standard.

Cafe De La Seine En Grain

The French penchant for the delicate was on full display with this offering. Another stereotype, I know, but French cuisine typically displays gentle touches and deft flavor applications. Such was the case here. In truth, it was impossible to remove that quality. When a roast is very airy and light, I usually attempt to give it more backbone by putting extra grounds in the machine. That tactic didn’t work here. The roast remained ethereal. I couldn’t discern the provenance of the beans, but there wasn’t a hint of citrus, so Africa isn’t likely. I love a good mystery.

As an aside, I often talk about how impressive it is that the Amish coffee scene emerged from several years of national hardship. This French coffee operation began in 1945. I can only imagine the flood of emotions going through these newly liberated people. Did the process of creating the coffee and building the business help to put the trauma of war in the past? One can hardly imagine France without thinking of sidewalk cafes. Cafes in which people are free to think. Again, coffee proves itself to be far more than a beverage.

Great Lakes Coffee Roasters: Taste Of Italy, Almond Biscotti

Truth in advertising. Drinking this coffee was like downing a liquid biscotti. That’s not a criticism nor a compliment, just an honest impression. The taste of Italy that we got here was actually pretty smooth. Great Lakes Coffee Roasters, as it turns out, is relatively close by (in New York), near Lake Erie. New York has a large Italian population, so it makes sense that they’d do an Italian coffee. They say they specialize in roasting small batches, so it’s not surprising that I didn’t actually know them despite their being a known quantity. Here’s another good dessert option, by the way. Almond Biscotti is not a flavor I’d pick for daily drinking, but plenty of options exist. The coffee is very flavor-forward, but that only means you have to find something to pair the flavor profile with. I would suggest chocolate.

A bit of good news to conclude with: My road-trip-mobile isn’t as damaged as I thought it was. I feared the worst because my tire light came on a few weeks ago. State Inspection Day loomed like Ragnarok. Fortunately, the repairs only cost about $160, meaning I’m good to go for more road trips. Oh, and another bit of good cheer: I just got accepted into the graduate program at Penn State. I’ll be studying History. At least I don’t have to travel far for school…Penn State Middletown is right down the road and is the institutional hub of historical studies. Don’t worry; I’ll find plenty of time to sneak off for more coffee adventures. Until then, stay caffeinated, and have a happy holiday!.