coffee in the morning. I have in recent years become quite the coffee connoiseur. There is nothing quite like the aroma of a good cup of java. I’m not talking about that Folgers junk either. I’m talking the kind of coffee that costs 15 dollars an ounce. For those of you who think there isn’t much difference I must point out a few things.

Folgers coffee and other common brands taste bitter and come out with a burnt aftertaste. You see this a lot at sunday morning church gatherings before sunday school. To the trained and discerning connoiseur you can smell the burnt taste even before you drink it. This is why sugar and creamer is a must for these coffees. Now the 60 year old man or woman who’s been drinking coffee since before I was born has developed a taste for this stuff. Not me. I’ve become a little more sophisticated in my tastes. :-)

Now a good coffee can be drunk black. Creamer or sugar should be an enhancer not a cover up for a good coffee. If you don’t know what I mean next time your at the mall get a good quality grind from the local Gloria Jeans or whatever equivilant your mall has. First thing to notice is the aroma. It should be slightly earthy and not too sharp. (unless you are going for one of the middle eastern coffees which is more like syrup than anything else.) Then take a taste before you even think of adding cream or sugar. Is it bitter? Does it leave an unpleasant aftertaste? If you answered yes to either of those questions then you have a bad blend of coffee.

Coffee’s come in a lot of different flavors and blends, everything from bold and robust, to mild and smooth. But none of them should ever be bitter and leave that unpleasant aftertaste. So what are you waiting for go out there and find yourself a good gourmet blend of coffee and savor what good coffee can taste like.