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This review will be about the Costa Rican coffee from Out of the Grey Coffee. Out of the Grey Coffee is a small business located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Although the business is small in size, it is big in coffee as you are about to read.
Out of the Grey: Background information.
Out Of The Grey Coffee is a custom small batch organic coffee roaster from Erie (and Fairview), Pennsylvania. At first Jack ‘Java’ Barton and his family were on a path to become missionaries, but a horrific car accident altered this family’s path. Jack and his family decided to take care of his injured mother and open up a small coffee shop to pay their bills. A lot has happened since and nowadays Jack Barton and his family run a famous roasting company and two coffee shops.
Out of the Grey Coffee believes that coffee in all its forms should be an approachable and accessible luxury.
Their goal is to make their coffee a memorable addition to any experience and try to do so with fair trade coffee from plantations that believe in sustainability as well.
Out of the Grey: Costa Rican – Background information.
The Costa Rican from Out of the Grey is a honey washed coffee from the Lomas al Rio mill in Costa Rica. The mill is located in the Central Valley Region and is famous for their Honey Washed coffee. Unlike others, Lomas al Rio uses rubber de-pulping machines instead of metal machines. Lomas al Rio also works with 100% organic coffee which is still rare in Costa Rica.
Out of the Grey: Costa Rican – Opening the package.
When Fed-Ex knocked on my door, I literally ran to the door. There it is: the Out of the Grey Coffee ‘Costa Rican’. The bag comes with a de-gassing valve and a zip-lock, I can already smell the coffee. I quickly open up the little bag and take a look inside. The coffee is roasted pretty dark, something I didn’t expect somehow. Before I can properly think about it, the scent of the coffee hits my nostrils. It feels like walking into a candy shop; as if someone is smashing milk chocolate aroma into my nose with a hammer. On top of the chocolate there is a soft floral note as well. I can honestly say that I have never smelled a coffee like this before. I take a bean and eat it; dark chocolate, breadcrumbs, a bit bitter and really crunchy. I really want to know what this coffee is going to taste like. Time to grind and brew!
Out of the Grey: Costa Rican – The Tasting.
I started with a 16 grams dose of coffee for my first espresso and the flavors did not disappoint me at all. A very well balanced coffee with notes of milk chocolate and sweetness. But the more coffee I added, the better it started to taste. Eventually I decided to do the tasting with 18.5 grams of coffee. This resulted in a very well balanced coffee with a rich crema and beautiful aftertaste.
Out of the Grey: Costa Rican – The Tasting 2
The coffee started brewing and a thick brown syrup dribbled into my cup. As I stopped brewing the beautiful thick crema on top of my coffee really set out. The smell reminded me of a caramel-like sweetness, toasted breadcrumbs and a hint of flowery freshness. When I took a sip and swirled the coffee through my mouth the first thing that I noticed was that the crema fully blends into the espresso. This results in a mouthfeel that is just dreamy: smooth, creamy and thick. Delicious. The flavors that come forth are also incredible. A candy sweetness mingles with caramel and milk chocolate. Eventually there is a small bitterness that transforms the milk chocolate into a dark chocolate flavor. The aftertaste is dark chocolate with a hint of toasted breadcrumbs. The flowery aspects that I could detect while smelling the coffee are nowhere to be found. I do not find this a disturbing thing at all. The acidity of this coffee is also very nice; a bright acidity that stimulates your tongue even after you swallow the coffee. The full body of the coffee complements the chocolate taste that lingers well after you swallow the coffee.
I used this coffee for a Cappuccino and Flat White. This coffee lends itself very well for a milk based drinks. The chocolate flavors still come forth strong and, combined with the caramel-like sweetness, takes over the aftertaste. Way to go Out of the Grey Coffee!
Out of the Grey: Costa Rican – The Verdict
Out of the Grey Coffee really surprised me with this coffee. Not only did they surprise me with a dark roasted bean, but the flavors that Jack ‘Java’ Barton managed to create are just amazing. Milk chocolate, caramel sweetness, hints of floral notes on the nose, and then the flavors. The milk chocolate that transforms into dark chocolate is fantastic and the way this coffee go’s with Cappuccino and other milk based drinks is superbly done!
I would recommend this coffee any time, any place and anywhere. Definitely a top 10 contender for my personal top 10 reviews.
Out of the Grey Coffee normally doesn’t ship internationally but are willing to change that and ship anywhere.
Interested in this coffee, or other coffees from Out of the Grey? Click on the banner to go directly to their page.
PS: Out of the Grey has a advertisement on my website but are in no way involved in this review. I did not get paid for this review, nor did Out of the Grey revised this article in any way. Just as with any other review my opinion is in no way influenced by the roaster or webshop.