As much as I love coffee, I’m not a coffee-every-morning-person.  For me, coffee is just as much about the process as it is about actually drinking it…smelling it, brewing it, taking the time to savor it with good friends.  When I make coffee, probably 90% of the time I’m a French-press girl (I also love a good pot of coffee brewed Turkish-style as well as a nice espresso, especially as an end cap to a great Italian meal).  But to me, French-press makes the best coffee.

The Beauty of French-Press:  See that gorgeous foam on top of the coffee?  That’s from the French-press brewing method.  I didn’t add a drop of cream, milk, or anything else.

For a long time I’ve wanted to share my French-press method of coffee brewing with you, since it’s basically an effortless way to end up with a perfect cup of joe.  French-pressing gives you complete control over the brewing process and it keeps the coffee’s essential oils that are often lost when coffee is brewed drip-style; because of this, flavor complexities are highlighted and you get to experience subtle flavor nuances similar to cold-brewed coffee.  I won’t be sharing my French press method today, but hopefully in the near future I’ll have the chance to.

What I am sharing with you today is some pretty fabulous coffee I recently sampled from Sea Island Coffee.  I tried two flavors, the Geisha, Coasta Rica coffee and the Jamaica Blue Mountain Clifton Mount Estate coffee.  The rich, aromatic smell of the Geisha drew me in first so that’s the first coffee I tried.  From the website, “Geisha, one of the Ethiopian wild coffee varieties, is an ancient and very rare coffee variety.  It has a soft, delicate profile with quietly complex aromatics that reward patient attention with notes of lavender, cocoa, and hints of molasses.”  This coffee was highly aromatic, almost intoxicatingly so (in a good way :) ).  Its flavor was in fact quite complex with deep notes of cocoa.

This photo is my play on the name “Sea Island Coffee”.  It’s alluring in its simplicity, and to me, the slate that the glass jar is on evokes an island feel.

My favorite was the second coffee I sampled, the Jamaica Blue Mountain.  From their website, “Many connoisseurs agree that Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is one of the world’s best.  An exquisite balance of aroma, body, and acidity is the medley which makes Blue Mountain Coffee very special.  However, it is the mellow sweet aftertaste that separates this unique brand from all others.”  This coffee was beautiful…smooth and rich, with notes of chocolate and floral undertones, and a creamy aftertaste.  I usually add a splash of milk to my coffee but this coffee didn’t need a drop of anything.  I could see myself mind making this my go-to coffee.

If you’d like to sample the delicious Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee for yourself, you’re in luck!  Thanks to Sea Island Coffee, I’m giving away one gift tin of this coffee.

The giveaway winner will get a gift tin of the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee.  (Image Source)

To participate in this giveaway, you can do any of the following (please leave a separate comment for each, so I can count them as separate entries):

1. Leave a comment telling me your absolute favorite drink.
2. Leave a comment telling me if you drink coffee any time of day.
3. “Like” me on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know.  (Or just let me know if you already like me on Facebook.)
4. Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment here letting me know.  (Or just let me know if you’re already a follower on Twitter.)
5. Follow me on Pinterest and leave a comment here letting me know.  (Or just let me know if you already follow me on Pinterest.)

This giveaway ends Sunday, May 27th at 9PM EST; after that the winner will be randomly selected and notified by email.  Good luck to all!

Disclaimer:  I received this coffee for free from Sea Island Coffee, and they are also providing the prize pack for this giveaway.  As always, opinions stated are my own.