My sister was always sneaking coffee when she was a kid. My mom would never let us have it growing up (not sure if it’s true or not, but she always threatened that it would stunt our growth!), which was fine with me since I didn’t like it in the slightest. My sister on the other hand was a little junkie for it, stealing sips or even swigs whenever she could.
Rockin’ Coffee with Vegan, Gluten-Free Hazelnut Cookies
Even as a teenager when coffee was no longer forbidden I still didn’t care much for it. (But I did enjoy chocolate covered coffee beans…they were only sold at one particular coffee house and I stalked it weekly for my fix.) I started drinking coffee during law school out of necessity more than anything else, but eventually I started to like it. After law school I starting enjoying coffee as an occasional treat instead of fuel, and developed a real appreciation for its flavor.
At this point, there are few things in life that I enjoy more than a good cup of coffee and I love finding new brands that make a fantastic brew, which is why I was excited to recently have the chance to try Rockin’ Coffee’s coffee.
I heart the Rockin’ Coffee logo!
After checking out their website, I was impressed to see how deep their passion is for what they do. According to their site, “Roastmeister Peter Friedland…shared how his passion for fresh roasted, organic, free trade Arabica coffee was having a global impact – improving the lives of farmers half the world away, protecting the rainforests and creating jobs locally while serving up an unforgettable, mouth-watering treat for the senses, totally free of additives and pesticides.
Rockin’ Coffee’s custom-roasted artisanal blends combine the highest quality fair trade Arabica coffee beans cultivated using organic, environmentally sustainable methods. Rockin’ Coffee chose the high-altitude, shade-loving Arabica beans, because they mature more slowly allowing them to develop a more intense and sensuous flavor, far surpassing that of its sun-loving coffee cousins grown at lower altitudes where rainforests have been decimated to make way for coffee crops. We use beans from the best coffee producing regions in the world – including Ethiopia, Indonesian Sumatra, and Guatemala, where certified organic farmers carefully monitor the crop, picking the glowing red coffee cherries at the zenith of ripeness, minimizing insect damage and enabling customers to enjoy pesticide free java.”
I received a sampling selection of Rockin’ Coffee’s coffee beans, and I decided to start with the Ethiopian, which is a medium roast. I brewed the coffee up French press-style (which is my favorite way to brew, other than Turkish). I have to say, I loved it! It started off with a full-bodied mouthfeel and deep earthy flavor, and then it slid into rich chocolate-y notes and finished crisp and citrusy. I actually enjoyed it most without a drop of milk or sugar so I could really enjoy the flavor nuances.
The generous people at Rockin’ Coffee want to give someone else the chance to try this newly launched, whole bean, organic deliciousness, so they are providing one lucky winner with a full size (12 oz) bag of their choice!
To enter this giveaway, head over to Rockin’ Coffee to find out more about their custom blends, then pop back here and comment on which blend you’d like to try. After you do that, if you want a second entry, you can leave me another comment telling me what your favorite kind of coffee is (it could be anything at all…iced coffee, Turkish style, espresso, French press, latte, etc.).
This giveaway ends Monday, November 14th at 9PM EST; after that the winner will be randomly selected and notified by email. Good luck to all!
For those of you who can’t wait to win to try Rockin’ Coffee (or who want to give it as a gift this holiday season!), An Edible Mosaic has an exclusive discount offering for you! Enter MOSAIC15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order, now through November 20, 2011.
Disclaimer: I received a sampling of coffee for free from Rockin’ Coffee, and they are also providing one full size (12 oz) bag for the winner. As always, opinions stated are my own.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
I’ve always enjoyed coffee. Rockin’ Coffee sounds great.
Cheers,
Rosa
I’ve never been able to drink coffee, esp. when I was little!
Good heavens, I’m way back on that pumpkin pie soda! How delicious! I needed to do some catch-up with you today.
Lovely coffee giveaway, Faith!
Greetings I think Sumatra Permata sounds oh so fine!
LOL, Faith, so funny, if drinking coffee stunted growth, I can’t imagine, because I used to sneak, too, and I am 6 ft tall! My mom told me the same thing. Great pictures.
I used to LOVE the smell and HATE the taste…now I’m an addict ;) This coffee sounds awesome. I’d totally be up for the Ethiopia Medium Dark roast!
I used to LOVE the smell and HATE the taste…now I\’m an addict ;) This coffee sounds awesome. I\’d totally be up for the Ethiopia Medium Dark roast!
I’d definitely try the Sumatra…I like medium blend and that sounds good!
The Sumatra Permata sounds tasty!
Serious coffee addict here, and the blends sound wonderful! I’d like to try the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Medium most of all, but I’d really be happy with any. :)
The Guatemalan Huehuetenango looks great!
You make it sound so good but I so don’t like the taste or smell of coffee.
And when I want to treat myself, I love Americanos!
I’m thinking the SUMATRA MANDHELING DECAF DARK would be a tasty brew! And I love their logo, too! Can’t wait to read that cookie recipe….:)
LOL!! Coffee stunted growth????
I love decaf – Sumatra Decaf is what I would go for :)
That is so funny because my parents never let me have any coffee growing up either! I was loving the coffee smell and my mom promised me a spoonful every birthday. Sad, huh? But now of course I am a loyal coffee drinker =)
I would love to try the Guatemala roast – dark chocolate and woody – that’s my favorite kind!
My husband, being from Seattle, completely converted me to being a true coffee-lover (read: coffee-snob)! We have several cups of black coffee a day, so high quality is important to us. We like dark blends better so the Sumatra, Guatemalan or Ethiopian darks all look wonderful to me!
Ethopia Med-dark please. Looks wonderful. I had no idea coffee was that involved!
I am in love with latte at the moment but I do love expresso.
Growing up in Brasil, coffee was everywhere, and I do not recall when I started to really enjoy coffee. I love my morning expresso dark and really strong.
Hope you have a nice week Faith :-)
Funny, my mom told us the same thing about coffee stunting your growth.
I’d love any of the dark roasts.
Mimi
I just tried this coffee over the weekend and loved it! I’ll be posting about it soon- great reivew!
Great giveaway. I love that it’s Fair Trade – that’s what we always try to buy, so finding some good coffee company is awesome. I’d like to try Sumatra Permata Gayo Medium. Thanks for the chance!
I would like to try the Guatemalan!
Love such a devoted company. I like my coffee very strong so the Sumatra Permata Gayo Dark would be perfect for me.
I have been drinking coffee for year but just recently it has become an everyday thing.
I would love to try the Sumatra Permata Gayo Medium….sounds great!
It can be hard indeed to savor a perfect cup of coffee. I prefer nest an espresso alongé to get a fuller aroma without bitterness from ‘cooked’ coffee
I’d like to try Ethiopia Yirgachaffe Medium – Dark
My favorite coffee- green tea soy latte
See I think my mother couldn’t WAIT until I started to drink coffee so that she’d have a partner in crime. Now I’ve been an addict for over ten years and loving it! I would love to try that Sumatra…sounds delicious!
Would love to try the Ethiopia yirgachaffe medium-dark!
Yum! Drinking coffee inside on a cold, windy morning is glorious. I’d like to try the Ethiopian Yiragachaffe, it sounds tasty!
When I go out, I always stick with the latte. I love mocha’s too but can’t usually justify the additional calories. Any flavoring in my latte is great too!
I love a good latte. For me that means nice and milky with just enough sweetness to cut out the bitter coffee.
What a nice giveaway; and just in time for holiday entertaining!
What stunning photos, Faith! I love companies who are so clearly passionate about what they do and what they sell…can’t help but want to support them!
The Ethopian variety sounds WONDERFUL!
i’d go for the guatemala huehuetenango DARK, mostly because that’s probably the best word i’ve seen for months. also, the darker, the better, i say. :)
Sumatra Permatra sounds wonderful.
I’m going with Sumatra Mandheling Decaf. We started mixing half decaf, half full strength a while ago. Good kick start, not as jumpy.
Coffee has been credited with fueling the tech boom of the ’90s as well as helping the Union win the Civil War.
http://highplainsdrifters.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/confederate-coffee/
The Timor sounds DELICIOUS. My coffee time in the mornings are my favorite time of the day!
Great giveaway! I’d love to try the Sumatra!
My favorite kind of coffee is a latte…delicious!
They had me at “hint of clove.” Ethopian Yiragachaffe, please!
I typically like a dark roast or espresso, but for a special treat I’ll order a cafe au lait.
I would love to try the Guatemala Huehuetenango Dark. I like my coffee dark and a slight woodiness sounds like it would be interesting.
My favorite way to have coffee is definitely french press. Black. I drink coffee to put hair on my chest. One day….
Oh yum, the Sumatra Permatra sounds soooo good!!
I just love a good cup of coffee with real cream! Just makes my day!!
sumatra permatra sounds wonderful. I love coffee.
What a wonderful Giveaway for a coffee-addict like me! I would really like to try. I’d love to try the Ethiopian Yirgachaffe. It sounds like my kind of coffee!
I love my morning coffee best of all. It has to be filter coffee, served black, and without sugar. It’s a perfect start to my busy day!
I grew up in a coffee-drinking home but I probably didn’t start enjoying it myself until early in college. Now, I can’t imagine a day that didn’t start with coffee.
The Sumatra Permata Dark sounds delicious.
I only drink coffee in the morning and I want it to taste rich and delicious. Right now, my favorite coffee is Caribou’s ‘Caribou Blend’ that I drink with just a little fat free half & half.
I’d love to try the Ethiopian Yirgachaffe! earthy chocolatey fruity notes—yes!
I’d also like to try the Ethiopian Yirgachaffe. It sounds delicious!
The Sumatra Permata Gayo sounds delicious. I’m not a huge coffee drinker and I have been looking for a coffee that I will love :)
My favorite kind of coffee is a cappuccino. When I worked at a gelato store, we were taught how to make espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes and I loved making cappuccinos! :)
I’d love to try the Timor!
I love a latte in the morning but a great espresso after dinner is wonderful
I would like to try the Sumatra Mandheling Decaf Dark. I love coffee, but cut out caffeine years ago and sometimes finding a really good decaf can be tough.
My favoorite coffee drink is a decaf caramel breve at Caribou Coffee. So delicious!
I’m not a coffee drinker but my husband loves the stuff. I think he’d particularly like to try the Maubesse East Timor Dark-Medium blend.
Again, not a coffee drinker at all, but my husband loves iced coffee in the summer, but just ordinary coffee from the coffee pot with a splash of cream and two lumps of sugar. Pretty standard, but that’s his favorite!
Sumatra Permata looks great. Dark roasts really show off a quality coffee.
LOL I think all parents used that line on their kids to prevent them from trying the merest sip of joe when they were youngsters. I have to say it took till I was in college for me to really like coffee. I drank it then to stay awake to study. I drink it now because I love its taste.
The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe sounds great to me! I love that it has a lower acidity as well since I tend to be sensitive to more acidic varieties.
I love a good latte in the morning!
The Ethiopia Yirgachaffe Dark sounds especially delicious!
My favorite coffee drink is a cortado–espresso with a little bit of milk. I had it in Spain all the time and I’ve found some places in New York that do it well, too!
I’d like to try the Ethiopia Yirgachaffe Medium – Dark roast.
My favorite kind of coffee is what my grandma served me for thirty years …regular plain Community Coffee (in South Louisiana) with lots of sugar and sweetened condensed milk, percolated. :)
Sumatra the chocolate and citrus note sound tasty