Java Delight French Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Just to fill the gaps, I grabbed some Java Delight French Roast Whole Bean Coffee from a local supermarket the other day. It's a SuperValu Inc. product and there's no blend or roast information at all on their website.

The only information I have about this blend is from the store's coffee display. It's listed as: A rich and smooth dark roast with complex flavors. Well, let's find out of that's true...

From the bag the whole beans have an aroma of nuts and earth with a hint of cocoa. The beans look dry and most dark roasts I've reviewed are covered with an oily caramelization so I'm not really sure what I'll find here. 

Once the beans are ground in my hand grinder, the coffee produces an aroma of toasty ripe fruit. and wet the coffee gives off a toasty, stone fruit aroma. Doing the pour-over itself the wet coffee gives off a fruity, chocolate aroma.

Sipping the hot coffee, it's bright and tart, with a bold dusty charcoal flavor note. As the coffee cools a little, a toast flavor rises to the top, with a hint of sweet tree fruit and a smooth, syrupy mouthfeel develops. The aftertaste leaves a charcoal note on the palate with a hint of salt. 

At first I'd thought the bold charcoal flavor was a roasting defect, but for the most part it went away as the coffee cooled leaving a clean cup.

Rated 87