Woody Cavenaugh

I occasionally do coffee reviews, especially when the coffee is exotic in some way or has a good story behind it. Today's coffee is both exotic and has a good story.

This coffee was smuggled to me from Hawaii. I will change the names to something improbable to protect the guilty. Here's how I think it went. Some of the details of the Underground Kaffegeschäft are secret even to me. But I thank everyone who had a part in it or even those I think might have had a part in it. You are all very good to me.
Jon brought the bag to Jay who gave it to Chuck, who gave it to Chip, who gave it to Mark, who gave it to Rob, who gave it to me. A coffee that traveled so far through such mysterious means must be delt with special, so I drank all of the other bits pieces and parcels of coffee in the house. Then and only then could I focus my attention on this very special bag of coffee.

The story sadly was better than the coffee.
Lion Caramel Christmas Creme
Coffee comes in typically two instruction types. One tablespoon per cup, or two tablespoons per cup. This bag of coffee came in a third "Mystery" instruction type. There was no indication at all anywhere on the bag what the ratio of water to beans was. So like any one who ever had a science class I started with a 1:1 ratio with the plan of going up or down from there in a regular measured way. My first pot was extremely weak and had an artificial flavor aftertaste. My second pot 1:1.5 tasted more like a strong artifical flavor aftertaste with a hint of coffee. 1:2 made the house smell bad. I drank it, but I felt like I took years off of my life doing it. On the plus side the coffee color and flavor was right. On the minus the artifical flavor chemical funk made the coffee nearly undrinkable. Real half and half did nothing to change this. Lion Coffee I like. Lion brand flavored coffees should be generally avoided. Its a shame too, the bags are cool. This bag features a Lion dressed as Santa driving a classic "Woody" (complete with surfboards) filled with presents on the beach. Next to the car are two cubs in traditional native clothing.