Nerd Fuel: Black Rifle Coffee – Loyalty Roast

I typically reserve my December coffee reviews for some type of seasonal release. But this year, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t find a new winter-themed coffee that seemed appealing to me. But my local grocery store has started carrying a number of brews from Black Rifle Coffee Company. So, I decided to pick up a box and give it a try instead.

In case you’re not familiar with their story, Black Rifle Coffee is a company owned by two US veterans. The company started out very small, with the owners roasting their own beans and experimenting with different blends out of their garage. But as their brand caught on, they have quickly risen to be one of the more popular “craft coffee roasters” on the market.

As you might have guessed, most of Black Rifle’s products have a military theme. For this review, I decided to try something called the Loyalty Roast. The box advertises this as a smooth light roast with floral and citrus notes. Now typically, I prefer a medium roast coffee. But every now and then I do get the hankering for a lighter roast in my cup. As expected from a light roast coffee, the aroma wasn’t that strong during the brew process. But what came through was very clean and earthy.  Again, the aroma isn’t overpowering but it is there and it is pleasant.

The coffee itself is very smooth. It has an almost silky quality to it. To me, the flavor is reminiscent of a good quality blonde roast with a subtle chocolate aftertaste. It’s very balanced and drinkable. It’s quite unlike any other light roast I’ve ever tasted. The quality of the beans is immediately apparent, which surprised me. I’ve heard good things about this brand, but I always figured it was a lot of hype. I have to say, I was wrong. This coffee impressed me.

I enjoyed this brew so much, that I plan on making it a routine purchase. On top of that, it’s made me curious about Black Rifle’s other varieties as well. So expect some other reviews from this company in the future.

Score: 4 out of 4

Would buy again?: Yes. I was very impressed with this purchase. I usually gravitate towards medium roasted coffees, but this one has me rethinking that habit. The quality is apparent and the flavor is complex and smooth. All around good brew.