Let me get this out of the way: I am not a coffee connoisseur. I just drink coffee to wake up in the morning. Cream, no sugar. However, I can tell a good flavor from a bad flavor. And let me tell you, my experience with Noble Roasting Company's coffee is good.
I had a certificate for some coffee from NRC (which, to my knowledge, is not related to BRC. That's in Nevada.) I called the number on the certificate to find out where they were, as I'd never seen the store front in Talent. When there was no answer, I figured they were jammed with customers, so I mapquested the address and drove there. Boy, was my face red when I realized that I was driving up to a neighborhood driveway with two darling little boys playing, dad in the garage working on orders, and grandma (I presumed) watching over all.
Jared, the proprietor, was very gracious and made me feel quite welcome. He gave me a lovely tour of coffee aromas, which, when you smell them coming straight from the bean barrel, are amazingly complex, each with unique qualities. He explained that he roasts in the middle of the week for weekend deliveries and would be happy to deliver my order (free) the following Friday.
It was difficult to choose among the many flavors of coffee beans, but I finally settled on two: Sumatran 'Mandheling' and Daydream. My first brew, upon delivery that Friday, was the Sumatran. Then panic struck: I was out of cream. I had a little soy milk left, so I thought, well, if it's good, I'll live. As I've noted, I'm not a connoisseur, but I know a good cuppa when I taste one. I tried it before the soy to really get a grip on the flavor. WOW! Not a single trace of bitterness or anything I would describe as unpleasant. Just a smooth, mild flavor that was great even without my cream. I had two cups.
The next morning, armed with my safety net of half and half, I brewed up the Daydream, a three bean blended dark roast. The flavor, predictably, was heavier, richer and "darker". I savored the rich brew.
I'm definitely sold on Noble's coffee. Add in that they distribute only Fair Trade Certified coffee and you'll agree that we're fortunate here in the Rogue Valley to have such easy access to great coffee. And while I'll never be a connoisseur of coffee, I'll always know a good cup when I taste one.
