Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. Review
When perusing Facebook recently, I noticed a sponsored post for "Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co." I clicked on the post, because there isn't much I like better than coffee and dogs! I figured it was probably a single coffee shop somewhere that allowed dogs or such. I was thrilled to discover that it's not a coffee shop like Starbucks, but rather, a company that sources fair trade, organic coffee throughout the world, and then roasts it, and sells the whole beans to consumers, via their website, groundsandhoundscoffee.com.
I know, you're thinking, "That covers the coffee. Where do the hounds come into the picture?" This is why I was so excited to discover Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co!!! They donate 20% of all Grounds & Hounds revenue to no-kill rescue organizations across the country! Why would a business give up 20% of their revenue to help no-kill organizations? On their website they say, "Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. was born out of our passion to give back to the animals who selflessly provide us with so much happiness."
Sounds great, but what would cause someone to believe in that? Adopting a rescue dog, of course! Jordan Karcher, the founder of Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., was on his way to breakfast in Santa Monica one morning in the spring of 2012, and unexpectedly stumbled onto a dog adoption event. When a brown and white, malnourished Dalmatian crawled into his lap that morning, she crawled into his heart. Of course, Jordan did the only thing he could--he adopted her. He says that he was "in no way planning, or prepared to adopt a rescue animal when I left the house that morning." Molly, his new family member had other plans though, and made it clear that she was adopting him as her human!
The shelter system in the United States is broken. Healthy, adoptable animals are killed in shelters at an alarming rate, usually because the shelters just run out of space. Roughly 90% of the animals killed in shelters are adoptable. Knowing that over 2.1 million dogs are euthanized in the United States each year (almost 1.9 million adoptable dogs die each year, because shelters don't have room!), Jordan decided he wanted to do something to help others like Molly find safe havens and homes.
Enter his passion: coffee! When asked, "Why coffee?" on the website, the answer was, "Why coffee? Coffee is the drink of revolutions. Where coffee has come, change has followed. It has led to kings being overthrown, countries revolting against unjust rule and now it is time for coffee to revolutionize the way we treat our furry friends in need."
Two passions: coffee and rescue dogs! Now you see why I absolutely needed to try this coffee!!! Yes, it helped that Jordan is from Pittsburgh, so even though we've never met in person, there is that as well.
I ordered 5 different coffees: 1 blend, and 4 single origin coffees. Where possible, I ordered a 6 oz. sample, since I wanted to sample the coffees and review them. A 6 oz. sample is enough for us to brew a few cups to sample and review. Once we figure out our favorites, I can order a larger quantity.
My selections were:
I placed my order around lunchtime on July 16, and by 4 PM, I'd received an email with my shipment information! My coffee arrived via USPS on July 19, and it was neatly packaged in a Priority Mail box. It smelled amazing! I've been fighting a sinus infection, and am still very stuffed up, but even I could enjoy the amazing coffee smells!
Single Origin Mexican Chiapas
I gave Mac first choice of which to try, and he selected the Single Origin Mexican Chiapas. It's described as having a natural sweetness, vanilla aroma, and velvety texture. The bag's notes indicate vanilla bean, cane sugar, blueberry, and red velvet. I loved the aroma of this--it was a full-bodied, yet light aroma, although it was more of a relaxing aroma than it was a "wake me up" aroma. I can understand why it says about red velvet, as it was smooth, rich, and velvety. It had a sweet hint to it. We tried this on a weekday, although I'm thinking it's more of a laid back, relaxed morning coffee. Without tasting any of the others, I'd say this is probably our new Sunday morning coffee staple, because it's a good lazy day, relax, have breakfast, and read the paper coffee.
Single Origin Ethiopian Sidamo
Our second coffee was the Single Origin Ethiopian Sidamo. The Grounds & Hounds website describes it as, "Bright and shining acidity, with an earthy, yet clean taste throughout. Notes of Orange Blossom, Citrus, and subtle sweetness with a finish that is reminiscent of dark berries." The bag's notes indicate orange blossom, citrus, and black cherry. This was a light roast, but had a nice, full aroma, with a hint of fruit in there. This was a nice summertime coffee--it was refreshing, and had a nice light feel to it. I don't usually drink iced coffee, but for those who do, this might make a good iced coffee. Just suggesting using good coffee for iced coffee makes me shudder, but to each his own!
Single Origin Peru
The Grounds & Hounds website describes this coffee as, "Using a light roast, we are able to showcase the bean’s natural sweetness with notes of toasted vanilla and light caramel. The perfect bean for the first cup of the day." The bag's notes indicate toasted vanilla, caramel, and red apple. I definitely agree with the statement about it being perfect for a first cup of the day. I opened the bag and was greeted with a very full-bodied, vibrant, powerful aroma, almost like the bag was saying, "Wake up!!!" I noticed a deep, rich taste, with a bold punch. Without yet trying the Single Origin Papua New Guinea and the Alpha Blend, I'd say this is probably our weekday coffee of choice.
Single Origin Papua New Guinea
This coffee is described on the website as, "Notes of black currant and brown sugar are immediately noticed, with subtle notes of cedar, honeycomb and red plum on the finish." I'll admit that we've been buying coffee from BJs from Papua New Guinea, but I doubt it's single origin like this! We tried this on Friday, as Mac worked overtime, so we were both up at 4 AM. It was very flavorful, with a rich aroma and flavor. I'm having a difficult time figuring out if we should order the Single Origin Peru or the Single Origin Papua New Guinea! I'll probably lean towards the Single Origin Peru, only because I can order a 12 oz. bag, and with how much coffee we drink, we need the larger bags!
Alpha Blend
I'm very impressed with the Alpha Blend! It's described as, "For the dark roast lovers, this is a big and bold coffee made from Arabica beans grown in Colombia, Guatemala, and Sumatra. Tasting notes of cocoa, vanilla, nutmeg, are immediately noticed, with an intense smokiness throughout." I love dark roasts, and this was delightful! It's a great wake-me-up, between the aroma and the flavor, and I'm definitely looking forward to ordering more of this. I tend to stay away from coffees listed as "blends," because in the case of Kona blends, a coffee needs only to have 10% Kona to be listed as a Kona blend. In this case, I trust that the "blend" is really only a blend of beans from Colombia, Guatemala, and Sumatra. It was rich, you could taste the cocoa and vanilla flavors, and it was smoky and intense.
Conclusion
I think I've found a new coffee supply! I think we're going to need to keep a few different varieties on hand, depending on the season, with the Single Origin Mexican Chiapas for Sundays, the Single Origin Ethiopian Sidamo during the summer, and Alpha Blend for our daily brew. I'll probably occasionally toss in a Single Origin Peru or Single Origin Papua New Guinea for variety, since all of the coffees were very enjoyable!
My recommendation is to try a few of the Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. coffees! It's well worth the cost, between how enjoyable and amazingly delicious the coffees are, to knowing that your money is going to help save shelter dogs! I'm off to order my next batch, as we're running out of coffee, and I need more!!!
Upon discovering Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., I contacted them, and asked if I provided a review of their coffees, they would offer a discount on my purchase. They graciously agreed to provide me with a 10% discount, but all opinions expressed on this blog are 100% mine!
I know, you're thinking, "That covers the coffee. Where do the hounds come into the picture?" This is why I was so excited to discover Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co!!! They donate 20% of all Grounds & Hounds revenue to no-kill rescue organizations across the country! Why would a business give up 20% of their revenue to help no-kill organizations? On their website they say, "Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. was born out of our passion to give back to the animals who selflessly provide us with so much happiness."
Sounds great, but what would cause someone to believe in that? Adopting a rescue dog, of course! Jordan Karcher, the founder of Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., was on his way to breakfast in Santa Monica one morning in the spring of 2012, and unexpectedly stumbled onto a dog adoption event. When a brown and white, malnourished Dalmatian crawled into his lap that morning, she crawled into his heart. Of course, Jordan did the only thing he could--he adopted her. He says that he was "in no way planning, or prepared to adopt a rescue animal when I left the house that morning." Molly, his new family member had other plans though, and made it clear that she was adopting him as her human!
The shelter system in the United States is broken. Healthy, adoptable animals are killed in shelters at an alarming rate, usually because the shelters just run out of space. Roughly 90% of the animals killed in shelters are adoptable. Knowing that over 2.1 million dogs are euthanized in the United States each year (almost 1.9 million adoptable dogs die each year, because shelters don't have room!), Jordan decided he wanted to do something to help others like Molly find safe havens and homes.
Enter his passion: coffee! When asked, "Why coffee?" on the website, the answer was, "Why coffee? Coffee is the drink of revolutions. Where coffee has come, change has followed. It has led to kings being overthrown, countries revolting against unjust rule and now it is time for coffee to revolutionize the way we treat our furry friends in need."
Two passions: coffee and rescue dogs! Now you see why I absolutely needed to try this coffee!!! Yes, it helped that Jordan is from Pittsburgh, so even though we've never met in person, there is that as well.
I ordered 5 different coffees: 1 blend, and 4 single origin coffees. Where possible, I ordered a 6 oz. sample, since I wanted to sample the coffees and review them. A 6 oz. sample is enough for us to brew a few cups to sample and review. Once we figure out our favorites, I can order a larger quantity.
My selections were:
- Single Origin Papua New Guinea
- Single Origin Mexican Chiapas
- Single Origin Ethiopian Sidamo
- Single Origin Peru
- Alpha Blend
I placed my order around lunchtime on July 16, and by 4 PM, I'd received an email with my shipment information! My coffee arrived via USPS on July 19, and it was neatly packaged in a Priority Mail box. It smelled amazing! I've been fighting a sinus infection, and am still very stuffed up, but even I could enjoy the amazing coffee smells!
Single Origin Mexican Chiapas
I gave Mac first choice of which to try, and he selected the Single Origin Mexican Chiapas. It's described as having a natural sweetness, vanilla aroma, and velvety texture. The bag's notes indicate vanilla bean, cane sugar, blueberry, and red velvet. I loved the aroma of this--it was a full-bodied, yet light aroma, although it was more of a relaxing aroma than it was a "wake me up" aroma. I can understand why it says about red velvet, as it was smooth, rich, and velvety. It had a sweet hint to it. We tried this on a weekday, although I'm thinking it's more of a laid back, relaxed morning coffee. Without tasting any of the others, I'd say this is probably our new Sunday morning coffee staple, because it's a good lazy day, relax, have breakfast, and read the paper coffee.
 |
| Single Origin Mexican Chiapas |
Single Origin Ethiopian Sidamo
Our second coffee was the Single Origin Ethiopian Sidamo. The Grounds & Hounds website describes it as, "Bright and shining acidity, with an earthy, yet clean taste throughout. Notes of Orange Blossom, Citrus, and subtle sweetness with a finish that is reminiscent of dark berries." The bag's notes indicate orange blossom, citrus, and black cherry. This was a light roast, but had a nice, full aroma, with a hint of fruit in there. This was a nice summertime coffee--it was refreshing, and had a nice light feel to it. I don't usually drink iced coffee, but for those who do, this might make a good iced coffee. Just suggesting using good coffee for iced coffee makes me shudder, but to each his own!
Single Origin Peru
The Grounds & Hounds website describes this coffee as, "Using a light roast, we are able to showcase the bean’s natural sweetness with notes of toasted vanilla and light caramel. The perfect bean for the first cup of the day." The bag's notes indicate toasted vanilla, caramel, and red apple. I definitely agree with the statement about it being perfect for a first cup of the day. I opened the bag and was greeted with a very full-bodied, vibrant, powerful aroma, almost like the bag was saying, "Wake up!!!" I noticed a deep, rich taste, with a bold punch. Without yet trying the Single Origin Papua New Guinea and the Alpha Blend, I'd say this is probably our weekday coffee of choice.
Single Origin Papua New Guinea
This coffee is described on the website as, "Notes of black currant and brown sugar are immediately noticed, with subtle notes of cedar, honeycomb and red plum on the finish." I'll admit that we've been buying coffee from BJs from Papua New Guinea, but I doubt it's single origin like this! We tried this on Friday, as Mac worked overtime, so we were both up at 4 AM. It was very flavorful, with a rich aroma and flavor. I'm having a difficult time figuring out if we should order the Single Origin Peru or the Single Origin Papua New Guinea! I'll probably lean towards the Single Origin Peru, only because I can order a 12 oz. bag, and with how much coffee we drink, we need the larger bags!
Alpha Blend
I'm very impressed with the Alpha Blend! It's described as, "For the dark roast lovers, this is a big and bold coffee made from Arabica beans grown in Colombia, Guatemala, and Sumatra. Tasting notes of cocoa, vanilla, nutmeg, are immediately noticed, with an intense smokiness throughout." I love dark roasts, and this was delightful! It's a great wake-me-up, between the aroma and the flavor, and I'm definitely looking forward to ordering more of this. I tend to stay away from coffees listed as "blends," because in the case of Kona blends, a coffee needs only to have 10% Kona to be listed as a Kona blend. In this case, I trust that the "blend" is really only a blend of beans from Colombia, Guatemala, and Sumatra. It was rich, you could taste the cocoa and vanilla flavors, and it was smoky and intense.
Conclusion
I think I've found a new coffee supply! I think we're going to need to keep a few different varieties on hand, depending on the season, with the Single Origin Mexican Chiapas for Sundays, the Single Origin Ethiopian Sidamo during the summer, and Alpha Blend for our daily brew. I'll probably occasionally toss in a Single Origin Peru or Single Origin Papua New Guinea for variety, since all of the coffees were very enjoyable!
 |
| Cobaka Supervising My Morning Coffee |
My recommendation is to try a few of the Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. coffees! It's well worth the cost, between how enjoyable and amazingly delicious the coffees are, to knowing that your money is going to help save shelter dogs! I'm off to order my next batch, as we're running out of coffee, and I need more!!!
Upon discovering Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., I contacted them, and asked if I provided a review of their coffees, they would offer a discount on my purchase. They graciously agreed to provide me with a 10% discount, but all opinions expressed on this blog are 100% mine!
Nice reviews! I love G&H Coffee...but I'm a little biased due to their mission. Dogs and coffee...what else is there?
ReplyDeleteI'm a little biased too, I guess, since there isn't much I like better than dogs and coffee! :) I feel good drinking their coffee!
DeleteLove these guys!!
ReplyDelete