Hot Damn Coffee Roasters - Sample Pack Review
Hot Damn Coffee is a single-origin roasting company that operates out of the hills around Chattanooga, Tennessee.
We ordered the Hot Damn Sample Pack which was a great deal! We got three bags of freshly roasted coffee and got to choose the roast we desired (light, medium, or dark) all for only $20. Each bag came with 6 oz of beans. This equated to approximately 3 to 4 French press brews at 50g each, giving us ample time to decide which beans we preferred. For our selections, I picked whole bean and medium roast with the intent of getting a well balanced understanding of their beans and roasting flavors.
Hot Damn Coffee sent their Ethiopian and Tanzanian Peaberry, which are their core beans, and the third bag included the rotating origin at the time – Costa Rican. Currently, they have a Nicaraguan roast, but I heard it will be running out soon!
Let’s talk about our impressions of their core bean origins: Ethiopian and Tanzanian Peaberry!
Ethiopian Coffee
We tried the Ethiopian coffee first. As I mentioned, it came as a medium roast so that we could try and taste a balance of both light and dark roast flavors. Hot Damn Coffee describes this roast as having “intensity of spice and herb flavors” which we found to only be partly true.
Because the coffee is roasted fresh to order, the bloom was very active. This helped to release an earthier and more smoky aroma (which I liken to a darker roast). This aroma was seen less in the flavor once brewed. It lent itself to a lighter smoky and earthy flavor, and was matched with a bright lemon acidity and the subtle taste of coriander at the back. This brew tastes dry, but not chocolatey. The lemon and cilantro combination offer an acidity that is palate cleansing before the next sip.
Overall, the Ethiopian is a well-balanced cup of coffee that is enjoyable for both hot and cold seasons because of its smoky-earthy flavors and the lemon finish.
Tanzanian Peaberry
The Tanzanian Peaberry is the second of Hot Damn’s staple beans. This also came as a freshly roasted medium roast. Hot Damn Coffee describes it as having a “floral jasmine aroma, hints of black currant, [with a] chocolate finish.”
The aroma after the bloom was definitely fruity, floral and sweet. Mr. Brew immediately caught on to the jasmine, while I stuck more with the “fruity and floral” descriptors. When brewed, I tasted the delicious earthiness of blackberries with a tiny bit of tangy-tartness at the end. (Currants are often described as tasting like raspberries, passionfruit, and blackberries, but more earthy.) I was definitely able to pick up on the chocolatey smooth finish. As a medium roast, this was a well balanced coffee with sweet berry flavors and earthy undertones.
This is a great cup of coffee to enjoy if you love the tang and earthy flavors of berries and a dry chocolate finish.
Costa Rican
The Costa Rican was a rotating origin at the time we ordered. It is a good balance of the earthy dark flavors with some fruity, tropical notes that pleasantly coat the mouth. I would definitely look for this one again!
If you are looking to try some freshly roasted single-origin coffee from a company filled with kind people who strive to provide high quality roasting, check out Hot Damn Coffee. I was very pleased with the three bags of coffee we tried and I know we will order from them again in the future. Give Hot Damn Coffee a try if you are looking to shake up your morning routine, and let us know what you think!
Cheers,
Mrs. Brew