Coffee Review: Allegro's Blue Nile Blend

One of the best coffee assets a coffee lover has is Whole Foods. While the grocery chain is pricey, their coffee is in line with most specialty coffee roasters. They carry several specialty roasters, but they also carry Allegro, which is Whole Foods' coffee roaster. I've had Allegro Coffee many times, and have reviewed their coffees previously. Today I am reviewing their Blue Nile Blend.

Blue Nile Blend comes from a few different coffees from Ethiopia. On their website, Allegro is not very descriptive of the coffee:



Intense berry and spice notes.

From Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee, naturally sun-dried beans from many diverse regions are blended to create this complex coffee.

It's a medium roast, which once I brewed and tried in the French Press would say is on the lighter end of the medium spectrum. According to Whole Foods this coffee was roasted a couple days ago. Since Allegro has a roasting facility in the New York City area, I believe this got right out of the roaster, onto the truck, and into the store. It is a fresh coffee.

As I sip the coffee, I do detect the spice notes. There is a brightness to this coffee, which gives it that spicy kick. The berry flavor is more subdued. I would disagree that it's "intense." In fact, the whole coffee has a very mild flavor and taste to it. It's not an overpowering coffee at all. 

On the Bean Scale of Strength, I would say this is 2 beans out of 5. It's not tea like, but it also doesn't shake you awake in the morning. In fact, I might recommend this as an afternoon coffee. Something you could have around 3 in the afternoon, which might perk you up at work, but not keep you up all night. 

I like this coffee, but I felt like I wanted more from it. This is one of those moments I wish I could talk to a roaster, and find out what they thought, and how did they arrive at this blend and roast. 

wwwallegrocoffee.com

Charlie