The Cup That Will Transport You - Part I

When it was announced that Joffrey’s would be releasing many of their Walt Disney World coffee blends in a take home version, I got extremely excited. Not necessarily because of my love of coffee, I actually don’t drink coffee, but because I knew I could bring in a coffee connoisseur to give you guys the lowdown on these cups for your own home!

We’ll be doing these reviews in a couple of batches over the next several months, and we’ll be sticking to the Walt Disney World varieties. We’ll keep a running tally of our favorites and our least favorites in each update. Each review will consist of three varieties and include Joffrey’s description of the coffee and then the tasting notes from Aileen Sheehan-Wilson. It is also worth noting that we started with whole beans and ground them ourselves. To start us off we have three full roasts, one of which is an espresso. Take it away, Aileen!

The Wave (Full) - We love The Wave. It shares our ethos of making the world a better place by focusing on sustainable ingredients that are responsibly grown. After all, coffee is an agricultural product. How it’s raised is just as important as how it’s roasted and brewed. That’s why we cherish this brew. We source its 100% Specialty Grade Arabica Beans from one of our favorite farms in Sumatra. It’s bold and robust with pleasing herbal notes, hints of cedar and dried fruits on the finish. Try it as a kickstart with The Wave’s signature sweet potato pancakes, or down it with the deeply delicious Mississippi mud pie.

What Aileen Tastes:

I was so excited for this coffee. I absolutely love The Wave and its focus on sustainable and responsibly grown ingredients and hoped that the coffee would make me as happy as all of the other food they offer. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite of the selections. The coffee itself had a nice flavor and I did pick up the hints of cedar and dried fruit but lacked the boldness I expected from a full flavor roast. In all honesty, this particular blend reminded me quite a bit of Dunkin Donuts house blend, which means it was not bad in any way shape or form but not a coffee that blew me away. Unfortunately, I won’t be purchasing this particular roast again.

Artist Point (Full) - This is the cup that will transport you to the cozy dining rooms of the National Park lodges that inspired the restaurant. It's bold and velvety, with smoky nuances. You can almost hear the crackling of a fireplace with each sip. We blend it with 100% Specialty Grade Arabica Beans from Indonesia and Africa. A hint of caramel in the finish pairs perfectly with the seasonal berries and house-made black raspberry ice cream that top the chef's Artist Point Cobbler. It's a brilliant brushstroke after a feast of fresh Pacific Northwest fare.

What Aileen Tastes:

This coffee was much more to my tastes. The boldness was much more apparent and I definitely detected a rich and smoky flavor. To me, this is more of what I was expecting from a full flavor roast.  It was definitely reminiscent of what you might expect of the Pacific Northwest. This was a coffee I could drink each morning without feeling overwhelmed by caffeine or bitterness. It ranked second of the three.

Flying Fish Espresso (Full) - It's not easy to match the liveliness at this Boardwalk eatery, but our robust full city roast is a worthy challenger. It's a blend of 100% Specialty Grade Arabica Beans from Central America, South America and Africa. We chose this blend for its intense aroma, bittersweet flavor and pleasant aftertaste. Whispers of fruit and chocolate add extra luxury to the indulgent chocolate trio on the Flying Fish desert menu. And a thick, rich crema tops it off just the way we like it.

What Aileen Tastes:

The Flying Fish Espresso was my favorite of the three coffees. This may be because of the fact that I lean towards bold/dark roasted coffee, so please keep that in mind. The espresso had hints of bittersweet chocolate and a bold flavor that definitely made me want another cup. It would definitely go quite well with dessert at the end of the meal but I would prefer to drink it as my everyday coffee. This was the clear winner for me and one I will likely order again…after I have tried all of the other blends. Also, please note that you can make espresso roasts in your regular coffee maker; you don’t have to have an espresso machine.

Cup of Disney Rankings:

1 – Flying Fish

2 – Artist Point

3 – The Wave