Before I cared about the magical alchemy caffeine offered, my friend Ian McGlocklin once demanded we stop for Dunkin’ dirty water. Around 2006-ish, Ian and I were filming a cross-country documentary. When we hit Boston, Ian said, “Dude, there’s a Dunkin Donuts we gotta stop for coffee!” I thought he was crazy, but he swore it was the best. “Whatever,” I quipped, “We’ve got time.” So I pulled over the RV, and the crew went for a cup of donut shop dippin’ sauce.
I don’t remember how that first cup tasted, but I do know my life-changing expectations weren’t met. “I’ll take their carbs over their coffee,” I told Ian. But that was then, and this is now, so maybe it’ll taste better at home?
From the start, these whole beans looked exactly like they should. Perfectly marbled shades of brown, smooth, with no waxy sheen. The scent is pleasant, not overpowering, and maybe a bit soft? Through the grinder, I took a short inhale, then a heaving huff, and finally got that olfactory satisfaction one needs to tackle 6 am.
Now for the taste, and a pattern had confirmed itself. A mellow, faint flavor. I sip again… is flavor even there? Yeah, but it needs to be a bit stronger. I finished the pot with no complaints or compliments.
The following day I blistered another batch, adding two extra scoops of fresh donut drink dust, hoping to intensify the flavor. The result: was not good. What originally was a subtle flavor now had a bitter bite. Lesson learned. I guess this is meant to be a basic bean. Better consumed as a pallet cleanser for delicious Dunkin’ Donuts than a caffeinating rallying cry to charge the day ahead.
Yep, never understood double D coffee. Maybe Guy Fieri could do a show called triple C? Coffees, Cafes, and Confectioneries…you could produce and direct that I bet!