This week I am try­ing out Mocha Java Cof­fee from one of the old­est cof­fee com­pa­nies of the USA (the First Colony Cof­fee and Tea Co. out of Nor­folk, VA)  Per­haps the bag of cof­fee I opened today was one of the first they bagged back in the 1920’s, that may explain my experience. 

When rat­ing cof­fee, one must start at the begin­ning. No, not in the fields where the cof­fee is grown, but at the cof­fee maker, before the cof­fee even makes it to a pair of lips.  I am talk­ing about the AROMA.  I have often said that “Cof­fee smells bet­ter than it tastes.”   This cof­fee how­ever, the Mocha Java, did not give off any hint of Mocha, or Java for that mat­ter.  It’s name implies that it will have some sem­blance of choco­late. Yet, there was none.  On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = bad, 5 = best). I give Mocha Java a 2 for it’s weak aroma.  

Next thing to con­sider is FLAVOR.  I expect cof­fee to have a strong taste with a slight bit­ter­ness from the caffeine.  Again, the name implies mocha (!) but the cof­fee doesn’t deliver. I give a 2 for flavor.

Then there is the mat­ter of BODY.  No one wants their cof­fee to feel like Chi or water in their mouth.  This cof­fee was a bit weak in this cat­e­gory as well.  I give it a 2.

Lastly there is the AFTERTASTE.  A cof­fee should leave a slight after­taste with a hint of it’s fla­vor, not too acidic nor too sweet, just enough to make you want some more, even when you have had your daily allowance.  This cof­fee left an AFTER-FEEL.  My mouth and throat were left really dry.  So for this rea­son I give it a 1 for the aftertaste.

Because I had to cleans my pal­let with two cups of water and make my reg­u­lar cof­fee so I could start my day sat­is­fied, my over­all rat­ing for this cof­fee is a 2.  I wouldn’t rec­om­mend this cof­fee to any­one, alive or dead.