I really enjoy trying new things, be it beer, wine, or coffee. I previously enjoyed Folgers Dark Roast coffee, so this time I tried Folgers Medium Roast. Unlike the dark roast, the medium roast was surprisingly very mild, tasting similarly to a mild tea, as it lacked the toasty and pungency characteristics of darker roast coffees. Sipped black, I think you can actually taste the water, making it too easy to tell if the coffee was brewed with filtered or tap water.
The medium dark from Great Value is an interesting specimen. You would think that its roast level being close to the dark roasted Folgers should make it quite similar in taste, but it does not. It has a sweet, pungent in both smell and taste. It somehow resembles a strong tea, in that it has a rich taste profile that is fruity and vibrant (as claimed on the container) and acidic. It is probably my least favorite to drink black. I should cold brew and see how that goes (cold brews tend to leave coffee less bitter and acidic than a hot brew).
Seeing that both of these coffees are very affordable, I seriously do wonder what a higher end brand would be like. Unfortunately, I have very little familiarity with coffee brands that are not mainstream. Thankfully, a little bit of reading here and there has pointed me to a medium dark roast from Cafe Don Pablo. I’ll eventually see for myself if artisan, organic and fair trade coffee is worth it! Meanwhile, I really should try the Walmart and Folgers coffee brewed cold (which is supposed to be less acidic and bitter than hot brewed coffee.)