The coffee on the left, my mom sent–trying to sell me the virtues of Dunkin Donuts Original Blend. Apparently many people are addicted to it. A coffee freak and fortunate enough to live in an area where there is a roaster for every 10 people, I am very skeptical about coffee #1.

But I’ll try a taste test. I’m thinking I’ll brew a pot of the Dunkin Donuts coffee, carafe it, and do a little cafe crawl this Thursday. It’s a classic, medium roast drip coffee–so it’s only fair to judge it against the same. I’m going to hit some of my favorites that carry a lighter roast, as well as the omnipresent harpie, I mean mermaid.

Biased disclaimer: I love diner coffee, when it’s good. But I do have a hard time taking any coffee seriously if they sell flavored beans (like Dunkin Donuts). It’s not the label or the image; it’s the attitude.

Coffee #2 I have no idea how it came into my possession. Seriously, one day it was just there. Camp Chicory & Coffee Essence is a British import you can mix with hot milk or soda water, and add to desserts. I love me some chicory coffee, and the flavor is true to what I’ve been served in the South. But it has that extra bitter/burnt note of any instant espresso or coffee syrup. If you’ve ever forgotten brewed coffee in the fridge for a few days, you know what I mean. I’d use this to bake, for sure. But I wouldn’t turn it into iced coffee without some simple syrup. Or maybe some Bailey’s. Or my homemade Mexican vanilla Vodka. Mui fragante.