I grew up in Michigan and spent many an hour at the counter of a famous coffee and donut shop drinking their coffee and eating sugar glazed doughnuts (or as they say "donuts"). As a teenager with nowhere to go, that was the place to go. Well, that was until the cops decided to hang out there too. After that, it was usually the take-out variety - a cup on the way home from a gig or a night out. Never really anything to write home about. It was DD coffee.
Having lived out west for over twenty years, they didn't exist anywhere near where I resided. I really never thought much about DD or their coffee. So after all those years, I was surprised and intrigued when the coffee became available in the Denver area supermarkets. There was also a clever television campaign depicting the great lengths people will go to drink the stuff. It made me nostalgic. Was the coffee really good? Or are they banking on my nostalgia and past brand loyalty?
I gave in and bought a bag. I found it priced higher than the *premium* coffees. I grabbed a bag of the whole bean, and ground it up - coarse, for my french press. I must say, I was not at all impressed by the dryness of the beans or the lack of aroma from the fresh grind.
Once home, I eyeballed a few teaspoons into the french press glass urn, poured in the hot water and set back to let it brew. After mixing in a little half and half, I took a sip. Much to my dismay, it tasted too strong and had a burnt taste to it - like the last cup in the pot left on a burner. Left a horrible aftertaste. Blech. Ok, I thought, perhaps I should have measured more carefully.
So I dumped the cup down the drain and started over, this time fetching the official scooper (supplied by the french press manufacturer). After careful measurement and brewing, I took another first sip. It tasted just like the first cup - shite. I flashed back to the counter as a teenager and I remembered how we'd always add creme and sugar. Then take a sip. Then add more sugar. Sip. Sugar. Refill. Sugar... It never tasted good until it was mostly sugar.
That's how DD coffee always tasted. Awful. I should have known better.
I foolishly fell for their clever marketing and now I have a bag of coffee that I won't drink. Any takers?
Peace.
