Community Coffee is a century old company based out of Louisiana that even after all these years, hasn’t achieved the wide, national or international renown they deserve. Despite this, they’ve still managed to develop an extremely loyal following. Fans, rejoice! Thanks to their coffee finally being sold online, no longer will you have to make the long hike to their only US shop in person. This means that it’s easier than ever to get a cup of Community Coffee Joe.
As a company, they’re focused more so on the darker blends – so much so, that instead of a light roast option, they’ve wandered further in the opposite direction as one of the only roasters to offer an extra dark coffee option.
Read on to learn more about this unique roastery in our ultimate Community Coffee Review. We’re going to cover their top selling blends, more about their chicory blends, the approx. caffeine content, and where you can get yours.
Let’s get started.
What Are the Top Community Coffee blends?
The Community Coffee has dozens of offerings ranging from Private Reserve to Iced Lattes. To cover all of them would require a small book, so we’ve reviewed only the most popular. That includes their Breakfast Blend, Cafe Special, and Dark Roast.
Community Coffee Breakfast Blend Review
Flavor Profile and Pros
- Typically, you want a blend that’s not going to be too harsh on your senses first thing in the morning. This morning blend features a medium roast taste and brightness with notes of honey and hazelnut, which makes for a heavenly combination.
- Available in ground, whole bean, and instant.
- A great quality alternative to Starbucks.
- Seems to convert many people who were once long-time, loyal drinkers of other, more popular brands.
Cons
- Tough to find in stores outside of Louisiana.
- Those who already drink CCs Between Roast might find this blend too weak as it doesn’t have quite as much of a full-bodied taste.
Our Joe Rating: 9.4/10
Flavor Profile and Pros
- A medium-dark blend with notes of caramel and cocoa that’s not as bright as the breakfast blend but still smooth. Sourced from South and Central America which is known for their sweeter profile. A more popular and more widely available option to their house blend.
- Also available in Decaf. Perfect for when it’s later in the day but you still want to enjoy the flavor of a darker roast.
- Packaged on their website as part of their “Military Match” program where members of the armed forces get extra bags and a mug – a nice touch.
- Perfect roast for those wanting something a little fuller and more robust than the usual cup of joe. This blend in particular has a loyal, enthusiastic following.
Cons
- Not the cheapest coffee you can find but reasonable enough to drink it daily.
- As with all their offerings, tough to find it in stores outside of Louisiana.
Our Joe Rating: 9.2/10
Flavor Profile and Pros
- Their original dark roast blend featuring notes of dark chocolate.
- Definitely dark roasted, but not bitter or burnt tasting at all. Instead, it's rich and a little sweet, which makes it a good dark roast for introducing new drinkers to darker roasts.
- We describe the acidity as winey, lively, sharp, or even tangy. The acidity level is also fairly low so that those with sensitive stomachs can handle it.
- A consistent, high-quality flavor, even from those who have been ordering this brew for decades.
- Comes from a company whose specialty is in darker roasts.
- Is also packaged on their website as part of their aforementioned “Military Match” program.
Cons
- Will taste weak if you’re used to a French roast.
- Again, tough to find in stores outside of Louisiana.
Our Joe Rating: 9.1/10
FAQ
Does Community Coffee have chicory in it?
Yes, some of it does. They sell coffee & chicory in grounds, instant, and K-cup pods. They also sell 100% pure chicory for those feeling extra adventurous. In terms of taste, it takes some getting used to but the benefits outweigh the initial exploratory phase.
Does coffee with chicory have less caffeine?
Yes, it does. Blending chicory (which doesn’t naturally contain caffeine) in with coffee beans means less overall caffeine in your cup. This is a great way for someone to both enjoy the bold taste of coffee and reduce their caffeine intake.
FUN FACT: some genetic testing companies (CRI Genetics,) offer “caffeine sensitivity” as one of their variant measures. If you fall in the “high sensitivity” category, this might be a good option for you.
Why do they put chicory in coffee?
Three reasons: To help reduce daily caffeine intake, for health benefits, and third, can be added to coffee for a bolder, more intense flavor.
Brewed chicory tastes like coffee but is made of roasted chicory root instead of coffee beans. Mixing chicory in with regular coffee then, like Community Coffee does, still maintains those strong, coffee flavors but reduces the overall amount of caffeine. It also has been linked to several health benefits including reduced inflammation, decreased blood sugar, and improved digestive health. If logic follows, this would be a better option for diabetics and caffeine-sensitive individuals.
FUN FACT: the greatest generation had to drink chicory during WWII due to coffee rationing. This is likely where Community Coffee found its roots.
Which community coffee has the most caffeine?
This can all depend on a few factors including the roast, how it’s brewed, and the quantity of water used, among others. BUT I wanted to get a definite answer and ask the company themselves – from the horse’s mouth, if you will. So, I emailed their customer service and a got a reply that same day. Nikki (the customer service rep) was lovely and gave me the half-expected standard answer of “The lighter the coffee is roasted, the more caffeine the coffee has, so anyone of our light roasts would have higher caffeine content than the dark roasts.”
The problem is… they don’t carry any light roasts – only medium, medium-dark, and dark.
We’re going to make a judgment call here: try the house or breakfast blend. Both are medium roasts and are some of their most popular blends. We believe you’ll be happy with either choice.
Is Community Coffee instant coffee?
Community Coffee offers instant coffee in their decaf, chicory, breakfast and signature blends. They also offer ground coffee, whole beans, espresso and K-cup pods so your choices are broad.
Where to buy Community Coffee?
It’s hard to find this in stores outside of their home state of Louisiana. You can buy it directly from the company through their website but many people choose to go with the convenience and speed of buying it through Amazon.
We hope you enjoyed our Community Coffee review and that it has inspired you to give it a taste yourself.
Do you have any experience with their coffee? What do you think of it? Did we cover everything? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
