Pacific Bold

“I wouldn’t consider myself a coffee snob.” Most reviews start like that then continue on to explain exactly why the author is, in fact, a coffee snob. I feel like any opinion can come off as snobby to someone else. I grew up drinking coffee from an early age. Many sleepovers at my Bapa and Nana’s house ended dinner with a cup of coffee (we usually went out, I miss you Imperial Dynasty) and started the next day with one as well. What began as milk and Equal sweetener with a splash of coffee has now become this diverse coffee palate that ranges between black cold brew and sweet Irish coffee (coincidentally my two orders at Dutch Bros). Dutch Bro’s Kicker (the aforementioned Irish Cream flavored coffee) is about as deep as I’ll dive into sweet drinks and is probably one of the only blended drinks I’ll get (the others are some weird combinations that I pick on the fly in line at Dutch Bros). I used to have that sweet tooth for Starbucks Frappe’s but some of my favorite long gone coffee places led me into sweeter-but-not-over-the-top flavors like the Vietnamese or cookie latte (a cold latte with cookie milk and cookie milk ice, to not dilute the flavor).

I am not one to bring coffee from home if I can help it. Sitting in line for a cold brew is sort of my equivalent of having a longer commute. I get in a few more minutes of The Bob and Tom radio show, I get a greeting from an abnormally peppy (since its 8am) youth, and I get a chance to just get some me time between waking up and going into work. However, when I do make coffee at home, I typically prefer to make on ordeal out of it. I love to grind my coffee, heat up my kettle, and brew a nice pour over.

Break if in need of coffee

Sometimes when I’m in a pinch, neither of those are an option. Sometimes I need to whip up a cup before I run off somewhere, other times its getting late into the afternoon and I just want a smaller cup, or there’s even times I’m hanging out with Nana and every second longer in the kitchen warrants question after question. That’s where I can’t live without Costco’s Pacific Bold. Say what you will about the environmental impact of these k cups, I agree that they’re not the most friendly way to brew coffee. But when you don’t need to brew a pot, they are a good quick pinch alternative. Pacific Bold’s flavor profile works with anything from straight black up to how I drank coffee as a kid; with mostly milk and sugar.

The Final Verdict

I can drink this stuff by the gallon. If I am even just a little not in the mood to brew something better, I don’t mind grabbing me a nice cup of Pacific Bold. Its dark and mellow. I feel like many other brands feature bitter notes as a way to “liven” up their coffee but miss me with that, when I want my bean-based wake up juice, I want it to go down smooth. I would say that Pacific Bold’s middle name is “smooth.” Its not the best coffee you can find in K cup form, but those other brands are beyond overpriced and I would rather get them in bean form. If I am not brewing a pour over of Bones or Deathwish or getting in line at Dutch Bros, I am totally going to brew me up a cup of the ol’ PB.