Ok, so a little background here. netgoth recently signed up on a website called Bzzagent. The whole premise behind the service is that they send you free stuff, and after you’re done checking out the free stuff you tell all your friends about it. I actually heard about this kind of thing a few weeks ago on NPR, and I thought it was a pretty good idea. They don’t want you to be disingenuous about why you’re talking up stuff that they send you, nor do they want you to lie about something you didn’t like. They are just trying to take advantage of “viral” marketing strategies, and I for one think it’s pretty bloody brilliant.

Why, might you ask, am I now writing about this?

Well, one of the products that she’s received as part of joining this service is a sampling of coffee from Storyville. She did so for me, because quite frankly she’s not a coffee drinker. I, on the other hand, drink it all day long. Loves me some coffee. So the prospect of some free, fresh coffee was pretty damned enticing.

I’m impressed.

Ok, first of all they send you your initial order in a really nicely packaged box with instructions on how to brew the coffee and a DVD for those who don’t like to read. The coffee itself has a roasting date on it (in this case, the roasting date was Tuesday, so the coffee was only 2 days “old”). They recommend using the beans within 12 days of the roasting date for maximum flavor, and using a french press for the actual brewing.

These folks are pretty damned serious about their coffee.

After opening the package, K. asked me if I had already brewed it from the next room. No, I had not. It had not been brewed or ground yet, but the scent filled the house anyway. Potent, indeed!

I followed the directions as closely as I could, waited the four minutes required to properly brew it, and sampled my coffee.

It was pretty damned good. It’s strong stuff, sure, and it has a bit of an aftertaste – but it’s not that bitter, burnt aftertaste at all. It’s pleasant. K. was curious, and took a sip of mine. She looked at me and said “I could drink this coffee,” so I made her a cup as well. Without having to absolutely drown it in cream and sugar, she drank the whole thing – and enjoyed it.

If I keep getting this stuff I might not be the only coffee drinker around here.

As with most premium things, you get what you pay for from these folks. A pound of coffee is about $16, and you have to tack another $4 on for shipping and handling. The local Barnies sells a pound of coffee for $13, so it’s about 50% more expensive. Considering our current budget constraints, I can’t see any likelihood of me completely moving over to this kind of coffee for all of my caffeine needs, but it’s definitely a treat I plan on giving myself on occasion. If you really like good coffee, and have a french press, I’d suggest you give these folks a shot. You won’t be disappointed at all. (If any of you on my list are coming to dinner on Saturday and joining us after at my place, I’d be happy to brew you up a cup…if there’s any left, that is).

Edit – If you check out Bzzagent and decide to sign up, do us a favor and list Netgoth as the person who suggested you try out the site. Thanks!