New Coffee Offering from Lardera (by adagioteas)

Complimentary samples of the coffee were provided so that I could try them and share my expierence.

I recently was introduced to Lardera coffee, offered by the same people that are behind Adagio Tea. Lardera offers four single-origin medium roasts, all sourced directly from Costa Rican farmers. The farms are located in two different regions of Costa Rica which is a contributor to the flavor that the different beans deliver.

Its "direct from farmer's" advantage bypasses brokers and middlemen. This allows Lardera to source the freshest beans whiles ensuring that the farmers receive the largest percentage of payment. Each farmer is highlighted with their own unique "know your farmer" profile. Read about how they got started in the industry and what makes their coffee worthy of the Lardera name. And, with samples starting at only $3 each, Lardera makes it easy to sample its assortment without committing to larger quantities.

One of the things that I like about their approach is the direct link to the farmer and that most of the money is going to the farmers. I found it interesting to read up on each of the farmers and learn more about them and their farms. There are four farmers that Lardera sources their fresh coffee from.

Lardera offers their coffee both as a whole bean coffee, or ground coffee - for those like me that don't have a coffee grinder (I did see though that Lardera also offers gear for grinding and brewing coffee) and in two sizes, 2 oz samples and 6 oz packages.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have taken the time to try each coffee a couple of times so that I could share my experience with you.

Catuai Anaerobic

I chose to try this one first because of the description on the package:

fruit bomb with lush notes of cherry, black currant, passion fruit and cocoa

I was intrigued, I don't know that aside from a flavored coffee that I had seen so many fruit notes listed for a coffee. I made a half carafe in my coffee maker using the classic brew style (you can learn more about my new coffee maker here). I decided that I wanted to taste it black so that I could really taste the coffee.

In my first taste, I was impressed with the coffee. It didn't have any of the bitter notes that I generally assoicate with coffee. It was flavorful and had body. I definitely picked up fruit notes (I couldn't have named them without the description likely but still noted it had fruity notes). In fact, it was so smooth and had such a great flavor that I realized that this was a coffee that I could absolutely drink black and enjoy. My current creamer is a sweet cream though, so I decided to give it a try in my second mug.

The sweet cream enhanced the flavor and the smoothness of the coffee, in my opinion. This is definitely a coffee that I will buy again.

Catuai Honey

Since I liked the first one that was called Catuai, I decided to try this one next.

complex blend of juicy clementines, tart cranberries, and ripe pomegranate

This coffee was also very good. I found it flavorful and full bodied. I could detect the touch of tart associated with the fruity notes it listed. I really appreciate how smooth the coffee is. Not only can I enjoy it without cream, I also found that when my last mug got cold, it was still enjoyable without that bitter note.

I did however decide to add cream at this point to make it more of a sweet drink, since it wasn't a hot beverage anymore. This is a coffee that I would buy again.

Kenya Washed

I decided to try this one third, choosing it based on the description.

layered notes of juicy citrus accented by sweet sugar cane and milk chocolate

Sweet sugar cane and milk chocolate remind me of a dessert, a treat. Based on the last two I had tried, I did start with this one black.

It was good. The citrus notes hit early but I didn't feel that the sugar cane and milk chocolate popped liked I expected. Then, I added a splash of cream. This brought foward the notes of sweet and of milk chocolate. It was very good. I could drink this coffee black but most likely I would add the cream to deliver on that treat expectation that the description gave me. As with the prior two, a coffee that I would buy again.

Tipica Honey

This was the fourth coffee that I tried, by default.

solid, well balanced cup with lingering notes of citrus, red apple, and pear

This coffee was a nice easy, smooth cup when I enjoyed it black.

It didn't have any noted pop like some of the others did but it was enjoyable in its simplicity. It also made the perfect canvas for a splash of creamer to really shine providing a smooth, creamy texture and a sweet flavor. I'm not sure that I would put this one at the top of my list but I certainly would enjoy it again.

Overall, I was impressed by all four of the coffees I tried. I was not surprised that I enjoyed the medium roast coffees, as I generally lean in that direction when I choose. I was impressed by how smooth they all were, the lack of bitterness or acidity on the tongue when enjoying it black. I definitely would recommend trying this coffee for yourself. You can try any of their coffees for just $3 for a smaple size, or if you are a drinker of single origin cofee, they have a free coffee offer that you can find on any of the coffee variety pages.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. Complimentary samples of the coffee were provided for my family and I to try, so that I could share my experience.