BECK ON BEANS: Barnie’s Coffee Tea Co. Creme Brûlée

I was so excited to try this that I forgot to snap the pic before brewing!!!

Barnie’s Coffee brings back great memories. They used to have a small walk-up cafe in my local mall growing up. My mom loves to shop, so we were often there bonding over our shared love of coffee. Something about sitting in a cafe with adults made this teenage girl feel very grown up. :) 

Anyway- once the Starbucks moved in downstairs, time was ticking for the Barnie’s store. My mother fought for it, claiming that she wants her flavors in the roast, not by way of additives to unflavored coffee. 

I admit, Barnie’s, I often chose the Starbucks. Chai had just become a thing and it got me. Ordering an obscure Turkish tea drink that I sampled during its limited release in Los Angeles trounced sitting in a cafe with adults. 

However, any time I smelled White Christmas blend or walked by the cafe, Barnie’s got my love again. 

So, many years after that cafe’s closing, one could imagine how excited I am to see Barnie’s Creme Brûlée turn up in my KCup variety pack.  So excited, I neglected to snap the picture before brewing. 

Fragrance: You know that one really strong Caramel Latte Yankee Candle that you got in your PTA “thank you for volunteering“ gift from Shelia on the Hospitality Committee? The one your roommate refuses to let you burn in the common areas? The one you secretly burn in your dorm room for the 2.5 minutes it takes to fill the space with sweet artificial caramel coffee smoke smell? That one? Yeah. This coffee smells like that. Smelled amazing in the store. Gets old quickly.

Flavor: As suspected because of the aroma, the brew is quite syrupy. Yes! This is a creme brûlée flavored coffee. And that’s awesome any way you slice it. However, when it comes to flavor, I think Bernie’s would do well to use higher quality beans and more subtle flavoring syrup so the coffee itself could shine a bit more. As it stands, this tastes like I’m drinking a melted creme brûlée that had stale espresso powder and artificial sweetener sprinkled on it. 

That’s not a horrible thing. I might even want to indulge in such a thing from time to time. However, does it make a great coffee? 

Recommended for:

1. Icing. This would make lovely coffee ice cubes for a strong brew and a generous pour of skim milk. 
2. Dessert. Cuz that’s what this is, really. Use some full-fat creamer in your fresh brew for a treat. 

Not recommended for:

1. Morning cups on the go. This coffee needs a bit of finesse. Plus, I’d imagine that trapping this in a Yeti would compound the cloy of the fragrance. Air flow is as much of a factor for the flavor development of coffee as it is for wine. Some require more to reach their peak. 
2. Heavy additives. This brew could go very wrong very quickly. I’d recommend a full-fat creamer and very little sugar, if any. 

Would I buy it again? 

Maybe if I wanted to make ice cubes out of it. 

This level of syrupy sweetness is not what I think of when I jones for a joe. So, if I want to make a treat with some breve or steamed whole, this would be a good choice. 

Otherwise, I’ll stick with my coffee flavored coffee and add my own subtle flavorings. 

I will qualify by saying this; my assessment is truly subjective. I’m a coffee drinker reviewing coffee. I’m trying to drink coffee.

When I was a teenage girl, I was a coffee-flavored beverage drinker who was trying to drink something tasty with coffee in it. 

We were both right. 

So Barnie’s gets a huge thumbs up from 15-year-old Beck. 37 year old Beck will probably pass.