This installment of the K-Cup Challenge is sponsored by Shoffee.com, where you can find the biggest selection and best prices anywhere on K-Cups.  Check out the Shoffee Blog for Keurig and CupofTheWeek for K-Cup news, and for weekly specials on select  K-Cups from Shoffee.com.

I have a friend who, not too long ago, bought himself a Keurig Brewer.  Just like me in the early days, he mostly drinks coffee for the caffeine – that little boost of energy that helps him drive the 1.5 hours to work every morning.  Over the past few months, I’ve given him several samples to try, but to him, each variety pretty much tastes the same as every other.

I figured he’d just be one of those people who doesn’t care about his coffee one way or the other.  So long as he’s awake he’d be happy with just about anything that came out of his Keurig.  About a month ago, however, he told me he’d finally found one K-Cup he liked above all of the others.  That particular K-Kup is Caribou Coffee’s Daybreak Blend.

I’ve reviewed several varieties of Caribou K-Cups already.  I love Mahogany, Sumatran is good, and Caribou Blend may be wife’s all-time favorite.  I hadn’t, however, tried their Daybreak Blend, but since it’s the first coffee my buddy finds distinct enough to single it out, I figured it was high time I dropped K-Cup Challenge sponsor Shoffee a line and ask my friends there to send me a box to try out.

The Description

Daybreak Morning Blend gets you up and out on the right side of the bed. Costa Rican, Guatemalan, Colombian, and just a hint of Ethiopian beans are roasted to chocolate brown for this light re-energizer.
Unassuming and cheering, this coffee starts sweetly and quietly in the mouth and leaves you with fruity, nutty hints after each sip. Perfect for slow mornings or those days you have to rush to work!

The Aroma

Of all the brands of coffee I’ve sampled, I would have to say that Caribou has the most distinctly identifiable aroma.  I actually really enjoy it, so without talking about hit’s of fruits or nuts, let me just say that it smells like a cup of Caribou Coffee – and that’s a good thing.

Drinking it Black

Daybreak Blend offers outstanding flavor from a lighter roast, bolder than one might expect.  It’s sweet, but still packs robust bean flavor.  While I didn’t get any real sense of nutty flavor, the finish is indeed fruity and somewhat reminiscent in that regard of Green Mountain’s Kenyan AA; the gold standard for coffee with wine-like characteristics.  I have absolutely no qualms about drinking it black, and in fact had downed most of my cup before it even occurred to me to add cream or sugar.

With Cream & Sugar

Don’t let rich flavor fool you, Daybreak Blend is still very much a light roast, so go easy on the cream and sugar.  A less than standard amount did the job and left me feeling very satisfied with my lighter and sweeter cup of joe.  Caribou Coffees have a distinctive taste to match the aroma, and one thing I really love about the brand as a whole is that it always seems to retain its flavor, even when made light and sweet.

Final Thoughts

Given the choice, I’d be more inclined to drink Caribou’s ever so slightly darker Caribou Blend.  Daybreak, however, is very good in its own right, although I think it’s more of an easy your way through the end of the work week (Thursday or Friday) coffee, than a kick you in the mouth to start your Monday.  For those who prefer a gentle transition from weekend to work week, you’ll be plenty satisfied with Daybreak blend, yet another delicious offering from Caribou.