Is Black Rifle Specialty Coffee? Full analysis


Black Rifle Coffee Company is a coffee roaster in the United States with a fascinating history behind the brand. On top of their fantastic veteran story, they have a diverse portfolio that starts with commercial-grade coffee, with a specific roast aiming at the perfect balance: bold and smooth.

On average, the coffee from the Black Rifle Coffee Company Exclusive Coffee Subscription (ECS) is to be considered a specialty coffee. Some ECS presentations are single-origin with fruity and sugar notes, detailing altitude, processing method, and score greater than 80 points in the Specialty Coffee Association scale.

American police officer morning, donuts, juice, fresh black coffee and his gun

Within the Exclusive Coffee Subscription, you would find exciting options every month. Single-Origin not only from the country, county, or region, but also micro-lots from specific farms.

For example, August 2021 coffee of the month offered the following profile:

TeamWork – Black Rifle Coffee Company.

  • Origin: Nicaragua
  • Tasting Notes: Berry, Honeydew, Brown Sugar
  • Aroma: Berry
  • Body: Medium
  • Acidity: Bright
  • Region: La Esmeralda
  • Farm: Jinotega
  • Variety: Caturra & Catuai
  • Processing Method: Natural
  • Growing Altitude: 3,900 feet above sea level (1,200 MASL)
  • Score: 86

Find it here: BlackRifleCoffee.com

Why is the ECS considered Specialty Coffee?

Nothing says quality in coffee more than a coffee profile like the above.

The key to coffee quality is traceability. Some of the products provided through the ECS will have a complete description of their country of origin, region, and even farm. This detail should set your line of thought that you are in the presence of specialty coffee.

For the case of TeamWork, you would see berry, honeydew, and brown sugar. This complex interaction of notes can only happen in Specialty Coffee.

Descriptions and tasting notes, such as fruits, citrus, caramel, and sugar, are features of specialty coffee only. Commercial coffee is limited to cacao, dry nuts, and raisin flavors.

The higher the coffee is grown, the better it’s quality. For TeamWork, we are talking of a micro-lot grown at a farm 3,900 feet above sea level.

Being explicit about the processing method is another feature of specialty coffee, considering its impact on the flavor profile of the drink.

The roast level should also be described in Specialty Coffee since it is one of the variables to consider when brewing your cup of coffee. For more details on this, you can visit our post.the  Best way to grind coffee beans for flavor.

And finally, when you see the score printed, that is the end of the discussion. Everything on top of 80 SCA points, s to be considered Specialty Coffee.

BRCC Exclusive Coffee Subscription (ECS)

The Black Rifle Coffee Company Exclusive Coffee Subscription is where you would get access to a different and exclusive coffee per month. The exclusivity part gets its actual value when you get access to coffee that won’t be available to the non-members that visit their website.

We have been monitoring their website for a while now, and we have seen coffee from the following countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru.

Beans variety is mainly related to the Arabica Family.

What about Black Riffle products not in the Exclusive Coffee Subscription (ECS)

Since BRCC ECS relies on single-origin, having those varieties regularly is very complicated. Still, the BRCC ECS team has created similar presentations to reflect similar tasting profiles from successful presentations.

For example, the BRCC ECS Power Llama Coffee can be acquired by non-members from their website. This presentation is a reflection or recreation from an ECS micro-lot previously featured with the same name.

Black Rifle Coffee Co. Power Llama Coffee – From Peru to my door.

Will the taste and aroma will be the same? No, each micro-lot will have its nuances. Differences can even be more remarkable from year to year, so it’s very complicated to have the same profile.

In my experience, profiles are very similar and allowed me to enjoy similar profiles after the initial lot was no longer available in the ECS.

The same thing happens with Flying Elk, a single-origin micro-lot from Costa Rica in the Tarrazu Canton (equivalent to a county). Flying Elk was the first-ever ECS in 2019.

The rest of the portfolio also has an exciting diversity. Starting with their core products:

  • Silencer Smooth
  • AK-47 Espresso
  • Beyond Black
  • Just Black

If you are interested in trying them all, they have a kit named “Complete Mission Fuel Kit Variety Sampler.” With this kit, you will receive 4-ounce bags of each roast from their core products.

About the Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC)

Black Rifle Coffee Company is a veteran-owned coffee company serving coffee in the United States.

They describe themselves as a socially responsible company that supports veterans, law enforcement, and first responders.

The sources for the commercially grade coffee are Colombia and Brazil, and roast in their facilities in Manchester, TN, and Salt Lake City, UT.

Branding is all around the military, providing a very eye-catching and appealing image.

As part of their branding campaign, they also have excellent content on social networks, such as YouTube and Instagram.

Conclusion

You can get Specialty grade coffee from Black Rifle Coffee Company through the Exclusive Coffee Subscription.

You will also get the chance to find profiles similar to some of the ECS’s previous features (in the SCA grade) from the non-member’s area.

If you don’t want to pay for their premium products, you will also have the chance to get high-quality gourmet blended coffee from their portfolio, which also features coffee from Colombia and Brazil.

Charlie McFarlane

Specialty Coffee Enthusiast. Hungry for knowledge in the art and science behind specialty coffee and decided to document my journey, while sharing it with the public. More than 10 baristas were interviewed; over 21 farms were visited across 5 countries. Almost 100 Coffee Shops. Bean of choice: Pacamara. Preferred coffee country: Panama. Preferred Brewing Method: Aeropress. Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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