As a self-proclaimed coffee snob who‘s tried roasts from all the top artisan brands, Bones Coffee stands out for their incredibly lush flavors and smooth brews. After multiple orders over the past year, I want to share my thoughts on this unique brand.
Overview: Who is Bones Coffee?
Bones Coffee was started in 2014 by Curt and Connie Bones, a husband and wife duo from Florida. What began as home roasting experiments quickly exploded into a full-fledged business thanks to rave reviews from friends and family.
Today they offer over 50 wonderfully unique coffee blends like Maple Bacon, High Voltage, and Candy Corn. Bones manages to extract bold yet balanced flavor with special small batch roasting methods. And they source high quality Arabica beans to craft each imaginative blend.
Some key facts about Bones Coffee:
- Ships over 27,000 bags of coffee each month
- Has roasted over 15 million cups of coffee
- Process over 18,000 pounds of beans each month
- Has over 330,000 Facebook followers and 260,000 on Instagram
So in just a few short years Bones has made quite the name for themselves! Now let‘s get into the nitty gritty of what makes them so popular.
Why I First Decided to Try Bones Coffee
I stumbled across Bones while searching for "best coffee subscriptions." Their gorgeous photos jumping with rich colors and clever blend names piqued my interest instantly.
As I dug further into their site, I learned about their small batch process. Roasting small 2 pound batches by hand allows them to perfectly tune every roast. This special approach unlocks flavor nuances impossible to achieve with mass production.
Bones also had stellar reviews across the board. Impressively they hold a 4.8 out of 5 star average across over 40,000 Verified Buyer ratings.
Given their raving fans and ultra-fresh roasting tactic, I had to give Bones a shot. Who knows – maybe they‘d dethrone my usual Daily Harvest subscription!
Exploring All The Creative Flavor Options
Another major draw to Bones was the pure variety and novelty of their flavor blends. They divide their options into entertaining categories like:
Sweet Shop: candy-inspired indulgences like snickerdoodles, gingerbread, and chocolate cherry cordials.
Foodie: savory and smoky roasts like Maple Bacon, Jamaican Me Crazy, and Bee Sting.
Ominous: darker roasts like Graveyard Shift, Nightmare Fuel, and Silent Killer.
And about a dozen more delightful groupings with quirky names. Just browsing all the choices felt like wandering through a magical coffee wonderland!
Every blend sounds perfectly calibrated to tickle the tastebuds. And they use only natural and artificial flavorings to produce the sensations. So Bones Coffees are free from chemical solvents that can diminish flavors in inferior coffee.
Here‘s a peek at some of their staggeringly good flavor options:
My mouth was watering just reading those descriptions! I had to budget extra for my first order to try more than their standard 5 sample pack.
Giving Bones Coffee a Test Drive With My First Order
For my inaugural Bones Coffee experience, I ordered:
- 1 lb High Voltage
- 1 lb Maple Bacon
- 12 oz Jamaican Me Crazy
- A handmade Bones Coffee mug
I opted to try those based on reviews naming them consistent top sellers. Plus I wanted to sample a mix of savory and sweeter notes.
The full unboxing experience felt like opening a gift!
My order arrived only 2 days after placing it. I appreciated the eco-friendly packing materials like plant starch peanuts. Immediately I noticed the charming branding and messaging consistent across all materials.
Each bag had hyper-saturated colors that felt straight out of a comic book. And the mix of funky fonts and cheeky slogans grabbed my attention.
Peeling open the bags released an insanely scrumptious aroma. I swear I caught a whiff of sweet maple syrup and cherry tobacco from the Jamaican Me Crazy.
Finally, the handcrafted mug with Bones‘ logo made me feel like I joined an exclusive club. Its smooth ceramic finish and sturdy build sealed the deal.
Overall the unboxing pulled me right into Bones Coffee‘s world. Now it was time to taste if their brews lived up to the packaging hype!
Putting Bones Blends to the Taste Test
The moment of truth! I tried each of my new Bones roasts using my Bonavita pour over brewer for optimal extraction. Here‘s how those first sips panned out:
Maple Bacon
My fears of tasting artificial maple were swiftly abolished by this harmonious blend. The maple sweetness hit just right – like waking to the smell of pancakes and crispy bacon. I detected no harsh bitterness despite the medium roast.
Jamaican Me Crazy
This vibrant roast danced on my tongue with fruity top notes that faded into vanilla and rum. Each sip took me straight to the islands! Bones managed to distill Caribbean flavors perfectly without relying on coconut. Thumbs up!
High Voltage
Living up to its intense name, this very dark roast came on strong yet avoided crossing into burnt grounds territory. I noted hints of toasted nut and dark cherries in its slightly smoky profile. As a hardcore espresso fan, High Voltage might just replace my old standby Italian roast!
Comparing Bones Coffee to Similar Brands
After sampling my first order, I knew Bones would stick around in my regular rotation. But I still wanted to see how they stacked up to my other gourmet faves.
Over the next few weeks I brewed my way through Bones along with comparable top-rated coffee subscriptions like Trade, Atlas Coffee Club, and Angel‘s Cup.
Here‘s how Bones Coffee fared in the battle of the specialty coffee clubs:
Taste Complexity
Thanks to flawless small batch roasting, Bones won for depth and nuance of flavors. Their attention to sweet spot carmelization unlocks tastes unmatched by the competition.
Packaging
Atlas Coffee wowed with their globally-inspired box graphics and curated tasting cards. But Bones took the cake for their overall charming, on-brand aesthetic sure to brighten any coffee fanatic‘s day.
Bean Quality & Freshness
All four brands source excellent coffee bean stock and ship promptly after roasting. But Bones roasts in smaller batches more frequently which scored them extra freshness points.
Price
For specialty flavored coffees, Bones provides tremendous value starting at just $14 per 12 oz bag. Comparable custom flavors from Angel‘s Cup cost nearly twice as much.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Across the board each brand offers stellar customer service. But Bones edged out the rest with their ultra-fast responses and generosity around refunds or replacements.
So in my experience, Bones Coffee emerges on top for their flavor creativity, freshness, and sheer deliciousness!
Exploring More Magical Bones Coffee Blends
After that original sampler, I felt compelled to continue exploring Bones‘ absurdly good flavors.
Over several more orders I‘ve now tried dozens of their unique roasts spanning all flavor dimensions. From toasted marshmallows to gingerbread cookies, Bones whisks me away to a coffee fantasy land with every bag!
Let me spotlight a few other standout blends I‘ve enjoyed:
Caramel Apple Coffee
This coffee nails the aroma of fresh baked apples smothered in gooey caramel. Each sip brims with juicy apple sweetness followed by buttery toffee notes. Bones skillfully avoided any artificial or chemical aftertaste. It feels like Fall in a cup!
High Octane
When I need rocket fuel, High Octane satisfies with its uber smooth full body. It chugs along with chocolate, cherry, and toasted nuttiness kicking up the flavor octane way higher than your average dark roast swill.
Lucky Charms Coffee
Okay this whimsical flavor inspired by the classic cereal exceeded even my open-minded expectations. The crisp, sugary taste immediately transports me back to childhood Saturday mornings. I ask – how does Bones bottle this nostalgia in a bag of beans?! It‘s pure wizardry.
As you can see, I have a proper Bones Coffee habit at this point! Their flavors have me hooked line and sinker.
Next let‘s break down exactly how their subscription program works. This way you can start receiving your own fresh bags of Bones magic each month!
How The Bones Coffee Subscription Works
Like any coffee fiend, having my supply automatically replenished is a must. So Bones Coffee‘s subscription club perfectly fits my needs!
Here‘s an overview of exactly how their Coffee Club works:
Step 1) Visit BonesCoffee.com and click "Coffee Club" then select "It‘s For Me"
Step 2) Choose your format: whole bean, ground, or single serve K-cups
Step 3) Pick your preferred roast type like light, medium, dark etc
Step 4) Select the number of bags you want per month
Step 5) Set the frequency – how often you want deliveries (weekly, bi-weekly etc)
Step 6) Build your box by picking 1-3 flavors to rotate each delivery
Once your plan is set, you can sit back while bags of Bones‘ heavenly brew show up at your door fresh every month. No need to reorder!
Subscription pricing depends on options chosen but starts at just $13 per bag. That‘s cheaper than a trip to Starbucks!
Plus subscribers save 10% vs one-time orders. And there‘s no commitment so you can pause, switch flavors, or cancel anytime.
For new members, use code NEWBIE to save 15% off your first month‘s shipment!
Answering Frequently Asked Questions
Over my journey sampling all things Bones Coffee, I‘ve learned a thing or two that should help you start strong. Here‘s the scoop on some commonly asked questions:
How long does Bones Coffee stay fresh for?
Unopened bags last 5-6 months at room temp. Once opened, store Beans in an airtight container and grind right before brewing. Consumed this way, beans stay fresh for a month and ground coffee keeps for 4 weeks.
What grind size does Bones use?
Their beans are ground to a medium coarseness perfect for drip coffee makers. Beans labeled espresso grind are ground finer for espresso machine use.
Does Bones have sales or discounts?
They offer 25% off your first month in the Coffee Club plus sitewide sales during peak seasons. Sign up for their email list to be notified immediately of any promotions.
Can you buy Bones in physical stores?
Bones coffee doesn‘t sell in brick and mortar shops – only on their site BonesCoffee.com. So during sales events it pays to stock up direct from the source!
How do returns and exchanges work?
Unopened coffee can be returned within 90 days. Gear and merch is eligible for exchange/refund within 30 days (buyer pays return shipping).
Reach out to their helpful customer service team by email with any other questions!
My Final Verdict: Should You Buy From Bones Coffee?
If you can‘t already tell, I‘m clearly over-caffeinated for Bones Coffee! Their flavors blow standard grocery store blends out of the water. And small batch roasting and grinding makes each cup stupidly fresh.
For anyone bored by mundane morning Joe, Bones finally makes coffee FUN again! They playfully nail sweet flavors like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and bold roasts like Graveyard Shift.
From unboxings to packaging to the coffee itself, Bones delivers on experience. Beyond taste, their subscriptions and gear turn making coffee into a celebration instead of a daily chore.
Are they the cheapest bags around? Nope. But for $14-16 per 12 oz it‘s still very reasonable. And that small premium brings tremendous enjoyment from their flavor craftsmanship.
My only complaints would be around inventory running low on seasonal/limited edition blends. And some people might find certain flavor combos too strong or sweet.
All in all – if you want to reinvigorate your at-home coffee routine with some magic, you need Bones brewing in your kitchen! Give them a shot and discover your new favorite coffee experience.
Just be careful – their brews might just ruin your taste for boring old bland coffee for good! I for one can‘t imagine going back.
Now if you‘ll excuse me, I‘m off to pour another cup of delightful Bones java. Today I‘m trying Funfetti Cake… yum!
