If you’re anything like me, you probably see all sorts of articles about coffee.  This week it’s good for preventing colon cancer, last week it was bad for your heart or your stomach or something. I’m going to start filing those studies and read the actual papers…later. In practice, I LOVE coffee. In moderation, of course.

Speaking of courses, if you’ve read my reviews for Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas and Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco, you know I’m not above making a java stop during a race. It turns out there are others out there who firmly believe that coffee and running (hello, coffee and anything!) are a great mix. At one of my recent races, my goody bag had a flyer for Hammer Strength Nutrition coffee. No joke! Nice to know I’m not the only one crossing the streams.

Then something crossed my social media stream called the Rook Run 5k. The logo was so cute that I just HAD to look for more information. (A little rook bird wearing a headband and sneakers!)

Seriously, is this not adorable? (Credit: Rook Run website.)
Seriously, is this not adorable?       (Credit: Rook Run website.)

A wee bit of research reveals that the run is not only a charity run for a worthy cause–The Valerie Fund, which helps provide comprehensive care for children with cancer and blood disorders–but the “Rook” part is a coffee company. If I lived in New Jersey, I’d be there like white on rice. (By the way, you can donate to The Rook Run’s fundraising for The Valerie Fund by clicking here.)

I knew right away I had to order some coffee from Rook. (You should, too. Rook Coffee turned out to be delicious!) Rook offers light, medium, and dark roasts. Since I add a little hot chocolate (or cocoa and sugar) and about as much milk as coffee, I tend to stick to dark roasts. After reading the coffee descriptions, I settled on the Bali roast.

Two very cool things about ordering from Rook Coffee: One, shipping is FREE. Two, you can choose from whole beans or ground coffee, and if you want it ground you can specify fine, drip, auto drip, french press, espresso, electric percolator, or stovetop percolater. Did I mention you can also order a five pound bag? Since I’m just testing–and I plan to be trying a lot of coffee over the next few months–I decided to stick with the 12 oz. bag.

When the coffee arrived, I was impressed to discover it had a birthdate on it! (Okay, technically it isn’t labelled birthdate. If you’re a coffee lover, you know that coffee can actually go bad, and freshly roasted coffee is way better than stale coffee.) It was roasted pretty much right before they put it into the package to send to me.

Birth date AND social
Birth date AND social

It also came with a hand-written note. Seriously, when is the last time you ordered something online and it came with a note from a real person?

A coffee love note!
A coffee love note!

The beans are a gorgeous, dark color. The Bali coffee has such a delicious scent that I kind of wanted to just sit around and sniff the bag. Actually, I could smell the coffee perfume before I even opened the package. I could have just hugged it. But I had to make some coffee with the beans! Fortunately, grinding the beans also releases that delectable scent, so I got to savor the scent as I made my first cup.

Rook Coffee before it was roasted
Rook Coffee before it was roasted

While I’m not sure I get the strawberries (go read the description), I do get the chocolate. Rook’s Bali coffee is quite delicious with just a smidge of chocolate and some milk. I can’t quite go as far as to say this is my favorite coffee, but it is definitely right in my coffee-love-wheelhouse.

In celebration of all things #CoffeeYesCoffee, why not take a trip around a few other cofffee-related blog posts? Think of it as a Coffee Shop Blog Hop. Next in line is MCM Mama Runs. Rumor has it she’s writing about coffee beans, too. (Bonus: head there next, then follow the link at the bottom of her post…you’ll eventually end up back here.)

So really, which coffee do I try next? Do you have a running-related coffee to recommend?

 

But if you absolutely insist on going out of order, here are a few other coffee-ish delights to caffeinate your Monday…

 

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21 Comments

  1. That coffee sounds really good! I usually buy Starbucks ground coffee to make at home – whatever bold flavor I can find!

    • Rook Coffee has several dark roasts. I think I’m going to work my way through them one by one!

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  3. Thanks so much for hosting this blog hop! I might have to make a trip to NJ to run that 5k!! Sounds amazing!

    • Thanks for joining up! I love coffee, and am excited to share the coffee love. If I were closer to NJ, I’d totally go run that 5k. Unfortunately, it’s a little spendy to get there from California. If you go, be sure to review the race on BibRave.com so we can all read about how it went.

  4. I love supporting small business. And, i love the handwritten notes – those bring a smile. i try to find small coffee shops – we have a few that roast their own – Phil & Sebastian is great. So is Kicking Horse! mmmmm Dark and Smooth!!

    • Phil & Sebastian is new to me–are they local to you? I’ve actually had Kicking Horse because for a time they were selling it in my local Target. (Not kidding!) I forget which of the Kicking Horse blends I tried–they all had cool names–but I have enough left for one pot.

      Starbucks started out as a small business, too. For all the grief people give them, Starbucks has had at least some positive impacts on the coffee industry and coffee shops. Usually when I am travelling there is a Starbucks even if there is no other option, so at least that’s predictable.

  5. I’ve often found that coffee from small businesses like this is the best kind you can buy. What a great cause!

  6. Love the handwritten notes! I have a hard time finding coffee I like. I don’t like it too burnt tasting. Ahem: Starbucks! I like the Dunkin Donuts but it is a little TOO mild for me. Hmm…thanks for hosting!

    • Maybe you need more of a medium or light roast? Philz has one that is a light roast that I love (even though I’m a dark roast girl). I forget if it is called Ambrosia Nectar of the Gods, or Canopy of Heaven. I think you can buy Philz online; if not, if you want to try it, let me know and I’ll pick some up for you. Thanks for joining!

  7. Very cool! Handwritten notes are such a nice touch… I got one from Chase Infinite (workout shirts). Thanks for the linkup!

    • Handwritten notes will never go out of style–you can’t ship an email, am I right? It makes it feel like I’m interacting with actual humans, not some monolithic entity.

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  9. YAY! So glad you got your coffee! I’ve never tried the Bali, but the New Orleans Style is my fav, and probably their most popular. That one is a must try! As for the 5K, you know I’m there!

    • admin Reply

      I’ve got one vote for the Guatemala (Mike @ Rook) and one for the New Orleans style. Looks like I have to order more coffee 🙂

  10. I’m all for creative marketing and this fits the bill. My all-time favorite coffee comes from A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. NC. Currently my stash of that is depleted. Sigh.

  11. Rook Coffee sounds great-tasting plus I like their corporate citzenship (the runs). Thanks for introducing me to them and I’m looking forward to trying their brew.

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