All three of the samplers I will be discussing here have two things in common. They are among the best selling samplers, and they are sold by companies that are highly regarded by those who drink gourmet coffee.
The first two (Don Pablo and Cooper’s Cask) are gift boxes, and the third one (Smart Sips) is a regular coffee pod variety pack for K-cup coffee machines (by regular I mean that it’s not in a gift box).
I begin writing about each of these with a brief background of the brand, because they all have peculiar stories. For the two gift boxes, I share what stands out in my mind (what gives each a nice touch). For all three samplers I share my perspective on what particularly appeals to me as a potential buyer.
DON PABLO
Of the three companies featured in this post, the story of Don Pablo is my favorite. All three stories are compelling in their own ways, but I find this one particularly interesting. Don Pablo is really Darron
Burke, it’s a nickname given to him by his wife’s grandmother (Elena, Darron’s wife, and her family are from Colombia).
THE GIFT BOX
If you know the entire story of Don Pablo, then you know he just looks like a guy you’d walk up to and greet like you might your neighbor. It’s interesting that “gift box” is not in the title of the Amazon page. Neither is “gourmet coffee.”
The first bullet point confirms that this is a gift box. Furthermore, there is no question that this is a very popular gift over the holidays (the seasonal effect is unmistakable if you look at price history charts such as the ones Keepa and CamelCamelCamel have on their websites). Just one look at the box is all it takes me to agree with prior buyers that this definitely makes a nice gift.
The gourmet coffee issue is also not debatable. It’s clearly gourmet coffee. It’s plain to see on the front of the box, and two of the bag labels mention it (for some reason it’s not mentioned in the middle
one). It’s also plain to see in the bullet point descriptions (for those who know their gourmet coffee). I think it’s possible that it’s in Don Pablo’s nature to not toot his own horn in the title. He just seems like that down to earth kind of guy.
WHY IT IMPRESSES ME
In a nutshell, because it isn’t trying to. It’s a variety of three types of coffee developed with those who appreciate fresh and delicious gourmet coffee in mind, by someone who understands and cares about the finer details in the craft. Don Pablo doesn’t need to hype the box, that’s simply built in.
COOPER’ S CASK
These guys (the guys behind the brand: Jason Maranhao and John Speights) have a really neat story. What about Cooper? I’m almost certain everyone who doesn’t know about them is wondering about that. It’s a bit of a long story. It turns out that Cooper isn’t a person but rather a process. This process is not specific to coffee, and they were not the first one to adapt it to coffee. They were looking to do better than others had before, and they succeeded in improving the process to create their own variety of enhanced and distinctive flavors.
THE GIFT BOX
Their branded box has the same logo that’s on the coffee bags. Both the box and the coffee bags look elegant, but not extravagant. It’s a perfect fit for many of the people I know who are into gourmet coffee. They’re much more concerned about the art of the craft and fine gourmet coffee than they are about the of the packaging. A classy yet not pretentious presentation is a nice touch.
WHY IT IMPRESSES ME
Cooper’s Cask has carved out a corner of the gourmet coffee market where few (if any) do it better than they do. I’m always impressed by companies that care a lot about what they do, and are particularly good at doing it. I just can’t see many people being disappointed with this gift box.
SMART SIPS
Smart sips is another company with a neat story. For those of you familiar with The Shark Tank, you know that the name of the show is generally very appropriate. The panel that decides whether or not the business ideas are worth investing in put their own money on the line. Some can be very blunt about ideas they don’t like. Most of you will also know that the number of coffee companies has gone up considerably over the years, so the market is pretty crowded.
It takes something pretty special to survive swimming with the sharks and the stand to out in a crowd of coffee sellers. I would say something special describes Smart Sips pretty well. Their gourmet coffee sampler has been selling consistently well for five years, with no drop in popularity. Their coffee is no passing fad, they have established themselves as a favorite among gourmet coffee drinkers.
WHY I WOULD CONSIDER BUYING IT
For those who have tried and liked one of Smart Sips chocolate flavors, I would say this sampler makes perfect sense. Even though there are far more people who like these flavors than those who don’t, I wouldn’t recommend it for someone completely new to Smart Sips just to be on the safe side.
In addition to what I mentioned above, I recommend that those considering this sampler should be familiar with using a K-cup coffee maker. For example, the proper settings need to be selected to ensure a full flavor (and to avoid ending up with a watered down effect).
A final note is that these are chocolate coffee flavors. Chocolate flavored coffee does not taste the same as hot chocolate. It’s an important distinction for those who consider buying this sampler.
I would say the price is very reasonable. 24 cups of gourmet coffee for under $15 is a very good deal (not much more than 50 cents per cup).
This is an all around good buy, in my opinion. It’s good gourmet coffee with chocolate flavor that appeals to most who try it, that offers good value, and is sold by a company known for good service.