Folgers 1850 Black Gold
Folgers Black Gold: 7.7
Total Score: 34/44 points = 7.7/10
Packaging: 14 points
Grounds: 6 points
Brew: 2 points
Color: 3 points
Flavor: 3 points
Reseal: 3 points
Shelf space: 3 points
If you haven’t turned on “The Roastery” the new Spotify playlist to shuffle yet, I suggest you do that now.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Rmwl2KfDPjJiPRCwCvG46?si=s4Bi9IjMTEGZS82HVC0fvw
This 11 hour morning coffee playlist is long enough to be your dinner coffee playlist. From Tracy Chapman to Tity boi (a.k.a 2 Chainz) and guest appearances from Nelly Furtado, The Gym Class Heroes, and everything in between. I don’t know if you will find a more versatile playlist. You drink coffee all day, so you need a playlist that lasts all day. That truly stands the test of time.
Speaking of standing the test of time. This week we came back to Folgers with a coffee that won off the shelf. The Folgers 1850 “Black Gold” There’s a lot I could say but the packaging speaks for itself.
“There's a fire that drives us to seek something better. The boldest of us embrace it, chase it, and blaze a trail that’s ours alone. James A. Folger was one of them, and we dedicate this coffee to the year he started his hustle in San Francisco. Bold, yet smooth, 1850 coffee is a culmination of grit, perseverance, and pursuit of passion. FOR THE LOVE OF THE GRIND”
Enough said. Let's get into it.
*coffee can reach a maximum point possibility of 44 points*
Phase 1: Packaging
Size: (3 pt.)
This is your average 12oz bag packaging. The same as the Roy’s Black and Tan with the fold and the wire fastener. It’s smaller than most Folgers brews but remember, this is a specialty brew. Smaller package makes it a more premium feel. Speciality brew, speciality smaller size packaging. Nice job. They played up to the hype 3/3
Texture: (3 pt.)
A plastic / paper / wax feel. I already hate it. The edges are sharp, the packaging is slippery. It looks nice with a glossy and matte combination. But I hate the feel. For me this is an easy ⅓
The freshness seal: (3 pt.)
Strong glue, but not impossible to open. I give this freshness seal a ⅔.
Weight: How dense the packaging is. (3 pt.)
This packaging is about as loose as a goose. There’s so much give in the bags density that for the first time I would argue this is close to a chip bag. For the price of this coffee I feel a little betrayed by the Folgers family for the first time. I never expected much, but I did expect more than this. For only 12oz (small as it is) I feel like they lied in their dating profile about their height. ⅓
The ease of openness: (3 pt.)
The tightly glued, thin packaging does not do well in an opening process. This gave me the same struggle at first as I anticipated, but after a minimal fight, the bag released itself without loss of grounds. ⅔
And of course… the design: (3 pt.)
The Design on this packaging is the only reason we’re rating it in the first place. In the store looking for my next victim, I was fooled by an old friend in a new navy blue coat, with deep reds, whites and golds complimenting it. This packaging carries nostalgia, remembrance, honesty, loyalty, passion, and history. All in one place. This coffee built america. 3/3 Id like to note that on this packaging they make a point to add “ingredient: Coffee” and you don’t get more pure than that.
Phase 2: Grounds
I don’t know if the grounds really matter, but let's pretend they do. AND IF THEY DO... they should be tested on these 3 attributes:
Smell: Is it nice? (3 pt.)
⅔ for the smell. It smells like coffee but it's not pushing any boundaries like the luna stout from last week.
Texture / Size: Is it coarse? Or fine? I prefer fine. (3 pt.)
This morning I made coffee in the dark. I have absolutely no idea how The Folgers 1850 Black Gold coffee looks. By default that's a 3/3 with the benefit of the doubt.
Scoopability: How much coffee stays heaped in my version of the “tablespoon” (3 pt.)
One of those where the access hole is too small for any real functionality. Coffee grounds fell to the floor unless you removed them like it was a game of operation.
⅓ for the ground here. You want your coffee strong and I’m sure these grounds scoop nice, but we will never know.
Phase 3: The Brew Does it fill the room with a pleasant scent? Then just rank it. (3 pt.)
Wasn’t turned on by this coffee at all. But it wasn't bad. ⅔
Phase 4: Color (3 pt.)
Golden rule of coffee color = Pantone #2322c
The Folgers Balck Gold hits a perfect 3/3 for the coffee color. NICE.
Phase 5: Flavor (5 pt.)
I will say. I was tricked by packaging as well as flavor. This may be your run of the mill Folgers everywhere else, but in packaging and flavor they stand out. I’ll be honest and admit I might be biased simply BECAUSE of the packaging. But even if that's the case they win me over. I’d serve this like it was the world's best and never show the label. This gets 3 points for being a good coffee. Better than your daily driver, but I am not impressed by any means, and we have a long way to go before we get one that's shelf equity out of this brew. ⅗
Phase 6: The Reseal (3 pt.)
EZPZ. Fold the top. Fasten the wire. Potential to compromise shelf life? Sure. But this won’t last you the week. Who cares. 3/3
Phase 7 (Last and possibly least) : Shelf Space (3 pt.)
If it fts, it ships. You can put this coffee anywhere you want thanks to the lack of density in the packaging. It's already half sized. 3/3
Overall the Folgers 1850 Black gold wins in its design and ability to hold its own as to not disgust you in flavor. Where branding is everything, Folgers managed to escape their normal image and develop coffee that tricked me into not even realizing it was Folgers! (which overall sold me) If you're a Folgers person, you owe it to yourself and James A. Folger to try this coffee. The backbone of America is coffee. No. It’s Folgers.
Top Coffee of all time (so far): Folgers 1850 Black Gold
Packaging: Folgers 1850 Black Gold
Grounds: Luna Cafe Stout Blend
Brew: Roy's Bakery Black and Tan
Color: Folgers 1850 Black Gold
Flavor: Luna Cafe Stout Blend
Reseal: Folgers Black Silk
Shelf space: Folgers 1850 Black Gold
Past Roasts
Roy’s Bakery Black and Tan = 7.4
Folgers Black Silk = 6.8
Luna Cafe Stout Blend = 8.8
Folgers Black Gold = 7.7
