Major Dickason's Blend from Peets
In the October 2008 “Breakfast Issue” of Saveur Magazine, one of my favorites, dog eared and smudged with the syrupy remains of recipe attempts, are listed nine great coffees. Some of the roasts were well known to me, appearing on a “best of” list somewhere once a month, like Intelligentisa out of Chicago and Rome’s ultra popular Sant’Eustachio. The latter of which I kept thinking was St. Pistachio until I saw it spelled out. My Italian has never been that good.
A couple of choices came as pleasant, economical surprises, a Newman’s Own Blend and the one I’ve enjoyed three cups of this morning, Peet’s Coffee and Tea, Major Dickason’s Blend. I moved from the East Coast to LA a year and a half ago so I’m not really familiar with Peet’s although according to the Saveur article they’ve been in business since 1966. In fact, “when Starbucks started up, Peet’s supplied it with coffee and trained it’s staff”. Peet’s is out of Berkeley, California and the one pound price comes in at $12.95 but I bought mine at Von’s grocery for $9.00.
I really dig this coffee. For me, breakfast blends tend to be too mild but Major Dickason’s starts my morning off right, not bold or brassy, but smooth, well rounded with an earthiness to it, low acidity and very little aftertaste. I’m a fan of nutty coffees and this is defintiely one.
I’m a cream and sugar girl so that makes a difference in my tasting. Next time, I’ll taste black and then move to blonde and sweet. Here’s another review from a more experienced taster, Doug Cadmus who seems to have the same jones for the red beans that I do. Try this one! It’s yummy!
I must say that I have become quite the coffee snob over the past months. Truly, I know nothing about coffee… only what I like and dislike. Being from the east coast as well, my coffee knowledge growing up never surpassed that of Folger’s and Nescafe instant coffee granules (true coffee lovers must be shivering at this moment). During my recent travels, I have come to love a delicious double Cafe Americano from a small San Francisco coffee shop known as The Creamery. For those in the bay area, it is located on 4th street at the Caltrain intersection in Soma. My second love, as you mentioned, is Peets! After tasting the delicious Major Dickason’s Blend, I can’t imagine ever having to drink Folger’s coffee again!
If anyone knows where to get Peet’s coffee on the east coast please let me know!