Roast Review: Caffeine Control Coffee

Review by: Sheila Murray

Photos by: Linked Ring

Have you, like me, been curious about exploring coffee with lower caffeine levels but standard decaf coffee has never cut it? I was really excited to learn about Caffeine Control, a coffee roaster that has taken all the guesswork out of caffeine intake and made it easy for us to sip high-quality coffee on our own terms. No matter if you need a boost of energy or delicious coffee without the caffeine buzz, Caffeine Control has you covered. 

To get the full experience, we tried the Explorer Bundle. This bundle includes three single origin coffees as well as three blends of different caffeine levels. The tasting was done over a few different days, without a specific order in mind, and sometimes we invited friends to join the fun!

Cafe Granja La Esperanza 

First impressions

James opened the bag and inhaled the smell of the freshly roasted beans. 

“Hmmm,” he pondered, “ I’m getting blueberry, cherry, and maybe white chocolate.”

I held the open coffee bag up to my notes an was amazed at how potent the smell was. There was a certain fresh, juicy, almost ripe aroma. I guessed there might be notes of cherry and something a bit more bitter and dark like cacao. It seemed like the resulting coffee would have a syrupy mouthfeel and light acid. 

We opted to use the Cuppamoka for this coffee. The Cuppamoka always does such a good job of illuminating the subtle and distinctive notes of high quality coffee.

Tasting notes

It was much lighter on the tongue than I expected but the flavor was bold and rich. I noted cherry, cacao nibs, and blueberries.

James said he enjoyed how fruity it was and also commented on the balanced and smooth experience overall. 

The reveal

This Colombian coffee has 60mg of caffeine per serving and carries notes of black cherry, merlot, and fudge. We highly recommend this coffee especially if you are just beginning the lower-caffeine journey. We were blown away by how flavorful and satisfying it was.

Finca Tamana

First impressions

We invited our friend Jackie over to try the next one. Afterall, coffee is so much better when it’s shared with friends!

Jackie had never taken time to smell coffee beans and guess the notes, so it was a fun and new experience for her. She said that she sensed notes of chocolate and perhaps tobacco and that it was challenging overall to put a finger on what she was smelling.

On the other hand, James said he was noting very different things – lime, cinnamon, and vanilla. 

With such different experiences, I was so curious what I would sense! I lifted the bag of the freshly roasted coffee to my notes and inhaled the sweet aroma. I smelled fruit punch, milk chocolate, and something more subtle, like grape.

To switch it up, we decided to make this one using the Pipamoka. We ground the beans, heated the water, and made two cups of fresh coffee to enjoy.

Tasting notes

James was the first to report on his coffee-sipping experience. 

“Oh, this is really nice,” he said, “it’s quite light and sweet and has notes of white chocolate.”

Jackie enjoyed how sweet and mellow the coffee was and said that she could easily enjoy this coffee black, which is not typical for her.

I agreed that this brew was impressively light while also being satisfying. It held a light acid and notes of fruit and honey that made me want to keep sipping. 

The reveal

This decaf (10mg per serving) Colombian coffee has notes of caramel, pear, and chocolate truffle. 

Full Speed

First impressions

“This one smells very complex, like there is a melody of notes,” I shared, “I’m so curious what you both will think!” 

James said he was sensing some spices but also cherry or strawberry. He commented on how impressive it was to experience so many different possible notes within one blend. 

Jackie took the bag next, smelled the beans, shook the bag around, then smelled the beans again. She said she was sensing cacao and some lingering earthiness. 

We decided to make espresso this time, using the Nanopresso. We are really enjoying how the espresso has been coming out when we use the Exagrind. We made three perfect espressos and took a sip. 

Tasting notes

This one had a noticeably more bold mouthfeel than the Finca Tamana and I felt like I really could tell the difference in the caffeine level straight away. I was already learning so much through this Explorer Bundle!

James said he was getting hints of berry but also earthy notes like cedar. Jackie said she could sense fruity notes too and agreed that it was a bit bolder than the last. We all agreed this one had a heavier and more intense presence but it was well balanced and delicious. I wondered if I could sense a more mild fruit, like an apple.

The reveal

This coffee has notes of pear, hazelnut, toffee, and chocolate. It has 150 mg of caffeine so it’s perfect for a day you need a pick me up!

Slow Burn 

First impressions

The Full Speed nearly sent us to the moon with caffeine, so we sipped this next coffee on a different day. 

I opened the bag of coffee beans and was met with a certain sweet, sugary aroma. I guessed that there were notes of blackberry, raisin, fig, and chocolate. 

James took the bag next and took his time smelling the beans and quietly thinking about what he was smelling. He eventually agreed that there were sugary notes of caramel as well as blueberry or blackberry, and said we should try this one using the Picopresso. 

James measured beans using our Exagram and ground them using the Exagrind, while I heated the water. We took turns making our espressos and sipped the finished product together.

Tasting notes

“Oh this is so nice,” James said after taking a long sip, “It’s nutty and smooth and I can sense those sugary notes on the back of my tongue.”

I could sense a certain acidity, akin to a citrus fruit, as well as something syrupy like molasses or honey. 

Tasting notes

Caffeine Control says this coffee tastes like orange, butterscotch, and chocolate. James says he could sense the butterscotch and really enjoyed the overall drinkability of this espresso. This could be your next go-to!

Smooth Sailing

First impressions

James opened the bag of beans and inhaled the aroma. He commented on the rich, chocolatey, and even “spicy” notes. I was also impressed by how chocolatey and rich the smell was. We guessed that this one would have notes of milk chocolate, marshmallow, and red fruit. 

I used the Exagrind to grind the beans, which released even more of the delicious aroma into our kitchen. We prepared two crema-topped espressos using the Minipresso GR2 and each took a sip.

Tasting notes

“It is a bit lighter than I expected,” said James “I’m getting notes of chocolate but also lemon and honey.”

“It’s so smooth and easy to drink,” I said, “I’m sensing a red wine-like taste, lemon, chocolate… there’s such a balanced melody of flavors.”

We were both impressed by how varied and flavorful these lower caffeine espressos were. This one has less than 10mg of caffeine per serving!

The reveal

Smooth Sailing has notes of red plum, butterscotch, and cacao. 

Suke Quto

First impressions

As we reached the end of the Explorer Bundle, we were left with one single origin and one blend. We went with the Suke Quto because we were craving filtered coffee.

James smelled the beans and shared that he sensed notes of fruit, cacao, and cinnamon. I love a good fruit-forward coffee so I was looking forward to seeing what it would taste like! I guessed that it may have red or tropical fruit. 

James heated the water and ground the beans while I prepared the Cuppamoka.

Tasting notes

James immediately commented on how nice and sweet this one was. He could taste notes of chocolate but also something a bit tart like apple. 

I agreed there could be notes of apple or pear. The overall experience was lovely - this coffee carried a round mouthfeel, satisfying fruit notes, and wasn’t too acidic either. 

The reveal

This coffee tastes like blackberry jam, cola, and mango, according to Caffeine Control. 

Low Impact

First impressions

Our last coffee! We were so curious what Low Impact would be like because each coffee so far had offered a different experience.

James absolutely loved the smell of the freshly roasted beans and speculated that there might be notes of red fruit and nutmeg. I agreed that it was light and fruity but also carried some warming notes.

We used the Picopresso to pull two espresso shots and each took a sip.

Tasting notes

“I think this is my favorite of all the Caffeine Control coffees we’ve tried,” said James.

“Best for last,” I concurred. 

The espresso had a satisfying mouthfeel and was extraordinarily easy to sip. We loved how it had the ideal blend of richness, fruit, and sweetness.

The reveal

This final coffee has notes of black plum, biscoff, and oolong tea. We highly recommend trying this coffee and the entire bundle!