I am a big proponent of supporting small businesses, so for that reason, I was pleased–okay, ecstatic–when Brent from Bull Run Coffee offered to send me some coffee to review.
Honestly, this has nothing to do with my getting free coffee.
(She says, slurping down her second delicious cup of the day.)
Bull Run Coffee is a family-owned, small batch specialty coffee roaster, located right here in the Twin Cities. Convenient, right? It is if you’re local, anyway, and if you’re not…they’ve got a great shop online.
Check out this date on their coffee’s label:
If you’ve ever had coffee made from old, stale beans (otherwise known as “sock juice”), you will profoundly appreciate the fresh nature of this coffee.
You will also (I hope) appreciate the generous offer this local company has made: three super fresh, incredibly delicious bags of Bull Run Coffee, delivered FRESH to your door just in time for the holidays.
Three 1-lb bags of coffee = one day’s supply around here. ; )
Is that nice or is that nice? Just leave a comment on this post, telling me (the resident coffee guru) your thoughts on the following burning questions:
Whole bean or ground? Cream & Sugar or Black? 18 cups/day or more?
(Okay, I’m kidding on that last one.)
And that’s it! The winner’s coffee will be shipped directly to his/her home, and I promise–promise!–not to sample it ahead of time. Also, Brent is offering my readers a discount for anyone ordering their coffee online. Just use the code bsave001 in the coupon code section during checkout to save 25% on your entire order. This code is valid through 1/15/14.
Good luck! I’ll leave the contest open until Friday at midnight. Winner to be announced on Saturday morning.
What a great giveaway! I'm a whole-bean, half-and-half/no-sugar-but-Baileys-on-the-weekend girl myself. Merry Christmas to your lovely family!
Tell Brent to think of offering this next year only about half a week earlier! We always send my in-laws coffee for Christmas. This year is was Texas Pecan and Highlander Grogg. Not sure about that second one but it sounds fun, doesn't it?
OK, I'm up for a coffee giveaway to taste these delicious beans, so… whole bean… always whole bean! Cream and sugar. I like my coffee like I like my husband (dirty blond and sweet!). Only one cup per day. Maybe two, but you know I drink decaf so it really doesn't matter. It's all about the flavor, not the jolt. Jolt me no likey! (Hah! I just had to fight auto correct so it wouldn't change "likey" to "limey".)
Love you sweet Maggie and Merry Christmas!
Whole bean, preferably, but practically speaking we end up doing ground a lot because it's fast. Just milk, or black. My husband might as well walk around with an IV drip of coffee in his arm, I'm a bit more restrained with my caffeine intake.
I guess I've never tried whole beans, sooo… ground? And while I definitely appreciate cream+sugar, I usually drink my coffee black. 🙂
I'm not an addict yet, so I try to limit myself to a cup a day. We'll see how long that lasts…
Whole bean, cream & sugar, as many cups as possible/day 🙂
ONLY whole bean (for my husband, I'll drink whatever I can get my hands on), and it has to be ground with a burr grinder (it doesn't heat the beans), black, and I drink a lot (but only decaf). Thanks for the giveaway…I wanted to run out and buy my husband some local coffee for Christmas. It would be much easier if I won. It's ok to support local businesses, even if they're not local to me, right? Kim F. (in NH). In case I win my email is kafournier AT charter DOT net. Thanks!
Whole beans, cream and sugar (although I wish I were made of stronger stuff and was able to take it black), 1-2 cups a day.
Ground, cream (and not half and half, whole cream), 4 cups every morning. My new husband has taken to making the morning coffee and it seems to taste even better. Maybe it's the extra love, ha!
Erin
Ground, cream and sugar, and as much as possible! Looks delicious! 🙂
Whole beans. I used to go heavy on the half and half and heavy whipping cream would find its way into my cup if we had some in the fridge. Then I gave up all dairy when I was pregnant and while I nursed Peter. He weaned about a month ago. I was so excited to have that delicious dairy back in my coffee, but guess what? I prefer it black now, it seems. Go figure! I also do half regular coffee and half decaf, so I can have more than one cup without the shaky hands! 🙂
Whole bean, with milk and often iced, even in a Minnesota winter!
Ground coffee with cream. No sugar. Love flavored coffee creamer, pumpkin spice, peppermint mocha, etc.
Whole bean, French press, cream, over ice, twice a day, yum!
Beth
catholicmumma at gmail dot com
Ground because I'm lazy. Cream, no sugar.
Love my coffee black with sugar. And not just any sugar. Turbinado sugar. There is a BIG difference. Bring on the coffee win! =-)
Ground, with lots of cream and sugar (because I need to be sweeter!) 🙂 I usually sip my morning cup while reading your blog…you never fail to either encourage me or make me laugh (and sometimes both!) 🙂
Ground with milk. I've been trying out almond milk and that's worked nicely too. It's not a day without coffee. Thanks!
Whole bean when I'm feeling fancy, a dash of cream, 18 a day sounds about right during finals week 😉
Only International Foods French Vanilla for me please. I do NOT like anything else. (except Dairy Queen's Moo Late French Vanilla–but that's like a week's worth of points for this mama)
Tom, though, LOVES his coffee fresh ground, with creamer. And I have no idea how much he drinks, just that he can drink it even right before bed and still sleep. (So I'm thinking, yes, 18 cups or more) haha!
I like mine with cream and sugar. I can't drink it black. I would give this to my in-laws. HUGE coffee drinkers. They like it black. Thanks for the chance to win. Ann
My husband is the only coffee drinker in the house… he buys both ground and beans, he uses a creamer, and not sure how much he drinks a day but I'd say at least 5 cups and he can even make a pot in the evening after supper and still sleep at night!! Stacie
Ground Coffee with sugar and cream. Hubby drinks a percolator a day. I drink maybe a cup. LOVE the peppermint mocha coffee mate.
Whole bean and lots of cream – like "I like a little coffee with my cream" kind of cream. I'm a decaf girl so I don't drink it for the buzz, just the flavor.
I like my coffee black with nothing in it. I used to be a whole bean gal, but have also switched to ground because it's fast and convenient. I love to support local businesses, so thanks for the link to the coffee shop. I try to stick to 2 cups in the morning, but I'm actually enjoying a small cup of coffee with my 90% pure dark chocolate candy bar. 🙂
Ground, cream, a little bit of sugar, and 1 or 2 cups per day. Thanks!
Whole bean, Black? 12 cups/day ! Happy Holidays!
whole bean + cream!
I like mine w/ flavored creamers (no extra sugar needed!) As to bean or ground, I prefer beans for their freshness, but ground it what I usually get for convenience since I don't have a grinder. (If I do get beans, thankfully my mother will grind it for me & I generously give her some of the what she's ground!)
I like whole bean, but often settle for ground just b/c it's easier. I like milk, nothing else.
Happy Birthday to the little guy tomorrow–he was born the same evening my grandmother died, so I will always remember and find joy in the fact that your little miracle was "arriving" as she was departing.
Definitely whole bean and definitely half and half and sugar. Only 2 cups per day, though 🙂
I drink ground coffee, I enjoy frothed milk w/ sugar substitute. And, I try to stick to one cup a day!
Thanks Margaret!
Whole bean, no sugar or milk.
I wish I could say I notice a difference in whole bean or ground. Maybe if I had a larger coffee to creamer ratio. 😉 One cup. That's it, and if Brett isn't around sometimes I skip it altogether. Drinking coffee is definitely a social thing for me. I love sipping on a cup and visiting.
Whole bean, fresh ground daily, Italian espresso maker, milk usually (unless I am staying entirely clear of carbs), fresh whipped cream or frothed milk if I'm not, maybe a little cinnamon sprinkled on top, and I use some kind of stevia sweetener. Can have as many as 2-3 cups a day, especially if I am munching on something sweet with the coffee–chocolate, cookies, cake….
What a fun giveaway! Just got a new coffee maker, after my Keurig died, so I'd love to win some coffee! I haven't heard of this company, and I'm local! Gotta check them out, even if I don't win 😉 I like whole bean coffee … but I like someone to ground it for me. And I take cream only in my coffee! Thanks, Margaret and Bull Run Coffee!
LOOOOVE coffee!!!! Drinking some now and it's 3:20am (I'm sick and cannot sleep). I like whole bean packages and my five year old loves to help me with the grinding. And for sure cream & sugar!!!! It's my guilty pleasure, liquid dessert! Yummmy!! Thanks Margaret and Bull Run Coffee! Merry Christmas!
Oh yes, we are definite coffee drinkers in this house. I try to limit myself to two cups of caffeinated in the morning but I then go through many a cup of decaf though the day. Thanks for the great giveaway. Hope that you are having a wonderful last few days of Advent.
Would so love to win this!! 🙂 I love the taste of whole bean freshly ground, but I typically use grounds. I brew by hand, pouring the hot water over the grounds. Love cream & sugar (or better yet, a bit of Bailey's Pumpkin Spice Creamer – no need for sugar then! 🙂 See, I tell my husband, if we buy the pumpkin creamer we can save $$…don't need to buy half and half AND sugar. He isn't toos ure. 😉 I'm nursing a little one, so I can only have 3 cups or so a day…but that doesn't keep me from having decaf too! 😉
Whole bean! Black! Adding sugar and cream changes the spectrum completely. (Like, dessert?) And no more than 2 cups a day, or I can't control my hands… 🙂 lol Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Whole bean! Ground fresh…almost…everyday! WITH heavy whipping cream…only! : ) I try to drink just 2 cups…but still struggle with temperance in that area! Fun opportunity! THANKS!
I'd love to win this as a gift for my Mom. She's From Minnesota, so it would be nice to give her some coffee from Minnesota. She's prefer Whole bean DECAF, and she drinks it black. I don't know how she does all she does when she drinks DECAF, but she gave up caffeine years ago. God Bless her, I haven't been able to do that yet.
I like ground. In the morning I drink it black, and later in the day I drink it with creamer.
I have been loving your blog for about five years now, and it's about time to comment. Winning coffee has nothing to do with this, I'm sure of it. My incredible husband has turned me into a coffee-lover. We both would love fresh ground beans, but to save time buy it ground already. We drink both decaf and caf, with some cream or milk added. I like to sweeten it up with a little Steva. We both like flavored coffees too..and we both average 2-3 cups a day (always one after dinner for a treat.) Thanks for the chance to reply, and have a blessed Christmas, Heidi B. in Blaine
I like ground (saves time on brewing!). Cream, no sugar. I would love to drink it all day, but I get jittery with an upset stomach….God bless your beautiful family, Margaret! +JM+ Annette
I like ground although my hubby likes whole beam. I also like a bit of cream and sugar. And I drink it all day, although I switch to half caff. at night.
madelinebrubaker {at} gmail [dot] com
Mmm…coffee. We like it whole bean so we we can argue about the proper method of grinding it, with a good dose of half and half (or, on feast days, sweetened condensed milk). Nothing like a good tan coffee.
Ground(but only because I don't have a grinder at the moment); cream and sugar; and one cup of the good homemade stuff first thing in the morning, followed by a couple of cups of the really lousy stuff at work.
No time for grinding beans (I realize that's probably against some coffee-moral-code! ha!), so ground with cream or half-n-half, usually one cup. I find lately that I get really HOT after drinking coffee (especially when nursing) so I've been going the "coffee concentrate" route—a designated glass pitcher sits in the fridge, pour over ice, mix with a little cream and sometimes chocolate syrup or, for a once-in-awhile special treat, some other flavored syrups—it's a cuppa deliciousness! 🙂 That's probably WAY more than you wanted to know, but you asked. 😉
Hi and thank you for this opportunity!
Whole bean–love the smell! Cream and half & half with a bit of Godiva cocoa….I only let myself have one cup a day…two during Christmas break!
Donna L.