Feature: Krispy Kreme Coffee Tasting and Pairings

On the morning of second and last day of Krispy Kreme's Blogger Summit, they invited us to try their new Signature Coffee Blends (introduced last year) along with suggested donut pairings.

I'd never done a coffee tasting or "cupping" before, so I was pretty intrigued. There are three varieties of Krispy Kreme coffee blends: the House Blend, the Dark Roast, and the House Decaf.

The House Blend is the most low-key of the bunch. It hits you with a burst of acidity before mellowing out. It's described as "a smooth, medium-bodied, Latin American blend with a balanced flavor profile for the everyday coffee drinker." If you're like me, you're wondering what the heck "body" is. Well, according to Wikipedia, "body can be compared to milk. A heavy body is comparable to whole milk while a light body can be comparable to skim milk."

The Dark Roast was earthier, has a bit of a spicy smell, and clung to the tongue a bit. I guess that's what they mean by body. It's described as: "With a dark roasted, full-bodied flavor, this blend of African, Indonesian, and Central American coffees was made for those who prefer a bolder coffee taste."

Finally, there's the Signature House Decaf which despite the similar name does not taste like the House Blend. I tried this one last and it sits somewhere in between the House Blend and the Dark Roast in taste, leaning more towards the Dark Roast. It's described as "a decaffeinated blend of Columbian and Sumatran cofee with all the taste and none of the jitters."

As sampling and tasting the coffee, we were introduced to Krispy Kreme's Corporate Chef, Chef Ron:

Chef Ron walked us through a few some samples of Krispy Kreme's donuts and suggested different coffee pairings for each one. We were also given this handy card with various pairings for different day-parts:

 I've never been one to drink black coffee and not while eating donuts but I have to say they work together quite well. The sweetness of the donuts enhance a lot of the flavors in the coffee.

My favorite donut sampled was the Glazed Blueberry Donut; it was a moist old fashioned cake donut with a definite blueberry flavor and a sweet glaze. I was pretty sad to find out that the nearest Krispy Kreme to my home does not carry this donut.

I also tried my coffee with the Glazed Raspberry Filled; the filling is tart and pretty sweet already, the glaze ups the sweet quotient a fair bit.

The Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled; the "Kreme" filling is a very sweet, Original Glaze flavored whipped topping. I would have preferred just plain whipped cream for this one. I think you can get the filling in your coffee as well at Krispy Kreme. I think I had too much sugar at this point.

As well as the  Dark Chocolate Kreme Filled which is a limited-time donut available through March 11. Mmm... Dark Chocolate filling plus icing... and an Original Glazed. I felt bad only eating a wedge out of each donut but I had just eaten breakfast and wasn't hankering for a diabetic coma.

Still, a variety of coffees and donuts is a great way to start your morning.