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So lately coffee has been on my no list – too harsh to drink without my stomach complaining – but since this is heralded as an almost-perfect replacement I had to give it a try (and receiving a pouch of it as a gift didn’t hurt matters, either).

Dry it smells almost cloyingly sweet, you can see some petals intermixed and it makes for a lovely little view, if you’re into tiny dark balls instead of luxuriant leaves. My one complaint is that the dry mix is terribly dusty and I actually spent some time shaking it over the sink once it was in the strainer to try to de-powder it.

It brews up beautifully dark, pitch-black and with a scent that’s in the same suburb as coffee…but definitely not close neighbors. The taste is familiar in a way I can’t place – dark like coffee, but with the emphasis landing on a roasted flavor instead of acidity.

It reminds me of the waffles at Waffle House when they’re just slightly overcooked; an almost-malted sweetness overtop a flavor that’s within walking distance of burnt.

If I didn’t know that this wasn’t coffee I’d be inclined to believe that someone had just made a thin pot of it and let it sit for a minute – and I say that in the most flattering way. I doubt this will be a daily drinker for me, but it was a good experience and it’ll do well to fill that gap when the coffee cravings hit.