When you’re a seasoned coffee drinker, you know the difference between shelf-stock grounds and fresh roast. No, that doesn’t make you a coffee snob — it just means you know your beans!
When a new brand crosses your path and catches your eye, you do your research first. That’s why you’re here, ready to see what the hype behind Red Rooster’s Old Crow Cuppa Joe and other products is all about.
Is it worth the brew? Here’s the story behind Red Rooster’s skyrocketing popularity and what our discerning tastebuds think about this brand.
What Makes Red Rooster Stand Out From the Rest
Red Rooster’s story isn’t your typical small-town success tale. It’s truly something to cockle-doodle-doo about.
The idea began in 2010 when two high school sweethearts who shared a love of quality coffee decided to open a business. Rose McCutchan and Haden Polseno-Hensley lived in the tiny town of Floyd, Virginia, with a population under 500. But they knew their coffee and had the town’s trust.
A Unique Approach to a Saturated Industry
That down-home upbringing was evident in how Rose and Haden ran their company, helping them expand their name and reputation. To this day, the business focuses on roasting coffee to its highest potential, with quality and customer satisfaction first.
However, so do many other coffee brands; one might argue that coffee is a relatively saturated industry. So, what makes Red Rooster’s brand stand out?
Beyond its focus on the overall customer experience, Red Rooster Coffee values making a difference in the world. Starting with its own employees, the company’s goal is for each person to have a fulfilling working life.
The farmers working to provide Red Rooster’s ingredients are paid to ensure they make a solid living, and the company gives back to society. Crucially, they source their materials from recycled and earth-friendly ingredients.
These business practices are rare in a world where profit is often king! This helps Red Rooster stand out for its high-quality, society-focused products.
The Growth of a Brand
From its meager beginnings, Red Rooster Coffee grew into a business known for its ethical practices and focus on quality products. It didn’t take long for word of the delicious roast to get around the state and then the East Coast. Today, Red Rooster employs over 40 workers with their headquarters in small-town Floyd while having a name known across the world.
Red Rooster Coffee’s quality and social passion has brought the business many awards and accolades, including:
- Good Food Awards Winner (three times)
- America’s Best Cold Brew, Coffee Fest Baltimore, First Place
- Landing in the Top 30 Coffees on Coffee Review, 2015-2018, 2020-21, 2023
- Placing over 50 coffees with a score of 90+ on Coffee Review
- Brewers Cup, TN US Coffee Champs Qualifiers, 2019, First Place
- Golden Bean Silver & Bronze Medals 2016, 2017, 2019
- US Brewer’s Cup Championship, Seattle, Ninth Place
- America’s Best Espresso, Coffee Fest NYC, First Place
You can see why Red Rooster’s responsibly sourced Organic and Fair Trade coffees piqued our interest. We jumped at the chance to review their specialty, Organic Old Crow Cuppa Joe.
Our Review of Old Crow Cuppa Joe
Red Rooster Coffee’s originator, Rose, started out offering coffee from a small nook in the back of her mother’s bookstore. Once Haden joined, the two took their values of gender equality and sustainability, along with Rose’s coffee know-how, and excelled.
Now, the family-run company still runs most of its business from its roots in Floyd. Onsite childcare, inclusive hiring practices, and a focus on quality dominate its reputation.
A Little About the Old Crow Cuppa Joe
This product comes from beans sourced from Central and South America (Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru). The roast level is medium, with an Agtron of 48/66. Organic Old Crow Cuppa Joe sells at $16 for 12 ounces, a typical cost for high-quality beans. (This blend is also sold in two- and five-pound quantities.)
From a distance, the Organic Old Crow Cuppa Joe could be any decent medium roast brew. Its light brown shade matches the 48 Agtron rating, which is necessary to reach the “gourmet” level.
But once you get closer, the aroma introduces you to this mouthwatering “cuppa joe.” The instant hit to our senses was the robust and ripe cherry burst, paired with a pleasing, subtle chocolate follow-up.
Red Rooster recommends this particular kind as specially blended for espresso, automatic drip, or V60. We started with the classic filtered coffee and were impressed with the smooth, full-bodied taste — even before adding any cream.
Beneath the cherry and dark chocolate notes are the promised raspberry and hazelnut flavors. The creamy mouthfeel slides easily across the palate, leaving an enjoyable nutty aftertaste.
Still, we can see why some reviews suggest that the flavor isn’t as strong as expected from a medium roast. So, we stepped our experimentation up to follow the recommendation of using Organic Old Cuppa Joe as an espresso or pour-over brew.
Discover: Complete Comparison of Coffee Brewing Methods
Brewing Recommendations for Old Cuppa Joe
While high-quality beans can produce excellent coffee regardless of preparation, there is usually a brewing method that will truly make them sing.
As an espresso blend, Old Cuppa Joe is intense, aromatic, flavorful, smooth, and rich. With an extra dose of milk, the notes of cherry and chocolate become dominant, and the hints of creamy hazelnut, stone fruit, and tart berry take a respectable second place. But our favorite way to brew this brand of coffee is as a pour-over.
Brewed this way, the sweet, fruity notes of Cuppa Joe’s coffee are intensified and set against a rich background of dark chocolate. Now, we can sense other hidden flavors, like almond blossom and molasses, drifting across our tastebuds.
Pour-over gives you more control over your results after you grind the whole beans to sea-salt-sized grains. You can even get the strength of an espresso by brewing twice before adding steamed milk.
Want it extra chocolaty? Add some syrup to make it a mocha!
Play around with your pour-over recipe using different water ratios to grounds and milk. No matter how you roast it or what brew methods you use, the Old Cuppa Joe’s beans produce a strong, tasty, and silky flavor-saturated finish every time.
You may also like: French Press vs. Pour-Over
Other Types of Red Rooster Coffee
Once you’ve tried one of Red Rooster’s products, you’ll want to try them all. Here’s a summary of a few of their current blends, broken down by roast category (prices may vary depending on where you order from).
Light Roast
Ethiopia Worka Sakaro Anaerobic Natural, $23 for a 12-ounce bag, is a mixed berry brew from southern Ethiopia. Those who prefer sweet fruits with hints of rose, Nutella, and raspberry acidity will love this creamy, chocolaty goodness.
Kingfisher Espresso’s 12-ounce bag, sold for $26, is a limited edition blend of the top six most popular coffees from multiple farms.
This extensive mix means you’ll get a variety of flavors, including:
- Floral hints of jasmine and daylily
- Sweet and tart tangerines and pineapple
- Syrupy salted caramel and milk chocolate
Every sip could be a unique experience!
For those who prefer to avoid the sweet, desserty chocolate notes, Columbia Finca Chambaku is a winner. This 12-ounce bag sells for $24 and hails from Finca Chambaku in Manizales, Columbia. The production of coffee beans from this wet climate is rare, but what survives creates a unique flavor blend of pomegranate, pineapple, banana, and Sauvignon Blanc. A mug of Chambaku in the morning is a more advisable way to start the day than with a glass of wine (but just as decadent, perhaps!).
Can’t get enough light roast in your life? See: The Best Light Roast Coffees on the Market
Medium Roast
The Funky Chicken is more than just a dance. Red Rooster’s Organic Funky Chicken is a crowd-pleasing coffee blend with notes of praline, citrus, dark chocolate torte, and nuts. It’s a complex medium-dark roast sure to please even the pickiest of palates. Plus, it’s available in decaf!
Looking for a classic morning cuppa?
Check out Organic Floyd Farmhouse Breakfast Blend for an affordable $16 per 12-ounce bag. This medium roast brew merges your continental clean coffee with a balance of berry and milk chocolate with hints of almond and strawberry.
Dark Roast
Dark roast coffee fans will enjoy the rich flavor of Organic Starr Hill Stout ($17 per 12-ounce bag). A collaboration between Red Rooster and Starr Hill, this blend has a hint of citrus atop a foundation of dark chocolate and praline.
For those who prefer a powerfully strong French roast, the Organic 4&20 has you covered at $16 per 12-ounce bag. This blend is a simple yet intense mix of spice and chocolate, creating the ideal balance of dark and rich.
Red Rooster Coffee Roaster Options
Red Rooster sells blends or single-origin coffee beans from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Bolivia, El Salvador, and Colombia. You can purchase yours in 12-ounce, two-pound, or five-pound bags or as single-serve. Ethiopia Worka is even available as a Snaphill cold coffee can.
Where to Buy Red Rooster Products
Now that you know you want to check out more of Red Rooster’s offerings, where can you buy these high-quality, naturally sourced signature blends?
The prices and brands we’ve mentioned came directly from the redroostercoffee.com website. However, you can also shop for these products and compare prices on Amazon and Trade.
Shopping on Amazon is straightforward. Type Red Rooster coffee in your search bar, and you’ll find all the options available through this retailer, as well as similar coffees offered by competitors.
Trade makes it a little less overwhelming than Amazon, although going directly to the source at Red Rooster is the most efficient way to order. With Trade, you can set the filters to show you available options by roast (light, light-medium, medium, medium-dark, and dark). However, Trade also lets you filter by flavor, breaking your options down based on tasting note preferences:
- Berry Fruit
- Brown Sugar
- Citrus
- Earthiness
- Florals
- Milk Chocolate
- Nut
- Ripe Fruit
- Roastiness
- Savoriness
- Spice
- Sweet Vanilla
- Tropical Fruit
Choose a shopping site, add your next coffee experience to your cart, and that’s it! Each of these retailers has subscription services, too, so you’ll never run out of your favorite coffee.
Read this before you sign up for Trade: Trade Coffee Subscription Review: Delish or Dud?
Conclusion
Brewed to perfection, we’re placing the Old Crow Cuppa Joe near the top of our favorites list—and you might, too!
Whether you’re looking for more coffee brand reviews, the best syrups, or the right products to brew your ideal cup, check out the rest of our articles at CaffeineCraze.com.
