The last time we met, I told you guys about the Ninja Narwhals and their journey to become a business built on social entrepreneurship and damn good coffee. Not to mention the quest to stop insidious coffee drippage with the No Drip Sip (only a couple days left to back it!).

Now, I get to tell you exactly how their roasters are chosen and how you can find your coffee unicorn. As a bonus, we are also doing a giveaway. I’ll get to that at the end. Let’s start with the origin of The Coffee Unicorn, plus a review of Tap Dancer and Copper Canyon Coffee.

The Order is comprised of the Ninja Narwhal team. The Origin of the Ninja Narwhal explains it best, but basically they seek out the best coffee roasters and approach them with the promise of safety and protection for their marvelously, high-quality coffee. It is not the norm for roasters to contact Ninja Narwhal. You don’t find them; they find you. Like ninjas. If your coffee meets their standards, you might receive this:
The Chosen

These posters only reach the hands of companies that The Order has deemed worthy of their protection (and it certainly stands out  from your everyday contact). I think Darold says it best:

“Our future marketing efforts will be to continue to narrow our focus on specific roasters ‘The Order’ deems worthy. Of course in the real world that means things such as great coffee, great service, great presentation, great website, great reviews… but from the perspective of ‘The Legend’ that is all in context with ‘The Order’s’ approval.”

The Coffee Unicorn is a completely different animal (slight pun intended). It is the system they use to help you find your personal Coffee Unicorn: the perfect cup, best blend, best roast, at the right price. You choose from a series of options, and the coffee that’ll float your boat shows up. You are also able to select which flavor notes you enjoy, or not, where it’s grown, and how it is processed. Like so:

Find Your Coffee Unicorn

The Review:

Copper Canyon Coffee Company
Copper Canyon Coffee Company comes out of Springfield, MO. They are small batch roasters that start with beans that are single origin from the Americas, the Pacific, India, and Africa. They are Fair Trade and although not a certified organic roaster, they do roast organically and separate. They are pesticide, herbicide, and chemical-free. Copper Canyon also sells a variety of teas.

Price: $6.95-14.95. Low to middle of the road prices.

Coffees:

Copper Canyon 1

  • Ethiopia: Very nutty, earthy flavor. Very little acidity with a slight blueberry flavor. Subtle smokiness.
  • Tall, Dark, & Handsome: Slightly fruity flavor with hints of caramel and chocolate. Overall sweetness with a little bit of acidity.

2 Specialties:

Copper Canyon 2

 

  • O Cannon Baum: Smokey, nutty aroma. Bolder flavor with a bite of acidity and a touch of bitterness.
  • Columbia Geisha: Citrus notes with a sweet and fruity aroma. Some acidity with a clean finish.

Tap Dancers Specialty Coffee

Tap Dancers Specialty Coffee comes out of Omaha, Nebraska. They seek out specialty coffee growers and their motto is, “If it is something we are not willing to drink ourselves or serve to our friends, then we will not purchase the coffee.” Their coffee selection changes frequently depending on the quality of the beans. Tap Dancers only sells whole bean.

Price: $7.50 – 65.00. The price varies according to quantity, which ranges from 6 K-cups to 6 or 12 oz. to 5 lbs. Buy what you want at a frequency you want.

Coffees:
Tom Dancer sent me the same bean roasted two different ways and let me tell you, it makes a huge difference. Same bean, completely different flavors.

Tap Dancers

        • Guatemalan Isidro Medley- Specialty Roast: My personal favorite. Rich caramel and chocolate flavor. Slightly nutty with a smooth, clean taste.
        • Guatemalan Isidro Medley- Dark Roast: Subtle fruit notes with a little bit of chocolate nuttiness. Very smooth with no bitterness.

The Giveaway:

And finally, what y’all have been waiting for, The Giveaway. These companies do nothing half-way so they gave us TWO (2) $100 gift certificates for one of you lucky readers to win. $200 to spend on whatever your coffee-loving heart desires. How excited are you?!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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