I’ll sell you coffee at the end of this blog post

Okay, weird thing.

But if you’re a coffee drinker, have you noticed that copy for the coffee market is like … out of control?

See, I’m a bigger fan of coffee than the average (cup of) Joe, living in Portland and all.

It was here that I discovered the magic of a pourover.

… The beauty of espresso.

… And the anxiety-inducing right of passage that is cold brew concentrate over ice.

I even took a cupping class once because I wanted to understand flavor profiles better.

Anyway. I have this subscription to a company called Trade.

Basically, you take this quiz about what coffees you like and don’t like, roast levels, how adventurous you are, etc. And then they match you with a new coffee from a different roaster around the country, that they deliver every week or two or three.

It’s fluffin’ awesome.

Now … if you’re NOT into coffee, one of the things that roasters do on their bags (and in emails, print copy et al) is describe different “tasting notes.”

10 years ago, they were really tame and the descriptions were straightforward. You’d read simple things like: “Chocolate, Smoky, Bold.”

But over the years, I’ve watched this market evolve … and noticed the bag descriptions have gotten … kind of crazy?

Here are a few ACTUAL coffee descriptions I’ve seen recently:

“Jammy Berry Sweetness, Sticky Body, And a Kiss of Cocoa”

“Ripe Plums, Raisinet Candy; As it Cools, a Refreshing Strawberry Marg”

And even …

“Key Lime Pie and Fresh Lime Juice; Sugary, Fruity Cereal; What Frolicking Through a Flower Garden Would Taste Like”

(Seriously. That’s for ONE bag.)

This evolution is wild. But it totally works. Because it’s a perfect example of a market “maturing” out of older claims and craving newer, bolder, more exciting claims.

Like, what’s more exciting: “Chocolate” … or … “Ripe Plums and a Refreshing Strawberry Marg”?

You get my point. If you look at tasting notes as the sales copy for bags of coffee, basic claims worked at first.

But coffee drinkers grew tired and apathetic towards the old claims, descriptors, flavors.

So the roasters and cafes and subscription services selling to this market leveled up to more strange, unique, and bold claims.

This is the idea of market sophistication in a nutshell. And if you study the progression of nearly any market over time, it follows a similar trajectory.

Anyway. That's enough about that. I’ve been writing for an hour and I haven’t even had MY coffee yet.

So it's time to deliver on my subject line promise: 

If you’re a coffee lover and you want to check out Trade, you can use my referral code here to get your first bag for free.

I’m not affiliated with the company (just truly love it) but it is cool that you get a free bag of coffee, and I earn a $15 credit.

Lmk if you like it. ☕️

Not a coffee fan? Sign up for my daily emails instead.

David Patrick