If your morning jolt of coffee isn't jolting you enough, the folks from Death Wish Coffee are here to help. Off-putting name aside, the company claims to have "found a coffee bean with close to 200% the amount of caffeine as your typical coffee shop coffee."
Death Wish Coffee's website is perhaps predictably adorned with the image of a skull and crossbones and comes with a pointed warning:
Disclaimer: This is not your regular morning coffee. This is not your store bought coffee. You will not find this coffee at your local diner or at your sissy Starbucks. Death Wish Coffee is the most highly caffeinated premium dark roast organic coffee in the world. This is Extreme Coffee, not for the weak. Consider yourself warned.
The company doesn't go into details as to how the bean was found -- or why no one has discovered it until now -- but the website explains that the darker a bean is roasted, the more caffeine is pulled from it. That's why lighter roasts tend to contain more caffeine, and darker roasts less. The owners went on a mission to find the best of both worlds: a dark roast that packs a heavy dose of caffeine.
Regardless of skepticism, at least some people are taking note of the product, including Mallory Winstead for The Dropp. Winstead wrote about her drinking experience on the site, which despite low expectations was positive. And she didn't die, thankfully:
The fullness of the liquid was the first thing to hit my tongue. It was deep, rich and seemed to have layers of intensity. Since it was on ice, a cold rush of complex notes (almost nutty tasting) smoothly slid down my throat, waking me up instantly. The consistency seemed to be creamy even though it was completely unadulterated.
By some standards, Death Wish Coffee is a bit pricey at $19.99 a pound. Compare that to Folger's Classic Roast, which goes for roughly $6.50 a pound or Starbucks' house blend, which goes for $11.95 a pound. It's not so bad, however, when considered against artisanal roasts like Intelligentsia's Java Nica roast, which goes for $20 for 12 oz.
We suppose it would be worth forking over that cash if it really did contain twice as much caffeine as normal roasts. Before committing, skeptics might first want to consider the company's 2 oz. sample size.
