I’ve tried Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company coffee before, so when I saw the new Brewed X limited edition light roast blend, I knew I had to give it a try.

Brewed X gets the name from the 17-year cicada Brood X, emerging in 2021. Although you can eat cicadas, there are none in the coffee. This is a smooth and delicious coffee. This coffee is a blend of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and Costa Rican from the Brunca region. The coffee is lightly fruity with a chocolate taste. Some say strawberries and cream.

I also decided to try the limited edition Spring light roast blend. This flavor is a mix of beans from El Salvador and Costa Rica. The coffee states it has “notes of orange blossom honey, macadamia nut and lychee. Lychee is a fruit from a Chinese tree, and I have no idea what it tastes like.

Overall, the Spring limited edition (which is already sold out) has a slight nutty taste, is smooth with a slight aftertaste. I probably rank this last of the ones I tried, but still a good coffee for all morning drinking.

I also threw in a small bag of Kona Macadamia Nut to complete my order. This tastes like it is straight out of Hawaii and oh so delicious. The nutty smell matches the taste, but neither is overpowering. This flavor is a great one to mix in but wouldn’t quite cut it as an every day brew.

Awhile back I tried two bird friendly coffees. One was from Honduras and one from Guatemala. Both are shade grown and certified by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The one from Guatemala had a orange and chocolate taste. The one from Honduras is also chocolaty but with a cherry/honey aftertaste. Both varieties were delicious and recommended.

The locally sourced canisters are beautiful and provide a fun, reusable collectors item. The importance of shade grown coffee can not be understated. Many of the world’s birds are in danger because of habitat loss. Growing coffee without impacting migratory and local bird species is a win for everyone.