New Mexico’s largest coffee roaster, New Mexico Piñon Coffee started over 20 years ago “with a 15 lb roaster in the bed of a red 1952 Chevy pick-up truck.” They are in Albuquerque and have a retail store as well as an online presence.

With almost 30 flavors, there are plenty of options to choose from. If you prefer light you could try Blonde Piñon. Dark favorites include Dark Piñon, Adobe Midnight and Route 66 or Bust.

Some locally inspired options include Piñon Fudge, Essence of Santa Fe, Mexican Spiced Chocolate, Tantalizing Taos Blend, and Biscochito. Biscochito has “notes of sugar, cinnamon, and anise” and takes its name from New Mexico’s State Cookie. How sweet is it to even have a state cookie!

You can also purchase Bizco-Bites (mini biscochitos), pistachios, pancake mix, cocoa, and even salsa!

New Mexico Piñon Coffee Marketing and Branding

New Mexico Piñon Coffee has a nice selection of merchandise including some pretty cool looking mugs (we love mugs). They have shirts, coffee makers, lotion, and even soap.

They are active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, although surprisingly they do not have many followers on the latter. There is also a blog with regular updates and a handful of videos on YouTube.

Unfortunately, this great coffee brand does not seem to be that well known outside of New Mexico. Incidentally, we discovered them at a Trader Joe’s in the Chicago ‘burbs near home.

Taste Review: Traditional Piñon

Flavor Profile: NUTTY

This is NMPC’s trademark coffee and for good reason. It is a medium roast that features Arabica coffee. As expected, the Traditional Piñon is full of nuttiness: the flavor of piñon.

The delicious aroma from Traditional Piñon grabs attention right away. The first sips awaken the mind and you are met with a woody, somewhat bitter flavor. As you drink that first cup, the smoothness takes over and the pinon taste really comes through.

The aroma intensity is high and higher than the taste which is medium high.

More About Piñon Nuts

Pinon nuts are not really nuts at all but are seeds found in the cones of piñon trees. These small pine trees grow in the southwest, mostly in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada but also in mountain states like Utah, Colorado, and even Idaho. Piñon trees provide a valuable food source for wildlife as well as humans.

Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) are aptly named as they love to feast on piñon seeds and pine nuts in general. Expect a visit if you go camping in their range as Pinyon Jays are social birds. They would likely be coffee drinkers if they had the chance.