Note: Karuba is the name of Kwik Star’s private label coffee.
By Emmett McMenamy
Photos: Duane Tinkey
You’ve probably noticed: Gas stations are stepping up their coffee game. Long gone are the days of a single pot of sludge that’ll make you rethink how badly you need the caffeine. These days, you’ll find fancy self-serve machines with built-in bean grinders, multiple blends, cold brews, flavored cappuccinos and more.
All of the big chains in Central Iowa now offer loyalty programs to pull in customers on the daily. Earlier this year, for example, Casey’s offered its Casey’s Rewards members free servings of its “Darn Good Coffee” in eight options ranging from its Casey’s Country House Blend to a buzzy potion called “Rooster’s Call High Caffeine.”
All these newfangled machines are handy if you’re in a pinch and need a quick cup of joe. But let’s get real: Is the coffee actually good?
We decided to find out. We conducted a blind taste test with the help of three local baristas from Daisy Chain Coffee, Friedrichs Coffee and Mars Cafe. We also enlisted longtime Business Record reporter Michael Crumb, whose deadline-driven career has been fueled by gallons of coffee over the years.
In the hour before the test, we visited four convenience stores — Kwik Star, Kum & Go, QuikTrip and Casey’s — to gather the house blend and Colombian roast from self-serve machines at each location. Back in the newsroom, we served samples in unmarked cups and asked each panelist to take notes and score each sample on a scale from 1 (nasty) to 5 (delicious).
While none of the samples scored a perfect 5, several options won solid marks from the connoisseurs. The winner, by just a drop or two, was Kwik Star’s Colombian roast, with a composite score of 3.28.
Check out all the comments and scores below.
KWIK STAR COLOMBIAN
★★★ 3.28
Watery appearance. Thinner. Mild — lacked flavor. — Michael Crumb
Smells faintly sweet. Tastes like vanilla, light caramel, watery, simple syrup. — Lucas Jensen
Sweet mango tea taste, very balanced sweetness. Slightly watery. — Kirk Phillips
Vanilla flavor, sweet. — Ozzy Vega
KWIK STAR HOUSE BLEND
★★★ 3
Thin, weak, watery, not much flavor. — Michael Crumb
Smells nutty/chocolate, tastes like peanuts, chocolate, a little bit of smoke/dirt, oaky. — Lucas Jensen
Roasty, caramel aroma. Watered down, inoffensive, tea-like thin quality. — Kirk Phillips
Watery, drinkable, would add cream. — Ozzy Vega
KUM & GO COLOMBIAN
★★ 2.75
Darker in color. Smoother. Slight bittery aftertaste. — Michael Crumb
Smells like nothing. Tastes like burnt fruit, sour/tangy, dirty. — Lucas Jensen
Too cold to get a proper aroma. Acidic, middle of the road, roasty. — Kirk Phillips
Plum flavor, smooth body. — Ozzy Vega
KUM & GO HOUSE BLEND
★★ 2.75
Dark in appearance. Bitter. A little fruit. Slightly sour. — Michael Crumb
Smells like charcoal. Tastes like smoky, burnt sugar, very thin/weak. — Lucas Jensen
Sweet pleasant aroma. Very nutty, acrid aftertaste, acidic mouthfeel. — Kirk Phillips
Bold, strong, citrus. — Ozzy Vega
QUIKTRIP COLOMBIAN
★★ 2.75
Darker — smooth but slightly bitter. Nutty. Mild. — Michael Crumb
Smells like a car dealership. Tastes like smoke, wood, dark chocolate. — Lucas Jensen
Undiscernable aroma. Watery, acrid aftertaste, tea-like mouth feel. — Kirk Phillips
Watery, caramel/artificial taste. — Ozzy Vega
CASEY’S COLOMBIAN
★★ 2.5
Darker, bolder color, more bitter, nutty, a little stronger. — Michael Crumb
Smells like motor oil. Tastes like motor oil. Green bell peppers, soil. — Lucas Jensen
Caramel aroma. Acidic, slight roasty aftertaste, stays on my tongue. — Kirk Phillips
Bitter, sour flavor, burnt. — Ozzy Vega
CASEY’S HOUSE BLEND
★★ 2.25
More nutty, but very mild, a bit bitter, strong aftertaste. — Michael Crumb
Smells like nothing. Tastes like smoke, earthy, and rubbery. — Lucas Jensen
No aroma. Thick mouthfeel, roasty and dry, slight nut quality. — Kirk Phillips
Flavorful, sweet. — Ozzy Vega
QUIKTRIP HOUSE BLEND
★★ 2.25
Smoother, bolder flavor, not bitter, no aftertaste. Slightly nutty. — Michael Crumb
Smells like wood. Tastes like bonfire, earthy, burnt sugar, thin/weak. — Lucas Jensen
Subdued sweet aroma. Watered down, poor extraction, roasty bite, tea-like. — Kirk Phillips
Watery, weak. — Ozzy Vega
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