2023 Mistobox Golden Mug Awards
AMERICA’S FAVORITE SPECIALTY COFFEES OF 2023
We are thrilled to bring you our partner, Mistobox's, 9th Annual Golden Mug Awards. Every year, our friends at Mistobox review the data from all their customer’s reviews and ratings to determine America’s favorite specialty coffees. Based on 15,000+ subscriber reviews, 58 roasters, over 1,200 coffees, and 150,000 data points, they select winners in 10 major categories. These are the coffees and roasters that took home the gold.
Golden Mug Awards
🏆 Best Overall Coffee – Colombia Diego Bermudez P-02 Process from Goshen Coffee
🏆 Best Single Origin – Ethiopia Guji from Kuma Coffee
🏆 Best Blend – Tropical Weather from Onyx Coffee
🏆 Best Espresso – Galactic Standard Espresso from Brandywine Coffee Roasters
🏆 Best Decaf – Organic Decaf from Spyhouse Coffee Roasters
🏆 Best Organic – Driftless Organic Blend from Wonderstate Coffee
🏆 Brew Queue Favorite – Flying Monkey Espresso from PT’s Coffee
🏆 Best Packaging Design – Onyx Coffee Lab
🏆 People’s Choice Favorite Roaster – Red Rooster Coffee
🏆 Roaster of the Year – Goshen Coffee
BEST OVERALL COFFEE
-
Colombia Diego Bermudez P-02 Process— Goshen Coffee
Goshen Coffee roasted America’s favorite coffee of 2023 in Edwardsville, Illinois. In 2023, our subscribers wanted to try more unconventional coffees, and this exceptional offering is anything but ordinary. It was produced by Diego Bermudez at 1,930 meters above sea level in the Cauca region of Colombia on his farm, El Paraiso. This double-washed anaerobic thermal shock fermentation that Diego titled “P-02” requires extreme precision and patience. Read more about Diego Bermudez and this unique processing method here.
“Really unique coffee. Never tasted something with such heavy tropical notes. Very heavy on the mango. Works really well for straight espresso or as an americano..Overall, this would be a go-to for espresso straight.”—Jackson
“This is one of the most vibrant, fruity, and interesting coffees I’ve received in my recent memory! Aroma of tropical fruit upon pouring the bloom, and a balanced, sweet brew with a complex fermented base and mildly boozy finish. This one is downright a pleasure to brew and drink!”—Jacob
“This is the best cup of coffee I’ve had in a year. I’m blown away.”—William
As is the nature of exclusive single-origin micro-lots, this coffee is no longer available, but you can try Goshen’s current lineup of award-winning coffees here.
BEST SINGLE ORIGIN
-
Ethiopia Guji from Kuma Coffee
Our highest-rated single-origin golden mug award goes to Kuma Coffee for their Ethiopia Guji, a vibrant offering sourced from Ethiopia’s Guji coffee-growing region. Bright citrus, juicy tropical fruits, raspberry, and floral aromatics made this the most beloved single-origin coffee of 2023.
“One of my favorite. Syrupy sweetness. Balanced with a complex level of flavors of earl grey tea, lemon, berries, tropical fruit, etc.”—Misae
“Light with a zesty floral scent and a slight lemon flavor. This tastes like no coffee I’ve ever had and it’s absolutely a good thing. I can’t stop drinking it.”—Matt
BEST BLEND
-
Tropical Weather from Onyx Coffee
America’s favorite blend of 2023 is Onyx Coffee’s Tropical Weather. Generally speaking, single origins highlight acidity and the fruitier aspects of a coffee. At the same time, blends are typically known for their balance and are created with a flavor profile already in mind. Tropical Weather offers the best of both worlds by accentuating the origins within the blend and developing the coffee in a way that appeals to a wider variety of consumers. It is perfect for drip/filter brewing but also performs well in an espresso machine for those who enjoy a bright and lively coffee.
Onyx takes a washed offering that provides delicate florals and juicy texture and incorporates a natural processed coffee that promotes pungent fruits and natural sugars. The result is indeed better than the sum of its parts. Tropical Weather is your cup of sunshine if you miss the long summer days. With a floral aroma, notes of berries and plum, and the tannins and sweetness of sweet tea, you’ll leave the house wearing shorts all year long.
“Coffee was excellent brewed in Chemex with a 1:15 ratio, very fruity notes.”—Andrey
“Lovely soft tannins. Sweet frangipane, pastry, aromatic plum. Silky smooth. Lower-acid.”—Nicholas
Try Tropical Weather Shop Onyx Coffee
BEST ESPRESSO
-
Galactic Standard Espresso from Brandywine Coffee Roasters
An espresso roast is not a degree of roast (light, medium, dark) but rather a roasting method that suits the espresso brewing process. In this demanding brewing method, pressure is used to extract a small yet concentrated amount of coffee, which we call espresso (or liquid gold). Galactic Standard from Brandywine was created to do just that.
Mistobox espresso drinkers chose a light and fruity flavor profile for their favorite espresso of 2023. The espresso blend consists of coffees from Colombia and Ethiopia and will produce shots of stardust space magic in your cup. Reminiscent of mixed berry pie with a really syrupy body, this vibrant espresso can stand alone or take all your milk drinks to another galaxy!
“One of the best espressos I’ve had. Brewed with a Breville Barista Pro. Works best for straight espresso but I also enjoyed it in lattes and cappuccinos.”—Jackson
“Description is accurate: Berries, citrus, bright. One of the best light roast espressos we’ve tried!”—Edward
“Delicate and delicious”—Matthias
Try Galactic Standard Shop Brandywine
BEST DECAF
-
Organic Decaf from Spyhouse Coffee Roasters
Spyhouse Coffee Roasters wins Best Decaf of 2023. Their Organic Decaf offering was a fan favorite for espresso and drip coffee lovers, offering classic and comforting nuances of cocoa, pastry, and subtle citrus.
“This was one of my favorite ones I’ve had recently! Bold delicious flavors.” —Cara
“Mellow and yummy!”—Timothy
“Very good! Deeper flavor than expected.”—Erica
BEST ORGANIC COFFEE
-
Driftless Organic Blend from Wonderstate Coffee
The Best Organic coffee of 2023 goes to Wonderstate Coffee for the Organic Driftless Blend. This is a certified organic blend of seasonal coffees from Latin America that rotate throughout the year. It is consistently rich, full-bodied, and hearty, with dark chocolate and roasty qualities in the cup. Add this to your brew queue if you enjoy a darker roast that is equally consistent and complex.
“It’s my favorite ever!!!!!! It’s smooth, but has depth, and just a hint of molasses or something bittersweet. Remarkable espresso! Super smooth and velvety.”—Jane
“I loved this coffee! It had an excellent flavor of cocoa, and might be my favorite!”—John
BREW QUEUE FAVORITE
Flying Monkey Espresso from PT’s Coffee Roasting Company
Since Mistobox added their vaunted Brew Queue feature, which allows folks to add coffees of their choosing to their line-up, they've recognized that some coffees are in higher demand. This year PT’s Flying Monkey Espresso was the most sought-after coffee by Mistobox subscribers. Simple and straightforward, this coffee was intentionally blended to appeal to a wide audience of coffee lovers. Featuring notes of smooth chocolate, honey, and graham cracker, this three-bean medium roast espresso blend creates a beautiful harmony of flavors with enough depth to show off in long milk drinks.
“Loved it! One of our favorites! Send again please!”—Josephine
“An excellent espresso, did great in our Breville Barista Express.”—Emily
“This is a good bean. Gets better as it ages from roast date. Followed roaster’s recommendation, but needed a much coarser grind on the Breville Barista Pro, when dosing at 20g to get a yield of 38-42g. Went down to grind size 11 with a dose of 18g. You can taste the graham cracker notes towards the end of the latte.”—Angelo
BEST PACKAGING DESIGN
-
Onyx Coffee Lab📍Springdale, Arkansas
This year, Mistobox added a design category to the mix and asked their followers to vote for one roaster with the best drip (the best-dressed beans). This golden mug award for best design goes to the roaster with the best coffee packaging, and the winner is . . . Onyx Coffee Lab!
PEOPLES CHOICE FAVORITE ROASTER
-
Red Rooster Coffee📍Floyd, Virginia
The People’s Choice Award for the 2023 Mistobox Favorite Roaster goes to Red Rooster Coffee! This award is nominated and decided on by Mistobox's followers.
Red Rooster Coffee is a small family-run business tucked in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. The company operates on four basic tenets – caring for its employees, farmers, environment, and community. Along the way, they purchase and roast amazing coffees, paying high premiums to producers worldwide and roasting to exacting standards, all while limiting waste and packaging their coffee in biodegradable bags. What more can you ask for?
ROASTER OF THE YEAR
-
Goshen Coffee Roasters📍Edwardsville, Illinois
Congratulations to the team at Goshen Coffee for being Mistobox's 2023 Roaster of the Year! Goshen couldn’t stop at winning this year’s Golden Mug Award for best coffee, and had to take home the gold for best roaster as well! Check out their current lineup and add a coffee to your brew queue – you won’t be disappointed. This award always goes to the roaster with the highest average reviews from all of their coffees for the year, and the competition was fierce. Mistobox's 58 incredible roasters raise the bar every year. Goshen Coffee, out of Edwardsville, Illinois, continues to set and raise that bar.
Goshen Coffee Company was founded in the small college town of Edwardsville, Illinois, in 2002. Founded on the principle that great specialty coffee should be accessible to all, Goshen takes pride in being a family-owned and operated business and treats everyone as part of the family. This year, they won a Good Food Award for their Burundi Gahahe Cima Natural, a unique coffee that used Cima yeast to help amplify flavors through the coffee’s fermentation process.
Thanks for reviewing Mistobox’s specialty coffee Golden Mug Award winners of 2023. Be sure to rate and review your coffees in 2024. Next year, your favorite coffee could take home the gold 🥇.
