How’s it going? Hope the coffee is flowing! Today, I am bringing you another review from a vendor I’ve really enjoyed visiting each year at the Pennsylvania Chocolate and Coffee Festival. This week, I am brewing Third Horse Coffee’s Assateague Dark Roast.
The Roaster
Based in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, Third Horse Coffee was founded in 2023 by Mark and Beth Kessler with the mission of helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. You can read about their story and mission here, but the short version is they adopted a child with developmental delays and when trying to help him find work they realized how little opportunity there was. They decided to take action and start a coffee company to create these opportunities themselves for their son and others who have developmental delays.
I was looking forward to catching up with Mark again at the festival this year, especially to hear how their mission of opening a coffee shop was progressing. Naturally, I was also excited to try more of their excellent coffee. This year, I came home with their House Decaf and a bag of Assateague, so let’s see how it compares to both that and their Guatemalan roast.
When rating coffee I follow the same method of brewing each time. Find out about how I prepare French Press coffee here.
Third Horse Coffee Assateague Review
Characteristics and Flavor Profile
GrindingAssateague brought forward a distinct citrusy fruitiness with a mild sweetness.
| Third Horse Coffee Assateague | French Press | Pour-Over |
| Aroma | Sublty sweet and roasty | Sweet with distinct notes of honey |
| Body | Medium body, relatively light for a dark roast | Medium body |
| Start | Bold and coffee forward, delicious and roasty | A pop of citrus with dark chocolate undertones, tartness from the citrus and rich cacao from the dark chocolate |
| Middle | Rich dark chocolatey notes, cacao focused with a touch of sweetness | Dark chocolate notes come forward with a slight sweetness |
| Finish | Dark chocolatey notes remain with a strong honey-like sweetness providing a good balance | Sweeter slightly sugary finish, with a touch of cacao remaining from the dark chocolate |
Overall Thoughts
Overall, this was an outstanding cup of coffee, packed with flavor while remaining smooth and easy to drink. The French Press produced rich, well-balanced flavors that were delicious, even though they were not overly complex. The Chemex, on the other hand, added a layer of complexity by highlighting fruity notes and enhanced sweetness. This coffee would be a crowd-pleaser that any coffee drinker could enjoy. It’s simple enough to appeal to a casual drinker, while offering bold flavors that an enthusiast would appreciate.
I preferred Assateague brewed with my pour-over, as I felt it highlighted the flavors more. I also enjoyed the added complexity from the fruity notes.
Where to Purchase
You can purchase Third Horse Coffee’s Assateague Dark Roast, along with the rest their coffee, on their website. At a price of $16.99 (about $22.65 per pound), it is a good value especially for an organic coffee. You can also get a 2-pound bag for $37.99 (about $18.99 per pound) or a 5-pound bag for $81.99 (about $16.20 per pound), which is a pretty incredible price for freshly roasted organic coffee!
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