I'll try a bag O' Columbian this weekend for schnit'z and grins. Before I roasted my own I always thought Eight O'Clock whole bean was the best stuff in the grocery store if not the whole world. I was a red bag fan - never too keen on the Columbian which I found weak-bodied and acidic. Never being able to totally quit my fascination with EOC coffee, I have found, in the past several years, it varies from pretty good to pretty bad. In years past I always thought it was rock steady - not so, IMO, lately.
blogs.consumerreports adds info about new packaging - not that a new paint job will change the coffee.
"February 04, 2009
A top coffee in our latest report is getting a makeover
Eight O'Clock Coffee MakeoverEight O'Clock Coffee has been around for 150 years, making it older than long-established brands like Maxwell House (1892) and Chock full o'Nuts (1926) as well as relative newcomer Starbucks (1971).
Despite its age, Eight O'Clock remains a fresh choice. In our test of 13 major brands of ground, caffeinated 100 percent Colombian coffees (available to subscribers), we found that Eight O'Clock Coffee 100% Colombian offered the best combination of taste and price. A complex blend of earthy and fruity notes and a bright, pleasing sourness helped distinguish the Eight O'Clock. And at about $6 per pound, it costs much less than several tonier-but-not-tastier coffees."