Central Coffee is an environmentally friendly coffee roaster in Rapphannock county, Va. When visiting this establishment I have been greeted by friendly easy conversation with the staff and what is possibly the best smelling, best tasting coffee I have had.

I have purchased bags of the Kenyan and the Panama. Both were excellent. I found the Panama to have notes of raw chocolate, not the usual refined sweetened chocolate. This was a welcome change from the candy like quality of a chocolate “flavored” coffee.

The thing that separates Central from a coffee like Starbucks is that it simply is coffee. I have always felt that Starbucks tries too hard to be a “gourmet” coffee. It loses something in that. Central Coffee Roasters is, to my palate, a coffee that doesn’t try to be good coffee. It simply is good coffee by virtue of what it is and how it is made. It’s cheaper than Starbucks…and it’s better!

This is probably your coffee stop if you are planning a trip through the Blue Ridge or are staying in a local B and B.