Another area of coffee frequently overlooked by enthusiasts is decaf. I try to drink half-caf where possible for health reasons—and simply because at this stage of my life, I try to stay largely substance-free and thus find anything more than the mildest caffeine buzz unpleasant. While grocery shopping at Trader Joe's tonight, I picked up a container of Trader Joes' Decaf Bay Blend, and, as is my custom, opened it in my car immediately after purchase to take a whiff. It smells darn good! I look forward to blending it with the several varieties of Jeff Roasts I have on hand. Jeff roasts quite light—which gives the coffee an amazing, almost pepper-like aroma—and I like a little more "bass" in my cup, for lack of a better analogy, so I almost always blend his stuff with darker beans (usually decaf).
UPDATE (9/10): The coffee, alas, is stale—not so much that I have to toss it, but enough that I have to use very little of it in a blend so as not to ruin it. Really, it's no better than Folger's Decaf, which I bought in a similar situation (too lazy to go to make another stop for the little bit of decaf I need). It's the only less-than-stellar Trader Joe's experience I've had—I've purchased coffee there that was good, but decaf no doubt sits on the shelf longer.
