Can of Joe (Pouches) - Review. 28 March 2023.

Our buddy The Outlaw Dipper from YouTube is back again with another new product release.  Today, we're checking out his new Can of Joe Pouches.  We've reviewed some of his dip products here before, but these are different - they contain caffeine instead of nicotine.  I know he has another caffeine product line in the Outlaw Dip Company called "Ironside", but I haven't tried those products.  Can of Joe is called "The Working Man's Dip", and this is how they describe the line:  "Can Of Joe is for coffee loving dippers trying to quit smokeless tobacco who can't find an alternative with a viable combination of taste and buzz. Luckily for you, there's now a solution that gives you the delicious taste, the caffeine kick and the authentic experience without the overwhelming coffee taste, artificial ingredients or cheap packaging. Can Of Joe is the most unique coffee dip on the market. It's made with all-natural food-grade ingredients that give you an energy boost while allowing the unique flavors to dominate your tastebuds and help YOU dominate your day".  

We have 6 flavors on deck today to check out:  Wintergreen, Mocha, Irish Cream, Hazelnut, Black, and French Vanilla.  All of these are coffee inspired flavors, but these aren't your everyday "coffee pouches", they're actually quite different.

I'm not sure what to call these, because "coffee pouches" doesn't seem to fit.  Yes, these are coffee flavors, however, this product does not contain coffee.  I was surprised when I got these cans to read on the side that they contain black tea leaf instead of ground coffee.  The Outlaw Dip Company explains this decision by saying that because they "use a black tea base rather than coffee grounds, our leaf soaks up all the goods rather than leaving it out to dry with traditional coffee grounds. This makes our coffee pouch flavors longer lasting, moist, and a much fuller flavor profile!"  The pouches are plump, and quite moist.  They have a great mouthfeel, and a quick flavor release.  They also have a decent flavor longevity, lasting about 40-45 minutes each, on average.  A can weighs in at 26 grams and has 15 pouches, weighing 1.73g each.  Note, this is close to what a dip pouch weighs, but a little over.  There's also 100mg of caffeine per pouch, and that packs quite a hit.

Can of Joe Wintergreen

Flavor Description:  "If you like that DARK Wintergreen taste then these dip pouches are for you! A wintergreen blend mixed with our robust coffee flavor".

Review:  Opening the can, a present aroma of wintergreen comes through with a subtle sweetness to it.  The coffee smell in the background is interesting, and adds a dark, roasted type of presence to the aroma.  These taste quite good.  The coffee and wintergreen flavors pair really well.  The dark, toasty tobacco base is complimented by a present, lightly sweet taste of wintergreen.  The flavor description does draw comparisons to a certain "dark wintergreen" (I suspect this made be a reference to Grizzly's, which I reviewed here before), and honestly, I think that comparison is quite apt with the combination of the dark coffee with the wintergreen.  

Can of Joe Mocha

Flavor Description:  "Our notes of espresso and chocolate go perfectly with each other to give you a Dark, Sweet and Rich taste".

Review:  Opening the can, I get a big presence of rich coffee.  It's dark, and sweet, and has nice tones of chocolate to it.  In the flavor profile, the coffee and chocolatey tones mix pretty well together.  The chocolate is a milder one, closer to a mild chocolate type of flavor.  The rich notes of coffee work well the chocolatey base, providing a smooth, rich flavor profile!

Can of Joe Irish Cream

Flavor Description:  "A velvety mouthfeel with notes of sweet creme and vanilla and of course Irish Cream Whiskey! All of that mixed with our robust coffee flavor".

Review:  Opening the can, I can pick out tones of whiskey up front, along with a mild, subtle vanilla, and gentle dark coffee tones.  The flavor profile is really good.  All these flavor elements mix well together.  Whiskey and vanilla are always good bedfellows, but adding in the rich, dark coffee flavor profile....it's quite nice.  This is probably one of my favorite ones out of the bunch so far.

Can of Joe Hazelnut

Flavor Description:  "Our Hazelnut is sweet with musty and earthy notes.  Hints of roasted nuts and sweet coffee beans".

Review:  This one is interesting.  The aroma is earthy, slightly nutty, with a roasted coffee smell to it.  It's not super sweet, but it does have a touch of sweetness to it.  The flavor is a pretty well balanced one.  It's not "bland" or "boring", but it's milder, and more subdued than the others, if that makes sense.  The coffee character is present, but gentle.  There's a little nuttiness to it, and an earthy presence.  "Well balanced" is the phrase that comes to mind most with this flavor.

Can of Joe French Vanilla

Flavor Description:  "It’s like a dark creamy vanilla custard.  A combination of Butterscotch, caramel and hazelnut".

Review:  I love vanilla, but it's a flavor that can be done horribly, or done well.  I didn't know which to expect with this one.  Thankfully, this one was on the better end.  The vanilla aroma on this one is creamy, and sweet.  It sits atop the coffee but doesn't overtake it.  In the flavor profile, the vanilla and coffee match each other pretty well.  The vanilla is smooth, and sweet.  The coffee is rich, but not overbearing.  The tastes go pretty well together!

Can of Joe Black

Flavor Description:  "The perfect mix of mild bitterness and semi sweet. Notes of burnt beans and lots of bitterness".

Review:  Last up, we're going to check out the "Black" flavor, which I presume is just the straight-up coffee profile.  In the aroma, it is just that:  coffee.  The coffee aroma is dark, and roasted.  There is a faint sweetness to it, but it's very dialed back.  In the taste, it's like the aroma, a straightforward black coffee taste.  It's dark, it's toasty, and it has a very, very faint sweetness to it.  But this is one that is definitely for folks who like their coffee black.  

Rating and Final Thoughts

Going into these, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I mean, how do you make coffee pouches without coffee?  In the end, I was pleasantly surprised to see they captured a nice coffee flavor without using actual coffee. My favorites were Irish cream (3.67/5), Wintergreen (3.67/5) and French Vanilla (3.58/5).  Black, Hazelnut and Mocha weren't bad (3.5/5), but I preferred the others a bit more.  But again, I'm not a coffee drinker, so I generally look to the top flavor notes and how coffee pairs with them.  If you're interested in grabbing some for yourself, hit up their website and grab some!  

On a personal note, Outlaw is a fellow content creator much like myself who has his own brands (much like my Artisan brand), and I always suggest supporting folks who create content and invest their lives into this, because it's a great way to help them keep doing what they're doing.  He's been doing this slightly longer than I have, so show him some love, grab some cans!