Review: Rival Bros Coffee Whistle and Cuss

(2024) It’s not often a medium blend comes through the doors of the creakybottombracket.com office, especially in winter. But Philadelphia-based Rival Bros Coffee made its way into our service course during bike work, and it warmed some of the coldest days of February. A blend of Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia beans, the medium roast label called Whistle and Cuss was brewed using both drip and Chemex pours. 

Rival Bros Coffee is Philadelphia based. It’s not just based in Philly, but it’s owned by two natives who pursued various opportunities before returning to the city. Committed to the best coffee experience possible, Rival Bros Coffee currently offers eight caffeinated bean varieties as well as two canned coffee offerings. They also offer a remarkable amount of loose tea. Their three Philly locations are coffee houses in the morning before switching over to a cocktail bars serving New Liberty Distillery libations. Cyclists who have ridden in Europe will feel at home to the detail paid by Rival Bros Coffee owners.

We turn our attention to Whistle and Cuss, Rival Bros Coffee medium blend that advertises cupping notes of malt, dark chocolate, and citrus. The blend appears to be a permanent fixture to the roast schedule. Meanwhile the bikes in our service course needed some attention on cold February days. We put the medium roast to the test amidst difficult conditions, residing on work benches holding sentinel.

There were numerous aspects about Whistle and Cuss, but the standalone trait was its low acidity. This is a coffee that can be consumed well into the afternoon without the concerns of later day jolts to keep one wide-eyed in bed. The blend was smooth, avoiding those harsher acidic coffees. This accompanied the repair shop beautifully. The cupping notes were secondary, a bit faint, but those hints of dark chocolate came through. The citrus flavor always tastes refreshing in coffee, and this blend is no exception. It’s a smooth, dependable cup of coffee.

We always like to keep the coffee selection as local as possible, and we’re especially excited when a roaster brings quality. Sipping Rival Bros Coffee while wrenching bikes, watching the snow fall, prepping for work in the morning, or simply to cross over the afternoon into evening is a roaster we can get behind. On top of that, a ride into the city from our office would be a great day out. Until that route is laid out, we’ll settle for sipping Rival Bros Coffee medium blend Whistle and Cuss.