Review: Floyd’s of Leadville Stage 17 Dark Roast

(2019) Seventeen is the number of cycling lore. For Floyd’s of Leadville, the company’s coffee name harkens back to the Tour de France stage where Floyd Landis, a Pennsylvania cyclist, erased one of the largest deficits in the race’s modern history. Now a leading CBD company, Floyd’s of Leadville adds coffee to their ever-expanding lineup. Does the coffee named after one of the most famed - and notorious - stages live up to the name?

In 2006, after the departure of Lance Armstrong left a void in American participation in the Tour de France, an American from Pennsylvania farm country was thrust onto global coverage of the ‘Grande Boucle’. On stage 16, the American favorite had a bad day and lost ten minutes to the leaders. He was expected to melt back into the peloton and think about next year. Maybe he would have a go on stage 17 to save face, but what followed was unexpected by everyone.

Floyd Landis shot out of the starting gates of stage 17 and was left to his own devices. Nobody had reason to fret over the Phonak rider so recently demolished with five gigantice climbs on the day’s profile. Yet time splits trickled back that Landis was not exploding as they thought he would. He was getting hotter, a reverse meteorite, a Saturn V rocket targeting deep into the solar system. His time gaps cleaved the damage from the previous day. He crossed the line that day thirty seconds from the yellow jersey. Each stage afterwards he finished the job and won the 2006 Tour de France. Just as quickly as he regained the jersey, it was yanked off him after failing a sample from stage 17. The rest, they say, is history. The meteorite boomeranged violently back to earth.

Say what you want, the stage 17 of the 2006 Tour de France was a remarkable study in pain management and retribution.

Now a head of a gigantic CBD company, Floyd’s of Leadville, Floyd Landis markets his products toward the cycling enthusiast as well as CBD allegiant looking to alleviate body pains with homeopathic remedies. Landis swears by his products, citing a huge crash in his career that led to heavy self-medication for pain and depression. Among the products, Floyd’s of Leadville sells gels, tinctures, tonics, drink mixes, balms, gems, and bars. Floyd’s of Leadville even brags of a pet shop. Recently they added coffee to the mix.

Infused with THC-free CBD, Floyd’s of Leadville teams up with Lion Head Coffee roasters from Granby, CO, to offer Stage 17 Dark Roast. Two tablespoons of coffee delivers 15 mgs of CBD properties to help deliver antioxidants in the drink cyclists consume best. Floyd’s of Leadville advertises the CBD properties will alleviate pain, help with relaxation, and serve up a cup without jitters. We decided to take their claims at face value.

Our first impressions were excitement and admiration. Floyd’s of Leadville prioritize their labeling over the Lion Head roasting packaging. The zip closure is convenient for scooping and resealing. The stout bag and one-way valve show this is no half-ditch effort. The aroma of Arabica beans are enticing but not overwhelming. The beans are just right on the scale of moisture. The dramatic Floyd’s of Leadville banners dominate the sides of the bag.

We could not wait for the first experience of Stage 17 Dark Roast. The morning cup was polished off in no time on account of a winter storm. Curiously the house chores were completed in no time. The flavor was smooth without a hint of acidity common in dark roast. Maybe we could climb on the trainer after folding laundry? The roast’s flavor remained in the cup and lingered only briefly. Perhaps we could climb on the trainer, ride Alpe du Zwift, and erase a ten-minute deficit. The jet engines were warming up. 

Our day progressed with regard to the coffee’s effects on our mental well-being. As with other quality coffee, we experienced clarity and focus. The afternoon test came with a slight variable. Studies have shown coffee six hours or fewer before bed can cause sleep disruption. The late afternoon cup, albeit smaller in size, was polished off with alacrity. We had a sneaking suspicion the coffee from the morning was still pulsing our veins. We added a few more jet engines to our aircraft. Let’s do Alpe du Zwift! Let’s give our friends fifteen minutes’ advantage.

We found Floyd’s of Leadville Stage 17 quite enjoyable for a coffee collaboration between a roaster and a CBD specialist. As we drank cup after cup we had a couple of reservations. The first was price. Strictly speaking from a coffee stand point at thirty dollars for a 12 ounce bag, the price is nearly half we pay for the five pound bag of our favorite dark roast blend always occupying our office coffee pot. If the price is that high, we wonder if the bags will rotate regularly leading to our second reservation: the lack of a roast date on the bag. We believe a bag roasted around two-weeks prior is the best timing. Even the snap code on the bag didn’t yield roasting information. Considering how many people seek out Floyd’s for the quality CBD - 500 mg to be exact - the price won’t be a concern. 

Just how jet intake was Floyd’s on our first day? We struggled a bit to fall asleep at our normal time. The Lion Head Coffee roast kept us firing equally the second day in lieu of an all out burst followed by a slow de-acceleration toward noon. Here is where the coffee shined. That area alone provided immense satisfaction.

This is no gimmicky sales attempt to bring Floyd’s into the coffee arena. The Lion Head Coffee mixed with Floyd’s of Leadville CBD is a quality collaboration that could have your cycling mates asking for the route to pass by your house for a quick cup. While we clean up, we could recommend our mates roll on ahead to give them a head start. Then we could hit out on Pennsylvania farm roads like a Saturn V rocket aiming for the climb of the century. Feel free to let the group win by ten seconds knowing they will be taken down on the next stage. Floyd’s of Leadville and Lion Head Coffee have brought a quality concoction and they are focusing on the correct group who will guzzle this in pots.