“tāst is a lot of things, but is not coffee. It’s an invitation to slow down, to savor. It’s a reengagment with the ritual of everyday life. It’s a start.”
For coffee lovers, coffee is more than just a quick drink. It marks the beginning and ending of a day, offers comfort and even fuels conversations. Whether shared with friends at a café or enjoyed in solitude, coffee creates space – for presence, for pause, for reflection.
Tāst builds on this tradition. Launched on January 31, 2025 – the eve of Black History Month - tāst (pronounced taste) is the brainchild of three D.C. creatives: Reggie Black, a multimedia artist and designer, Obiekwe Okolo, a photographer and creative director, and Jason Reynolds, a New York Times bestselling author. Together, they have created a brand that invites you to reimagine coffee not just as a drink but as an experience and, in this case, one rooted in culture and shaped by purpose. This isn’t coffee repackaged, but coffee reframed.
On a mission to make Tāst a household name, these three are inviting you to enjoy your coffee a little differently. As Okolo, the brand’s visual architect says, the aim is to invite coffee lovers to return to ritual, consume slowly and savor everything. Informed by their personal experiences as Black artists and cultural workers in D.C., they are using creativity to present coffee, unapologetically, through a Black lens, as Reynolds says.
“As artists, we’re all passionate about process and wanted to make a product that honored the many processes of our lives, from the pedestrian to the superlative, beginning with the morning ritual of coffee.”
Available exclusively through their online shop and at select retail partners, Tāst’s products range between $20 and $26, and are taking consumers on a journey around the world. Currently, four single-origin selections are offered: a dark roast from Peru (for the coffee maker); a medium roast from Guatemala (for the unfussy); a light roast from Ethiopia (for a slow morning); and a decaffeinated light roast from Colombia (for the caffeine abstinent). Customers have the option to make one-time purchases or subscribe for weekly, biweekly or monthly deliveries.
Every detail of the brand is crafted with care, which is at the core of the brand. The packaging is visually appealing, designed to be enjoyed. Each selection on the website is accompanied by a brewing guide, as well as a brief narrative that enhances the sensory experience. Even the signature pink was intentionally chosen, as it is usually associated with feelings of love and compassion. For Reynolds, Okolo and Black, Tāst is all about care – care for craft, for culture, and for the people they serve.
“For us, coffee isn’t just a noun, it’s a verb. ‘Coffeeing’ means to care honestly, loudly, and openly. When you see two Black men on the street giving each other dap, that’s ‘coffeeing’…We have to figure out how to actively care for our customers.” - Jason Reynolds, Sprudge
