Dark Brazilian Santos, Whole Bean, 5lb Bag | Dark Roast, Single Origin Arabica Coffee Beans

I'm in that middle ground between out and out coffee snob (and I don't mean to be condescending with that label) and someone who just wants a cup of joe. These beans fit in my sweet spot, and in my humble opinion fall closer to the coffee snob end of the spectrum, while being rather affordable. I've had a few of these bags, and the flavor profile has varied slightly. In general, smooth, yet a true dark roast. Not too bitter or burnt, but there's some added complexity to an otherwise mild bean. The trade offs you make to hit the price point are age and quantity (which can compound the age). Simply put, some orders get bags that were freshly roasted and just entered Amazon's warehouses, while others may be a couple months older. That can be too much for some folks, but still better than most anything at a super market. I roast my own beans too (also bought from Coffee Bean Direct), so I can appreciate a freshly roasted bean, but the older bags of roasted coffee such as these are still great. The larger bags can last a while unless you drink a fair amount of coffee, but I use tight bag clips and could even use my vacuum sealer if I cared more. Either way, the coffee ages (not in a good way) more once opened at home than it ever will unopened in a warehouse. Long story short: great coffee for a great price. Some trade offs, but for many, a great deal.

It's hard to describe flavor, isn't it? I would compare the smoothness and body of this coffee to a Panama Boquete, but with a much more intense coffee flavor. When my order arrived today I immediately ground a sample and pulled a shot of espresso with my twenty year old Gaggia. Great crema on the first try. That tells me the beans are quite fresh. This is described as a dark roast. I'd describe it as something like "full city roast plus." It's dark...but not too dark. The beans are just to the point of releasing some oils, but not full on oily. The aroma upon opening the bag is great. And when grinding, that aroma just gets better. Regardless of crema, aroma and appearance, the proof is in the tasting and I can only say that this coffee gets very high marks. It is rich, low acid coffee with a great mouth feel and great coffee flavor. I think it's well worth a try and personally I know that I'll be ordering it again.

It's so hard to describe tastes, how do I write a helpful review? I like to grind my own coffee right before brewing and I use a french press every day and when I'm lazy and also like to make Turkish coffee on special occasions for 1 or 2 friends or just myself. I like dark (but not too dark, not bitter) earthy brews - I usually steer away from "bright acidity" and "fruity" beans (though when I taste those I can still tell if it's good coffee or not). I drink my coffee with sugar, but no milk (except sometimes when I'm in the mood). I also don't like overly dark, skunky or burnt coffee. I really don't care about how much caffeine is in the beans, but if you must know the darker roasts have less caffeine remaining, even though they may taste "stronger" :0) Just for reference: I like Peet's "Major Dickason blend" and Starbucks "Verona" blend and Espresso roast, they're not the "best", but indicative of what I'm going for. But I really don't like what Starbucks puts in their cups, which everyone carries like they're wearing a uniform. Anyway, I bought a 5 lb. bag of these Dark Brazilian Santos and also a regular version. I like the dark a little better, but they both taste like versions of itself and are very good, well rounded, solid beans. I ordered these because I can't really find Brazilian beans anywhere locally and also because I like their low acidity. But these beans on their own don't really produce the most complex (or "interesting") cup - I use these to mix with certain more assertive coffees I got from Costco, to stretch them out and breathe a little more interest. I think they're ideal for that, because they're good enough where they don't take away flavor, but neutral enough not to take over the flavor. I don't regret buying these and Coffee Bean Direct is a great deal, but I will try another kind next time - I usually only come back to exceptional brews and I only just discovered CBD, so there's more to try. Perhaps, if I owned a coffee shop or a pastry shop or cafe, I would use these (and their darker version) because it seems like the coffee that would please everyone. These are like home-made chicken soup - impossible to hate (and SO much better than store bought), but also not really a 3-star entree :) I hope this helps, if you have questions I'll try to respond :)

This is an excellent 4-star coffee in its own right, and the very reasonable price (especially with Subscribe and Save) earns that extra star. It lacks any specifically notable brewed aroma, but the flavor is excellent and incredibly mellow with absolutely no bitterness and a very nice aftertaste. In fact, it may be a bit too mellow for some folks, but all-in-all it is hard to believe anyone would not enjoy this roast. Some may find it necessary to increase the quantity a bit over a more intense bean, and that seems to work extremely well for this bean since it seems to have no bitterness whatsoever. I suppose this might be a bit difficult for some machines. You might enjoy adjusting quantity a bit no matter what your preferences- this coffee seems to handle it well and the adjustments can be interesting. One other characteristic is very important for my own lifestyle and this bean matches up very nicely: I am single and use a French press, making a beaker in the morning and then microwaving per-cup all morning and into the afternoon. This coffee is very forgiving in tolerating that process. I assume this is largely due to its exceptional mellow nature, but whatever it is, it works. Blasphemy perhaps, but on occasion I even rewarm an overnight remainder while waiting for the kettle to boil in the morning, and even that cup is tolerable (OK- maybe barely so). I will have to add that this is based upon my one-and-only order of this brand-bean-roast thus far. I will definitely be ordering again, but as with most any "crop" and processing there can certainly be variations. That certainly seems to apply here if some of the "bitter" comments are accurate. Nothing about bag #1 could be termed "bitter" by anyone.

I wouldn't rate this five stars if the rating applied only to the quality of the coffee. That said, this is a very good coffee and is likely superior to the gourmet coffees that have been sitting on the shelf in a typical supermarket. It's well rounded, neither too acidic nor bland for my tastes, and I look forward to the couple cups I start my day with. Note that last qualification; it's extremely important. In the vast scheme of things, five pounds of coffee is not a lot. I'm fairly certain that there are many places the world over where more coffee has accumulated. Even my child weighed more than five pounds at birth, and I'm grateful for that. However five pounds of coffee delivered to my house is more coffee than has ever gathered there, and if it were five pounds of bad coffee... well, that's kind of a serious situation to have on one's hands. Thankfully the coffee is pretty good and in the nearly three months it's taken me to work my way through it I've had no regrets. So put those beans in the freezer (store it in smaller zip-lock bags if the package is too bulky), only grind what you need when you need it, and enjoy. I give it five stars because it's very good coffee at an excellent price.

These dark espresso beans are similar to Puerto Rican espresso beans that I used for decades in San Juan, and to Kirkland espresso beans that I purchased after I moved back to the States. Price and Brand were factors too. The aroma of the freshly ground espresso beans is incredible, and they definitely make a dark espresso. I own a home espresso machine because once you've enjoyed espresso regular coffee is a disappointment. After several days preparing these Brazilian espresso beans alone, I decided to blend them with Starbucks dark French espresso beans as a reviewer had suggested. My blend was 2/3 Brazillian & 1/3 Starbucks. I enjoyed it! This blend was a tad less bitter, and smoother too. Both ways these Brazilian dark espresso beans make a great, sturdy double espresso every morning, which is a must, for a great price. I have no regrets.

The product arrived a day late considering it said 2 Day Prime and was paid for by my subscription but I can allow for that occasionally. Probably because it starts out with FedEx and they transfer the shipment to the USPS for delivery. The coffee had a date of 3-12-12 on the bottom of the bag which apparently means it was packaged then. That was 9 months ago but when I opened the bag the beans smelled great and were shiny with oils. I ground some beans and made a pot of coffee and it tasted good but seemed weak. When my wife came home she brewed a fresh pot and we had the same result as far as flavor. It didn't seem to matter how many scoops of ground coffee we used the end result was a weak, flavor. I think it's because the beans were so old. This coffee to me and my wife was somewhat disappointing but we're stuck with 5 pounds of it. It was cheaper to purchase this way however and probably would be 100% better had we ordered it from the main supplier. Freshness is important even if it is sealed well. I gave it 3 stars so it's average to slightly above average. I think from now on I'm sticking with Columbian coffee. That usually is a richer and more flavorful coffee consistently. This is no Starbucks so be aware!........

This has been my go-to coffee bean for the last 2 years. To say that I've tried many brands and flavors would be an understatement. What I find remarkable about this bean is that it delivers the full flavor of a bold roast without being overly bitter. Whether you make your coffee on the weak side or crank it up to heart-fluttering strength, the flavor will keep you coming back for more. Another point of significance: this bean delivers a great flavor whether you use a drip machine, espresso maker, or even an AeroPress. Some brands/flavors tend to favor a specific prep-method, being great as an espresso-bean but delivering mediocre quality in a drip maker (or vice versa). The Dark Brazillian manages to play every position on the field - amazing! What more can I say? If it's my money being spent, I'm spending it on Dark Brazillian by Coffee Bean Direct :)