Teasia Coffee, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Single Origin, Medium Roast, Whole Bean, 2-Pound Bag

Well, the price is definitely nice for this coffee, unfortunately, it's just not great.My first order I tried the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. I wasn't familiar with it, but saw people rave about it, so gave it a whirl.It wasn't terrible, but wasn't great either, with consistent off flavors. A certain sourness, different from the common bitterness.It wasn't undrinkable, though I learned to use my Aeropress instead of my preferred pour-over, as the pour-over brings out all flavors, including the bad ones. And I didn't like drinking it black, or with a splash of cream as I normally do, and felt like I needed sugar or other 'cover-ups' to actually enjoy the cuppa. But, for a cheap, weekday morning, "Get Going!" cup... I started throwing in some mushroom powder, which gave it an earthy flavor that was an improvement, and survived through the bag. The weekends when I had pour-over of a better, but more expensive brand were definitely appreciated after 5 days of this stuff!Since I couldn't be sure if it was the roaster or the beans, I went ahead and gave them a 2nd chance. After all, look at the reviews! Every raves about how great their coffee is! I was a barista for a dozen years, owned my own shop for a good long while, have tried lots and lots of coffees, but don't consider myself any sort of expert or have an ultra refined palette. So surely it was just that first bag or the type of coffee.So, I ordered Costa Rican. It doesn't get much more straightforward than that. Not the most exciting origin. Simple, medium roast, not especially bold or nuanced. Should just taste like coffee. But, the coffee has the same off odors and taste, the same sour, "cheap bean" flavors.It's still drinkable, but working through my 2nd bag is challenging, and I find myself skipping coffee at home more and more mornings and just wait until I get to work where there's an espresso machine. So, if you just need cheap coffee that's better than some other cheap coffee, sure, this is cheap and okay. If you want something to look forward to in the morning, and enjoy while you're drinking it... keep looking. You'll probably have to pay more, unfortunately. I don't like the fact that everyone is selling coffee by the 12oz bag instead of by the pound now, and charging ridiculous amounts. But I've yet to find a cheaper alternative that's worth drinking.

This is barely a four-star coffee. By flavor alone, it's maybe three-and-a-half stars. While that is better than what the name-brands sell AS IF IT WERE coffee, in the local supermarket (two stars at most), this Uganda Bugishu is mediocre in relation to other internationally sold single-origin coffees. Guatamala Antigua is better. Brazilian Santos is better. Jamaica Blue Mountain, Zimbabwe AA, Ethiopian Sidamo Guji are MUCH better than this Ugandan stuff is. The aftertaste of Bugishu is WOOD. No kidding: wood! Just like the aftertaste of many supermarket coffee brands. Having said that, the Bugishu aftertaste is a higher grade of woody, i.e. less harsh, than that of supermarket coffee brands.Anyway, Uganda Bugishu will probably taste good to you if you have been previously had only coffee off the shelves of an American supermarket. It IS better than THOSE. But Bugishu pales in comparison with most of the other single-origin coffees that you can buy online.

I use a french press and a conical grinder to prepare my coffee.My first impression when I received this coffee was that it smelled....funky. Like damp? Skunky? It's hard to explain, but it didn't quite have that chocolatey smell of a medium roast that I was used to. Of course, this may be a quirk of Sumatran coffee (I have never bought whole-bean Sumatran before) or maybe I got a skunked batch. Either way, once I found the right grind setting and water temperature, this coffee was amazing. The fruity notes pop with a bright acidity that complements the chocolatey bitterness quite well. On the topic of actual acidity, I have a family member that often gets heartburn after coffee, but they are able to tolerate this coffee without issue. 2 pounds lasted us about a month, which is appropriate since the french press technique does require more grounds than percolation or espresso. Highly recommended, though I would like to try this brand's other offerings before I repurchase.

In July 2007, I was part of a study abroad group that went to San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas in Mexico. I spent 4 weeks living with a wonderful family and going to school for Spanish at the small language school in town. San Cristobal is a mountain town with cool mornings even in July that will fill the early morning with an otherworldly mist that made everything seem so surreal. In the shadow of a 500-year-old cathedral, there is a small cafe that brews coffee with fresh roasted beans from the coffee plantations on the sides of the mountain. I have spent a few years searching for the right coffee with the same medium-bodied notes and smooth flavor; this coffee is a perfect match. I brew a pot of memories every morning.On the seller, I have ordered this coffee a few times now and there was a mix up with the tracking on my recent order. I contacted them for more information and they replied within a couple of hours. It was a simple clerical error and nothing to worry about. Fast, friendly, and courteous. Don't forget they sell amazing coffee.