Intelligentsia House Blend, Direct Trade, Whole Bean Coffee, 350ml

I'm not really a big coffee aficionado so I can't personally attest to the flavor profile. I did not see a roast date on my package which many people commented on in their reviews. The beans were not dried and shriveled up like on other reviews. I used 2 cups of beans which wasn't even half the bag, so hopefully this bag is good for a month of use in a 1 person/1.5 cups per day household. I mostly got this as a way to stop paying for the canned harbucks coffees in the stores which are absurdly costly and take time out of my week to get. 10$/mo is a lot better than 90$ for the cans. The cold brew did not produce a black color which shocked my coworker, but the flavor was very high after a short 11 hour brew. The flavor is significant dulled after a shot of milk and vanilla. Both my taste testers thought the coffee was great. Coffee grounds are great for composting (green material) and your coffee bean grinder can also grind dried disinfected eggshells.

After having coffee prepared using the pour over method at Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago and Alterra Coffee in Milwaukee I decided it's the best method for me. I was blown away by how good it was. Luckily, I'm in Chicago often and can pop into Intelligentsia for a pour over, an espresso, and beans on a regular basis. Other brands like SB roast their coffee very dark and sell it past the two-three week window. It's too strong and bitter, for me, for a pour over. I can't drink it that way. Even with quantity and brewing adjustments the results are not to my liking. The new "blond roasts" yield much better results but still leave me wanting. Alterra was bought by a large corporation, are no longer roasting at their original location, and are pushing some sort of pre packed office coffee. I went to collage in Milwaukee and they were my favorite. Actually, I don't think I really liked coffee until I had Alterra. Best espresso I can remember. Very fun place to hang out at too. Now Im weary. I did have an amazing pour over there a year ago, however. Intelligentsia has a great app with their recomemded brewing methods. Their coffee is really ideal for a pour over. Tastes amazing. It's -15F in Chicago so I decided to order Intelligentsia through Amazon Prime. Sadly, these beans were roasted in NOVEMBER! Really a disappointment. If I had not had Intelligentsia previously I would have given it a one star. If they could ship freshly roasted beans, even two weeks old, I'd be ordering from Amazon weekly. Unfortunately, I've read other customers reviews and they've had the same experience (I decided jot roll the dice when I ordered). As it is, I'd never order these beans from Amazon again unless they implament a corrective action.

I've been sitting here for the last couple of weeks trying to figure out how I'd rate this coffee. I honestly think that the one real problem that I had with it was that it was 3-4 weeks old already when it arrived. I'm used to getting coffee a week old or less. The actual coffee is pretty good. I wonder if this would be pushing five stars if it was fresh. I think that there is a high likelihood of that. It has the qualities I love about coffee. It has a nutty undertone. I'm usually after nutty/smoky/earthy when I drink coffee, and this one definitely ticks one of those boxes. The label advertises undertones of chocolate, mandarin, and apple. I didn't pick out any chocolate, but a lot of coffees say that without any substance. I could definitely detect a note of citrus, though it would be difficult for me to be specific and say "yup, that's mandarin!" The coffee itself is quite smooth. I struggled a bit determining whether this was a 4 or a 5. At the end of the day, the second half of the bag ended up becoming quite stale by the time it was done, and I have to imagine that if the beans were fresher when they had arrived, this would have been avoided. So I go with a 4, but I would definitely pick this up at a supermarket with a more recent roast date.

So, I had this coffee in my cupboard for almost a year. I forgot how it ended up in possession. I think my nephew brought to my mom's house or something. Regardless, a few months ago, I finally opened the 12 oz bag, sniffed, and said, "umm..." Then, I made a cup in my French press, drunk it, and said, "WOW!" I drink this coffee straight--no sweetener or milk. Three tablespoons in my French press and it brews the perfect cup every time. For the past two weeks, Imperfect Foods didn't offer this coffee. I ordered a different brand, thinking, maybe it'll be just as good. It wasn't as rich and flavorful and smooth as this coffee. So I scrambled, searching for this coffee. I found the House Blend Intellengstia on Amazon. My bag arrived. I opened, sniffed... It's the same! I'm happy! 5 Stars. And really, I would LOVE to buy this coffee through Intelligentsia but it's two dollars cheaper on Amazon with free delivery. So... You know... I used to work on Sunset Blvd in LA. I used to drive by the store on my downtown and it was always crowded. I thought it was just a popular spot. But of course the coffee had to taste good. In LA, people don't crowd out places where the food and drinks are terrible.

Was anticipating a smooth roast experience. What brewed was bitter, tart, and stale.