Rising Sun Coffee (Brazil Peaberry)

I have a "tendency" to order medium roasts at least on the first order since to my palate it generally it is the best compromise between light and dark using a drip (which for convenience is the majority of time during the work week). I ordered from Amazon but the next order will probably be direct from the company's website if I want to stay with the product (still playing with the grind fineness) and honestly I doubt my impression as to taste is all that relevant as one person's "burnt" is an other's ambrosia while some reviewers skew their own ratings by using a blade grinder (if anything, the bean should be graded using a level playing field). The most I would ever offer is whether the bean IMO benefits from the level of roast. I have seen vendors roast a mediocre bean to its best characteristics and destroy a high quality bean. I do appreciate the description of how the bean was roasted by the company. Here, I relied on Amazon's ratings of whole bean coffee based on not only what the company says about its product but on two ratings from customers: freshness and consistency of roast. Failing either of the two (or both) on a consistent basis is a death knell for ordering. I have passed up a number of vendors on Amazon's site who offer extremely high-quality beans based on customers' complaints on either of the two. At these prices I can't afford to take a chance on this Russian roulette type of ordering. My only (very small) quibble is with the packaging. I like the venting which should be standard on all of these expensive products but I would have preferred the zipper type closure bag like I have on my HueHuetenango bag of coffee. The only drawback I can see is that the bag may be larger which may figure into shipping costs. So far, so good. Followup to original post...My opinion is reinforced by wanting to see a ziplock or pressure type seal that can be used on the bag after opening by pressing both sides together. Folding it over doesn't work for me especially when the tape refuses to stick. The aroma of the beans and grounds are overstated but the medium roast taste/quality of the beans is in line with the cost. I like a coffee that maintains its character with a long lasting finish and smoothness of cup without punishing me with its acidity. I would order this again along with some of the "SHB" I get from other vendors.

I don't know if it is any better than all the others I've had. It does make much better kahlua though. I start out with 2-2-2 (strong brewed left over coffee- vodka- sugar + 1 vanilla bean) I don't bother with water and sugar simple syrup. If it eases your conscience make the simple syrup. There is a ton of sugar in kahlua The sugar will eventually dissolve on it's own with shaking the bottle daily. As the sugar dissolves into the mix it will thicken on it's own. It's ready to drink anytime the longer you wait the thicker it gets. The trick is to not let the coffee get bitter by sitting on a warmer. I think because these beans are so much softer they grind into almost a powder so if you are using a mr coffee drip you will want to make sure you rinse your paper filter before brewing. When the vanilla bean peaks out of the top of the mix I just add more of the ratio to replace. A couple of good shakes and you have another full bottle Good for homemade pods. Not so for french brewed. I have no claim to being a coffee connoisseur. This pricy coffee is good, but I'll probably not pay the price unless I run out of kahlua

My original review:I bought this coffee because of the great reviews.Although everyone seems to have their own view on what the perfect cup of coffee tastes like, I read enough positive feedback that convinced me to give this coffee a try. I agree that it has a medium body, is slightly sweet, and is not bitter. Unfortunately, it goes downhill from there. It has a metallic aftertaste that when combined with the sweetness, is extremely unpleasant. I have a top of the line burr grinder and a decent coffee maker. I was sick of this coffee after a few sips(1 star).My revised review: I increased my rating to 3 stars(although could easily be higher). If you grind these beans at the espresso setting(super fine), it comes out excellent(flavorful,no bitterness and no metallic aftertaste).Could be considered a 5 star cup of coffee when brewed this way(used 1/2 cup grinds to make 6 cups coffee...30 ounces of water). I didn't want to rate it that high because I don't want to mislead anyone. If you grind it to a standard grind, it will be terrible. If you grind it fine, it will be excellent. You may have to put some time in to get it right.

Opening this was a experience with purfect timing was cleaning dog house ugh and ol Blu alerts me of a delivery around front. I peek my head around the corner of the chain-linked fence and speak to the delivery person whom was a very nice young lady, we made some small talk and she left my package out front. It was at that moment I realized what this was I hurried inside and quickly wash my hands grabbing the package from the front door and opening it to see the bag of coffee I've been waiting for I carefully open the top and took a deep breath of the Heavenly smell that bag threw into the air. I quickly rushed it into my French Press after grinding it pressing it gently even though patience was telling me hurry up the fantastic Brew that was enjoyed thereafter could not have come at a better time. Sweet and suttle nut flavors blending to a melodious smooth finish.

I received my coffee beans yesterday with a very recent roast date (Aug. 21) labeled on the bag. I prepared a double shot of espresso and was really pleased with the notes of chocolate and layer of crema. I usually foam some milk but instead just added a small shot of cream so I could enjoy the depth of flavor from the espresso. I then decided to try this bean with my Chemex, and after making a much coarser grind I steeped the beans and enjoyed a rich cup of coffee that offered a different personality than the espresso: smooth and rich. I use a ceramic hand grinder so the smaller Peaberry bean was easy to grind. I was surprised to find this bean versatile in both extraction or pour over applications.