Starbucks Whole Bean Coffee, Dark Roast Coffee, Espresso Roast, 100% Arabica, 1 bag (18 oz)

This Starbucks whole bean coffee is an excellent choice for espresso lovers. The beans arrived quickly and were vacuum sealed and tightly wrapped — both times I’ve ordered in the past few weeks, the packaging has been consistently perfect, preserving freshness beautifully.What sets this coffee apart are the flavor notes — rich molasses and smooth caramel come through in every cup. It grinds beautifully and pulls a bold, balanced espresso shot. The quality is consistent, and the freshness is obvious from the aroma alone.Highly recommended if you want café-quality coffee at home, with reliable delivery and top-notch flavor.

I started using this coffee and was enjoying it, but I felt like I could pay less and get an equivalent coffee. Maybe one can, but I was unable to. Here are some of the differences I noticed between Starbucks Espresso Roast Whole Bean coffee and some other coffees I tried.The first thing I notice in a coffee bean is its aroma upon opening the package. Starbucks Espresso Roast always smells wonderful, smooth, and enticing. Other beans I tried smelled less appetizing. Simply smelling kind of unpleasant is common. Some coffees smell harsh with an acute bitterness about them. Some smelled musty or dusty. I’m not a connoisseur, so probably cannot adequately describe flavors and aromas, but then again, flavor and aroma notes always seem pretentious and fall short of my flavor experience.The next thing I notice is the bean itself. Starbucks beans are uniform in color and oiliness (sheen), while other coffees I tried had great variances in bean color and sheen. I don’t know for sure, but this seems to be a quality issue such as inconsistent roasting parameters or just simply allowing a greater range of bean to pass QC standards. Whatever it is, it’s a turn off. Starbucks beans look better. Another aspect of this is the whole bean to broken bean ratio, where Starbucks coffee has a greater percentage of whole beans per package than the cheaper products I bought. I don’t know if this affects bean taste or freshness or any other aspect of the bean, but it doesn’t look nice.Next thing noticed is how it grinds. Starbucks coffee seems uniform in color where others were varied, specifically regarding what I took to be the husks or skins of the beans, like chaff.Finally, the most important factor: taste. Starbucks tastes good. Smooth with a bit of an acidic bite. Cheap coffees I tried tasted much like they smelled, with bitter coming to mind most often, along with what I can only describe as “dusty”.Starbucks is good coffee. There surely may be better coffees, but they will be more expensive and that’s not where I’m headed. Enjoy!

Starbucks dark roast is one of our home staples. It’s always a quality product with a smooth taste. Did you know that darker roasts tend to have lower acidity? I used to buy lighter roasts thinking I was doing my stomach a favor. Then I came across several articles about how darker roasts have a lower acidity, and that rings true with this dark roast. It always tastes great. I like ordering multiple 12 oz packs from Amazon as it is less expensive than my local grocery store.

I am not a coffee aficionado, not a self described coffee snob. If you're looking for a carefully crafted review by an experienced barista taking into account the sensory experience including the espresso crema, this is not it.That said, I like coffee. I drink a cup every morning to start my day and I was recently gifted an espresso maker. It took a minute to dial in the size of the grind for these beans but once I did I had great success with pulling a double shot.I even (heresy) have used the ground beans to make drip coffee when I've had people over and didn't want to stand at the espresso machine for 45 minutes. It came out tasting fine.I haven't had the experience of some others where the bag is allegedly half empty, or beans are damp, or the quality is worse than before (this is my first order). I also haven't tried comparing it to a Starbucks drink in the same way I wouldn't compare fast food to a burger I made at home.So, as someone who drinks gas station coffee without complaint, this is great.

For the espresso flavorOk coffee for espresso.Personal preference as this is a bit to bitter for me. It does work as my back up if I cant get ahold of my main bean style.I love making iced espressos in the morning. I'm picky and like it a very particular way that coffee shops just can't replicate (mainly because of the syrup I use)This isn't my favorite bean to use but it works in a pinch.I've noticed its hit or miss on roast. Sometimes its roasted and really oily and nice. Other times its over roasted and smells burnt, coffee tastes burnt also when that happens.Its not a very consistent roast. If you like inconsistent espresso making this is a bean for you.I'm giving 4 stars specifically because of the inconsistent roast. There shouldn't be variation with a company like Starbucks.I could never get this to crème very well when making espresso. It was always quite flat.I do not recommend this for cold brew or drip makers. Its too dark of a roast. May work in a french press or moka pot.Quality is pretty inline with price. You are getting what you pay for. As in not the top shelf coffee but not the bottom shelf either. This is squarely in the mid tier coffee bean realm.For the café Verona flavor.It's my go to. Beans have consistent roast, as in every bag is the same. Has an earthy chocolate flavor. Almost never bitter but if it is can be negated with some half and half (that's what I use)The café Verona is my every day espresso. I'm not a big Starbucks fan but this bean is so good, it is the best bean I've found for myself. Exactly what I want in an espresso bean.