Coffee Bean Direct Dark Kenya AA, Whole Bean Coffee, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)

Great bean smell. Great coffee taste. I’ve tried several other brands of Sumatran coffee. I like this one the best, better than any other coffee.Update July 9,2019: The latest batch arrived at my doorstep in June. It’s not the same. The previous 3 or 4 orders - some directly from the company, not from Amazon - had plump shiny reddish brown to dark brown beans with a great smell and smooth taste. Latest batch looks and smells like burnt shriveled Sumatra I can get from Sams Club or Starbucks. Minus two stars. Yes, I noticed the difference. Not sure what caused it, but I’ll give them one more chance before I switch to another brand. My next purchase won’t be for more than a pound, though. If it’s like this batch I won’t be buying any more of it.Second update: spoke with coffee bean direct. The batch that arrived in May from Amazon was roasted in April and so it qualifies as too old. In the future I will order directly from Coffeebean direct so as to get the freshest coffee. Adding a star for great customer service from Coffeebean Direct, hmm but this is an amazon review.

So I saw the Dark Sumatra Mandheling, and figured I would give it a try. It is a fine coffee which is a darker roast, full body and low on acidity. It makes a fine morning brew that satisfies my taste buds.Now, I have been a CoffeBean Direct customer for many years. They have many options of varied coffee that is fresh roasted. What attracted me to buying from Amazon is the (3) individual 16 oz bag package which CBD does not offer. It is real convenient for fresh storage as the 16 oz fits perfectly in my coffee canister. Also, CBD offers their beans in 16 oz, 2.5 & 5lbs. The 2.5lb package is $32 and 3lbs from Amazon is $30. Factor in shipping with Prime & you are saving $5 for 8oz more beans. Good bargain & a very good cup of coffee

I had high hopes for this coffee. In the past I have looked at the Coffee Bean Direct site and the reviews for the Sumatra Mandheling are excellent. The company sells the beans in 1lb, 2.5lb and 5lb bags, and the 2.5lb bag is $32.95 + $3.00 shipping. I saw the beans priced Amazon at $29.95 for 3lb. I have Prime so no shipping and I decided to give them a try. The bags are packaged well but the roast date on the bag is June 19 (I received them August 10). I am not a coffee snob but I have decent equipment and I brewed the first pot at 200 degrees, medium grind, 7 tbs for 40oz of water. During the brewing process there was almost no noticeable coffee aroma in the kitchen. I always use a clear glass mug when I try a new coffee so I can see the color and this coffee was nice and dark but there was almost no flavor. I am very disappointed and will not buy this again. I will probably get some cheap half decent beans and mix them with this coffee to use it up.

Frist of all you need to understand that Sumatra Mandheling is low acid coffee with a bold flavor profile. If coffee acidity affects your stomach you need a low acid coffee, and there are many coffees that advertise low acid. I have tried several and the Coffee Bean Direct Dark Sumatra Mandheling is the best if you enjoy bold coffee like is served at star****. In fact star**** purchases alot of Sumatran coffee for its french roast.

After lots (and lots!) of trial and error, Coffee Bean Direct is my coffee company of choice. I drink 4-6 cups of espresso coffee a day and have a superautomatica. I take my beans seriously! I primarily lean to the dark, rich side of roasts, but my stomach rebels against too much acid. The best beans for me after trying just about every dark bean offered by Amazon, CBD's Dark Sulawesi Kalossi is my favorite. Rich, dark, very slightly natural sweetness and very, very low acid. Absolutely delicious. CBD's Six Bean Espresso is a close second, and their Dark Sumatra Mandheling is a not too distant third. But Dark Sulawesi Kalossi is my girlfriend. That's not a typo, we're dating.

This is pretty darn good. I won't rave about it - it isn't worth raving about. BUT for the price, this is a great coffee that gets me out of bed. As far as "Dark Roast" goes, this would be more of a Medium-Dark when compared to most other companies. Take that for what it's worth; a "dark" Italian or French with Starb--ks (shh) is roasted (burnt) much darker than this.

The coffee was clean. It was not oily (which I'm actually a little disappointed to no oil). I didn't get a sense of any complexity to the coffee profile. I have drunk the Starbucks and other brands; and this shipment to me was a bit lackluster. I'm not going to say it wasn't a decent cuppa coffee. It was. But, for the Sumatran aficionado, you'll just sigh, and go ahead and drink it.For those interested in my personal preparation, I ground each french press with a full capacity grinder full of beans stored in a dark, cool place. The water was right around 200-205 degrees. I slowly stirred the grounds for about 30 seconds and let it steep for 4-5 minutes before pressing. Just didn't deliver what I had hoped for.

Beans were well packed, and based on the dark sheen and aroma they are very fresh. Makes a great cup of brewed coffee, as well as a solid cold brew outcome. Will likely buy again, especially for cold brewing.