Costa Rican Tarrazu

I'm a bit of a coffee snob. I don't like burnt coffee nor do I like blonde coffee. I don't like acidic coffee either. I want a rich flavor that is pleasing from the first to the last sip. I keep coming back to this perfectly roasted (gentle side of full city) bag of beans. Sure, there are other types, regions, styles, roast methods, bean shapes, etc. But this is a highly consistent product, bag after bag. These beans work exceptionally well in a regular drip coffee or as an espresso. Woody but warm - the flavor is repeatedly enjoyable and smooth.

This is the freshest roasted coffee I have ever purchased. I am a big fan of Costa Rican coffee and typically purchase the 10oz bags of Cafe Britt, although I have been increasingly dis-satisfied with it over the last year or so, especially at the cost. I decided to try the Fresh Roasted Coffee brand and was initially skeptical because of its much lower cost, I am happy I took the chance. I immediately noticed the difference on opening the bag, the look of the Fresh Roasted Coffee beans was so much more appealing. Here are my comparisons: Appearance of the beans: FRC - Bright dark brown, gleaming and looking almost wet. (Note, they are not wet at all, just look "fresh") CB - Dull washed out brown, dried out looking. Smell of the coffee beans: FRC - Full on coffee smell, rich and strong smelling CB - Some unusual smell, not to be confused with coffee, coffee undertones (that would be a bad thing) Grind: FRC - Grinds up well, can see from the grinder after use that the coffee oils are alive and weel in these beans CB - Goes in dry, comes out dry. Smell during brew: FRC - Smells like a coffee house CB - Not so much Taste: FRC - Rich, full bodied, very satisfying CB - Keep trying to add more grind to the pot to make it taste better, but never quite make it. This is the second 2lb. bag of FRC over the last 2 months and both ave been consistent, I have found my new supplier of Costa Rican coffee.

Look, I’ll be real — I don’t like the taste of coffee. Never have. Probably never will. But I love everything else about it. The smell? Incredible. The ritual? Calming. The caffeine? Legal rocket fuel. Enter: Fresh Roasted Costa Rican Tarrazu. I bought it because I wanted to feel like a coffee person without grimacing every morning. And somehow… I actually enjoy this one. Or at least, I enjoy pretending I enjoy it while inhaling that rich, roasty goodness and waiting for the sweet caffeine to kick me into gear. Is this what being an adult is? Forcing down bitterness with a smile because the side effects are awesome? Because if so — this bag nails it. Even if my taste buds say "meh," my brain says "LET’S GO."

Coffee is good and much better than local grocery. However, it is not as good as small batch roasters of Costa Rica coffee.

Smooth flavor. On our third bag.

Most coffee is good coffee. This is some of the good stuff.

Update 8/5/2020 We continue to buy this FRC Terrazu and love it. If I have a criticism it's that their degree of roasting seems to have changed over time. NOW it seems more of a true medium roast, with fewer dark accents in the taste- just the opposite of what you'll read in my original review below. So when we feel like fussing, we are now buying a darker Costa Rican coffee available locally and mixing it in 1 part dark to 4 parts FRC's Tarrazu to mimic the complexity we love. Still a great product as is out of the bag, although the price has crept up over time. Original Review from 2018 I've been enjoying Tarrazu whole bean coffee for several years from Trader Joe's. Unfortunately, they just (2018) discontinued offering it. This threw me into a panic, and after that, into research where I quickly learned that Tarrazu was a Costa Rican variety, not TJ's own brand name. (Who knew?) And naturally, when I couldn't find a different Tarrazu locally, this brought me to Amazon and this product. I would rate it 4-1/2 stars if I could, but 4 didn't seem to be enough, so 5 it is. Why? The TJ's product was slightly less dark, and I would argue, had a bit more complexity to it. From looking at the beans, I suspect that TJ's blended a little bit of a lighter roast along with the darker, and it was billed as a medium dark roast. This FRC, on the other hand, is a dark roast (2018). It is delicious, make no mistake about it. Rich and full of flavor. But it does not have as much of the caramel quality that we so enjoyed in TJ's. I will experiment with using less coffee to see if that makes a difference and report back; if I learn more about how to tease that quality out of this coffee. So I would withhold a half star for that if I could. We ended up blending a bit of a medium Guatemalan to ease up on the darkness of the roast and that served us well for a couple of years. Having said all that, this is a delicious coffee at only a slightly higher price, delivered to my doorstep!

This is the WORST coffee I have ever tasted. I purchased both the Costa Rican Tarrazu beans and Guatemala blend. It was a first time buy….there will not be a second time. I can count on one hand how many times I have written a critical review of a product however this really got me. This coffee costs twice as much as I usually pay for whole bean coffee and it is not even drinkable and…..unfortunately not refundable. I bought this coffee because of their claim of fresh roasted beans and no toxins/mold. Well either the toxins and mold in store bought coffee gives it its flavor or the FRESH ROASTED beans used are toxins/mold free but the lowest quality beans available. $18.99…down the drain……