Barista Coffee Box is a coffee sample subscription that features a new roaster in every box. Each shipment contains four different 2 oz. packs of whole bean coffee.
Barista Coffee Box ships twice per month, but you can adjust your preferences to receive coffee less frequently.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Barista Coffee Box
The Price: $20 per shipment
The Products: 4, 2oz. whole bean coffee samples from roasters across the country.
Ships to: U.S.
Find more coffee boxes in the Drinks Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add Barista Coffee Box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Barista Coffee Box includes a card to accompany each of the coffees in the box.
I also received some information about Black Gold Coffee Roasters, the featured roaster in this box, and a thank you card with basic brewing info.
Now, on to the coffee!
Black Gold Costa Rican Cumbres Del Poas Black Honey Micro Lot - $19 for 1 lb.
The first coffee I sampled was a Costa Rican coffee that’s described as a medium roast. (FYI- the cards I received categorize the coffees in this shipment as ranging from medium to dark, but, to my eye, they’re all very heavily roasted. I would probably categorize them all as medium/dark or dark.) I’m usually a fan of Central American coffee, and it’s pretty rare I meet a Costa Rican coffee I don’t like. Unfortunately, this is one of them. For me, the heavy roast overpowered any subtleties in this coffee and left it flat and a little bitter.
Black Gold Organic Honduras Marcala- Reserva Natural Fair Trade - $19 for 1 lb.
After the Costa Rican coffee, I brewed the Honduran offering, which was also listed as a medium roast. These beans were a little lighter than the Costa Rican ones, but I’d still classify them as medium/dark instead of medium. The brewed coffee was also a little lighter than the last one, and, while darker than I usually go for, I enjoyed it. There was a little bit of fruitiness at the front end, with rich chocolatey notes at the finish. Black Gold compares this coffee to chocolate covered strawberries, which I think is pretty accurate.
Black Gold Guatemalan Finca Ceylon y Anexos
Next up, I tried this medium/dark roast Guatemalan Finca Ceylon y Anexos (not currently available for sale on the Black Gold store) that’s described as a “balanced coffee, [with] citrus on the front, followed by smooth creamy chocolate notes and a slight walnut-like finish.” For me, this coffee lacked brightness and complexity. Again, I felt the roast was a bit overpowering.
Black Gold Organic Sumatra Ketiara Co-op Dark Roast - $17 for 1 lb.
The last coffee I received in this box was an Organic Sumatran Dark Roast. Despite the fact that this isn’t a coffee I’d pick out for myself, I ended up enjoying it. It has the classic earthiness I expect from Sumatran coffee, and I found the flavor to be chocolatey, nutty, roasty, and dark. I mixed it with a little milk, and the flavor of the coffee easily shined through the added creaminess. Something about this coffee brings me back to my college days, when I’d sit in a diner all day drinking coffee. For that reason, I find that this coffee has a comforting, nostalgic appeal.
Verdict: This shipment from Barista Coffee Box wasn’t a great fit for me. All of the coffees were roasted a bit more heavily that I prefer, but I still managed to discover a couple of coffees that I enjoyed. Since this is my first box, I can’t speak generally about the subscription and whether or not this box is representative of most, but I can say that this is one of the first boxes I’ve reviewed with a focus on dark roast coffee. Even though my personal preference is for more lightly roasted beans, I know that a lot of coffee drinkers prefer darker coffees. For those who do, this subscription might be a good way to sample beans from different roasters across the country. In terms of value, the cost of this subscription breaks down to $5 per sample, which I think is fair.
FYI- if you like the idea of sampling coffee from different roasters but you prefer light to medium roast coffee, I recommend checking out Angels’ Cup. You can read my review of their most recent shipment here!
What do you think of Barista Coffee Box?
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