by At Beans and Burrs, we are amateur coffee lovers. We intend to write coffee reviews in a way that makes sense to regular coffee drinkers. All opinions expressed here are our own.
First off, a big thank you to Milinda Lane from Bean Hoppers for sending us some delicious coffees to try and review.
Bean Hoppers is owned by Milinda and Jason based in Sacramento, California. They offer a wide selection of coffee beans delivered to your door and different flexible subscription plans.
In their own words, after buying and testing so many coffee bean bags from several roasters, they were frustrated by finding under-roasted coffee beans, roasters offering only single-origin coffees, and only 12 oz bags instead of 16 oz.
With only 13% of coffee roasters in the US using the hot air roasting method, they could not find what they were looking for.
So, they saw an opportunity to partner with years of hot air roasting knowledge and created Bean Hoppers to offer a unique coffee experience.
According to Bean Hoppers, hot Air roasting is a unique roasting method that unleashes coffees’ flavors and provides cleaner, smoother results in your cup. You can learn all about the air roasting process on this page.
They are very active in providing educational tools to help everyone to discover good coffee. They offer interactive in-person and virtual tasting courses. It resonates with our mission to allow everyone to improve their home coffee experience.
We chose to review two dark roast espresso blends: the Espresso Pure and Espresso Silk. They are two exciting different approaches on dark roast espresso blends.
Meet Espresso Pure, So. & Central America – a dark espresso blend
Price: $18.95 for 16oz
In their own words, South and Central American coffees are grown and processed by certified organic methods. They combine to make a rich blend with smoky notes artfully balanced with a delicate sweetness. Rich chocolate and a light nutty hint bring fullness to your cup, leaving you wanting more!
Let’s find out and review the Espresso Pure!
There is no roast date on the bag. The beans are dark and shiny. I must say that I had some concerns since older beans can become quite oily. The smell is what you expect when opening a bag of dark roasted beans: robust, a bit smoky, and sweet.
I pulled several espresso shots with it. The texture is thick and dense, with a lush crema. My concerns about the oily appearance vanished as soon as I saw the shot aspect that can only be obtained with fresh beans.
At first sip, I taste a robust familiar toasted flavor, typical from a dark roast, no surprise. Unlike too many dark roasted espresso blends, this one does not have the “ashy” burnt taste. Instead, it has some sweetness and pleasant round nuances of dark chocolate, nuts, and almonds. There is a restrained bitterness. This reminds me of an excellent old-school Italian espresso, carefully done.
It is very familiar. Like coming back to a place that you left a long time ago, and you feel immediately comfortable, with everything where you expect it.
The texture is rich and creamy.
After sipping it, you keep a very lovely, long-lasting, rich dark chocolate aftertaste. I really like that finish.
At first, you could fear that it tastes just like any classic dark espresso blend, but it manages to be interesting, with all the rough edges well rounded. That is the difference made by careful roasting and a good bean selection.
I usually prefer my espresso from medium-dark beans rather than dark beans, but I enjoy a good dark roast for a change. I could come back to this one anytime.
After trying single-origins and sophisticated espresso blends, Espresso Pure feels like a traditional meal well prepared by your Italian grandmother. No fluff, just good ingredients, the proper cooking time, and a lot of love!
Espresso Silk, Africa & South America – Medium dark espresso blend
Price: $18.95 for 16oz
In their own words, this blend of light and dark roast African and South American coffees makes an espresso beverage that is as smooth as silk. The light smoky overtones bring an authentic coffee taste through the steamed milk, and the fruity, floral notes from the African coffees add a complexity that rounds out its satisfying flavor.
Let’s taste and compare it!
There is a delicious scent when I open the bag. The beans are a bit less dark than Espresso Pure, a little oily. I would still qualify it as a dark roast, not a medium-dark. When brewing a shot of espresso, it flows nicely, with a lovely velvety texture. Very forgiving on the grind setting, which is a good sign that it is fresh.
At the first sip, I detect the typical roast flavor of a dark roast coffee, a slight bitterness, and a little sweetness. The second sip reveals some light fruit flavors (sweet berries) without any acidity. It is more rounded, more balanced, and more complex than Espresso Pure. It’s a little surprising too. At first, you think you are dealing with a traditional espresso blend due to the dark roast character, but then, you are surprised with unexpected and complex tones.
The aftertaste is sweet, with notes of dark chocolate and caramel. It is enjoyable. I find it both comfortable and exciting. This is a coffee I would go back to.
I would be curious to see how it would have turned if the roaster went for a slightly less dark profile and would have stopped at medium-dark. I suspect that the dark roast tames some of the complex notes, but I will not complain: it is nicely balanced and layered. This is a delicious dark roasted espresso, period.
Unlike many dark roasts, you still detect and enjoy the intriguing character of good quality beans.
The bottom line
Bean Hoppers offers many choices, and I find it interesting to see two very distinct approaches to a dark espresso blend. They are both delicious, and they deliver something very different, depending on what you are after. Espresso Pure would be my recommendation to someone looking for a great interpretation of a classic Italian Espresso. Meanwhile, Espresso Silk is perfect for the more adventurous espresso amateur, who prefers a dark roast profile with complexity.
