Kicking Horse Coffee, 454 Horse Power, Dark Roast, Whole Bean, 2.2 lb

Updated review, Dec 2022: I first tried the 454 in 2016, and my initial review below stands. I've sampled others in the Kicking Horse stable too, and while they're quite good, they don't have the seductive oomph of the 454. It continues to be the most consistent roast I've found, always delivering that smooth luxe profile between raw and bitter. The aroma is full and deep, the body is complex with hints of leather and dark chocolate, and the finish is a warm slow burn of char and earth notes. Honestly, at this level coffee can only become different, not better. I've yet to find a worthy challenger. I keep it in its bag or an airtight container, grind with a burr grinder on medium-fine, and use the recommend amount, which I also described below. My in-laws visited for Thanksgiving, and I served it with a little whipped eggnog on top. Oops. Made it harder to get rid of them...be careful with this stuff. I recommend busting it out for true coffee lovers and people you'd like to keep around longer. Or just hoard it like I do. Bah Humbug! Salud, R * (Original review from 2016) If you're reading this, you're a coffee purist like I am (others call us snobs, but we all know better.) And like me, you've been disappointed all too often by recommendations that have led you to more of the same-- acidic, flat, unremarkable brews. Starbucks, Coffee Bean-- even Peet's can be overrated, and the only thing they consistently provide is inconsistency. However, the 454 from Kicking Horse, while a bit pricier than our usual fare, is worth every penny. It's a delicious, lush roast with hints of baker's chocolate, a smooth finish, and very low acidity. In sum, it's a superb coffee. In my quest for the ultimate cup--which is not over, but has dramatically narrowed--I also found some terrific advice for getting the most mileage out of your beans. First, a burr grinder really does make a difference. I used my old blade grinder for years, and my coffee was always decent. However, the more I read, the more I thought about trying one. I bought a Cuisinart, the $45-ish jobby. Short story is that instead of pulverizing the same beans over and over, which makes your grind size inconsistent, it grinds the beans once as they pass into the hopper, and you can control the coarseness. I'd get one. Next, search online for articles about how much coffee to use; there's lots of great info abounding. Boiled down, they say that bean to water ratios matter, and they're right. It's 55 grams of coffee to one liter of water. Sounds like a pain to measure, but it's not. Once I got a cheap scale here on Amazon ($10 or so) I figured out how much my press and carafes held, and used some basic math to dial in the right amount of coffee. It was easy, and our presses and carafes hold similar volumes. Anyway, I just poured the beans into a measuring cup, took note of the mark, and put the scale away. I also tried veering away from my permanent gold filter. Sacrilege, maybe, but my wife likes her coffee less gritty, and I wondered if sacrificing the natural oils vs. the grit was a good trade. It was. In fact, I'm coming to prefer the paper filter taste (Melitta non-bleached), or rather, the texture, over the gold filter. I still like the permanent filter, although my French press beats them both. Medium-course grind from the Cuisinart, six minutes in sub-boiling water, stir once, and it's like nothing I've had before. Sinfully aromatic, big mouthfeel, and eminently enjoyable. I don't think I've had a better cup of coffee. It also makes a great pot of drip, noticeably better. And regardless of what anyone says, your own preferences are paramount. What's best is what you like the most. Drip, press, single cup it--choose your weapon. But I'm burying the lede. The quality of the beans makes the cup more than anything else, and the Kicking Horse 454 is superior to most coffees I've had; it vastly outclasses all the bitter slop we've been led to believe tastes good. I've also tried the Kick Ass, and I prefer the 454. It's roastier and richer. I've also noticed that some reviewers say that the 454 tastes burnt, heavy, etc. Of course, we all have our own taste buds, but I respectfully submit that this is bunk. The 454 is my new mainstay because I dislike burnt, heavy coffee as much as I dislike weak, acidic coffee. The 454 has exceptional balance. If nothing else, it's worth your while to try it. Experiment with your brewing methods like I did. I've finally arrived at a consistently excellent brew, and I'll warrant your thoughts about coffee will change if you do the same.

OK, I was shopping for budget priced coffees, and I stumbled over this Kicking Horse 454, priced quite low. I grabbed this, and another bag of Black Horse, the Grizzly Claw. It arrived, and I had to wait a couple days to finish off another bag of coffee. Finally got to open it, and the smell is just heavenly. Kind of chocolatey, earthy, and maybe some sweetness to the smell. I couldn't wait to grind some, and brew a cup, I was excited! The flavor was less chocolatey than the smell, but oh my, THE FLAVOR! I love my dark roast coffees, and this has a little something that pleases the front of the tongue, while all the dark roast flavors that excite the upper palate and rear of the tongues are still there. That is, the coffee doesn't excite just some of the taste buds, it gets ALL OF THEM! Yes, even under the tongue. I like a stronger coffee, generally, and my wife sometimes objects to the stronger coffees. This is one coffee that we agree on. Plenty of taste, but not overwhelming. This Kicking Horse 454 now ranks high among my favorite coffees, so I hope to catch it on sale again. The price I see today is not a budget price.

I am not going to claim to be a coffee expert but this blend (454 Horse Power) is one of the best coffees I have had in my life. The coffee is strong, tastes great and is dark. It all comes together great. It's not one of those blends that have a great aroma but lacks body or taste. This is complete! I use an electric grinder (Ollygrin Flat Burr Coffee Grinder) set to espresso and ended up with smooth ground for brewing.

This coffee is rich, smooth, and full of bold flavor—I love that it’s organic and Fair Trade too. The only reason for 4 stars is that it’s very strong, so not an everyday brew for me. Perfect if you like a deep, intense dark roast.

Good coffee

Excellent product. Tastes great and perks you up in the morning!

454 is some of the best dark roast out there. It delivers deep, earthy flavor without that overly burnt, unpleasant taste so many other brands have. The balance is just right. I recently picked up a medium, more floral roast (not Kicking Horse) and couldn’t even finish the bag…I needed my 454 to start the day. With just a touch of cream, it’s the perfect treat. This is my coffee, and I’m not switching. Bonus: it’s organic.

I'm somewhat of a "coffee snob." I really wanted to love this coffee, but it was just o.k. I got it with the intention of using it for espressos and americanos, but the flavor was somewhat "chalky" and "dull," reminiscent of eating plain flour. With my cloth pour-over, I was equally disappointed. The cloth pour-over typically makes a very clean, and brighter cup of coffee. But these beans weren't intended for that. It was a clean cup of coffee, but again, lacking flavor. With french press it was suppppppper dark and heavy. Very thick mouth feel. But again, very boring cup of coffee. Surprisingly, this bean did best in my automatic flat-bottom coffee maker (a regular coffee pot). It took on a slightly bitter taste, which was an improvement over the dull, powdery taste that I'd experienced with this bean before. The best aspect of this coffee bean is it's low acidity (which might be a reason for it's rather dull flavor). I know many people who can't drink high acidity coffee, so this is a great substitute for high-acidity small-batch roasts or crappy Folgers.