Kick Ass

I don't like coffee. Not in the way most people like it. Having a cup of coffee is not a make-or-break deal with morning, not for me. So why buy coffee at all? Coffee, in general, is kind of expensive and requires some specialty equipment for brewing (oh yes, you can put it in a pot of water on the stove and boil it, and done right, that's amazing coffee especially if you like a few crunchy bits in your cup). And there's the free trade fairness thing we're all supposed to be thinking about, and frankly, I didn't check on Kicking Horse's bean-buying policy, so I can't tout my shine there. Slap me. So... why would a coffee-indifferent, socially unaware blubber head buy coffee or even bother to check the five-stars-for-excellence box and post a review??? Because this coffee is what it claims to be. Kick Ass Dark coffee. It is not pretend espresso. It is not pre-ground to a powder fine enough to snort. It is an honest dark chocolate colored whole bean coffee that is bitter enough to be interesting, yet mellow enough that it doesn't try to climb back up your throat. It blends well with other coffees, and it can sit in the carafe overnight, get zapped in the microwave and still be great. But that's my opinion. Oh, and it's also not as expensive as a lot of the other coffee offerings on Amazon. Oh, and the 2.2-pound pouch is a good size for the price. Oh, and even though I have that 2.2lb. pouch for over a month, the last pot of coffee it makes is as good as the first. One of the major coffee companies (grocery store stuff) makes a blend they call "Black Silk" which is the worst coffee I've ever had, and that includes vending machine coffee from the hospital staff lounge. There was this free-trade Ugandan coffee I got as a gift, and this organic single bean limited harvest coffee from Jamaica (I think) that were ultra-memorable as the best coffee I've ever had, but were far too expensive to make a habit of. Put those on the taste scale of Black Silk = 0, Ugandan & Jamaican =10, Kicking Horse Kick Ass Dark is an 8. To me. What it is to you... well, how can I know? If I did, I'd be freaking scary, wouldn't I? And you'd be looking over your shoulder.... under your bed... in your closets... watching conspiracy theory videos on YouTube and preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse. Just have some coffee. The voices tell me a cup of coffee can cure just about anything.

Once upon a time, my husband and I used to buy a cup (at least) of coffee shop coffee every day. Eventually, we decided we should just make coffee ourselves at home: buy the packaged coffee shop coffee, make it on our home coffee maker, done and done, right? Well, not so much. The coffee we made at home just didn't taste the same as it did in the coffee shop, and we couldn't figure out why. So we researched. What we found was that there are about a billion variables to making a good cup of coffee. And after all our research regarding methods and equipment along with a bit of trial and error, we now have our home coffee making perfected to our liking. I'd like to caveat this by saying that I am by no means an expert on this stuff--just a regular person who did a lot of research and figured out what PERSONALLY works for me, and if anything I say here happens to help someone out who was in the same shoes I was, then that's great. First off, the coffee maker. We brew our coffee in a Technivorm Moccamaster (apparently one of the few consumer coffee makers that actually heats the water up to be hot enough to reach the ideal temp for making coffee--probably the biggest reason why our initial attemps at home coffee making failed. It's pretty pricey, but you can replicate the same results for much cheaper using a $15 pourover contraption, though it'll involve a more manual effort on your behalf. Another alternative at $150--still somewhat pricey, but about half the cost of the Technivorm--is the Bonavita; if the Bonavita was around back when we were researching coffee makers 3 years ago, we probably would've opted to get that one instead, primarily for the cost savings. The Technivorm was our best option at the time, though, so that's what we got, and we're still extremely happy with it, even after 3 years of daily use.). Just as importantly, we make sure to use high-quality whole bean coffee [stored well if you're not using the whole bag within a week (we use the Friis coffee vault) since CO2 and light are not friends to coffee beans. We also freshly grind just enough whole beans for that particular brew cycle just prior to brewing, and we use a good quality BURR grinder--in our case, the Capresso Infinity burr grinder. Refer to Alton Brown's coffee episode if you're curious why it's so important to use a burr grinder as opposed to a blade grinder.]. We eventually realized we weren't huge fans of a lot of the whole bean coffees easily obtained in supermarkets or large chain coffee shops (I'm looking at you, Starbucks), yet didn't like paying shipping for the coffees from independent, small-batch roasters (as good as those coffees were, I really, REALLY hate paying for shipping). As such, I turned to my trusty Amazon Prime to save the day. I found Kicking Horse Coffee Kick Ass Dark Whole Bean Coffee via the stellar reviews, placed an order, and hoped for the best (2.2 lbs. is a lot of coffee to have if it turns out I didn't like it). Thankfully, I'm happy to say that I've found THE ONE! This coffee is complex, deep, and smoky, yet without any burnt taste at all. And the fact that it's fair-trade and organic is icing on the cake. And (AND!) if that weren't enough, it's quickly and easily available on Amazon Prime AND part of their subscribe-and-save program. WIN! Extra tips: - Preheat your carafe and coffee mugs by filling with hot water and discarding before using so that the cold carafe and coffee mugs don't steal all the heat from your freshly brewed coffee. - Only use good quality, filtered water for brewing. - Make sure you grind your coffee according to how coarse/fine is recommended for the particular coffee you are using, and make sure you use the correct proportions of coffee to water (for those who have European coffee makers such as the Technivorm, keep in mind that a cup of coffee made in these coffee makers is typically less ounces than in American coffee makers). - Clean your burr grinder on a regular basis by using the white rice method. This is especially important if you grind oily coffee beans such as Kicking Horse Kick Ass Dark.

The best coffee in the world has been found! I'm simply in love with it! I tried them all every brand and keep coming right back to kick ass! Smooth and oh the flavor is there folks!

A good value coffee. I order many bags of beans a month as someone who works the night shift. These seem to have plenty of punch in them to wake you up and keep you awake. No complaints about the taste but also nothing that really stands out to make it memorable. Will order again as the price is right.

I love coffee, look forward to drinking it every morning, but I’m not an “aficionado”. I just like what I like - dark but not too dark. I have a cheap drip coffee maker (Hamilton Beach Flex Brew) and just want a good cup without breaking the bank. I’ve pretty much tried all the grocery store brands, and this was the first time in years for me to break out my old coffee grinder, I think purchased in the 90s. Another reviewer recommended 55 grams coffee to one liter water. For my 14 oz mug, that means 23.6 grams. I followed that formula to weigh the beans, ground them up, and popped them in. Great cup of coffee! Strong and dark but also smooth - not bitter at all. I drink black coffee, but at a coffee shop the dark roast is usually too bitter or ashy for me - this was not. The next day I tried cutting back to 21 grams of beans, just to see if I could save a pinch. Nope! It was acceptable but I had to add a little raw cacao powder to enjoy it. The 55 grams per liter formula is PERFECT. My fave “less expensive” grocery store brand is Wide Awake. By my calculations, this is about the same price per cup, and I like it better. The extra time to weigh, grind and fill is worth it. Note - as others have said, there was no roast date the package but there was a “use by”. The date on mine is April 2021, I purchased in June 2020. The beans are not oily and smell great to me. When I grind them. very little of the grounds stick to the walls of the grinder. It will take me about 5 weeks to use all the beans, so hopefully they will still taste fresh in late July if I keep them sealed well.

Love this flavor. Very smooth and fresh. Recommend the dark roast and the caffeinated context was awesome.

Very mild. Had to mix it with a stronger grind.

This coffee is incredible! Immediately upon opening the bag, the aroma was so divine and our mouths began to water. We ground up enough beans for a pot of coffee and as the coffee brewed we were assaulted with even more mouth-watering scents. I couldn't wait for the full pot to brew, snuck (is that a word?) a cup and was treated with one of the best cups of coffee EVER! We have been faithful Starbucks Espresso Blend coffee connoisseurs for years and have found only one other coffee that comes close - that being Green Mountain Dark Magic. The one thing I don't like about the Starbucks Espresso is that it does get a bitter taste if not brewed perfectly - which can be difficult to do consistently. But while looking to purchase the Starbucks Espresso Blend at Amazon, I came across the Kicking Horse coffee that I've never heard of before. I was intrigued...read the description and it sounded like something we might be interested in. Their blends sounded quite interesting so I decided, as I always do, to read the reviews. My sincere thanks to all those who previously wrote a review on this coffee. My purchase was based on those reviews and I want all to know your reviews were honest and offered incredible descriptions. Many, many reviewers are obviously much better with words that I can ever hope to be. And being so many good reviews, I then had to decide which blend to try. Opted for the Kick Ass and we have found our new favorite coffee! Wow - that's all I can say (see, told you I wasn't very good with words). This is so good, no bitterness, smooth and simply divine. Everything you want in a good cup of coffee. The price is extremely reasonable, as well, for a premium coffee. I highly recommend Kicking Horse Kick Ass coffee!!!!! We will definitely be trying their other blends and hope to have the same experience.

When you order a box with 6 packets (60oz total) you only get 1 10oz packet. Beware

The coffee was mouldy because it had expired more than three months before I received it

Price was good. It is a nice dark roast with great flavour. I buy this brand a lot and tried a few, this is one of my favourites. I live BC Canada and the company is on Vancouver Island so somewhat local. I have bought at the grocery stores but as usual, you can’t beat Amazons price. Absolutely give it a try. Our favourites are the 454 Horse Power, Grizzly and Kick Ass.

My sister introduced me to KickAss and I have never looked back. It brews a full bodied, flavor full cup of coffee. I like mine black and it is smooth with no bitter bite. I ship this stuff all the way to Singapore!

Dark chocolate, bit of caramel flavour. Easy to drink with milk (hot or cold)