I have a subscription for 4 lbs of Arbuckle coffee that comes once a month , I always have to get a back up bag of something it seems before the next order comes in, This time I hit the lotto with this coffee, Great coffee no bitterness nice strong bold flavors!!! I will be ordering this coffee on a regular basis!!!

Very tasty, not bitter, smooth..

Drinkable, dark roast, fair price, will purchase again.

We’re huge fans of Kicking Horse Coffee, and this dark roast is our absolute favorite. The rich, bold flavor is perfect for those who love a strong coffee kick. We always buy their dark roasts, and this one doesn’t disappoint. The whole beans are fresh and provide a fantastic brew every time.

I was normally a Blanchards (roaster in Richmond), fan and since my local grocer discontinued carrying them during the pandemic, I’ve had trouble finding another dark roast that was anything nearly as satisfying. (A lot of roasters don’t seem to understand what dark means imho.) So I tried this on a whim. Not bad at all! Quite good. Really good! And organic. An unexpected plus! Not quite as dark, chocolaty, or velvety as Dark as Dark, which is of course, a matter of taste, but a most certain solid performer in its own right, which has kept me satisfied these long winter mornings. Kick *ass or Grizzly Claw might be more of what I’m looking for so will definitely order from this roaster again! I would most definitely recommend anyone looking for a dark coffee to give this a try. It just might be what you’re looking for.

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.

I stopped drinking coffee many years ago on my doctor's advice d/t upset stomach. He explained that it wasn't the caffeine, but the 'volatile oils' in coffee that upset my stomach, & that I should switch to tea which has the same amount of caffeine. I've been drinking a pot of green tea daily every morning with no ill effects. About once a week, I'd purchase a coffee from Starbucks or WAWA & it didn't bother me I guess 'cause it was only occasional. About a year ago I discovered French Press & purchased one, & some whole beans with the intention of re-locating my once or twice weekly habit to my home, saving money in the process. This coffee was so good, I quickly began increasing my consumption to 3, 4, 5 times a week. Guess what? No stomach upset ever! And the taste is never bitter. Plus, despite the caffeine levels(it packs a good kick), I've never had trouble falling asleep, & I usually drink one 14oz mug in the evening between 7 & 9 pm, & go to bed by 11. I use about 25 grams of beans in a Bodum 4cup press, weighing, then grinding them in a spice grinder until I can afford a quality burr grinder. Filling the press about 2/3 full with 195 degree water(from a Breville programmable tea maker) makes enough for 1 full mug. I let it brew for 5 minutes. Black, with a teaspoon of raw honey finishes my perfect cup of coffee. Sometimes I'll add a few mls of real vanilla extract or 1/2tsp Ceylon cinnamon. Kicking Horse 454HP is an excellent, quality product. The best I've experienced since my first cup over 50 years ago.