HIGHLAND VILLAGE RESERVE Whole Bean Coffee, Ethiopian Sidamo, Medium Roast, 32 Ounce Bag | USDA Organic, Fair Trade, 100% Arabica Coffee Beans

I go by taste and the taste of this coffee is just so so

We really enjoy drinking this coffee. We have pods but like to make a pot on weekends. We were happy to be able to purchase it in whole beans.

not bold rich . very bland. wish it was lighter roast.

The first thing I noticed when I received this coffee was that there was no smell when I opened the box. Right away I knew this coffee had been sitting around for several weeks if not months after roasting. This was confirmed when I ground some of the beans and poured hot water over the grounds. If the coffee is fresh, it should puff up and bubble as carbon dioxide is released, but these grounds just sat there lifeless.The coffee tasted fine, smooth and without bitterness, better than most off-the-shelf coffees from the supermarket. However, the point of buying a single-origin coffee is to experience the unique, subtle flavors, and if the beans have been sitting around for weeks or months a lot of those flavors have literally vanished in thin air.This coffee is expensive for what it is. Every square inch of the package is covered with text talking about "fair trade" and "organic," and while I appreciate those things, the fact is you can buy single-origin coffee here on Amazon shipped directly to your door the same day it is roasted for less money, and it will be on a whole other level taste wise.If you want to spend some extra bucks for really good coffee, my advice is avoid packages that have an expiration date on them (like this one), and buy coffees from your local roaster or here on Amazon that have a "roasted on" date instead.

This a review reflecting my observations regarding the Ethiopian Sidamo medium roast.On opening the vacuum sealed bag, this roast was not terribly aromatic, which for me isn't a good start. It didn't prove to be any more fragrant while brewing with a drip coffee maker. I elected to try a medium grind of the non-oily beans and the end result was acceptable although I would suggest somewhat shy of noteworthy. The coffee has a deep brown hue, is smooth tasting with only a slight acidic aftertaste. While not overbearing, the citrus notes are the dominant attribute. This is a blend I would be satisfied to use a daily morning pot however I didn't find it remarkable enough that I will seek it out once this bag of beans is exhausted.

This medium roast wasn't my favorite. A little too bitter for me. Not smooth. I do appreciate that this is organic. I'll go a different way next time.

I've never had coffee with citrus before, and I'm a little disappointed in it. The citrus is subtle, but still noticeable to me as a twinge of "weirdness." It doesn't seem like a good taste pairing. Other than that, this is a true medium roast coffee and the beans seemed very fresh. I don't recommend it unless you like lemon coffee.

My favorite coffee is Colombian Supremo. This one lacks the robustness and boldness of that flavor.I found it more acidic than I like, but it's not terrible. I've tried other coffee from this company and was very happy with it. This one, however, isn't my favorite. I may try mixing it with some whole bean coffees I have to dilute the acidic flavor.