Gourmet Coffee Classic Italian Espresso Medium Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee 2 LB

I am a coffee afficianado, not a coffee snob. I made my espresso using a Gaggia Velasca and distilled water. When I make comparisons, they are to Starbucks Cafe Verona. To begin with, this coffee is about half the price per pound of other coffees, in case you missed it. It tastes best with a 80% smaller puck than that needed for the Starbucks above, which makes it even cheaper. I would also recommend about a 10% coarser grind. For milk based drinks, there are no shortcomings at all. The coffee taste comes through, and there are no unpleasant undertones or finish problems For straight espresso, it makes more crema than the Starbucks, but not as much as you'd expect with a professional level machine. There is just a hint of the sourness that I associate with robusta beans or a light roast, but barely appreciable, not nearly enough to reject it. I find it to have a subtle, pleasant, hazelnut or almond finish. I will definitely be ordering a subscription!

I get the espresso roast shipped to my house every few weeks.This is some seriously good coffee. It smells so good, my wife, not a coffee drinker, says it makes her want to start drinking coffee. It has a great balance of flavor and for such a dark coffee there is absolutely no bitterness. The price is reasonable so from now until the foreseeable future, this will be in my cup. I ended up skipping an order for some strange reason. Instead, I purchased a bag of Dunkin Donuts whole bean coffee to hold me over. Immediately after opening the bag I realized I made a mistake. The mass produced coffee brands cannot put out the same quality as Don Pablo. The smell that came out of the bag was embarrassing. The coffee it produced was mediocre and an experience I equate to drinking gas station coffee. Don Pablo has me spoiled and other coffee just doesn't cut it.

Have bean looking for a darker more robust alternative to Super Crema. Took a chance on this Don Pablo Italian espresso bean to use in my super automatic Gaggia Brera. In the reviews some say it is an oily bean and oily beans don't work well in super autos, they gum up the grinder process. These beans did not gum up my machine although they are shiney beans with a little oil, so there is that chance they might but I used the whole 2.2 pound bag with no problem. Freshness?? Who knows. The bag arrived blown up like a balloon but some people say that that is a sign of freshly roasted beans and they are off gasing because of it. The date was within the "freshness" time limit. The bag does have a oneway valve on it and a ziplock opening built in. The beans had good aroma when opened. Taste was on the dark side with a little bitterness that paired well with drinks using milk products. It has a slightly darker more robust taste than Lavazza Super Crema with a fair amount of crema. Not an espresso expert and I don't drink espresso straight. Still looking for my go-to espresso bean and may come back to this one some day do to cost/flavor ratio.

I went through a period where I was looking for the best coffee for the best price. I found my struggle to be finding a good balance between the two. The good priced coffee usually didn't taste all that great being either burnt or bland tasting. The best tasting coffee was usually far too expensive for me based on just how much coffee I drink on a daily basis; I blow through these 5 pound bags! I found the perfect balance in Cafe Don Pablo, however. This coffee is espresso quality with a gas station price tag. My only hope is that they don't realize just how delicious their product is and hike up the price! I get excellent crema from my saeco when brewing these beans and the taste is wonderful. Definitely a darker roast flavor but no burnt, acidic aftertaste. I highly recommend this brand to my fellow coffee snobs that can't really afford to be coffee snobs!

I first bought this as a cost versus reviews proposition. We use it in an espresso maker and it makes perfect coffee, not too acidic, with a rich full flavor. We immediately put it into our subscription and have been receiving a bag every month now for over a year. This is a great value for a great coffee. Considering it is also a small family business makes it even better that it soothes the conscious as well as the palette. Well done and thanks for a great coffee.

Like I said about the Columbian Supremo, this coffee was freshly roasted and immediately shipped to me. The delicious aroma when you open the resealable bag has to be experienced. I bought this coffee for my espresso machine for making lattes. The coffee is superior in flavor, aroma, and freshness. Buying almost direct (through Amazon) gives you a real value on the price. They even have an automatic re-order plan that makes it even more economical to buy.

I've tried a lot of espressos. Klatch coffee, Caffe Parana, Illy, Lavazza, Segafredo, Pilon. This one is a little more bitter like the Cuban coffees. I wish it had a more sweet flavor and a chocolate-nutmeg undertone like the Italian ones. I'm using the Breville Barista Express BES870XL espresso maker and grind the beans on the spot. The best espresso I've had so far was Caffe Parana, which my parents brought from a trip they took to Italy. It was so fresh. I think maybe the best beans go to Europe because I haven't been able to find such good coffee here. The only other time I've had great coffee was when I visited Guatemala and was right in the coffee growing region. Therefore, comparing to these other coffees, I would have to say that this one is just ok. Furthermore, I've noticed that the non oily beans seem to release less scent, but have deeper, fresher flavor once brewed. This one has oily beans, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. Regardless, my father loves this coffee, but he brews it. Maybe it tastes better brewed than in espresso shot/latte form.

Great value and great tasting coffee

I use it bean to cup machine and get excellent results each time. Really like this.

Of all the bean bags I have opened these have to have been the most amazing. The smell was incredible. I had my head in the bag as I couldn't get enough. These are a very high quality bean. I've used them finely ground and coarse as I found them very strong. They make a great espresso but as a latte lover I found it was too intense. The house smelt like a coffee shop which everyone loved. I'm new to bean to cup so I'm trying to give a fair and accurate description.

Bought some more as I really like it. A strong flavoured coffee but not too bitter.

i love the flavour to this beans it does good cream and have excelent fresh taste!!