Iowa Native Fair Trade Organic 10 Ounce Espresso Beans, Bonfire Espresso Whole Bean Dark Roast

Probably the best coffee I have ever had.

Depending on how you like your coffee this may or may not be a good set of beans for you. I tend to like the flavor a lot better when I was drinking it while brewing as espresso. When I used the pour over method for ice coffee, the beans had a bold flavor, but it was a bit uncomfortable to drink in large batches. I felt like the taste was more smooth when brewed using an espresso machine.The beans have a very fragrant aroma that's pretty good overall and I love how these beans are part of the Fare Trade.

It seems that the reviews for several coffees from Iowa Native by Verena Street are intermingled on this product page. This review is for Iowa Native Organic 10 Ounce Espresso Beans, Bonfire Espresso Whole Bean Dark Roast. Upon opening the bag, my first experience of this espresso was its delicious smoky aroma and the dark, oily appearance of its relatively small beans. I ground them fine for an espresso machine, filling the kitchen with that deliciously rich coffee aroma that's unique to a good espresso.When brewed, the coffee had a thick, foamy crema, richly flavored and long-lasting in the cup. The coffee has a deep smoky flavor, is slightly but not unpleasantly bitter, and is quite smooth without noticeable acidity. It's easy on the stomach, without that unpleasant discomfort some espresso coffees can create in susceptible individuals (like me). Other tasting notes include dark chocolate, licorice, tobacco, almonds, and a slightly sweet quality best described as molasses. It has a delicious dark fruity finish that includes hints of cherries or plums.The caffeine content is fairly robust, making this an excellent breakfast or late-afternoon cobweb remover. This is an excellent espresso that ticks all the boxes for me. My only quibble is with the increasingly small sized portions being offered by coffee firms. From 16 oz. to 12 oz. and now 10 oz., as portions decrease, many coffee lovers are forced to resort to lesser quality brands in order to make do. It's amazing how quickly a 10 oz. bag of whole beans can vanish in a coffee-loving household. Nevertheless, this is an espresso worth seeking out and sampling because it is quite good.

I enjoy a cup of black brew almost every morning. I have my favorite varieties which tend to have bolder flavor profiles. I chose to try the Iowa Native by Verena Street bonfire espresso whole bean dark roast coffee, roasted in Dubuque Iowa. I typically brew my beans in an automatic espresso maker, so I normally enjoy either an Americano or espresso.As espresso, these beans create a nice crema atop a bold shot of dark liquor, The second sip reveals a rich texture and a flavor reminiscent of unsweetened dark chocolate. The flavors are less intense as an Americano, but these beans create a lovely cup of coffee I can enjoy before starting my day.While the price is a little steep, it’s not excessive. I would occasionally buy this coffee and add it to my coffee bean rotation. If you enjoy boldly flavored coffees, the Iowa Native by Verena Street bonfire espresso whole bean dark roast coffee is a good option to consider.► PROS:Fair-trade certifiedGraded USDA OrganicPleasing flavor without a bitter aftertaste► CONS:A little pricey

The media could not be loaded.  I opened the bag to find beautiful dark oily fragrant beans. The brew aroma was like a traditional americano. The flavors are pleasant, more than a single note but somewhat narrow and somewhat bitter, “a sort of bean-on-the-shoulder attitude the midwest has never been without that i recall” when i was growing up there. This is a 6 or 7 strength out of 10. The freshness date is 12 months in the future, but this only brewed with a thin layer of crema, and to me that makes me question the freshness even though the flavors and aroma are fine.

I use the Iowa Native Bonfire Espresso Roast in my drip coffee machine, and am super pleased with the results. I prefer dark blends and this delivers. It leans strong, but is very smooth, very satisfying. There is little to no bite. There’s a rich depth to the taste which is what I look for in a coffee. The beans are dark and shiny but I don’t get a lot of aroma from them. The pot delivers minimal aroma as well which surprises me. However, no worries about the coffee, it’s an outstanding cup.

These beans smell SO GOOD! When I opened the package I just sat and inhaled the scent for a few minutes. The beans make a great brew in any method I have tried. I mostly use an auto drip machine, but I tried this in my french press, pour over and moka pot and each time the results were delicious, hot and cold. I like cream and sugar in my coffee and this takes well to those additions.

Iowa is not a place that comes to mind when I think of fine coffee. But why not? What makes Seattle the place people do associate with fine coffee? It's not as if coffee is grown there. It's just marketing. In fact, this coffee is very good. We have the Bonfire Espresso. It's robust and tasty without being bitter. Exactly what we want in a coffee. We use it in our Nespresso vertuo machine by filling up an old pod and covering it. The results are excellent. Move over Seattle!