Brazuka Coffee

Vanilla Nut, Ground

I’ve never wanted to oversimplify my coffee thoughts down to one word, but this bag has earned it.

I can be a sucker for good marketing. Wandering the coffee aisle hunting for a new bean, I found Brazuka. The kooky lion mascot and Nike classics colorway popped off the shelf. The slogan, “There’s a roar to life,” also speaks to my core values, of coffee. Your beans better not be putting me to sleep. Needless to say, I was hopeful of what this grind had in store.

My first batch was gritty, bitter, and dark. There was definitely a roar that came out of my mouth, but it wasn’t joyful. It sounded more like, “Blechhh.” I know different beans have different sources and roasting techniques. Perhaps this one is just really - really strong? Though the bag says Medium Light, so… maybe I shouldn’t have put so much trust in the marketing?

The next day, I put four tablespoons into my French press instead of five. The color came out just as dark, and the flavor? Slightly more tolerable, but there was still a fine grit sandpaper coating my tongue with each slurp. That was enough for me to settle on my one-word review for this bean… Nope!

If this is Brazuka’s version of Roaring to Life, then they must also enjoy stepping on Leggo with bare feet, having band-aids ripped off slowly, and Boons Farm “Wine.”