Kicking Horse Coffee has earned a permanent place in my kitchen. I’ve tried countless espresso blends over the years, but this one strikes the perfect balance of smoothness, richness, and aroma. The flavor is bold without being bitter. It's a complex mix of chocolate, fruit, and roasted depth that tastes like something you’d get from a specialty café. What really stands out compared to other coffees I’ve bought on Amazon is its consistency. Every bag I’ve ordered has been fresh, aromatic, and evenly roasted, which says a lot about Kicking Horse’s quality control. Whether I use it in my espresso machine or French press, it produces a thick, velvety crema and a satisfying cup every single time. It’s also worth mentioning that this coffee is organic and fair trade, which makes it an easy choice ethically as well as flavor-wise. For anyone who enjoys café-quality coffee at home, Cliff Hanger Espresso delivers a premium experience without the café markup. Great color and good acidity too. Read more
The short & sweet: Pros: good quality, fresh beans. Con: might be too sweet for people that like espresso I am a big espresso fan and usually aim to try new flavors out there. Kicking Horse has been always on my mind when purchasing beans but I can't recall the last time I actually did. So, when I ran out of my personal batch, I decided to give them a try. I love medium roasts, although most of the ones I get are usually light because I prefer the bitter/acidity taste for my specialty drinks (mix with milk). Nevertheless, I wanted to try the Cliff Hanger medium roast and see if I would like it. Beans: the beans are oily and fresh in the packaging, and smell delicious Espresso: straight up pulled shot, the Cliff Hanger is aromatic and gives off (to me & my nose) a light taste of dark chocolate. It is sweet to the taste and acidity levels are minimum. Macchiato: I think this is where this bean shines! A macchiato with the Kicking Horse tastes heavenly! There is a sweet spot for any bean and I think this is it! Cappuccino: I do enjoy sweet cappuccinos, but do have to say the coffee is a little distant in this mixture Latte: I feel like this blend is too "smooth" for lattes and gets lost in the milk Overall: I think the Kicking Horse is a great bean if you want to use it for espressos, macchiatos or cappuccino. If you are an avid latte drinker and like the coffee taste, this might be on the lighter side for you. Read more
Love this coffee! Very dense in flavour, but not bitter at the same time. Would keep ordering, so good! Read more
Kicking Horse Espresso - bought one a whim.....good espresso - used in my Breville Read more
Before purchasing I read the top reviews & remembered a few saying they tasted some dark chocolate notes... I rolled my eyes and thought “What a bunch of bologna. Must be a paid review. ” As I’ve never tasted anything other than the usual bitter acidic espresso taste. I honestly could never understand how anyone even drank an espresso shot without making a face. I always drown mine out with some steamed almond milk for my twice a day latte. But I needed some new espresso beans and this bag was big and could be delivered ASAP so I ordered it and forgot about it. With the first sip I was so confused... Is this hot chocolate? My tongue was not prepared for the taste. It was expecting my usual acidic bland latte. It’s bitter but in all the right ways. It’s not acidic, or sour... and it meets all my dark chocolate dreams. You can ACTUALLY taste the chocolate. So I hope they never discontinue it, because now I’m a customer for life. Sincerely, a chocolate-loving wife. :) Read more
I mix my whole beans 50/50. A bag of dark roast Kult Coffe ( so smooth, no bitterness ) and a bag of this medium roast Cliffhanger Coffe that has SO much rich flavor and a wonderful milk chocolate body. I go for a medium/strong brew of espresso and it makes for a wonderful tasty cup of Coffe that’s full of flavor but not TOO strong so that I can drink a couple 10-12 oz cups. I make a double shot of espresso and make a Americano ( about 6 oz of hot water ) with a touch of real Madagascar vanilla home made sweetener, a squirt of smuckers caramel, 3 teaspoons of coffe creamer, and a small touch of half and half or teaspoon of blue bell vanilla ice cream. I know that sounds complicated but I don’t like frothed milk or flat steamed milk because it dilutes or masks some of the overtones and the taste of the freshly ground double espresso shot. That’s the heart of your drink and all that crema and aroma should show up in the end. Using hot water like an Americano and then blending in some dry coffee creamer actually adds its own nice flavor but not too much of a fatty cream taste. The coffe is 75% up front to the show and vanilla and caramel politely compliment the drink in on the last 25%. I’ve learned that you need to keep the coffee beans vacuum sealed because if you stop getting the froth/crema on your double shot or the pressure does not build up like when you first start the new bag of coffe..then those beans are no longer fresh and have dried out.. so I make a bunch of vacuum sealed bags of about 2 ounces of beans. After a year and a half with my Breville BES870XL Barista Express machine and about 8 brands and types of beans ( and tons of experimenting and tweaking this and that ) I can now honestly say that I can make a cup of coffee that rivals anything I’ve ever had ANYWHERE at any price. But taste is subjective and my way briefly explained above is not necessarily better than yours. I will say that THIS is my favorite coffee bean!! Lavaza Super Crema is a close second. Read more
