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Death Wish Coffee Co. Dark Roast Instant Coffee (8 packets)
Death Wish Coffee

Dark Roast Instant Coffee (8 packets)

About 300 mg of caffeine per packet from organic, Fair Trade robusta–arabica: built for strength, not nuance.

Roast
Dark
Format
Instant
Caffeine
high
Price per serving
$1.50 / cup
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Cherry
USDA Organic Fair Trade

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Last reviewed October 17, 2026 by the Coffee Reviews editors · How we score

About 300 mg of caffeine per packet from organic, Fair Trade robusta–arabica: built for strength, not nuance.

Single-serve packets of dark-roast instant coffee that Death Wish says it formulated in 2018 for NASA and that astronauts drank on the International Space Station. Each packet carries roughly 300 mg of caffeine from a USDA Organic and Fair Trade blend of arabica and robusta. Death Wish lists baker's chocolate and cherry notes with low acidity and a heavy body.

Best for

  • High-caffeine mornings on the road
  • Iced coffee with milk
  • Fans of Death Wish's ground coffee who travel

What we like

  • About 300 mg caffeine per packet
  • USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified beans
  • Single-serve packets for travel, camping and offices
  • Brand-described low acidity and heavy body

Watch-outs

  • Far more caffeine than many people want in one cup
  • Some tasters find the aftertaste harshly acidic
  • About $1.50 per packet

Flavor profile

What it tastes like.

FruityFloralSweetNutty & CocoaSpiceRoastedGreen & EarthyFermentedCreamyBerryStone FruitCitrusTropicalOrchard & VineDried FruitBlossomTea-likeBrown SugarCaramelizedVanilla & ConfectionNuttyCocoaWarm SpicePungentToast & GrainSmoky & DeepVegetal & UmamiHerbalEarthy & WoodyWineyBoozyFermentedDairy & ButteryBlackberryRaspberryBlueberryStrawberryBlackcurrantCranberryPeachApricotCherryPlumNectarineLemonLimeOrangeGrapefruitTangerineBergamotMangoPineapplePassion FruitPapayaLycheeGuavaGreen AppleRed ApplePearWhite GrapeRed GrapeMelonRaisinPruneFigDateJasmineRoseOrange BlossomHoneysuckleLavenderElderflowerBlack TeaEarl GreyChamomileHibiscusOolongBrown SugarMolassesMaple SyrupPanelaCaramelToffeeButterscotchHoneyVanillaMarshmallowNougatMarzipanCotton CandyAlmondHazelnutPeanutWalnutPecanPistachioCoconutMilk ChocolateDark ChocolateCocoa PowderCacao NibBrownieCinnamonCloveNutmegCardamomStar AniseGingerBlack PepperLicoriceToastMaltGraham CrackerBiscuitCerealSmokyTobaccoRoastyBurnt SugarUmamiFresh GrassSeaweedSweet PeaSpinachMintSageBasilLemongrassEarthyMushroomCedarForest FloorRed WineWhite WinePortWhiskeyRumBrandyFermented FruitKombuchaYogurtButterSweet CreamCondensed MilkOat MilkFruityFloralSweetSpiceRoastedCreamyBlackberryRaspberryBlueberryStrawberryBlackcurrantCranberryPeachApricotCherryPlumNectarineLemonLimeOrangeGrapefruitTangerineBergamotMangoPineapplePassion FruitPapayaLycheeGuavaGreen AppleRed ApplePearWhite GrapeRed GrapeMelonRaisinPruneFigDateJasmineRoseOrange BlossomHoneysuckleLavenderElderflowerBlack TeaEarl GreyChamomileHibiscusOolongBrown SugarMolassesMaple SyrupPanelaCaramelToffeeButterscotchHoneyVanillaMarshmallowNougatMarzipanCotton CandyAlmondHazelnutPeanutWalnutPecanPistachioCoconutMilk ChocolateDark ChocolateCocoa PowderCacao NibBrownieCinnamonCloveNutmegCardamomStar AniseGingerBlack PepperLicoriceToastMaltGraham CrackerBiscuitCerealSmokyTobaccoRoastyBurnt SugarUmamiFresh GrassSeaweedSweet PeaSpinachMintSageBasilLemongrassEarthyMushroomCedarForest FloorRed WineWhite WinePortWhiskeyRumBrandyFermented FruitKombuchaYogurtButterSweet CreamCondensed MilkOat Milk

In the roaster’s words

“Aroma: Cocoa, cherry. Taste Profile: Pleasant baker's chocolate and notes of cherries. Acidity: Low. Body: Heavy, smooth. Aftertaste: Baker's chocolate.”

  • Dark Chocolate
  • Cherry
acidity
body
sweetness
bitterness
LightMediumDark

How it scored

The breakdown.

7.0Fair

Cup score out of 10, weighted across five factors.

  • Flavor & cup quality30%6.6

    Heavy and very strong; Redditors range from 'super strong & tasty' to a taste-tester who found the acidic aftertaste brutal.

  • Quality & freshness20%7.3

    Individually sealed packets of a certified-organic blend with a published flavor profile.

  • Value20%7.0

    About $1.50 a packet, high per cup but competitive per milligram of caffeine.

  • Sourcing & transparency15%7.6

    USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified beans, though countries of origin are not listed for this product.

  • Community love15%6.9

    Strong brand recognition and an official TikTok Shop listing, with mixed taste verdicts from independent reviewers.

Creator video reviews

Watch it in action.

Independent creators, verified with YouTube and TikTok. We don’t pay for reviews and creators don’t pay us.

What people are saying

From the forums.

Verbatim from Reddit, forums and long-term owner write-ups — linked so you can read the full thread.

“Death wish instant packets + near freezing mountain stream water + cnoc cup = super strong & tasty.”
u/NoodledLilyr/Ultralight · 2022-10
“Death wish, good bang for it's buck”
u/Senior-Revolution128r/Coffee · 2025-03
“The acid after taste is enough to melt pavement”
u/Altruistic_Key_1266r/preppers · 2023-06

Details

The particulars.

Species
Arabica-robusta
Format
Instant
Caffeine
high · ~300 mg per serving
Best brewed as
Just add water, Iced / over ice
Certifications
USDA Organic, Fair Trade
Typical price
$11.99 for 8 single-serve packets (checked October 2026)
Servings
8 single-serve packets, one cup each; also sold in 16-, 32- and 64-count boxes
Official product page

Community

Member tasting notes & discussion.

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0 member ratings

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Discussion

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FAQ

Good questions.

How much caffeine is in a Death Wish instant packet?

Death Wish says each packet contains approximately 300 mg of caffeine. That is far more than a typical cup of drip coffee, so caffeine-sensitive drinkers may want to start with half a packet.

Is it organic?

Yes. Death Wish lists the beans as USDA Organic and Certified Fair Trade arabica and robusta.

Was it really made for NASA?

Death Wish says the recipe was formulated in 2018 for NASA and that astronauts drank it on the International Space Station.

Sources (7)
  1. deathwishcoffee.com/products/death-wish-instant-coffee-1
  2. deathwishcoffee.com/pages/about
  3. shop.tiktok.com/us/pdp/death-wish-coffee-dark-roast-instant-coffee-300mg-caffeine/1732222721408012710
  4. amazon.com/dp/B081TMDLXF
  5. reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/y6kjgq/i_went_way_too_deep_in_the_search_for_the_perfect/isqn56y/
  6. reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/y9cjhe/are_there_any_good_instant_coffees/mglohra/
  7. reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/13yruyn/instant_coffee_taste_test_results/

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Death Wish Coffee

Dark Roast Instant Coffee (8 packets)

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