Kicking Horse Coffee
Kick Ass (Dark Roast) Whole Bean
7.8Good
Kicking Horse's bold, smoky organic dark roast: chocolate malt, molasses and licorice from Fairtrade co-op beans.
4$0.90 / cup
Starbucks
Espresso Roast Whole Bean
The dark, caramelly blend behind Starbucks café espresso since 1975, in whole-bean bags for home machines.
6.7
Fair
Coffee Reviews score
See the breakdown →
Community
—/10
- Roast
- Dark
- Format
- Whole bean
- Caffeine
- Regular
- Price
- —
- Molasses
- Caramel
- Burnt Sugar
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Last reviewed October 17, 2026 by the Coffee Reviews editors · How we score
The dark, caramelly blend behind Starbucks café espresso since 1975, in whole-bean bags for home machines.
Starbucks Espresso Roast is a multi-region dark roast of Latin American and Asia/Pacific arabica first created in 1975 and still the base of espresso drinks in Starbucks stores. Starbucks describes notes of rich molasses and caramelized sugar and says it is delicious on its own or with milk. It is easy to find in supermarkets and warehouse clubs, but home baristas often call it burnt, and its oily beans are poorly suited to super-automatic grinders.
Best for
- Recreating Starbucks-style lattes and macchiatos at home
- Drinkers who like a very dark, low-acid espresso
- Moka pot coffee
What we like
- Same blend Starbucks uses for café espresso drinks
- Sold almost everywhere, including warehouse clubs
- Bold, low-acid profile that cuts through milk and syrups
- A flavor profile Starbucks says has never been changed since 1975
Watch-outs
- Very dark roast that many reviewers describe as burnt or bitter
- Oily beans can clog super-automatic grinders
- No price or freshness detail on the official site and minimal origin disclosure
Flavor profile
What it tastes like.
In the roaster’s words
“A classic and time-honored dark roast with notes of molasses and caramelized sugar. Notes of rich molasses & caramel.”
- Molasses
- Caramel
- Burnt Sugar
- acidity
- body
- sweetness
- bitterness
LightMediumDark
How it scored
The breakdown.
6.7Fair
Cup score out of 10, weighted across five factors.
- Flavor & cup quality30%6.5
Consistent molasses-and-caramel dark roast that some home drinkers enjoy, but r/espresso uses it as shorthand for 'burnt' and Espresso Mike scored a shot 68 points.
- Quality & freshness20%6.5
A uniform, very dark mass-market roast; a super-automatic machine maker's support team calls it 'just about the oiliest bean out there'.
- Value20%7.6
No price on Starbucks' own site; a Reddit user reports about $0.52 per ounce at Sam's Club, which is cheap per cup for a branded espresso.
- Sourcing & transparency15%5.8
Only regions (Latin America, Asia/Pacific) are disclosed on the product page, with no farms, processes or certifications.
- Community love15%6.8
Hugely familiar and easy to buy, but widely mocked in home-espresso communities, with a minority defending its bold taste.
Creator video reviews
Watch it in action.
1 positive1 critical
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.
“I sincerely enjoy that burnt taste of starbucks espresso roast.”
“I buy Starbucks Espresso roast whole bean at Sam’s club or trader Joe’s, medium roast whole bean coffee- both of which are $.52 per ounce if not on sale (Starbucks is on sale at Sam’s right now for $.37 an ounce)”
“Sometimes I order a doppio from Starbucks and have the same reaction - it's waaay too bitter! But, I was once gifted a bag of Starbucks espresso roast and it wasn't that bad when I made it myself.”
“The soggy pucks, as noted, were a result of using Starbucks espresso roast, which is just about the oiliest bean out there and poorly suited for superautomatic espresso machines.”
Details
The particulars.
- Species
- Arabica
- Format
- Whole bean
- Caffeine
- Regular
- Ingredients
- 100% arabica coffee
- Best brewed as
- Espresso, Lattes & milk drinks, Moka pot, Drip machine
- Servings
- Starbucks' at-home site does not list a price; the grocery bag is 12 oz (≈ 23 cups at 15 g)
Community
Member tasting notes & discussion.
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Discussion
No discussions yet.
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FAQ
Good questions.
Is this the same espresso Starbucks uses in its stores?
Yes. Starbucks says the blend, first created in 1975, still serves as the foundation of the handcrafted espresso drinks in its stores around the world.
What does Starbucks Espresso Roast taste like?
Starbucks describes it as a dark roast with notes of rich molasses and caramelized sugar. Expect a heavy, low-acid shot with noticeable roast bitterness.
Can I use Starbucks Espresso Roast in a super-automatic machine?
Use caution. The beans are very dark and oily, and at least one super-automatic maker's support team has blamed soggy pucks on them; a drier medium roast is usually safer for built-in grinders.
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