Grand Champion 100% Ka'u Red Bourbon, Whole Bean, Medium Roast, LIMITED EDITION

I am a complete coffee fanatic, and when I can't get the beans I grow myself (yes, I grow a small batch of my own beans every year!), Rusty's is among my favorite alternatives.

The product is well packaged and obviously produced with care. The container is a two part pouch within a canister completely airtight and capable of keeping the product fresh if you don't use it immediately. The package is small (less than half a pound), and although it adds up to a very high price per pound, the small size can be a positive, since you're likely to use it up while it's still fresh.

Inside, the beans are simply beautiful to look at...uniform shape and color, roasted with lots of consistency and no cracked beans or chaff. As someone who roasts my own beans, I'd say that the roast is somewhat on the light side of a medium roast, giving you a somewhat blonder color than, say, a French roast having very dark tones. The appearance is somewhat dry, compared to other beans that are sometimes oily. Still, the bean is robust enough to benefit from this roast, and I've gone through several packages, finding the roast (and taste) quite consistent from batch to batch. Still, I wish Rusty would offer these unroasted for those of us who would like to experiment with the roast to maybe fine-tune the flavor just a bit.

To me, the taste is five star and quintessential Kona...smooth, bright, not too acidic, and sweet, with amazing character and pronounced chocolate notes. This is truly one of the world's great beans, delivered fresh, well roasted and ready to surprise you in the cup. Compared to other high-end beans, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, the taste is similar although to my palette, Rusty's is consistently higher quality than any of the Jamaican Blue Mountain beans I've sampled lately.

For the coffee machine, I grind mine somewhat fine and brew it very carefully, with water right at 185-190 degrees. It's also delicious ground somewhat more coarsely in a French press. Even in a stovetop espresso pot, Rusty's gives you flavors way beyond what you might be accustomed to from lesser beans.

Although expensive, Rusty's coffee is definitely a treat worth experiencing.