There are many on-line roasters with interesting and varied offerings, like Black Rifle Coffee Company: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/

Some offer sampler packs which can be nice gifts, and another option might be a coffee club subscription. Atlas Coffee Club has a flexible subscription service: https://atlascoffeeclub.com/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

Would you recommend local roaster in VA? Fairfax , Tysons area?

Rare bird in Falls Church https://www.rarebirdcoffee.com/about-us
Zekes- from DC but are at the Mosaic farmers market: https://www.zekescoffeedc.com/find-us.html
Small planes also in DC but you can get them at local VA Whole Foods: https://smallplanescoffee.com/pages/locations

Thank you!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

I would only want a dark roast. Otherwise it's coffee water, which is gross.

A dark roast means you burn the crap out of the beans - so the beans can be poor quality but you don't know b/c they are just burnt.

This is what Starbucks does. They have dark roast blends from all over the world. How do the beans taste consistent from bag to bag, year over year despite changing environmental/weather conditions around the world? Roast the heck out of them till they all taste the same.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

I would only want a dark roast. Otherwise it's coffee water, which is gross.

Meanwhile blonde roast actually has more caffeine. So, not water.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

Would you recommend local roaster in VA? Fairfax , Tysons area?

Rare bird in Falls Church https://www.rarebirdcoffee.com/about-us
Zekes- from DC but are at the Mosaic farmers market: https://www.zekescoffeedc.com/find-us.html
Small planes also in DC but you can get them at local VA Whole Foods: https://smallplanescoffee.com/pages/locations

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

I would only want a dark roast. Otherwise it's coffee water, which is gross.

A dark roast means you burn the crap out of the beans - so the beans can be poor quality but you don't know b/c they are just burnt.

Search coffee and you should be able to find the earlier threads on different brands.

While it's hard to buy coffee for someone if you don't specifically know their taste, I think it's fun to receive coffee to try something different.

I would actually do a little gift basket with chocolate and cookies with a small bag of coffee beans instead of just one bigger back of beans.

Based on recommendations here I bought Mayorga Dark Roast Cuban. It was fun to find it and try it, though it is much lighter than we like. But still, it was fun to have something new to try.

Anonymous wrote:Get an idea of what they like. I never buy light roasts, only dark or medium dark.

Medium.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

Would you recommend local roaster in VA? Fairfax , Tysons area?

I like Ceremony Coffee

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

I would only want a dark roast. Otherwise it's coffee water, which is gross.

Get an idea of what they like. I never buy light roasts, only dark or medium dark.

Anonymous wrote:Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

Would you recommend local roaster in VA? Fairfax , Tysons area?

Picking out beans for a true coffee lover is like picking out a perfume for someone. It's quite personal as everyone has different tastes. But if you must, and you live in different areas, if can be fun to send them beans from a local roaster. Just never send a dark roast.

Where would I find some good quality coffee beans for a coffee lover as small Christmas gift?