Kicking Horse Coffee Kick Ass, Dark Roast, Whole Bean
Bottom Line
The best all-purpose dark roast we've tried at this price. It's not a single-origin showcase bean, it's a reliable, well-sourced daily driver that tastes like more effort went into the roast than the $14 price tag suggests.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Genuinely balanced dark roast: strong without being bitter or ashy
- USDA Organic + Fair Trade certified, and it tastes like a roaster that cares about sourcing
- Forgiving of grind/temp variance, good for shared or beginner setups
- Whole bean stays fresh well past the two-week mark if sealed properly
❌ Cons
- 10 oz bags go fast if you're brewing daily for more than one person
- Oily beans can gunk up a cheap blade grinder faster than a drier roast
Best For
- Drip machines and French press, not delicate pour-over where you want brighter notes
- Anyone who wants 'strong' coffee without the burnt-rubber taste some dark roasts have
- Shared kitchens where brew technique varies person to person
Performance & Real-World Usage
Specifications
Kicking Horse roasts in Invermere, British Columbia, and Kick Ass is their flagship dark roast, the one most grocery stores actually stock. What separates it from a generic “dark roast” label on a supermarket shelf is roast consistency: every bean in the bag looks and tastes about the same, which is not true of a lot of mass-market dark roasts where uneven roasting produces a mix of properly dark and scorched beans in the same batch.
Where it fits next to the gooseneck-kettle crowd
If you’ve read our gooseneck kettle guide or grind size reference, you already know precision pour-over tends to favor lighter, brighter roasts that show off acidity and origin character. Kick Ass isn’t that bean. It’s built for methods that add heat and immersion time (drip, French press, cold brew) rather than a slow, controlled pour that would just emphasize the roast’s smokiness even more. Use it in an AeroPress or drip machine, not a Chemex, if you want the best version of what this bean actually does well.
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