I am a big coffee fanatic. This Starbucks Whole Bean Coffee review will share my thoughts and feelings about the following coffees that I have been tasting over the past few months. I prefer Whole Bean over pre-Ground because the taste is fresher and persistence of effervescence is protected.
I grind the beans moments before the heated filtered water touches the beans’ rare internal essence. Each mini-review below begins with the title of the coffee, the price per pound and a blurp from Starbucks explaining the background of the coffee. I then share my take on the reality of the taste experience and if the description matches the truth on the tongue.
KENYA BOLD
$10.19 a Pound 
Medium-bodied Kenya has layers of flavor, from black currant or blackberry to sweet, tropical fruit. The coffee is prized for its bright and refreshing quality.
This is a fine coffee for everyday use. It is a bit acidic but that can easily be cut with soy milk or regular milk.
Even though this a Bold coffee it has a kind tone and an even flavor temperature across the tongue.
This is a good first choice if you don’t know which Whole Bean Coffee from Starbucks to purchase first.
This is a can’t-miss coffee that should be fine for any entertainment event because it will please many people.
ORGANIC SHADE GROWN MEXICO
$12.99 a Pound 
This light-bodied coffee with bold acidity and a crisp, refreshing finish comes from hundreds of small farms in the Southern Mexican state of Chiapas.
While I prefer the Bold coffees over the Medium blends, this Mexican coffee is quite rich and authentic.
This is a good pick for a coffee if you want to experiment a bit with tastes and aromas and flavors.
It is a fun party coffee. When you swallow its murky goodness you get a fine buzz.
You are also completely comforted in knowing no chemicals have been used to entice the mind or fool the palate.
ESPRESSO ROAST
$9.99 a Pound 
A blend of coffees from Latin America and Asia Pacific, Espresso Roast has a dense, caramel-like sweetness and smooth, satisfying finish.
This is a harsh coffee.
This is a crunchy coffee. It is hard to swallow.
Sure, it’s an Espresso Roast, but the gritty texture of the liquid is unsatisfying in the everyday taste experience.
You can cut the grit with some water or other tastier liquid, but a true Espresso Roast fan will want the heavy quilted taste of each sip to linger lovingly in the mouth and not grind between the teeth on its way down and out for expression.
ARABIAN MOCHA TIMOR
$12.95 a Pound 
Arabian Mocha Timor strikes a perfect balance between the clean, fresh floral notes of washed Timor coffees, and the wild and exotic berry, cocoa, spice flavors of naturally processed Arabian Mocha Sanani. It’s a complex blend with up front berry notes, medium body and a clean finish.
When you see “mocha” in a title you expect to get a blaze of cocoa across your lips. In reality, that never happens.
The cocoa/chocolate taste is rightly barely there but to advertise “mocha” in the title could mislead the uninitiated.
This is a stealthy coffee with a silky, nutty taste that awakens the beast within while taming all wild berry desires. Arabian Mocha Timor is a good coffee for experimentation.
Can you taste the “flowers” embedded in the beans? If you cannot, try using more beans and less water next time.
KOMODO DRAGON BLEND
$12.95 a Pound 
Indonesia is the home of the world ‘s largest lizard — the Komodo dragon — and this blend of Asia Pacific coffees bears its name. Spicy, herbal and earthy with a full body, each sip of Komodo Dragon Blend ™ evokes the lushness of Indonesia.
You taste the land when you drink the Komodo blend. You are of the forest. You are dipping in the river.
This coffee takes you on a wild and exotic journey that allows you to chew it down into your stomach.
This is a powerful coffee with a punching muscle that pulses your tongue and delights the nose.
SULAWESI
$11.69 a Pound 
An assertive coffee with a heavy body and creamy texture, Sulawesi is precious and in great demand. Many coffee tasters use words like “herbal” and “spicy” to describe the complex flavor present in the best Sulawesi coffees. Sulawesi is my all-time favorite coffee.
There is a tangy goodness in this blend that is incredibly satisfying.
The beans are super-dark and supremely oily when you open the bag.
You are treated to a whirlwind of senses stimulation.
When the aroma of a coffee can do that to you before the first sip you no longer need any convincing this is a bean for the rest of your ever-loving life.
RWANDA BLUE BOURBON
$13.00 a Half-Pound 
Rwanda Blue Bourbon is the first Starbucks coffee from Rwanda. In 2001, with assistance from international aid organizations, Rwandan farmers began investing in specialty coffee for the first time. In just a few years, they have transformed their production and gained the world’s attention.
Their coffee now holds its own with the world’s finest beans and makes coffee farming in Rwanda sustainable once again. Rwanda Blue Bourbon is more than just a great cup of coffee–it is a source of hope for a brighter future for Rwandan farmers.
While the idea behind this coffee is grand — through this Starbucks program coffee brings freedom and financial security — the problem is the coffee is expensive at $13.00 for a half-pound and the taste of the coffee is harsh and bitter.
There is little to love in this coffee beyond the intricately designed laser-cut black box that cradles the bag of whole beans. If you care about the world, buy this coffee. If you care about drinking a great cup of freshly ground coffee choose any other variety in this review.