Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee, 100% Arabica Coffee - Hair Bender 12 Ounce Bag with Flavor Notes of Citrus and Dark Chocolate

Stumptown Hair Bender is not “coffee.” It is structure. It is architecture. It is a calibrated sensory event. I’ve been through the phase. The “this is fine” supermarket beans. The oily, over-roasted charcoal disguised as “bold.” The pre-ground tragedy that tastes like regret and cardboard. Hair Bender is none of that. First: the aroma upon opening the bag. Dense. Layered. Cocoa, citrus oil, faint caramelized sugar. Not the flat, ashy blast of dark roast mediocrity. This is aromatic complexity. You inhale and immediately realize your grinder has a purpose again. The beans themselves? Even roast. No scorched oil slick sheen. No inconsistent mottling. Proper development without tipping into bitterness. Whoever roasted this batch understood heat curves and didn’t just set it and pray. Dial it properly. (Please don’t insult it with a blade grinder.) Medium-fine for pour-over, 18g in, 36g out for espresso in 28–30 seconds. Respect the ratio. Respect the bean. The first sip delivers structured chocolate and balanced acidity — not sour, not sharp, not confused. The citrus is integrated, not screaming. The sweetness is clean, not syrupy. The finish lingers without turning bitter or drying out the palate like poorly extracted nonsense. Milk drinks? Elevated. Straight espresso? Composed. Pour-over? Articulate. If your coffee tastes “fine,” it’s not fine. You’ve just normalized mediocrity. Hair Bender reminds you what calibration tastes like. Is it precious? Yes. Does it deserve to be? Also yes. If you’re not weighing your dose and timing your extraction, maybe sit this one out.

I’ve been a coffee lover for years, and I’m always on the hunt for something with a little more character. Stumptown Coffee’s Hair Bender definitely does not disappoint! The blend offers a perfect balance of complexity and smoothness. It has rich, bold flavors with a touch of cocoa, caramel, and a slight fruity finish that keeps me coming back for more. I usually brew it in my French press, but I’ve tried it with a drip coffee maker as well, and it holds up great either way. It’s strong, but not overwhelming, and has a nice, clean finish that doesn’t leave any bitter aftertaste. If you like your coffee with a deep, multi-layered profile, Hair Bender is a must-try. It’s a bit on the pricier side compared to your standard supermarket beans, but the quality is absolutely worth it. I’m officially hooked and will definitely be ordering more soon!

Great coffee! I buy it often. It has a rich complex taste. A daily favorite.

Read an article that gave this coffee high marks so decided to try it. Overall I am not disappointed with the flavor, but definitely not my favorite. Flavor is too mild for my taste. I tried adding more, but never could get it up to my standards for a good cup of coffee. If you like a very mild flavor this might be for you, but definitely not for me.

Saw this coffee mentioned on a social media platform done by coffee experts. They tasted several coffess and were asked to critique. At the end of the video the 3 had to select their favorite. One of the judges choose this coffee so I thought I'd give it a try. I really like it. It's a bit pricey, but is well worth it.

Very different, bitter off flavor & roasted 3 months earlier. Taste tested with Kirkland Espresso & my new FAV: San Francisco Bay Fogchaser. Thought I'd take a chance because it appears to be so popular. Back to "Fogchaser" which I've yet to find in any stores but available in 2# for $30 from Amazon (still expensive but worth it). Returning Stumptown.

If you're looking for a pourover coffee, you should be aware that freshness can vary depending on when you order and whether or not a bunch of new stock has come in. I ended up receiving some older stock, about 5 weeks old. If you're a fan of pourover, you'll typically want something more fresh, like less than <2 weeks old. However, if you primarily drink espresso or want espresso shots for Cafeé lattes, you'll want coffee that's >2 weeks old so there's less carbon dioxide in the coffee leading to less issues with channeling in your portafilter. Just understand that there can be a great variability. Comparing to the coffee I bought direct from Stumptown, it ended up being only 11 days old. Also as a tip, if you go into the single origin stuff from Stumptown, it'll be even fresher when ordered direct! Mine was only 3-days old. The closer to the beans you receive to their original roast date means the more flexibility you have from when you open your coffee beans to when they are past their optimal tasting period. I mean it's Stumptown, so it'll likely taste great after 3 months, but obv they're better fresh!

This is by far the best coffee I’ve had! Smooth, less acidic, great aroma. I’m a bit of a coffee snob so I have a small coffee bar just for me. My husband is a McDonald’s coffee person and he tried mine and now he’s into my coffee. I’m going to need to stock up. I use two rounded teaspoons and it’s perfect.