As we rapidly approach the holidays, we at Coffee Bean Corral want to reflect on the incredible growth we’ve had this year. Though that’s not to say it’s not been without its challenges - from dealing with COVID delays, price increases, hurricanes, to buying a new, larger warehouse, it's been a wild year, to say the least!
Since it is you the customer (and coffee lover) that has made this all possible, we decided for our 2021 holiday gift guide to show off our most popular coffee beans.
Perhaps you tried some of these and are looking for a new bean to roast? Or haven’t tried any and want to test a small batch out? Perhaps you are looking for a gift for the coffee lover in your life? Whatever your situation, these are the best-unroasted coffee beans we've sold this year, and they have been flying off our shelves all year long!
If you read our 2020 holiday guide, you can get all sorts of ideas for the coffee lover in your life besides our most popular beans. From roasters to grinders, storage containers, and more. Coffee Bean Corral has got you covered!
If you aren’t exactly sure what gift they want, our gift cards are another popular option too.
Top 3 Customer Picks for 2021
Ethiopia Organic Yirgacheffe FTO
This fair trade organic bean is a heavy-bodied coffee and packs a powerful aromatic punch. Not only that but its brightness and complexity are quite strong. This coffee isn’t subtle at all. Just think about brewing this makes our mouth water. With strong notes of chocolate, sweet honey, and overwhelming fruits, this bean takes on medium to dark roasts quite well.
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"This organic (safe) coffee is my favorite and I roast it dark and the whole house smells delicious! Then I brew it in my French press with distilled water. Nothing tastes better! What a great find! Love this company! You make drinking coffee fun!!"
by Mary on April 22, 2021
"A classic Yirgacheffe! Fantastic in your face citrus fruited notes, roasted beautifully in a "West Bend Poppery" Top-notch customer service and fast delivery (2 days) Thanks!"
by Andrew Tomlinson on July 21, 2021
"Was relatively new to the roasting game when I tried these guys. Roasted half a pound in my Hottop, and it was one of my first successful roasts, as well as one of my MOST successful. It came out smooth and unbelievably sweet. Strong honey & vanilla notes, and will be including it in my house roast. Thanks, CBC!"
by Chris Bireley on September 10, 2021
Brazil Fazenda Da Lagoa Natural 17/18
This fan-favorite is so good that we are awaiting a shipment in January 2022 for the next batch to come in! We suggest signing up for an email alert to get yours as soon as it lands. This Brazilian bean has a pleasant sweetness with a nice body. Its well-rounded acidity of chocolate and nutty notes lend a good complexity to this well-tended bean. Named after the town in which it is grown, the farm that its source from combines its 200-year growing tradition with modern agricultural methods to ensure a great crop year after year.
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"I have tried other Brazilian beans from other suppliers but keep coming back to this one as my stand-alone, go-to bean. In roasting with a Behmor it does great. More smoke and chaff in the roasting process than other beans, but the finished product is always good. Smooth, low acidity and makes a great, consistent cup of coffee. I roast it to a city + - full city. Price is always right and my friends and family always ask for this roast!"
by Brett Franklin on August 13, 2021
"This coffee was off the charts. I did it at a medium roast, I play with different roasts and the best to me was right at the second crack. This coffee was bright and really filled the cup even for a dark roast guy. I’ll definitely be back!"
by Brandon Evans on April 27, 2021
"I roasted these pretty dark, well into the second crack, using a drum-based outdoor converted grille type roaster. I use it for a single-origin espresso and my wife uses it for drip. It works well for both. The espresso is very smooth with a nice medium body and some sweetish, cinnamon nut flavors. It’s what I expect from a good Fazenda. Recommended!"
by Cofeluver on March 10, 2021
Colombia Organic Sierra Nevada
Grown by a co-op comprising of just 78 families called CooAgroNevada this Colombian coffee bean is grown in the beautiful coastal mountain range of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The co-op brings together the families to achieve economic growth, improve social welfare, develop eco-tourism of the region, and of course constantly improve the quality of coffee grown in the region. The bean itself possesses a well-balanced, but a bouncy body with a fruit-like acidity that blends subtle undertones of chocolate and a nutty finish.
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"Dark roasted. I think there's a lot going on here, complex? Nothing that would make me not like it. The description is accurate, lots of nuances, nothing overbearing, nutty, fruity, flowery? maybe, but subtle. Personally If anything I think it's a bit sweet."
by Bub's Daddy on September 30, 2021
"I don't know all the fancy terms for coffee, but after six decades or so of coffee drinking I do know what I like. And I like this coffee. I primarily do cold brew these days and brew it in batches. I've done this bean in both medium and dark roasts and both make a very tasty cup of coffee. You can definitely taste the difference between the two. Medium gives me a more fruity taste and dark more of a chocolaty taste. These days I stick to organically grown coffee and prefer to buy beans from the small cooperatives."
by Protagonistic on June 25, 2021
"Colombia Organic Sierra Nevada FTO has become a mainstay of our regular orders. It is rich and very smooth. We are not fans of the sweeter coffees. We like them dark and bold. For each of our orders, we get 5 lb of these beans and try out some others. We have tried a number of different levels of roast with this one, and have found these beans to be fairly forgiving. We roast in a cast iron wok that came with my grill over a propane burner I use for brewing beer. Which reminds me, I have used these beans in a porter that came out excellent, too!"
by rawbling on November 22, 2020
Our Customer’s Other Favorite Unroasted Coffee Beans
While the above three green coffee beans are our customer’s absolute favorites, that doesn’t mean that our customers didn’t love our other selections. While the top three may have sold the most, these green coffee beans are still in the running. Peruse the rest of our bestselling coffee beans for 2021 and perhaps you may find your new favorite!
Colombia Huila Supremo
This classic Colombian supremo tastes like chocolate flowers dancing across your taste buds; it's almost the longer this coffee sits in the cup the sweeter it gets! Although chocolate-y, this Colombian coffee has been said that it is like a Kenyan. It's milder and lighter than other Colombian beans, yet still balanced enough with a nutty, fruity & flowery sweetness.
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"Love it. Sure there are lots and lots of exotic coffees to choose from. But, the Columbia Huila Supreme is very easy to roast, tolerant, and hardy when it comes to roasting sensitivities. Great coffee taste. Also, a wonderful green bean for those who are new to roasting."
by Bob Newsham on May 14, 2021
"Just bought a 5 lb bag of Colombia Huila Supremo beans recently, and loving the flavors of a dark roast, I roasted in an oven until oils started coming out of the beans. They were amazing! I was able to achieve one of the flavors I love in a dark roast; a mild, but nutty, and sweet taste, with a hint of popcorn flavor. I am going to love experimenting some more. I will buy these again."
by D. Olson on February 4, 2021
"Good value-priced beans, made excellent medium and dark roast coffee. Nuttiness and a hint of sweetness that I can't describe, medium acidity made this an extremely accessible taste good for sharing with less adventurous coffee drinkers."
by Mark Wing on December 24, 2020
Costa Rica La Minita Tarrazu RFA
One of the smoothest, most-balanced cups of coffee for less than 15$ a pound in our humble opinion. This rainforest-certified Costa Rican comes from the famed La Minita Estate which should already tell just how good this coffee is. If you’ve never had it, this bean shimmers with orange citrus acidity with a medium body that hits notes of fine chocolate and caramelized sugar that has a satisfyingly long finish.
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"I home-roasted a batch, half City, half Vienna. After seven days, the City roast had a cedar-like, slightly spicy aroma, a nutty chocolate flavor with an overall light body and pronounced acidity. The Vienna roast had an aroma of chocolate and orange citrus, more chocolate, and burnt sugar in the flavor with more body and less acidity than the light roast. A 50/50 blend of the two was magic! The aroma had a chocolate/cedar/pipe tobacco thing going on, subtle fruit, a big chocolate/caramel flavor with a lingering sweetness through the finish, and the perfect balance of body and acidity. The Tarrazu region is really is the Costa Rican “cream of the crop”. The coffee was ground medium-fine on a Cuisinart burr grinder and brewed on an Aeropress."
by chadtr5 on May 30, 2021
"I've ordered this bean before and was very pleased with it. My day-to-day is the La Magnolia. La Manita is not quite as robust and has an excellent flavor. I like darker roasts. I've mixed these beans as 50/50 batches of 2nd crack start, and 2nd crack end plus 2 minutes @ 415 F. This seems to capture more of the flavors than just the ones present past 2nd crack. I like to use these beans for family gatherings, and special occasions. Used an E Gift certificate to stock another 5 lbs. I will always keep these beans in my stock, right next to La Magnolia."
by William Thesing on January 20, 2021
"Roasting your own beans truly provides a good example of how doing things at home from scratch can lead to cool experiences. The description above with respect to medium body, with its flavors and finish, is spot on. I have been ordering from this company for years now and it's been a great experience and great coffees."
by JEFFREY W CHUNG on November 15, 2020
Costa Rica La Magnolia Tres Rios
Coming from the Tres Rios region of Costa Rica, this bean is sourced from the same people responsible for the La Minita Tarrazu. When roasted this bean is wonderfully balanced and complex. Notes of lemon, orange, chocolate, and nuts ping pong in the cup. This coffee truly demands your full attention to enjoy it. We recommend this if you’re an experienced Costa Rican coffee enjoyer, but even if you aren’t, we still recommend this bean!
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"Really like this coffee. The earthy-ness is great but not overpowering. This coffee is not a fruit bomb but (I believe) is a really balanced coffee. I roast it just into the second crack and get a very consistent roast throughout the batch. I also want to give the people at the Corral a shout-out for really great, prompt, customer service."
by Donald Ross on September 4, 2021
"I decided to try this coffee after a friend recommended it. All I can say is WOW! Very smooth, rich but not overpowering taste. Nice finish! This is my new favorite! Roasted it with a Behmor AB to the first hint of 2nd crack. Will be buying this in larger quantities now!"
by Brad Lathrop on August 10, 2021
"Wow such a wonderful cup to enjoy on a warm Texas spring morning! Roasted on Hottop 2K+, until 2nd crack (was experimenting with cold brew). Beautiful, fruity aroma. Thoroughly enjoyed as pour-over, with its smooth finish yet bold flavor...it was a bit too light for my liking as a cold brew (16hr steep). Definitely try it out for the price point! Great single origin roast!"
by Anna L. on April 13, 2021
Mexico Organic Chiapas
A personal favorite, this organic Mexican bean is grown by small farmers in the Soconusco region of the high altitudes of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas with the growers partnering with a certified mill in the city of Tapachula that also evaluates the coffee beans. This ensures high quality by eliminating defects that can hinder the final cup. When cup this bean has a well-rounded body with a citrusy sweetness, a slight nuttiness, and dark chocolate.
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"I slow roast with a showtime electric roaster,55 minutes. Smooth and rich not acidy at all. If I light roast it is a little butterscotch in flavor."
by Steve Porteron May 4, 2021
"This is my favorite bean! I was so excited to find such a good price for an organic bean too. This bean is still delightful if you accidentally over or under-roast a bit. It's smooth and creamy, with a bit of chocolate aftertaste. Shipping was incredibly fast."
by Cene' Burrowon May 9, 2020
"This organic Chiapas has turned out to be my best purchase this year. Very pleased with the flavor. Moisture content seems to be a little high at nearly 17% weight loss. I'm guessing that's what I'm seeing as some unexpected variations in roast profile. I've been taking the roast to several seconds into 2C and am happy with the end result, but it takes a little patience: the roasted beans have taken at least 7 days of rest. During that time oil starts to appear on the bean surface continuing to increase each day- that seems to coincide with the arrival of the flavors I enjoy. Very, very happy with the results as are the folks I've shared this with."
by Bruceon October 16, 2020
Mexico La Laja Honey Process
Hailing from Veracruz, La Laja is a family-centered farming and milling group that started in 1920. Flash forward to the present day and this farm is spread across four different states, Finca Las Palmas, El Mirador, La Laja, & La Veracruz. This coffee is a blend from the El Mirador & La Laja and is honey processed. This process makes this La Laja bean supremely sweet with an orange-like acidity. Typical of other Mexican beans, notes of chocolate and sugar are present wrapped up in a bold, creamy body.
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"I am very new to roasting. This was By far my favorite of the 5 coffee samples I started out with. Roasted to medium-dark. Delicate and creamy. Definitely buttery with slight floral notes. A complex flavor that’s hard to pin down and so outstanding. So incredibly satisfying! It was also my favorite to roast. Very clean and the Beans are uniform with a velvety appearance when roasted. Very easy to achieve an even and balanced roast. Will definitely be a staple in our pantry!!!"
by Melissa on October 15, 2021
"We always roast just past the first crack, this bean is absolutely beautiful, and the chaff just flies off of it, remarkably easy to remove. Of all the ones we've tried so far, this one was definitely in the top five."
by jesnbec on May 13, 2021
"This is the first honey processed coffee I've ever had, and so far quite please. To my surprise, and this is my favorite part, is in the first stages of the roast, while the beans are golden just before darkening, they smell must sweeter than any other bean I've roasted. Kind of like Honey Graham crackers. I'm a dark roast kind of guy, but I have to go with a blonde or slightly darker than blonde roast with this bean."
by Dave Ross on February 25, 2021
Bali Organic Blue Moon
This Indonesian bean is like its related cousins; the unique flavor profile has hints of anise that just adds a little something extra to its vanilla bean and dark chocolate notes. The body is syrupy, yet smooth and at different roasts, the citrus notes that this bean gives off vary in intensity. A lot of folks say this arabica bean is like Kona coffees, but we will let you be the judge of that. Even more reason to try one of the best-known “secrets” amongst home roasters today.
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"Everyone we give/sell this coffee to loves it. It has a lot to offer, very complex. We roast it to a medium around 420°F. Really deep, chocolatey, we taste the anise, vanilla, had some people saying they get hints of blueberry. Either way, great coffee, it’s a regular here!"
by Brad on September 10, 2021
"Rich heavy body, smooth chocolate, and nut flavor when roasted to a satiny dark brown color. No bitterness just deep coffee essence. Very even roast, very little chaff. Just ordering 5 lbs more! I usually order Yemeni coffees, but this Bali is super!"
by Catherine Marley on April 22, 2021
"Absolutely astounding coffee! I roast it light just into 1st crack. Has a lot of fruity overtones which is what I like. I mainly do pour-overs but have also tried it in a French Press which brings out a more bold full-bodied cup. I'm sure it would make a great espresso shot as well."
by B E Baldwin on January 4, 2021
Ethiopian Misty Valley Yirgacheffe Natural
Yirgacheffes (and most Ethiopian coffees) are highly prized for their flavorful, fruity complexity. This Yirgacheffe is a bit different than most you’d find. This bean has undergone an updated natural, dry process that finds the beans being rotated a full 48 hours to ensure even drying. This labor-intensive process lends a consistency to the bean not found elsewhere. All this aside, this Ethiopian has a milky body that has a piquant floral aroma that blooms into a wide range blast of fruit flavors ranging from blueberry to strawberry.
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"My favorite Ethiopian so far. The fruit flavors (mostly blueberry) hold on a lot longer into the roast than other Ethiopians I have done. I roasted this one about 30 seconds past rolling FC for a nice medium and the blueberries held strong. Even in a blend with 25% Misty and 75% darker roast Brazil for body, the blueberries were still very dominant in the cup. Definitely will be ordering more."
by joelkz on October 13, 2021
"Misty Valley is one of my all-time favorite coffees to roast. It is beautifully prepped and roasts more evenly than many Ethiopian coffees. The flavor notes vary from year to year. This year's iteration gives me the welcome blueberry-like essences, and as days go by a nice light cocoa...as roasted in my Fresh Roast SR800 I purchased here. I recommend a light-medium, but of course, as they say, YMMV. Delicious!"
by Robert Jason on August 24, 2021
"Yirgacheffe coffees are a favorite of mine. And it seems over the years, a lot of other people's favorite. A great drinker, a fairly mellow body. I like to take it to a darker roast, FC+. Seems at this roast is at its smoothest, and most chocolate enhanced. Some sweeter, dark red fruit essences."
by RPro on May 26, 2021
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve found not only our list, but the information provided by some of our customers insightful in guiding you in roasting and deciding whether to pick up and try one of our best-selling coffee beans. Whether you’re an experienced home roaster or a coffee newbie, part of the magic and fun of home roasting your coffee is getting to experiment and try out different techniques, combinations, beans, and so much more. So as we close 2021 and ring in 2022, we at Coffee Bean Corral want to wish you and yours continued health, success, and enjoyment in all things coffee. Keep on Roasting!