Bali Blue Moon has been a well-known "secret" among home roasters. It is a coffee growing region that has been heavily regulated by government, which may seem like a bad thing, but it means that both the quality of the stock used, the handling, and processing are excellent. So what does all this give you?
A coffee that is smooth and somewhat syrupy in the mouth. It has an anise flavor which adds spice to the dark chocolate and vanilla bean flavors. It is a tad sweet and very complex. All of this means that it has gone beyond previous comparisons with Kona. It has a wonderful sensation that may vary a little with different roasts to include citrus notes, since these trees are often shaded with orange and tangerine trees.
Try before you stock up with a 1/2 pound sample!
by Jesnbec on May 13, 2021
I don't know if it was just the bag we got or if it is typical of this coffee, but it had a strange odor that carried over even after roasting, had an odd back taste that reminded us of something like malted-milk. Definitely not something we'd order again.
by Catherine Marley on April 22, 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 Lynda on March 23, 2021
My new go-to spring coffee. I sent some to my son and my 15 year old grandson is now HOOKED on this coffee. It's aroma hits me first, the that first taste HOT is sweet and chocolatey and a tiny bite to the tongue. More rich and chocolatey as it cools!
by Jon Adams on February 24, 2021
We have been roasting our own for about 4 years now. Tried many different beans but this has stayed our favorite since we discovered it about two years ago. We roast into second crack. Amazing flavor.
by Austin on February 24, 2021
we love this coffee and we get it every time
by B E Baldwin on January 4, 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 pourovers 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 Eddie Amundsen on November 28, 2020
Very smooth and tastes great with either cream or black. Fantastic bean.
by Nick Galaday on November 20, 2020
One I'd stock up on! Deserves full city + and 3 days of rest for best flavor. My test is how it is when it's cooled off. Sweet, rich, bold, lots of flavor. I'll try it as espresso.
by Jennifer Herald Smith Stanton Stanton on November 16, 2020
What can I say? If you love the taste of cocoa laced throughout your coffee, don't look any further. This is a very nice coffee! It may even become my very favorite! The taste is so smooth and the overtone of cocoa is incredibly good too! Also it was quick to roast (medium dark), and the beans grind better than any beans I've used in a long, long time. There's very little chaffe as well. I will be ordering this as my daily drink! Thanks CBC!!!!
by Grant on October 14, 2020
This is a very interesting bean. I roasted it to a medium roast. Roasted beans have a great aroma. The color of the brew, I believe, is a beautiful orange-brown. By far has the most unique aroma, after brewing, I have encountered. The taste is also very unique. I could definitely taste sweet floral notes through and through. I am satisfied with the caffeine content. I ordered five pounds. I haven't decided, yet, if it would benefit from blending with another bean and/or what bean that would be.
by Chris wisnieski on September 23, 2020
One of the top coffees I have had the pleasure to make and drink. Truly a unicorn among coffee. Medium dark to dark and the full flavor profile really comes out, but even at a Medium roast its a good flavored coffee. The price is also one of the best I've found for this coffee. I was buying these beans at $10lb or more and was happy to find the price at CBC much easier on the pocket. Still a great cup or four of coffee.
by Cooper C. on August 14, 2020
Agree with roasting this one Dark, so you can taste that hint of dark chocolate flavor. The aroma isn't the greatest to me. If it had a better aroma, I would have given it 5 stars for sure. Also, not roasting it past 2nd crack will give you more of a weak tea like the earlier review mentioned.
by RLBrooks on July 14, 2020
I'm not normally attracted to dark roast bean nor did I think I'd like the indonesia coffee, but it fooled me. I followed the reviews and used my souped up air popper to achieve a glossy 2nd crack roast. I was delighted since I didn't expect it to satisfy my Colombia-oriented taste buds, but I was wrong. This coffee is good! I could drink it every day! I need to order more, but I just placed another order, so I guess I should have tried this bean before ordering. This might be a good bean to try with some blends too, but haven't tried that yet. Try this coffee! It's smooth and satisfying. I'm a new roaster who's just got my popper fine tuned to produce good coffee, so I'm on a new adventure now!
by Brad Cloven on July 1, 2020
Best coffee I've ever roasted, out of about 20 types. Complex, deep, funky, foresty, rich, wild. Incredible breadth of flavor, focused on the bass notes. Limited acidity (no biting lemon), which I prefer. Roasted slightly into second crack.
by Ray D on June 24, 2020
Other reviews have said this needs to be roasted darker and that is the same results that I found. I first roasted at city and although the flavor wasn't bad the acidity was to high. I roasted the second batch at Full City and the result are fantastic.
by abartoli on June 11, 2020
I didn't believe the reviews about the profile, but after running it a few times, I have to agree. Sluggish to come to GTY and literally had to run this until I was getting outliers from 2nd Crack before it was resolving to a balanced cup. Flavor profile is unique and that is a subjective experience. If you enjoy Indonesian coffees, it's worth a try, but you DO have to get it near 2nd crack to get a result similar to what you might get from running most other beans around 1C +2:30-3:00!
by Sheila E on May 10, 2020
We love this coffee and agree that the darker roasting brings out the most flavor. It has very little chaff and the flavor is fruity rich and chocolate. Best coffee ever!
by Cathy on May 4, 2020
This is my favorite coffee. Strong and starts my mornings off right.
by p l zink on April 6, 2020
i hate reviews, " customer's that is especially mine. FC all but star burnt full 2nd crack SMOKE age 2-3 days , grind , make strong mud an absolute must have for AM.
by davecx365 on March 25, 2020
Dave Cummings At a City roast,it reminded me of a store bought Kona. My wife and friends liked it that way but I prefer something with more body and and earthy. I didn’t taste any of the chocolate or vanilla bean flavors. I intend to try it at darker roast and also use it as a blend. Maybe that will bring it out. All in all, a good coffee. Roasted on a K2+ Hoptop. 250g. 1stC at 10:22 (361F), 1Ce at 11:46 (379F) dropped 12:16 (390). Came out as City Roast. Let it rest two days Ground course with a Hario Conical Burr Grinder. Brewed in AeroPress with 15 grams (two sccops) and 8-grams in a single-serve Mr Coffee pour-over
by @MikeSigers on March 17, 2020
Unique. Complex. Deep. Rich. Pick your fave adjective and then multiply it by 5! Me and my Hive Roaster found enough flavor notes to last us a lifetime and I'll buy more and more and more and .... ;-)
by Kevin Kamberg on November 8, 2019
Wow...just wow! We normally aren't fans of indonesian coffees but, this blew us away!
by Dan on November 5, 2019
When you hit that sweet spot right around french roast this is some of the best coffee. It's at the top of my list!
by D. Holtz on September 4, 2019
I was skeptical to try this one but this coffee is 5 star all the way! I roast it dark, about 2-3 minutes after second crack and it is superb! A darker roast on this one will give you a fruit-forward juicy cup of coffee coupled with the depth and body of a good dark roast. The best of both worlds here! So glad CBC offers this one.
by Lee on August 22, 2019
tried medium roast, .. next roast session will try some dark to bring out the Tiger! :)
by Koi Fish Koffee on August 21, 2019
Really nice dark roast. I like to let it go into the 2nd crack a little. The notes are a little more complex than Papua NG, so you might find yourself drinking a 1/2 cup before you are sure you like it. It takes a minute for your taste buds to make sense of all the flavors as the coffee passes over your tongue. A full flavor without bitterness. I don't care for a lot of brightness or fruitiness in my coffee, and this bean brought a subtle amount without annoying me :)
by Kevin on July 16, 2019
This is my go to coffee bean. I've only been roasting for a little over a year but this bean is perfect just into the second crack. I have tried a lot of sampler packs from Coffee Bean Corral and have had a lot of great experiences but this is still my go to!
by Rosalyn Wade on July 3, 2019
I would love to try this coffee.
by Ted R Milligan on June 6, 2019
Beautiful coffee! Great body and mouth feel,it really impressed everyone who tried it. Great in the city+ to full city range and great once you come close to Vienna roast! Will buy again and again!!
by Streetrodder on June 3, 2019
I apparently love this coffee even more than I thought. I try to rotate purchases through various varieties. This time I purchased it because of how much I like it - forgetting I still had 1/2 lb. on hand. I'll be drinking this a lot, but it's a 'good thing'.
by Phil on May 15, 2019
Rich and Balanced, City roast is what I like to have.
by Jessie on March 30, 2019
I tried this as a medium roast! Very good flavor! But I think I will do it darker next time as i enjoy stronger coffee. I expected a lot more based on the reviews, but it's still good, but I do prefer the Bali natural than this one.
by Jon S. on March 14, 2019
Pretty good. I think I will try a bit darker roast...normally, I try to roast as light as possible. For some beans that just won’t work and this is one of them. I believe the Bali has great potential.
by Julieambach on February 20, 2019
I had some trouble with both roasting and brewing the Bali. Since I’m a new roaster I’m sure it was me. I think I need to roast it longer.
by lori on January 1, 2019
Rich and mild. Roasts nice
by Michael B Boyd on December 26, 2018
Rich dark and musky when roasted well past the second crack. This is a serious bottom note in building your flavor triad. I like to pair it with the Dominican Red Honey Process for the middle note.
by PlanoAttorney on December 17, 2018
It has a MOLASSES or GRAHAM CRACKER undertone. I Roasted full city (at least what I call full city, it was well into the second crack but not black, the oils did not come out for a few days). The flavor is really good and I identify the underlying taste as molasses extract (i.e. the flavor, not the sweetness) which is why I think this coffee is distinctly “southern”.
by Mark Painter on October 21, 2018
Definitely needs to be medium-dark to dark roasted to get the full flavor. Filling the hopper to about 3/4 capacity and roasting 5 minutes made a huge difference in the fullness and richness of the flavor. Frequent (but not constant) popping and a tiny bit of very light smoking got the potential out of this one. LIght to medium there was just no flavor at all.
by Ken Montgomery on October 16, 2018
I purchased the Sample Pack of Bali Blue Moon beans, and quite frankly I’ve been disappointed. The first roast was about one minute after the first; the second I let go until I heard the second crack. The reports of tasting chocolate, berries, and other nuanced fruits didn’t show up all. What I did taste was light cardboard (yes...I washed my paper filter and rinsed my metal filter), earthy tobacco, and slight vanilla. I aged the roasted beans for 5-7 days. Using a Fresh Roast 500, the Bali beans took somewhat longer to roast than other beans.
by Jerry Maske on September 29, 2018
Great Stuff. I blend with Ethiopian Harrar in equal parts for my daily coffee. Doesn't get any better. Others that have tried it are usually too shocked to comment. But I do get asked where I buy such wonderful coffee? There's danger there, in that I don't want to roast for a living. But with so many people asking for coffee, it's hard not to at least think about it. That's what Bali does to you.
by Rocco on September 27, 2018
This is one of the nicest, perhaps the best, Indonesian beans I've ever tried. It has this earth and spice, but in a sophisticated way. Made a very nice espresso when blended 50/50 with Brazil Blue Daterra.
by mudbug on September 25, 2018
Probably my favorite bean overall, I prefer it over Konas. I discovered it with the 2017 batch, and 2018 is just as good. I like it just at the start of second crack, not too tangy, slightly chocolaty, flavorful, and smoooooth. Its easy to roast, not a lot of chaff so good with the finicky roasters. And you know that wonderful smell the beans make before the first crack, this one will have your mouth watering its so good.
by plzink on September 25, 2018
one of my favorite coffies. Pure and simple full second crack , let it rest. i wonder what it would be like monsooned (sp?)
by Coffee Dave on April 13, 2018
This is one of my favorite variety of coffee and this particular bean is very good. Roasted to full city (dark for some) I just love the balance of acidicidty and sweetness with a earthy chocolate finish.
by Craig Kowarsky on April 13, 2018
this coffee has exceeded my expectations. Love it. I just hope it is still available when I exhaust my supply.
by Don on March 31, 2018
This one is a family favorite, makes a nice rich cup of coffee. Much better than the Sumatrans we’ve roasted. We always add this to our orders
by Morgan campbell on March 10, 2018
This is our household go to coffee While I enjoy a good Kona I don’t enjoy the price, so I run to Bali blue moon when ever it is in stock usually buying 10-20 lbs to make sure I have enough! Great flavor and aroma
by ssomerfleck on January 30, 2015
It has changed quite a bit since the last time I ordered it. It tastes kind of like a weak tea.
by Anonymous on June 20, 2010
This bean roasts GREAT in a wok, or skillet! It has HUGE body and hits the sides of your toungue in a ristretto like a BOMB! I imagine bare-breasted women, picking these luscious beans by moonlight! I ACTUALLY bought these Blue Moon beans from another supplier (sacrelige?) BUT ... I should have checked here FIRST! The Guatemalan I replaced it with just doesn't compare! TRY this bean ... you'll like it!
by Anonymous on August 16, 2009
I didn't believe the reviews, but figured I'd give the Bali a try. WOW! I bought 2 pounds a couple of weeks ago, but I really like this coffee, so I bought 5 more pounds today. I like it just past the 2nd crack and with two days of rest. Oh, and it's fantastic when mixed 3:1 with Ferdelance Espresso Blend. WOW again.
by Anonymous on March 20, 2009
One of the best coffees I have ordered from CBC! The berry undertones are not undertones in my opinion...they are very prominent. Very Sumantran! Heady aroma too!. I am going to try to mix this into a good columbian and see how that goes. The wife however likes it just as it is. I highly reccommend this one.
by Anonymous on February 23, 2009
This is a very unique coffee. It has some of that Sumatran flavor but it does not overwhelm it. The beans themselves are smallish and dark - not sure if it is dry processed. It absolutely has nice berry hints in it as the previous reviewer said which might indicate dry processing. And if you like a full bodied chocolaty coffee you will like this. Bottom line is if you are looking for something different this fits the bill.
by Anthony on November 25, 2008
Follow the roasting notes in the description and you can't go wrong with this coffee. At home and at work, everyone I have shared this coffee with has raved about it. I roasted it light and it was smooth and tasty, almost like candy. I thought I tasted a hint of berry in there too. Great stuff!
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