Kicking Horse Coffee–Expect the Unexpected

Did you ever ride a rollercoaster you had to do again to comprehend what you just did? Well, that is what it is like to drink Kicking Horse Three Sisters. It is strange to say or think that the same coffee brewed in two different ways can be so different, but that was my experience here. On the front, there is everything a nerd would love about Kicking Horse Three sisters. It is Fairtrade, medium roast, and claims to be seductive. Well, you should read a bit more and see if you agree.

In a Pour-over, the Three Sisters could only be described as pure blue-collar workers and diesel fuel—the thing that powers America. It is power and intensity in a cup. On the nose, I was primed for Hazelnut. Its appearance was like an oil slick. It tasted like dark chocolate and orange zest and finished ashy, like the dusty bitter taste you would imagine from a puff of ash from a campfire that hit your face because a wind blew it onto you. This cup of coffee was intense, and I would only recommend one cup. It is enough. Overall, it felt like a kicking horse.

As for the French Press, I found that the transformation was mind-boggling. It changed from an SRT hellcat to a purebred Arabian racehorse. The nose was mellower and milder and had more of a hint of sugar sweetness. It smelt like walking past someone who had just poured sugar into a cake batter. The cup’s appearance was similar to a pour-over, with more oils and a twinge of brownish tint, but it still maintained a mirror reflection. The taste was Dark chocolate, with the orange zest replaced with lime zest, and the ash notes were more subtle. The French Press was less intense than the pour-over, which is not typical, and I could handle more than the pour-over.

Please know that this is my first review since recovering from an illness, and I did not drink any coffee during the illness. So, like anything, I need some recalibration time as well, so take that into consideration when reading this review. My experience, as mentioned earlier, was drastically different between both brew methods. The difference was like going from pulling G-force turns in a jet to a formal afternoon Tea. How does this affect the review? It speaks to the utilitarian nature of this coffee.  If you want to turn and burn coffee, you know the kind of coffee you pack in and expect to make it feel like you’re ready to outrun a rocket on takeoff. It can do that. Or if you’re looking for a fine and gentle coffee to ease you into the morning, It is just as comfortable doing that. In other words, this would be an excellent coffee for the everyday person and to train your palate to pick up some complexities without worrying about digging super deep. The coffee does not make you search for the notes. It sets the table for you, so to speak, in that manner.

This coffee is fair trade, which fits right in with the blue-collar side of its personality. It spits out a line that says an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage. The expectations the bag sets of intensity and adrenaline rush are met. But it surprises us with how composed and calm it can be. I do not know if it is seductive in a romantic way. It feels more like the crazy person you keep going back to see if you understand them better. In other words, it does not draw you in because it is a “Stunner,” more so because you aren’t sure what happened, and you need a second go so your brain understands what just happened. I think it is worth trying, and I would say buy it and see what you think. I cannot recommend a cigar with this because it is too varied an experience. But I do need to say thank you to Gabe Seamen for recommending this to me.