Review on ☕ Lavazza Espresso Italiano Whole Bean Coffee Blend, 2.2 lbs Bag (Packaging May Vary) | Authentic Italian, Medium Roast, Blended & Roasted in Italy | Non-GMO, 100% Arabica, Rich Bodied by Brett Kolpack

Foreword to my comments: I have been roasting our coffee at home for six years, only occasionally buying roasted whole coffee beans. We've used Lavazza's Super Crema and Gran Crema many times in the past when I've run out of my own roast, usually in the winter, and have always been pleased with the results. I use Sylvia with a Rocky coffee grinder. Although it should be a "medium" roast, it's significantly darker. When I grind it on the same settings I use to roast espresso, gran crema, and super crema, it comes out like dust, forming a sludge-like puck that the water in my triple-shot basket can't even penetrate. When I open the grinder to get a reasonable flow rate, the result is burnt and not at all "fruity and floral" as the tasting notes suggest. I can try to play with it some more, but it will probably just go in the bin. I can't try mixing it with good grain because that just adds bad taste. I've tried this in a full immersion brew using paper cone filtration and the result is just as bad - low flavor and strong acidity. I've never tasted anything so bad, and that's no exaggeration. It must be a defective product. Another thing I notice is a lot of broken beans when I pour it, which I think is a sign of brittleness from over-roasting. So I think I probably have a "bad batch", which I think can happen with any product, but I certainly won't be buying this one again to find out. I gave it a 3 for 'fresh' because the label says it's best used before 2023. So.