La Colombe Monaco Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee, 12 oz

Monaco is the most interesting bag on this shelf. A medium roast with milk chocolate and graham cracker sweetness, then a black cherry note that shows up as you drink it. It is full-bodied and chocolatey like a classic breakfast coffee, but with a fruity lift that keeps it from being ordinary.

Who this is for

People who already drink coffee daily and are ready for something with a bit more going on. If you have tried a fruity Ethiopian coffee and found it too bright and tea-like, Monaco is a good middle ground: the chocolate base keeps it grounded while the cherry note gives it character. It is good black, where you will actually taste the fruit, and fine with milk if that is your habit.

The details

• Tasting notes: milk chocolate, graham cracker, black cherry
• Roast: medium, full-bodied
• Form: whole bean, 12 oz, sold as 1, 2 or 3 bags
• Beans: specialty coffee from Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Nicaragua and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the Ethiopian component is where that fruit comes from)
• Certification: certified organic
• Ingredients: coffee beans, full stop

Brewing it

Use 2 tablespoons of grounds per 6 oz of water as a starting point. Grind medium for drip and pour-over, coarse for French press, fine for espresso. Monaco holds up across all of them, but a pour-over will show off the cherry note best; drip and French press lean the cup toward the chocolate side. Adjust from there: sour or thin means more coffee, bitter or heavy means less.

Keeping it fresh

Grind right before you brew, keep the bag sealed in a cool cupboard, skip the fridge. Twelve ounces is about three weeks of one cup a day, which is roughly how long it stays at its best after opening.

Monaco, Nizza or Lyon?

Lyon is the mellow, nutty one. Nizza is the sweet chocolate-and-brownie one. Monaco is chocolatey too, but with fruit. If you want the most flavor to talk about, start here.

Coffee off a grocery shelf can be months old by the time you open it, and a "best by" date tells you nothing about freshness. Buy it here and you get it direct, with my 30-day satisfaction guarantee and me answering my own email.