Roast Review: Be Bright

Blog by: Shelia Murray

I first heard about Be Bright Coffee after the US Coffee Championships and I fell in love with their cheerful branding and unique mission to connect coffee drinkers to their perfect match. To make things easy for consumers, Be Bright offers the opportunity to choose between four taste categories – Dark & Bold, Rich & Smooth, Bright & Lively, and Unique & Surprising. They make it simple for customers like us to find a coffee we enjoy without sacrificing quality or versatility.  

We tried two of Be Bright’s roasts at home on the East Coast but if you happen to live near or pass through Los Angeles, pop by their cafe! Below I’ll share my experience with El Diviso Pink Bourbon and Vivid Espresso. We enlisted the help of friends (it didn’t take too much convincing!) for this taste testing experience. Enjoy reading along!

El Diviso Pink Bourbon

First impressions

Being careful to keep the front of the bag and tasting notes pointed away from me, I opened the bag and shook it around to release the aroma. I noticed that it was surprisingly bright with notes of tangerine or lemon.

“Oh!” exclaimed Tessa. “For me it’s nutty and sweet with brown sugar, but also floral and tangerine.” 

James said he noted cherry as well as something bright and fruity. We laughed about all of our guesses because it seemed like every time we smelled the beans we noticed something new! 

We decided to use our Pipamoka for this one, as we wanted to see how the flavor profile would pair with the vacuum brew method. We prepared three coffees and offered Tessa one in the  octaroma, as she had never seen it before. 

We clinked our mugs together and took a sip of the freshly brewed coffee.

Tasting notes 

I was immediately taken with how bold the taste was, in the best way. The tangerine I had sensed before was more of a punchy fruit. Still, there was something light and citrusy too! It was dynamic and delicious.

“I’m getting sugar, honey, and a red fruit,” said James thoughtfully. He commented on the light mouthfeel and satisfying sweetness.

“The sugar and honey is really coming through for me too. It’s so drinkable and delicious and it feels very summery,” said Tessa.

The reveal

This coffee has notes of strawberry candy, passion fruit, pink cotton candy, and honey. Check out this page to learn more about the story and the producer, Nestor Lasso.

Vivid Espresso

First Impressions

Our friend, Kristina, joined us to taste the Vivid Espresso from Be Bright. Our experience was so good with the El Diviso Pink Bourbon from Colombia that our expectations were quite high! 

Kristina opened the coffee bag and inhaled the aroma of the beans. She looked up at us like she was about to say something, then smelled the beans again before speaking. 

“I think I'm getting notes of chocolate. It’s very rich and bold and I absolutely love the smell overall!” she said.

James and I took turns smelling the roast next, and we agreed that there was a certain chocolate richness as well as sweet, earthy undertones. 

We were eager to taste the Vivid espresso and got right to work pulling out our Picopresso, Exagrind, Exagram, and Gauge. Kristina took point on boiling the water while I started to grind the beans. A few rounds of espresso-making later, and we had ourselves three crema-topped espressos that were absolutely mouthwatering. 

Tasting notes

I was taken by how dynamic this blend was. I was sensing berry, chocolate, and richness, but also lightness. It was hard to put my finger on exactly what I was tasting because the notes blended so harmoniously.

“I’m sensing more fruit than I would have expected, as well as an acid that brightens up the whole profile,” remarked James. 

“Yes!” Kristina concurred, “It’s actually quite different than I would have expected from just the smell. It’s rich but light, complex and satisfying. It defies my expectations.”

The reveal

Be Bright says that Vivid espresso has notes of chocolate, burnt sugar, and warm fruitiness. Though the Vivid espresso blend changes seasonally, we can expect that it will always maintain its balance and versatility.