Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw Review
How’s it going? Hope the coffee is flowing! If you’ve been browsing the coffee aisle lately, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Kicking Horse Coffee. Known for its organic and Fair Trade certified blends, it’s become one of the most popular organic coffee brands in the country. In this Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw Review, I’ll break down the flavor, best brew method, and overall value to help you decide if this dark roast deserves a spot in your morning routine.
The Roaster
Kicking Horse Coffee was founded in 1996 by Elana Rosenfeld and Leo Johnson, who began roasting small batches of coffee in a garage in Invermere, British Columbia. What started as a humble operation has grown into the largest organic and Fair Trade coffee producer in Canada, as well as one of the most recognizable premium coffee brands across North America. Despite this growth, Kicking Horse still roasts all of its coffee in its original hometown of Invermere.
In 2017, the company was acquired by Lavazza. However, Kicking Horse has maintained its strong commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing. Their roasting philosophy has remained consistent as well, with a continued focus on bold blends, especially darker roasts.
Today, Kicking Horse Coffee is widely available in grocery stores and serves as a solid step up from typical supermarket brands. While it may not match the freshness of a local roaster, it attempts to deliver a high-quality option for everyday coffee drinkers. So let’s find out if Grizzly Claw achieves this goal!
When rating coffee I follow the same method of brewing each time. Find out about how I prepare French Press coffee here.
Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw Review
Characteristics and Flavor Profile
Grinding Grizzly Claw brought out rich dark chocolatey notes that were cacao focused with a very slight hint of sweetness.
| Grizzly Claw | French Press | Pour-Over |
| Aroma | Roasy with a burnt sugary sweetness | Strong notes of brown sugar |
| Body | Medium-light, surprising for a dark roast in a French Press | Medium-light, moderate mouthfeel |
| Start | Rich dark chocolatey notes emphasizing cacao | Hazelnut-like, bitter but smooth with a mild sweetness |
| Middle | Slightly sweet and nutty, with a subtle touch of bitter cacao | Rich cacao notes, very dark chocolate |
| Finish | Semi-sweet dark chocolate, a good balance of bitter and sweet | Slightly sweet spice, clove-like with prominent dark chocolate notes |
Overall Thoughts
Overall, this was a really good dark roast. The flavor profile for each brew method was enjoyable with a subtle complexity and each cup was easy to drink. This is a bittersweet coffee, but don’t let that deter you because it was well executed and balanced by sweetness. It was not harsh or unpleasant.
- French Press: Very smooth, dark chocolatey but balanced by a subtle sweetness and nuttiness.
- Pour-over: Smooth, but just a hair too bitter. The touch of clove in the finish was a great touch of complexity.
- Preferred brew method: French Press
Regardless of brew method this is a good coffee. The French Press may appeal more to a casual drinker with its coffee forward and dark chocolatey flavor profile. My pour-over brought out a nice sweet spicy note at the end, but the bitterness of the cup may appeal more to coffee enthusiasts than a casual drinker.
Where to Purchase
You can purchase Grizzly Claw on Amazon at a price point of $13.49 for a 10 oz bag (about $21.59 per pound) or from the Kicking Horse website for $19.99 for the same 10 oz bag (about $31.98 per pound). The Amazon price represents a good value for an organic coffee, especially considering that Kicking Horse lab tests their coffee for mold.
Conclusion – Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw
Based on my experience with Three Sisters and Kick Ass I was really excited to get my hands on another Kicking Horse blend and Grizzly Claw did not disappoint! This is a bold coffee with rich dark chocolatey notes, but it is well executed producing a smooth and well balanced cup.
Kicking Horse Coffee Grizzly Claw Scorecard
| Feature | Details |
| Roast | Dark Roast |
| Flavor Notes | Dark chocolate, cacao, nutty |
| Best Brew Method | French Press |
| Overall Rating | 7/10 |
| Worth Buying? | Definitely, a good dark roast with a relatively traditional flavor profile that is well executed |
| Buy Now | Amazon | Kicking Horse |
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