Kicking Horse Coffee Happy Camper Review
How’s it going? Hope the coffee is flowing! In this Kicking Horse Coffee Happy Camper Review, I’m diving into one of the brand’s newest medium roast blends to see how it compares to their other coffees. As my fourth experience with Kicking Horse Coffee, I’ve come to expect bold flavor and quality coffee, but does Happy Camper deliver the same smooth, satisfying cup? In this review, I’ll break down the flavor notes, aroma, best brewing methods, and overall value to help you decide if this organic, Fair Trade coffee deserves a spot in your daily rotation.
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 small operation grew 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 purchased 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 focus on bold blends, especially darker roasts. Though Happy Camper is a medium roast.
When I was choosing new Kicking Horse Coffee blends to try I was immediately drawn to the name, mainly because I grew up camping and enjoy it to this day with my family. So let’s find out if Happy Camper fits the bill as our go-to camping coffee, making us happy campers every morning!
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 Happy Camper Review
Characteristics and Flavor Profile:
Grinding Happy Camper brought out sweet roasty notes with a very slight touch of fruitiness.
| Happy Camper | French Press | Pour-Over |
| Aroma | Malty grain notes with a distinct sweetness | Sweet brown sugary notes |
| Body | Medium body, moderate weight and mouth feel | Medium-light, slightly watery with subtle weight |
| Start | Sweet and nutty start, almond-like with a touch of caramel | Malty, grainy notes with a pleasant sweetness |
| Middle | Rich, sweet roasted nut notes, earthy but sweet | Hazelnut-like with a great balance of bitter and sweet |
| Finish | Roasty finish, sweet malty grain notes | Sweeter nutty notes with a touch of creaminess |
Overall Thoughts
Overall, this was another bold but smooth offering from Kicking Horse. Each brew method delivered a cup with distinct and rich flavors, but was also easy to drink. The French Press was more coffee forward, while the Pour-Over brought out a richer nuttiness.
- French Press: Smooth and easy to drink, simple flavor profile but well executed.
- Pour-over: Smooth with a slight complexity brought out by the nuttiness and creaminess.
- Preferred brew method: Pour-over
This coffee was great regardless of how it was brewed, I gave the pour-over a slight edge due to the subtle complexity. Happy Camper will appeal to most coffee drinkers, as it is not overly complex and the flavors that it does have are coffee forward and not overly adventurous.
Where to Purchase
You can purchase Happy Camper on Amazon at a price point of $16.99 for a 10 oz bag (about $27.18 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 is a solid value for an organic coffee, especially considering that Kicking Horse lab tests their coffee for mold.
Conclusion – Kicking Horse Coffee Happy Camper
Kicking Horse has yet to disappoint me with any of their coffees. Three Sisters, Kick Ass, and Grizzly Claw were all really good coffees and Happy Camper is no different. With Kicking Horse you know what you will get, a well roasted coffee with bold, but not overly complex flavors, that is easy to drink.
Kicking Horse Coffee Happy Camper Scorecard
| Feature | Details |
| Roast | Medium |
| Flavor Notes | Malty grain, nutty, sweet |
| Best Brew Method | Pour-over |
| Overall Rating | 7/10 |
| Worth Buying? | Yes, a good and easy to drink coffee regardless of brew method. |
| Buy Now | Amazon | Kicking Horse |
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