Stumptown Coffee Roasters Hair Bender Review
How’s it going? Hope the coffee is flowing! Today, we’re diving into a Stumptown Coffee Roasters Hair Bender review, checking out their best-selling blend. Hair Bender promises a complex profile with dark chocolate and citrus notes, but does it live up to the hype? I brewed it using both a French press and pour-over to find out, rating aroma, body, flavor, and overall drinkability so you know whether it’s worth adding to your coffee rotation.
The Roaster
Stumptown Coffee Roasters was founded in 1999 by Duane Sorenson, who opened his first cafe in Portland, Oregon. Duane and Stumptown were initially known for their unique business practices, such as taking employees to visit coffee farms in person and paying well above fair trade prices for coffee. Stumptown gained acclaim quickly, winning Roaster of the Year in 2006. In 2015, the company was purchased by Peet’s Coffee and is now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper
The company honors Duane’s traditions to this day by prioritizing sustainable coffee production and using direct trade sourcing practices to support coffee producers. You can read about their efforts here. One cool feature on their website is the ability to select a nonprofit for them to donate 1% of your purchase to when you order. This demonstrates just how dedicated they are to making a difference! With all of these great practices in place, let’s find out if the coffee itself lives up to the hype, as Hair Bender is considered their best selling coffee.
When rating coffee I follow the same method of brewing each time. Find out about how I prepare the coffee I rate here.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters Hair Bender Review:
Characteristics and Flavor Profile
Grinding Hair Bender brought out a rich roasty fragrance with a subtle touch of mild fruity sweetness.
| Hair Bender | French Press | Pour-Over |
| Aroma | Rich semi-sweet dark chocolate | Sweet chocolate with a touch of fruity sweetness |
| Body | Medium body, moderate weight and mouthfeel | Medium-light body, slightly watery with a mild mouthfeel |
| Start | Bold dark chocolate notes, cacao focused without much sweetness | Slightly tangy dried fruit notes with a hint of citrus |
| Middle | A quick pop of citrus before settling back into dark chocolatey notes | Semi-sweet chocolate notes, smooth but rich chocolate |
| Finish | Bitter deep dark chocolate finish, not off-putting but not a smooth finish | Citrus-like fruity notes provide a balance of sweetness and tartness |
Overall Thoughts
Overall this was a decent cup of coffee when brewed with my Chemex, the flavors were decent and the cup was smooth but not overly exciting. The French Press had a pretty basic flavor profile, primarily focused on dark chocolate and wasn’t very smooth.
- French Press: An okay flavor profile, not overly complex with a focus on dark chocolate. Not very smooth either.
- Pour-over: A decent, but unspectacular cup of coffee. The flavor profile was decent, but nothing really popped.
- Preferred brew method: Pour-over
Brewing this coffee with a pour-over would provide a decent daily drinker for an average coffee drinker. The French Press produced a more bitter cup that may not appeal unless you enjoy your coffee with milk. To be fair, the coffee is marketed as dark and bittersweet, so the French Press wasn’t totally unexpected, just not as well executed as other dark roasts, such as Cleona Coffee Roasters Nomads.
Where to Purchase
You can purchase Hair Bender on the Stumptown website for $19.99 for 12 oz (about $26.65 per pound) or the same size bag on Amazon for $15.89 (about $21.19 per pound). I would consider the Stumptown website price relatively high for a non-organic coffee, however the Amazon price point is pretty fair.
Conclusion – Stumptown Coffee Roasters Hair Bender
I was excited to try Stumptown’s best selling blend, but ultimately I feel like it fell short. The cup I had from my French Press was ok, the flavors were relatively reserved and it was not smooth. The pour-over was decent, giving better flavors and a smoother cup, but still not exceptional.
Overall, Hair Bender is not a coffee I would see myself going back to. At the price point you can find better and fresher blends, even some organic coffees.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters Hair Bender Scorecard
| Feature | Notes |
| Roast | Medium-Dark |
| Flavor Notes | Dark chocolate, citrus, cacao |
| Best Brew Method | Pour-over |
| Overall Rating | 4/10 |
| Worth Buying? | Decent for pour-over; but better options are out there |
| Where to Buy | Stumptown | Amazon |
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