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Marley Coffee Review

We can’t talk about this coffee without at least mentioning the famous name behind it.

Of course, this brand is named after Bob Marley, the ever-famous Jamaican artist who is considered one of the pioneers of reggae music.

In 2007, Rohan Marley, one of Bob’s eleven children, bought land in Jamaica and wanted to honor his father’s legacy and passion for music and the earth. Thus, the Marley Coffee company was born.

We love the story, but the question remains: the coffee any good? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore in this extensive Marley Coffee Review.

As a quick overview, The Marley Coffee Company offers five different blends. In this article, we’re going to focus our review to just the top three – One Love, Buffalo Solider, and Lively Up.

If the names look familiar it’s because they’re all based on his most famous songs. How cool is that? Now, on with the review!

Don’t have time to read the whole article? Here’s a quick snapshot of the review.

Blend

One Love

Buffalo Soldier

Lively Up

Roast

Medium

Medium-Dark

Dark

Origin

100% Ethiopian

Unknown

Unknown

Available In

Ground, Whole Bean, K cup

Ground, K cup

Whole Bean, K cup

Our Joe Score

8.8

9.4

9.1

Price

Marley Coffee Reviews: Top 3 Blends

Now, let’s take a deeper look at their coffee blends, how they taste, and assign them our Joe score.

We don’t know about you, but we can’t help but sing along to the lyrics: “One Love, One Life, Let’s get together and feel alright”. Or is it: “Let's get together and drink one cup,”? Yes, our rendition is horribly out of tune as one would guess, but the feeling of love is the same.

The beans used in this blend originate from Ethiopia which is commonly referred to as “the birthplace of coffee”. To be exact though, they use 100% Ethiopia Yirgacheffe which are known for their sweet flavor and aroma. They have a premium reputation, often being rated as some of the highest quality arabica beans.

This One Love blend is promising to feature a balanced and smooth taste, with hints of berry.

Pros

  • A lovely, smooth and rich tasting coffee with a dreamy aroma.
  • Comes with a deep and full flavor that you usually find in dark roasts.
  • Available in whole bean, ground, or K-cups (they use recyclable EcoCup – great for the environment).

Cons

  • On the pricier side for a good quality but not quite gourmet coffee.
  • Might come off as slightly darker than a medium roast which can taste more bitter to those who are not used to darker roasts. If you want to stick with this company and are more sensitive to roasts, try their “Get Up, Stand Up” which is their only light roast offering.

Our Joe Rating: 8.8/10

“Buffalo Soldier, in the heart of America”. Aptly named, if you ask us, since ‘in the heart of America’ is exactly where you can enjoy this coffee.

This, their second, best-selling coffee is a medium-dark roast that features dark chocolate notes. Their marketing suggests you should expect an earthy blend that is both sultry and smoky.

Pros

  • Has a strong taste with bold flavors. Great for those who like their coffee on the darker/smokier side.
  • Smooth, rich with complex, yet balanced flavors.
  • Pairs really well with flavored creamers.
  • Very bold flavor that would make a great iced coffee or Americano.

Cons

  • Not available in whole bean form which means limited options on how to prepare your coffee.

Our Joe Rating: 9.4/10

We weren’t as familiar with this song as we were with the other two so we’ll spare you the quotations this time.

By this point you’ve probably noticed a pattern. Marley coffee likes their coffee strong. Unlike the previous two, this one is listed as purely a dark roast. This means strap yourself in for an even bolder taste with subtle hints of cocoa, candied fruit and sweet caramel.     

Pros

  • A strong dark roast – enough to knock the socks off most other “strong” coffee.
  • Espresso lovers will love the charcoal in this roast.
  • Very dark, very rich, deep pure flavor.

Cons

  • Oddly enough, does not come in ground coffee, only as whole bean and K-cup. Does allow more options for brewing but limits its appeal to those who don’t own grinders.

Our Joe Rating: 9.1/10

Still can’t decide?

If you’ve read through all the reviews above and still can’t decide which one to try, consider the Marley variety pack. We get it, reading about expected flavors doesn’t always help us anticipate what we’re buying either. Thankfully, this pack has you covered, giving you the option to try smaller packs of each before committing to the flavor you want to invest in for every day. The pack contains all three of the above blends, plus their only light roast – “Get Up, Stand Up”. This also would be helpful if you’re buying a mixed pack for the office or expecting company with picky palates.

FAQ

Now that we’ve thoroughly covered the top Marley coffee blends, here are answers to some common questions.

Is Marley Coffee Any Good?

We feel that Marley coffees slide nicely into the higher-than-average ranking in terms of quality, taste, and flavor. They may not as good as some gourmet options out there but the price is very forgiving.

Their coffee fits more into the dark roast categories. So, if you’re used to lighter roasts, their blends may taste too strong and bitter for you. All is not lost. They do offer a light roast that is even more yummy with the addition of a creamer. In general, creamers tend to stifle the bitter tang and bring out the smoky tastes so this is a good way to work through any coffee that might otherwise find itself getting dumped down the drain.

If you are looking for a lighter roast, be sure to check out of recent post on the top light roast coffee blends here.

Is Marley Coffee Organic?

There seems to be some confusion around this because there is conflicting information online. We emailed and Facebook messaged the company directly to try and get the final answer. Unfortunately, after several attempts and several weeks later, we are still waiting for an official reply. We’ll let you know once the answer comes back.

marley coffee grown

Where is Marley Coffee Grown?

Marley coffee beans are grown in Jamaica (under the Jamaica Blue Mountain label), Ethiopia, and South America. All of their blends are Fairtrade certified, ethically farmed, and sustainably grown through partnership with the One Tree Planted foundation.

Who Owns Marley Coffee?

Rohan Marley, son of the late great Bob Marley, started the company back in 2007 after he bought a farm in Jamaica using royalties from his father’s music. He resigned from the company in June 2016 and it is now owned by the publicly-traded, US-based firm Jammin Java Corp. (1)

Where to Buy Marley Coffee

You can buy Marley coffee in some brick-and-mortar retailers such as Walmart but many choose the convenience and cost savings of going through Amazon.

We hope you enjoyed our Marley coffee review and that you’ve been inspired you to try it out yourself!

Do you have any experience with this coffee? What did you think? Did we get it right or do you disagree? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

References:

(1) https://jamaicans.com/bob-marleys-family-wants-end-to-agreement-with-denver-based-marley-coffee/


Tags

Beans, Coffee Review, Dark Roast, Medium Roast


About the author 

Joe Cabot

Joe LOVES coffee. He gets up at 6am every morning grind and brew a cup of coffee using the newest beans on his radar. Seriously! When he’s not experimenting with coffee blends or writing posts, you can find him hanging out with his wife and son in Ontario, Canada. Learn more.

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