The Origins of Amora Coffee
Amora Coffee was founded in 2011 by Jim Fosina, a passionate entrepreneur with a love for high quality, ethically sourced coffee beans. As the story goes, Jim went on vacation to Central America in 2010 and was struck by the incredible freshness and flavor of the locally grown and roasted coffee he tried there.
He came back home to the US determined to make farm-fresh gourmet coffee more readily accessible to American consumers. With the help of an expert team of coffee aficionados, he launched Amora out of Montgomery, Alabama the following year.
In the decade since, Amora has stayed true to Jim‘s original vision – sourcing premium coffee beans from around the world and roasting them in small batches to maximize flavor. They use a meticulous 9-stage roasting process designed to highlight the unique tasting notes of each origin.
The company has also expanded into tea, accessories and subscriptions to become a one-stop shop for hot beverage lovers everywhere.
An Inside Look at Amora‘s Sourcing and Roasting Process
Amora puts great pride in selecting high quality Arabica coffee beans from specific farms in Latin America, Africa and Indonesia. They look for growers that harvest beans at peak ripeness and process them using the washed or wet method, which helps preserve acidity and results in a brighter, fruitier coffee.
Once the green beans arrive to their US-based roasting facilities, they undergo careful inspection before going into the 9-stage roasting workflow:
1. Charging – Beans are poured into the roaster
2. Drying – Moisture content is gradually reduced
3. First Crack – The beans begin to crack and expand in size
4. Development – Sugars are caramelized to develop flavor
5. Intermezzo – A short pause allows heat to penetrate to the core
6. Second Crack – Oils migrate to surface and second crack occurs
7. Acceleration – Higher temps speed up reactions
8. Finishing – Roasting is stopped at precise moment to prevent over-roasting
9. Cooling – Beans are cooled in freezer to stop the roasting process
This extensive process, which can take up to 25 minutes, is designed to coax out the most complex flavors possible from every batch of beans. The roasting experts adjust variables like temperature, time and airflow to perfectly suit the bean‘s varietal, origin and moisture content.
The result is a collection of nuanced, specialty-grade Arabica coffees that let you taste the terroir of where they came from.
An Overview of Amora‘s Product Range
Beyond whole bean and ground coffee, Amora also offers a substantial range of other hot beverages and coffee-centric accessories. Let‘s take a look at everything they have in their web store:
Coffee
- Whole bean (regular & decaf)
- Pre-ground (regular & decaf)
- Single-serve pods
- Ready-to-drink cold brew
- Flavored coffees (hazelnut, vanilla, caramel etc.)
- Espresso and dark roasts
- Decaf and half-caff options
- Tea-infused coffees (Earl Grey, English breakfast etc.)
Tea
- Black tea (English breakfast, Earl Grey, chai etc.)
- Green tea (sencha, matcha, blooming teas)
- Herbal tea (chamomile, ginger, berry hibiscus)
- Iced tea
- Tea samplers and gift sets
Subscriptions
- Coffee, tea or coffee+tea bundles
- Options for whole bean, ground, pods
- Deliver every 2, 4 or 8 weeks
Accessories
- Coffee makers and equipment
- Mugs, tumblers, thermal carafes
- Milk frothers, kettles, filters
- Coffee grinders
- Gift sets and samplers
Clearly they offer a vast range of artisan drinks and coffee-related products to satisfy any level of caffeine addiction!
The Perks and Pricing of Amora‘s Subscription Service
One of the most convenient ways to enjoy Amora‘s products is through their subscription coffee service. You can customize a recurring delivery schedule to make sure you never run out of your favorite brews.
Subscription Benefits
- 20% savings off each shipment
- Double reward points on every order
- Free shipping on orders over $60
- Flexible delivery every 2, 4 or 8 weeks
- Effortless reorder with few clicks
Pricing Breakdown
- Coffee bags start at $12.99/8 oz
- Tea tins from $9.99/4 oz
- Buy 3 bags, get the 4th free
- Average subscription around $45/month
The subscription can also be gifted to share the coffee love with lucky people in your life!
Amora makes it rewarding to keep the java flowing with discounts and points multipliers for members. Compared to artisanal coffee shop prices, their direct-to-consumer approach offers substantial savings – especially when buying in bulk.
The Good and the Bad: More Amora Coffee Reviews
In addition to mostly glowing reviews on Amora‘s own website, we wanted to share what independent coffee reviewers are saying across the web. Here are some highlights:
Coffee Affection awarded Amora 4 out 5 stars in their in-depth analysis:
"Amora’s coffee subscription service gives you a choice of eight coffee varieties in a range of roast levels and flavorings. With pre-ground, decaf, and cold brew options, plus perks like free bags of coffee and accessories, Amora has a lot to offer."
The Spill the Beans coffee blog noted Amora‘s amazing variety but felt some roasts were slightly underdeveloped:
"For the most part, the beans I sampled were roasted nicely with good flavor complexity. However there were a couple, particularly the lighter roasts, that seemed a touch underdeveloped to really showcase their full potential."
My Subscription Addiction averages Amora at 3.8 out 5 stars across 16 customer reviews:
"Quality taste that I can’t get from a grocery store. It’s super easy and convenient for me to have my coffee waiting for me outside my door when I need it."
So while Amora gets high marks for convenience, quality and value, there are some minor critiques on roast consistency and lack of true gourmet flavor in lighter roasts. But overall, most reviews reflect very positive experiences.
How Amora Compares to Other Specialty Coffee Brands
We compared Amora to two other popular specialty coffee subscriptions – Atlas Coffee Club and Blue Bottle Coffee:
| Amora | Atlas | Blue Bottle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $$ | $ | $$$ |
| Bean Quality | Very Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Roast Style Preference | Medium to Dark | Light to Medium | Light to Medium |
| Roast Consistency | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Variety & Customization | Very Good | Very Good | Good |
| Subscription Benefits | Discounts + Rewards | Free Shipping + Discounts | Free Extras + Discounts |
| Sustainability | Medium | High | Very High |
Amora offers medium-high quality coffee at relatively affordable pricing compared to true specialty players like Blue Bottle. Their focus is less on light roast "craft coffee" styles than Atlas or Blue Bottle. Instead they excel at deeper, darker roasts in the medium to espresso range.
For an accessible yet still gourmet subscription service with plenty of custom options, Amora hits a nice sweet spot in value. Those fixated on ultra-premium bean quality may still prefer Atlas or Blue Bottle though.
The Water Crisis Facing Ethiopian Coffee Farmers
As one of Amora‘s major sourcing regions for Arabica beans, we wanted to highlight the significant water access challenges plaguing coffee farmers in Ethiopia today.
While Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, the industry – and livelihoods of millions – are under threat by deepening droughts year after year. Climate change has brought severely low rainfall plus rising temperatures that deplete groundwater reserves.
The consequences are dire, with UN reports warning that nearly all of rural Ethiopia’s water sources could dry up by 2030. Lack of water affects everything from cherry development to washing stations for processing harvests.
That‘s why Amora has honed in on delivering clean water access to coffee-growing communities most impacted. So far the company has funded wells, pipelines and water filtration systems for thousands in the Jimma and Sidama regions.
Still the overall problems outpace support, with some experts predicting coffee shortages leading to global price spikes in the coming years. Supporting sustainability-focused roasters like Amora helps counter the challenges – but wider solutions are still desperately needed.
My Experience Enjoying Some of Amora‘s Finest Brews
To get a personal take, I ordered a sample pack with three of Amora‘s highest rated coffee blends:
Amora Espresso Roast
As a long-time espresso fanatic, I have high standards for anyone claiming they can deliver a world-class variation. But I was thoroughly impressed by Amora‘s Espresso Roast blend, which features 100% specialty-grade Arabica beans sourced from multiple growing regions.
The beans were evenly roasted to a nice oily black with perfectly punchy aromatics – I got clear notes of caramel, nuts and dark chocolate wafting up.
It brewed as an intense, inky shot with a thick crema head. Strong upfront with a long, lingering finish. Superb balance of bitterness and natural sweetness. Top-notch espresso by any measure! Will be buying regularly.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Amora French Vanilla Coffee
Next I tried the highly-rated French Vanilla coffee, made with Central American beans infused with flavor oils. The enticing aroma of sugary vanilla and cream promised an indulgent experience.
And it delivered! The flavor popped with creamy vanilla bean presence against a hearty coffee backbone. Lingering sweet notes made me crave a pastry on the side. It‘s just sweet enough without going overboard into the sickly artificial category.
Brewed totally black, this would still satisfy sweet cravings in a flavorful pick-me-up beverage. Love sipping it slowly to enjoy all the aromas. Will order again as an afternoon treat.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Amora Breakfast Blend
Lastly, I sampled Amora‘s Breakfast Blend, featuring beans sourced from Colombia, Guatemala and Sumatra. As a medium roast fan, I hoped it would provide the right amount of zing to wake me up without too much bitterness.
The beans appeared fresh, evenly roasted to a nice brown hue. Grinding released sweet, nutty aromatics promising complexity.
My first few sips definitely caused that wonderful eye-opening jolt of a good breakfast coffee. It was lively on the tongue – crisp acidity balancing rich nuttiness, tracing hints of berry and cocoa as the finish smoothed out.
Really a vibrant, nuanced brew that paired perfectly with my usual bacon and eggs routine. It’s no one-note slap in the face, but a satisfying progression of flavors to savor.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Based on trying these three blends, Amora clearly knows how to produce specialty-grade coffee that highlights tasting notes from origin while keeping prices affordable. I would confidently gift their sampler packs or subscriptions to fellow coffee nerds!
The Verdict: An Exceptional Source for Fresh Gourmet Coffee
In the decade since Jim Fosina first envisioned sharing amazing coffee from his Central American voyage, Amora has lived up to that dream for thousands of customers.
Staying true to an unwavering commitment to flavor and freshness, Amora has become a leading direct-to-consumer coffee provider with glowing reviews across the board.
Between their meticulous roasting process, vast product selection, customizable subscriptions and lovable brand persona, they have cultivated a loyal community that keeps growing.
The company still faces the challenge of educating more coffee drinkers that better beans and sustainable farming should justify slightly higher costs. But by cutting out distributors and middlemen, they make premium coffee more accessible.
For anyone looking to upgrade their home brewing with passionate artisans, small-farm beans, and completely customized subscriptions, Amora Coffee delivers on all fronts. Discover for yourself why they inspire such devotion!
