Coffee Brand Review
America's most talked-about veteran-owned coffee brand. Does the coffee live up to the patriot hype — or is it just marketing?
BRCC makes genuinely good coffee. Beyond the branding, the roasts are fresh, bold, and well-executed — especially the Just Black and AK-47 blends. Worth trying if you drink dark roast.
Black Rifle Coffee Company was founded in 2014 by Evan Hafer, a U.S. Army Green Beret and CIA contractor. The brand is explicitly veteran-owned and donates a portion of revenue to veteran and first responder causes. Since then it has grown from a garage operation to one of the fastest-growing coffee brands in the US.
The coffee itself is small-batch roasted in Salt Lake City, Utah. Every bag carries a roast date — not a "best by" date — which is a sign a brand actually cares about freshness. The range covers light, medium, dark, and extra dark roasts across 20+ blends.
The Just Black dark roast is the coffee that converted us. Dark roast coffee often tastes burnt and acrid — BRCC's version is bold and smoky but surprisingly smooth. It's one of the few dark roasts that doesn't taste like charcoal.
The AK-47 Espresso Blend (medium-dark) has a chocolatey, syrupy quality that extracts beautifully on an espresso machine. As a pour-over, it's rich without being overwhelming.
Lighter roasts like Silencer Smooth are less distinctive — they're good but not exceptional compared to specialty light roast options. BRCC's strength is clearly in medium-dark through dark.
BRCC
The flagship dark roast. Bold, smoky, and smooth without the bitterness you'd expect at this roast level. Best brewed as drip or French press.
BRCC
Medium-dark espresso roast. Chocolatey with a syrupy body — works brilliantly in espresso machines and as a strong drip brew.
BRCC
Ready-to-drink canned coffee — latte, black, and mocha variants. Convenient, shelf-stable, and better than most RTD cans on the market.
At $14–$18 per 12oz bag, BRCC is mid-range — more than supermarket coffee, less than specialty roasters like Counter Culture or Onyx. You're getting fresh-roasted, small-batch quality without paying craft-coffee premiums.
The Coffee Club subscription brings this down by 10% with free shipping. If you drink 2+ bags a month, it's the obvious choice. Cancel anytime, change frequency, or swap roasts — it's properly flexible.
Yes. Beyond the patriot branding, BRCC produces genuinely quality coffee — small-batch roasted, freshness-dated bags, and a wide roast range from light to extra dark. The Just Black dark roast and AK-47 Espresso Blend consistently score well in blind taste tests.
Death Wish Coffee focuses on caffeine strength (claims to be the world's strongest). BRCC prioritises roast quality and variety. BRCC has better flavour nuance across its range; Death Wish has more caffeine per cup. For flavour, choose BRCC. For maximum caffeine, choose Death Wish.
Yes. The BRCC Coffee Club delivers freshly roasted coffee every 2, 4, or 8 weeks. You get 10% off, free shipping, and can cancel anytime. It's a good deal if you drink 1–2 bags per month.
| Brand | Price/bag | Focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Rifle Coffee | $14–$18 | Bold roasts, veteran-owned | Dark roast drinkers |
| Death Wish Coffee | $15–$25 | Maximum caffeine strength | Need the strongest possible |
| Bones Coffee | $17–$22 | Flavoured novelty coffees | Fun gifts, flavour variety |
| Stumptown | $16–$22 | Specialty light roasts | Single-origin, pour-over |
Start with Just Black or the AK-47 Blend. If you like dark roast, you'll be hooked.
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