Is Illy Coffee Overhyped and Overpriced?

Before I influence you with my impressions of Illy, what is your opinion?  Is is priced reasonably in relation to quality?  What does it taste like?  How does the dark roast differ?  Post a comment now before reading any further.  (Technically, I have already biased you with my title.)

Two days ago, I broke down and purchased some Illy coffee.  Seduced by the premium price, fancy packaging a la tin can, and the curiosity of what I might be missing, I plopped my hard earned cash on the iconic red can.  Thankfully, the supermarket placed Illy on sale for two dollars less than normal!  Coming to 12.99 for 8.8oz of whole bean, medium roasted Illy coffee.

A pretty penny to be sure. 

Impressions:

Naturally, I am a big fan of fancy, intriguing packaging.  The reflective, circle tin can along with the simple Illy logo appeals to my appreciation for aesthetics.  Yet, a fantastic taste is what turns a first time customer to a return customer.  (We hope!)  After removing the metal seal, pouring the beans into the grinder, and firing up the espresso machine, I tasted the vaunted Illy brand.  What did I think?

It was a deflating "decent."  Perhaps, my expectations exceeded what I secretly knew.  No roast date, the coffee is being sold at a supermarket, and Italian coffee generally has a reputation for solid but simple tasting coffee.  In conjunction with the elevated price and only receiving 8.8oz of coffee it's difficult to justify buying it every week.   With that said, the espresso embodied a smooth and moderately bright taste which is quite pleasant, but leaves a small, but noticeable, ashy aftertaste.

I found Archer Farms' Peru San Ignacio a superior supermarket coffee, which at 4-5 dollars cheaper and more flavorful than Illy, would be my choice between the two.  Am I being too harsh?  Is my coffee palette not refined to marshal out the nuanced flavors of Illy?  Sound off in the comments section.  

Archer Farms: Peru San Ignacio Review

Coffee lovers, if there was one piece of advice I could give, it would be, "Don't buy hype."  Fancy hipster designs, 15-20 dollars for 12oz of coffee, or special certifications do not make good coffee.  Often peripheral points such advertising, price point, and organic designations can influence our judgments, i.e. "I payed 20 dollars for X coffee, it must good."  

Certainly, Archer Farms "Peru San Ignacio" coffee presents itself being a select roast.  It is packaged in a tin can, points out the coffee is directly traded from the farmer to Archer Farms (skipping over the middle man), and has a little card explaining where the coffee is sourced and what you should taste.  Cool!  Yet, the price point is key: 8 dollars.  While, the presentation is rather good, the taste backs up the marketing around it.  Most importantly, the coffee is dripping with flavor.

As an espresso, the instant the liquid gingerly washed over my tongue, it began tingling.  Pear notes and the medium body mixed together creating a pleasant coffee bath for my tongue (there's probably a better way to state this, but I like the image).  At the end, I detected some bittersweet chocolate flavors. The banana taste eluded me.  What surprised me was the tingly sensation and I considered it the standout part of the espresso!

The French Press mellowed the tingly acidity, and brought out the bitter chocolaty flavors (in a good way), producing a unique, well rounded cup of coffee.  Though, I am partial to the espresso manifestation of it.    

The blog Coffee Adventures reviewed this coffee, and came to a similar conclusion.  Archer Farms Peru San Ignacio impressed me with its nuanced and delicate flavors, all at an affordable price.  Available at Targets, I highly recommend it as a "go-to" coffee when you need to pick something up. You will not be disappointed, if you keep in mind the price you are paying for it.