What Does $70 Coffee Taste Like? | Big Face Brand Review

Dose of Prose

Whether you know me personally or virtually, you can probably tell that I love coffee. I enjoy making coffee (check out my home coffee bar essentials here) as well as discovering new, local coffee shops (for those in Los Angeles, check out my coffee shop/cafe guide here). Recently, however, I decided to switch things up and try a celebrity endorsed coffee. Introducing…BigFace – a coffee brand created by NBA star Jimmy Butler. If you’re a fan of Jimmy or just generally curious about the coffee, this blog post is for you. I also made a Youtube video (see below) about the coffee if you prefer a visual version of this post. So, without further ado, here’s my (unfiltered) review of Big Face Brand.

What is Big Face?

For those who are unfamiliar with Big Face, from my perspective it appears to be a streetwear-NFT-coffee hybrid company that sells apparel, mugs, NFTs and of course, coffee. For context, a non-fungible token (NFT) is a digital token that represents unique proof of ownership of something, like a digital asset. The concept of NFTs is still fairly new and currently artists, musicians and dancers are selling their art as NFTs. On the Big Face website, for example, you could buy Big Face non-fungible artwork, which I thought was interesting. The company launched with super high-end products (like $100,000 for a mobile espresso station) which is a bold move to make, but a strategy nonetheless that allows the brand to stand out, especially within the specialty coffee space. There aren’t any astronomical prices on the website anymore from what I can see, but who knows what’s in store for the brand as it drops new products in the future. Here’s more about the brand in terms of their vision and mission:

About
BIGFACE IS A CULTURE SHIFTING COFFEE BRAND SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING SPECIALTY COFFEE TO THE CONNOISSEUR AND INTRODUCING THE MAINSTREAM CONSUMER TO TOP TIER SPECIALTY COFFEE.

WITH AN ATTENTION TO CRAFT, SOURCING, STORY, AND INNOVATION, EVERY BIGFACE PRODUCT WILL INVITE THE CONSUMER TO SHARE IN AND SHARE WITH OTHERS, A LOVE FOR COFFEE AND THE COMMUNITY AROUND IT.

Mission
COFFEE IS THE COMMON THREAD WOVEN INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR LIVES. A CUP OF COFFEE CAN BE AN EMBRACE BETWEEN OLD FRIENDS, A BRIDGE BETWEEN STRANGERS, A CONDUIT FOR CREATIVITY, AND FOR MANY, A SOLID REASON TO GET UP ON A MONDAY.

Vision
COFFEE DRIVES US, INSPIRES US, CONNECTS US, AND REVIVES US. OUR VISION IS A WORLD WITH BETTER COFFEE, BIG DREAMS AND BIGGER SMILES.

About the Blends

Although the title of this post poses the question, what does $70 coffee taste like? Unfortunately, I won’t be able to answer it because I could not get myself to purchase the $70 coffee that was listed on the Big Face website. Also, I wanted to try as many types of coffee from the site as possible without breaking the bank, so I ultimately decided to get the Blend Bundle, where you receive two jars of coffee for $50. Here’s some of the specs:

• Item: BLEND-BUNDLE-X01-X02
  • X01
    • Origin – Ethiopia & Honduras
    • Notes – blackberry jam, lemon peel, juicy
  • X02
    • Origin – Ethiopia & Mexico
    • Notes – strawberry, tamarind, floral
• Price: $50 (you can buy each blend individually for $28 so I’m saving $6 by buying them in a bundle)
• Size: 185 grams of coffee per jar
• Order placed: 11/10/21
• Order received: 11/27/21

Initial Thoughts

When I first opened the package, I honestly felt underwhelmed. I liked that the coffee was in glass jars instead of bags, which meant that I could use the containers for other things after the coffee is gone. However, the packaging itself was a bit disappointing. The letters on the front of the jar, which list information about the coffee, seemed like they could easily rub off the jar after a few washes. Basically, for $50 coffee, I expected more luxurious packaging. Since this is specialty coffee, I wanted the presentation of it to be, well..special and it just wasn’t.

I was also apprehensive about the coffee initially because of the smell. When I opened the jars, the coffee didn’t smell that great. Not that it smelled bad, but it doesn’t have the typical nice coffee smell to it. I felt differently after I actually brewed the coffee (it smelled a lot better once I made it), but just opening the jar of coffee beans itself was not that pleasant of an experience.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

After brewing both coffees, I can honestly say that this coffee is unlike anything I’ve ever tried before. Each blend has a distinct taste that I can’t quite describe, but I can confidently say that the coffee tastes good. They both are light-to-medium roast coffees with a unique flavor composition. The real question though, is does this coffee taste $50 good? Hmm, I don’t know about that.

Reevaluate your Mission

As I business person and a coffee snob, it is only fitting for me to do a cost-benefit analysis on Jimmy’s coffee and brand overall. I think for the everyday coffee drinker, this coffee may not appeal to you. The taste of X01 has a distinct and dare I say, acquired taste, so I think it would only be something that I go to if I have a craving for it. However, I like the taste of X02 better and feel it may work more for an everyday coffee. Both blends are smooth and don’t need anything added to them, but still if part of the Big Face mission is to introduce the mainstream consumer to specialty coffee…with the current price, packaging and taste of the coffee, I think it will be an uphill battle to fulfill that mission.

Tell Us A Story

I don’t mind investing in good quality coffee, but I’m willing to pay more when I know where it comes from. By just looking the Big Face website and coffee jar itself, I don’t know much about where or how the coffee was sourced. What I’m trying to say is, consumers want transparency. I don’t know the full story behind Jimmy’s coffee nor the farmers who roast it, which makes it harder for me to understand and justify such a high price point for his coffee.

Turn Up the Volume

Another concern that I have is the amount of coffee you receive for the price. Most specialty coffee that I buy ranges from $19-25 and you get about 340 grams of coffee (or more). With Big Face, you get 185 grams for $28 (or for some blends $70). I understand that you’re also paying for the Big Face brand itself, but if that is the case, right now I don’t think the brand equity (aka the value) of Big Face is worth what they are charging consumers.

Buy or Let it Fly?

Overall, if you are a fan of Jimmy and want to support him, I think buying his coffee or merch is a great way to show your loyalty. If you’re a coffee connoisseur looking for specialty coffee or have some disposable income to spend, then you might want to check out Big Face as something new to try. If you’re an an average everyday coffee drinker looking for just a general good cup of coffee, you might want to hold off on Big Face and look into more affordable, higher quality options.

Again, the coffee is good. Is it the best coffee I’ve ever tried? No, but it’s certainly not the worst. I also am not the best coffee maker in the world, so I’d be curious how the coffee would taste if I had a professional barista make it for me. Regardless, I think with a different price point, better packaging presentation, more volume of coffee and better branding, Big Face has a ton of potential. Entering the coffee market is the perfect niche for Jimmy and I’m happy to see more black-owned coffee companies. However, I don’t like to sugar coat things and wanted to give a honest opinion about the brand. I hope this was helpful and to Jimmy and your team (if you ever come across this post) please take what I’m saying as constructive – it is not my intention nor my purpose to be condescending, only informative.

If you like reviews like this, please leave a comment and let me know what you would like to see next! Have you ever tried products backed by celebrities? What was your experience? Have you ordered from Big Face before? Please give me your thoughts, I’d love to know.