Just so you know, if you click on a product on CoffeeGeek.tv and decide to buy it, we may earn a small commission to help us keep making more awesome guides like this.
Not everyone can afford to travel often due to budget and lifestyle limitations. However, it’s not hard to get a taste of cuisines all around the world wherever you are in this day and age.
And for coffee enthusiasts specifically, many of us dream of being able to go on a coffee world tour to get a sip of this delicious brew made from different beans. And today is your lucky day.
No need to pack any bags, Atlas Coffee Club can bring the solution to your home with its travel-themed coffee subscriptions featuring the coffee of the month from diverse origins around the world.
In this Atlas Coffee Club Review, I will explain in detail the ins and out of the Club, including its beans, brews, the cost, and whether it’s worth the customer experience or not.
There’s one thing you need to watch out for when it comes to the subscription service but I’ll touch on that later. For now, buckle up because you’re in for a ride.
About Atlas Coffee Club
Is Atlas Coffee Club legit? A little bit of history lesson can give us a closer look into the operational practices of the brand and its coffee subscription offerings.
Background
If you didn’t skip my introduction, you should know the fundamental of the coffee subscription service of this brand.
The brand was founded in 2015 and is currently based in Austin, Texas to satisfy the caffeine addiction and wanderlust spirit of coffee lovers most joyfully and excitingly possible – discovering and tasting exotic and amazing coffee around the world every single month.
So, who owns Atlas Coffee? Atlas Coffee Club team was started by Michael Shewmake and Jon Miller, who are both coffee aficionados and travel lovers.
They merged their two common interests and set out to realize their mission of curating great coffee from a variety of coffee-growing regions around the globe to offer to your average Joe drinkers.
Other than the coffee subscription services, Atlas Coffee Club has also created a community for coffee aficionados to discuss related topics such as sharing coffee brewing tips and coffee resources.
Coffee Sourcing Standards
Other than the bean quality, coffee drinkers today have a higher expectation of roasteries and distributors than ever before due to heightened consciousness of sustainability in business practices.
So, how does Atlas Coffee Club source its coffee?
Fair Trade And Sustainability
Having been founded only recently in the mid of the 2010s, Atlas Coffee Club takes notice of how necessary it is to make sure that its coffee is Fair Trade certified.
And this isn’t just to meet consumers’ expectations, of course. From the first day of its business, the brand has placed a significant focus on this matter as its efforts are reflected in the coffee it sources and offers to customers.
Supporting their livelihood and helping develop the local community give these farmers the incentives to continue making quality coffee without extensively harming the environment in exchange for proper profits and benefits.
By making sure to source coffee that is Fair Trade, Atlas Coffee Club can contribute to the movement of promoting paying a fair wage for coffee farmers and producers that conduct sustainable practices.
Specialty Coffee
This is even more prevalent in the specialty coffee market which has an inherently substantially higher quality than normal beans.
Due to the rise in demand for this type of coffee to make proper third-wave cups of Joe, the farmers can earn a much higher wage producing specialty-grade coffee. Usually, they’re paid above Fair Trade prices.
So, in a more distant relationship, consumers buying coffee from brands that support these movements like Atlas Coffee Club can also do their part in:
- Supporting the farmers’ livelihood;
- Bettering their working conditions;
- Saving the environment;
- Contributing to better quality coffee.
What Sets Atlas Coffee Club Apart
I believe what makes this brand special from a gazillion of other coffee subscriptions to a coffee lover like me is its subscription services, which I will go into detail about in the next part.
I also like how many of its good coffee options are single-origin coffee from micro-lots rather than blends from different destinations, which is consistent with the brand’s story of a coffee tour and tasting amazing coffee from one location of the world each month.
In addition, Atlas Coffee Club can provide you with coffee bags that you can’t find at your local grocery store or anywhere else, as a matter of fact. So you really get to travel and explore varying tasting notes from a cup of brewed coffee at home.
My Atlas Coffee Club Subscription Review – Truth Be Told
Let me walk you through the process of subscribing to a coffee bag of Atlas Coffee Club. Is it effortlessly easy? How much leeway do you have with adjusting your coffee preferences? When can you expect your coffee bags to arrive?
All of your concerns will be addressed below.
Atlas Coffee Subscription Bags
As I’ve briefly mentioned above, Atlas Coffee Club sources and offers Fair Trade specialty coffee that is top 1% in the world.
So, each month you’ll get a coffee bag containing these high-quality beans curated from a different part of the world. They are also roasted to order to best preserve the freshness and delicious flavors by the time the bag reaches your hand.
Coffee is wrapped inside a cute coffee bag featuring charming pattern designs. They are usually colorful textile and floral patterns that are inspired by and customized to the origin of the coffee.
Along with the single-origin beans is a pretty postcard from the country of origin explaining in detail the roast profiles, tasting notes, and suggested brew method for your coffee.
Moreover, you can get a brief history lesson about the country’s coffee and a map, really putting the traveling aspect of the brand’s subscription service into perspective.
Atlas Coffee Subscription Process
To join the coffee club, you need to go to the website of Atlas Coffee Club rather than popular online shopping sites such as Amazon. But the process is simple, so trust me on this and follow the steps below.
Count
First, you need to select the number of bags per shipment. Take into account how often you and/or your household or office drink coffee, how much you drink each time, and the brewing method you use to determine how much coffee you would need.
There are 3 options:
- Double Bag for 24 oz (710 ml) or around 60 cups
- Single Bag / Full Bag for 12 oz (355 ml) or around 30 cups
- Half Bag for 6 oz (177 ml) or around 15 cups
The first option – Double Bag – is most popular with coffee aficionados in the club. However, if you’re not sure whether this brand is the answer to your caffeine addiction, go with the half bag for your first bag to see how it goes.
Frequency
Next, you need to pick how often you’ll receive your bag of coffee. You’re presented with 2 options: every two or four weeks.
Typically, coffee is excellent for about 1 to 2 weeks, but still good in weeks 3 and 4. The coffee bags aren’t vacuum-sealed and you can leave them as they are.
But, to keep the new coffee beans fresh for as long as possible, get an airtight container and store them in a cool place with minimal temperature variations.
The bottom line is, depending on how fast you go through the coffee bags, pick the most suitable option so that you can get the freshest coffee each month.
Roast Preference
As mentioned above, the brand roasts coffee to order every morning and ship the bags out within as short as minutes, but typically hours, after the roasting process.
Nevertheless, brewing coffee too soon after it’s roasted isn’t the best idea either. The brand suggests you wait around 7 days after the roast date to make sure that the coffee has properly degassed.
There are 3 roast profiles for you to pick:
- Light to Medium: You can expect brighter flavor notes from fruit, berry, and citrus, higher acidity level, and a chocolate undertone. Light roast coffee preserves more original coffee compounds, so this roast level is suitable for those with personal preferences for complex flavor profiles. Light to Medium roast is definitely fun to play around with for coffee lovers who want some sweetness and spice and everything nice.
- Medium to Dark: Medium roasts are the easiest to work with for every brewing method, while dark roasts are more suitable for pulling espresso shots and making French Press coffee. This roast level is bolder, fuller-body, and rich in chocolate and earthy undertones.
- All Roast Types: If you don’t have a certain preferred roast level, why not go with the All Roast Types option, comprising a variety of flavor and roast profiles.
Note: You don’t have preference over which country and coffee region the beans come from, only the roast type. If this isn’t a problem for you then the surprise of a new coffee region with every delivery is a plus.
Grind Type
The brand can provide you with both whole beans and ground coffee, for those with and without a coffee grinder.
For the freshest cup of Joe, I advise you to invest in a quality burr grinder and use whole bean coffee.
However, pre-ground works too as the brand delivered fresh coffee to order at all times.
Shipping
Currently, Atlas Coffee Club only ships within the U.S. and Canada. Sorry for those living in other parts of the world… If you’re living in America, expect the package to arrive in 3 to 6 business days.
For those in Canada, it takes a bit longer to cross the border with 5 to 12 business days as the standard. You may also expect possible delays due to customs procedures without warning beforehand.
Another thing you should note is that the shipping costs are at a flat rate of $4.95 for those living in America. For international shipping (aka those in Canada), you may need to expect a bigger shipping cost than what’s listed on the website.
The additional charge starts from around $6 per shipment. So take this into account as well.
Gifts
If you’re thinking of gifting another coffee lover with some of these aromatic beans, the brand has just the thing you need. Its Coffee World Tour Gift Subscriptions are specially designed for this purpose.
Like other subscription services provided by this brand, the coffee curated is fresh gourmet single-origin from around the world.
And they won’t receive just coffee either. Along with the entree, an appetizer of a postcard about the country of origin and details about the tasting notes and brewing recommendations are also part of the package.
Either you or the recipient can select the preferences consisting of roast profiles (Light, Dark, and All) and grind options (whole bean and ground coffee). Then, you, the giver, will also receive a copy of the email as well.
You can also do the honor of giving them the first batch face-to-face by entering your own address when purchasing. Afterward, have the recipient change it to their address for the rest of the orders.
You have 3 options for the duration of the subscription gift:
- Starter Pack – 3 months
- Standard – 6 months
- Coffee Lover – 12 months
After the period ends, the subscription isn’t automatically renewed. However, you can always extend it if they fall heads over heels for Atlas Coffee Club.
If you don’t intend to give them the gift right away, you can always order and postpone the first bag by scheduling to the first ship date at the checkout.
Rewards Program
Atlas Coffee Club really kicks the traveling with coffee concept up a notch with the special Atlas Rewards program.
Similar to the Mileage Reward programs popular in the aviation world, once you get on board with a coffee subscription at Atlas, you get a coffee passport recording your journey with the brand, which translates to points and benefits you can receive later on.
In particular, you can receive points for:
- The miles your coffee travels;
- The country you visit, or in this case, drink coffee from;
- The amount of money you save;
- Gift subscription purchased;
- The number of friends you refer to.
So, what can you do with these points, you ask? The magic words of free shipping, store credit, and so much more.
Canceling
The process is as simple as canceling your Netflix Account. Login to your personal account and find “Stop Subscription” in the settings to end your commitment.
You can always contact the customer support team for help if you have any problems as well. So yes, you can cancel Atlas Coffee Club.
Atlas Coffee Club Coffee Beans
Next, I’ll go into more detail about the offerings of Atlas Coffee Club – the beans.
Origin
As I’ve repeatedly mentioned throughout the article, each month you get only one coffee. However, the origin varies every single month from different coffee-growing locations all over the world.
So you won’t get just the same type month in; month out but an exciting taste test of the first coffee batch every first day of the subscription.
Some of the popular past coffee journeys are from popular regions and countries such as:
- Latin America: Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras.
- Africa: Ethiopia and Kenya.
- Pacific: Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Tasting Atlas Coffee – Tasting Notes
I’ve also had the chance of tasting some of the best coffee from Atlas Coffee Club.
Ethiopia
The first bag is Ethiopian coffee from the Yirgacheffe region. Cultivated in the high altitudes of over 6000 ft (1900 m) above the ocean, the coffee here benefits plenty from the climate, the rain, and the shade.
These delicious beans were then processed naturally without the usage of chemicals and the addition of artificial flavors.
The taste of these organic beans once brewed was distinctive from the first sip. It has unique notes of raspberry and blueberry, reminiscent of the berries grown in the local mountains.
And the general flavors that embrace your taste palate are the signature taste with hints of sweet chocolate.
Overall, it’s an experience worth exploring if your next subscription happens to be these exquisite beans.
Brazil
For the next bag, I got to travel to Latin America – Mantiqueria De Minas, Brazil, which is one of the largest producers in the world.
These beans were also grown at the height of nearly 3300 ft (1000 m) and processed completely organically, boasting the natural compounds and fruity and nutty flavors of coconut and peanut butter.
It’s overall very easy to drink and smooth down your throat with hints of vanilla and chocolate undertones.
It’s suitable for everyone, including beginners slowly getting into the coffee scene and developing an addiction.
Guatemala
Another large coffee-producing country, Guatemala coffee has to be one of the coffee aficionados’ favorites.
The coffee is grown in the high altitudes of nearly 6000 ft (1800 m) with rich soil and recurrent rain, ensuring high-quality crops.
It then goes through processes that involve the usage of water to be washed thoroughly.
This full-bodied brew shows clear bright and fruity tasting notes of dark cherry and raisin.
Their sweetness blending with the rich chocolaty flavors are the signature of Central America’s coffee taste. So you really get to mark on your coffee map without having to fly out.
Atlas Coffee Club Review – Our Final Verdict
Here’s the summary for the Atlas Coffee Club review.
Pros
- Single-origin sustainably sourced coffee
- Several preference options
- Affordable
- Interesting concept
- Fresh
Cons
- Limited to roast selection. No country-specific or coffee region customization
- The variety of coffee is not as diverse as bigger brands
- No sampler
- Shipping fee
- Limited shipping locations
Overall, if you’re living in the U.S. or Canada, the Atlas Coffee Club is definitely worth a try.
The brand can fulfill your caffeine needs with great specialty coffee, keep it interesting in the long run, and affordable?
Would you like 50% off your first bag of coffee and try Atlas coffee for yourself?
Subscribe to our mailing list and we’ll give you an exclusive coupon to redeem on your first purchase.