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The truth is that high quality Arabica coffee prepared correctly is not bitter or acidic at all. It is very rich, flavorful, and smooth. It all starts with the quality of the coffee beans. High altitude, shade grown Arabica beans develop very slowly, so they become very dense and loaded with natural flavors. These coffees have natural flavor notes like cocoa or caramel, sometimes floral or earthy, with a very clean finish with no bitterness. Cream and sugar added by habit actually hides these great natural flavors, and turns a very healthy drink into an unhealthy one! So why is coffee served bitter to the masses? Often, the large coffee corporations use lower quality commercial grade coffee beans or defects that have very little flavor. Some brands may even use lower quality Robusta coffee beans. Robusta coffee is grown at lower altitudes where pesticides are commonly used, something that isn't needed for coffee grown at higher altitudes. Robusta beans also contain twice the caffeine and acidity of Arabica beans. These lower quality coffees are often over-roasted to give them an illusion of flavor, which causes that bitterness and bad aftertaste. Their coffee is roasted on a production schedule by the metric ton, where several shortcuts are used to speed up production. For example, pre-heating the beans before they enter the roaster, and then quenching them with water once they come out, rather than air cooling them slowly. In addition, it can be many months before the roasted coffee gets to the consumer, diminishing the freshness and flavor even further. Contrast that process to one developed decades ago by the Don Pablo family of coffee growers and roasters, where exceptional specialty grade Arabica beans are roasted to order. Some are grown on family owned farms in Colombia; others are supplied by coffee farmers all over Latin America, known personally though longstanding relationships. These superior quality Arabica beans are artisan roasted to order by sight, smell, and sound in multiple small batch roasters. The coffee is always air cooled, not quenched which produces a far superior taste and quality. The goal is to deliver specialty grade coffee to the customer that is as fresh from the roaster as possible. The customer enjoys a very rich, flavorful, complex, and smooth cup of coffee with a clean finish, pleasant aftertaste, and residual sweetness. Coffee that can easily be enjoyed black, with no sweeteners. Try it for yourself and taste the difference. ML For more information or to order Don Pablo specialty coffees, visit http://donpablocoffee.com