TRUNG NGUYENCreative 5 Coffee — Roasted Ground Coffee — Single Origin Culi Arabica — Light & Smooth — Vietnamese Coffee, 1 Bag (8.8 oz)

This is excellent coffee and is, in fact, my go-to blend. Order fulfillment was super prompt.

Great quality

I’m beyond disappointed! I have been drinking Trung’s coffee since 2000 and love it.However, the recent purchase was NOT Creative 5 Coffee, although the right packaging!

This brand is one of my absolute favorite coffee blends. It's strong, but doesn't have a lot of acidity, which gives it a smoothness unlike any coffee I've ever had. The flavor is also totally unique, and much less bitter compared to your everyday coffee. I enjoy drinking this hot or chilled, but will occasionally blend it with my usual brand of coffee because it can be too sweet for my taste without that bitterness I'm used to.

Creative5 is a 100% Arabica ground blend, strong with a beautiful dark chocolate after taste. It’s quite smooth and flagrant, a distinct feature of Vietnamese coffee - if you brew it right. Trust me, I’m somewhat of a coffee nerd and also lived in VN till 14.Creative5 is good for an average American coffee drinker to try Vietnamese coffee - it’s 100% Arabica, thus has a similar level of caffein level (80 mg/8 ounce serving) to most popular coffee sold in the U.S. Same is for Creative3 (70 mg).That being said, please do NOT use your standard coffeemaker - it’s the biggest waste! Why? The paper filter takes away the oil that creates the slightly fatty and smooth taste, and the coffeemaker doesn’t give the ground blend to immerse in the water long enough to bring out the coffee’s distinct flagrance.Instead, brew it with a Vietnamese “phin filter” or a French press. Both are very inexpensive and are available on Amazon, so you really have no excuse. I had both of these:Vietnamese “phin filter”: http://www.amazon.com/Vietnamese-Traditional-Coffee-Filter-Gravity/dp/B00GGAQTTY/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1449523843&sr=1-1&keywords=phin+filterFrench press (I bought this since the metal is good for heat retention, mimicking the “pin filter” process and best for flavor: http://www.amazon.com/Francois-Mimi-Stainless-Double-French/dp/B00D6JUHUU/ref=sr_1_3?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1449523901&sr=1-3&keywords=french+pressFrench Press - cheaper alternative: http://www.amazon.com/Primula-6-Cup-Tempo-Coffee-Press/dp/B00IJBQMI6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_79_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41w%2BGpLOEzL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=06PFZ1H29S39CMJBSA2RIf you’re not set on Creative5, I’d recommend the Premium Blend and Legendee Blend instead.One, I could have got a bad batch of Creative5, but it was a darker roast then I expected and killed the Arabica sour flavor. Two, Premium Blend is sold in a metal container, so better to retain the smell and flavor (vs. Creative5 is paper bagged). Legendee is the most premium line of Trung Nguyen and you really don’t want to drink other coffee after it - nothing can smell as good and taste as clean, smooth/fatty and sweet. It’s so good that even your coffeemaker can’t ruin it! Legendee is sold in a vacuumed bag for optimal preservation. Also very chic packaging to wow someone as a gift.Again, BEWARE that caffeine levels vary significantly from coffee to coffee!! Vietnamese coffee has higher caffein level on average than American coffee because of the bean variety. For those sensitive to caffein, check the comparison chart below (Disclaimer: I got these stats from Trung Nguyen website ):All numbers are milligrams per 8 ounce serving.Buon Me Thuot Special: 130 mgCreative 1: 150 mgCreative 2: 120 mgCreative 3: 70 mgCreative 4: 120 mgCreative 5: 80 mgGourmet Blend: 120 mgLegendee: 100 mgPassiona: 40 mg for 6 ouncesPremium Blend: 120 mgSource: http://www.trung-nguyen-online.com/caffeine.php

I am in love with this coffee. I have prepared it using various methods (traditional Vietnamese drip pot over cup, French press, and plastic cone with paper filter over cup). It is strong and less is needed than with other types of coffee. The flavor is rich and mild.It is especially tasty using the Vietnamese method of first putting sweetened condensed milk in the cup and allowing the coffee to drip into it.

Delicious coffee!It has a lovely scent and flavor with chocolate notes. I sometimes use a teaspoon and 6 ounces of water in a Vietnamese drip maker to beef up a boring or weak cup of coffee.

My opinion is that you have to have tried and liked this coffee before. It has a very different taste from regular coffee.