Puroast Whole Bean Coffee
True Low Acid — LACCSA Certified — UC Davis Verified
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Kicking Horse Coffee built its brand on a compelling story: small-batch Canadian craft roasting from the Rocky Mountains, USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified, with adventurous names like Kick Ass, 454 Horse Power, and Three Sisters. The sourcing credentials are real and meaningful. The organic and fair trade certifications confirm responsible farming and fair pricing. What the story does not address — and what the brand rarely discusses — is acid chemistry. Kicking Horse is flash-roasted. It is high acid. The craft narrative changes the sourcing. It does not change the pH.
⚠️ The Acid vs. Caffeine Distinction That Matters
Reducing caffeine does NOT reduce acid. Kicking Horse Decaf has the same pH (~5.0) as regular Kicking Horse. The organic certification does not address acid. Only roasting chemistry reduces acid. Puroast achieves pH 5.82 through patented traditional roasting — 5X less acid, UC Davis verified.
pH 4.7–5.0
Kicking Horse — Organic, Fair Trade, Flash-Roasted, High Acid
pH 5.82
Puroast — UC Davis Verified Low Acid
6 of 7
Low Acid Brands Were High Acid (NC A&T 2024)
Kicking Horse is a Canadian specialty coffee brand founded in 1996 in Invermere, British Columbia. It is USDA Organic and Fair Trade certified across its full product line — a genuine commitment to sustainable sourcing and fair pricing for farmers. The brand uses Arabica beans from Central and South America and East Africa, roasted at its facility in the Canadian Rockies. In 2017, Kicking Horse was acquired by Lavazza — the Italian coffee giant. It continues to operate as an independent brand. The acquisition did not change the roasting method. Kicking Horse remains a conventionally flash-roasted coffee in the pH 4.7–5.0 range.
Kicking Horse is one of the most commonly cited organic coffees in discussions about healthy coffee. The USDA Organic and Fair Trade certifications are real — but they address farming practices and supply chain ethics, not acid chemistry. Dr. Takayuki Shibamoto's peer-reviewed research at UC Davis (JAFC, 2009) confirmed that acid chemistry in coffee is determined by roasting conditions — not bean origin, not farming practices, not certifications.
Kicking Horse Kick Ass Dark Roast is often purchased by acid-sensitive coffee drinkers who believe dark roasting reduces acid. It does not. Dark roasting produces only a 0.1 pH difference — negligible. Kick Ass is still high acid at pH 4.8–5.0. The adventurous branding cannot change the roasting chemistry.
The Third Wave Could Not Finish the Story
Low Acid Whole Bean — pH 5.82 — UC Davis Verified
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Kicking Horse represents the best of Third Wave coffee — responsible sourcing, transparent supply chains, quality Arabica origins, and genuine craft commitment. The Third Wave promised to fix what industrial coffee had broken. It was incomplete. Even the most celebrated Third Wave roasters — Kicking Horse included — were purchasing industrial roasting equipment. The sourcing story changed. The roasting did not. Kicking Horse is organic, fair trade, and high acid.
The Fourth Wave — low acid coffee through traditional roasting chemistry — is the completion of the story that the Third Wave began. The NC A&T State University 2024 study confirmed that 6 of 7 coffees marketed as low acid were high acid. Sourcing quality does not determine pH. Roasting chemistry does.
Kick Ass Dark Roast: Bold, full-bodied, earthy. pH approximately 4.8–5.0. High acid despite the dark profile. Quality beans, well-executed roast within the flash-roasting paradigm.
454 Horse Power Dark Roast: Similar profile to Kick Ass with slightly more complexity. Same acid chemistry. pH 4.8–5.0.
Three Sisters Medium Roast: More accessible, balanced. pH 4.7–4.9. Clean, smooth for a flash-roasted medium. Not low acid.
Hoodoo Jo Dark Roast: Espresso-forward, rich crema. Same flash-roast chemistry. pH 4.7–5.0.
LACCSA certification requires independent laboratory verification of pH. No Kicking Horse product carries LACCSA certification. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health notes that acid load — not sourcing certification — is the variable that affects digestive outcomes.
If you drink Kicking Horse and have no acid sensitivity — you are drinking a quality product with excellent sourcing credentials. If you have noticed that your daily coffee is harder on your stomach than it used to be, or if you have acid reflux, GERD, or any gut sensitivity, the Kicking Horse organic and fair trade certifications do not address that problem. The acid load from pH 4.7–5.0 flash-roasted coffee is the same whether the beans are organic or conventional. The roasting is the variable that matters. Wendl et al. (1994, Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics) confirmed that acid in coffee — not caffeine — is the primary driver of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Sourcing certifications do not change this equation.
The Only Patented Low Acid Whole Bean Coffee
The Fourth Wave — The Completion of Coffee's Story.
LACCSA Certified · UC Davis Verified · pH 5.82 · 5X More Antioxidants
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House Blend Whole Bean · 2.5lb Shop Now → |
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No. Kicking Horse is conventionally flash-roasted at pH 4.7–5.0 — high acid. The organic and fair trade certifications are real but do not affect acid chemistry.
No. Dark roasting produces only a 0.1 pH difference. Kick Ass is still high acid at pH 4.8–5.0.
The organic certification means no synthetic pesticides — a genuine health benefit. But for stomach acid and digestive issues, pH is the relevant variable. Kicking Horse organic coffee is still high acid at pH 4.7–5.0.
Puroast Organic Dark Roast — available on Amazon. USDA Organic, LACCSA certified, UC Davis verified at pH 5.82. The only organic whole bean coffee that is independently verified low acid.
No. Fair Trade certification addresses pricing and ethical treatment of farmers. It has no relationship to roasting method or acid chemistry.
Sources and References
⚠️ Medical Disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Puroast coffee is a food product, not a medical intervention. If you have acid reflux, GERD, IBS, or any other digestive condition, consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or lifestyle. Individual responses to dietary changes vary.
