Single Origin Coffee Reviews: Peet’s Yosemite dos Sierras, Guatemala San Sebastian, and Starbucks Papua New Guinea Highlands


In this article, we wanted to take a closer look at three popular single origin offerings from Peet’s and Starbucks- Peet’s Yosemite dos Sierras, Peet’s Guatemala San Sebastian, and Starbucks Papua New Guinea Highlands.  Are these single origin offerings worth trying? What do they taste like? We did a deep dive to find out!

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Peet’s Yosemite dos Sierras

Peets Yosemite dos Sierras

This dark roast comes from a single estate, Finca la Cabana, located in Colombia on the southwestern slopes of the Sierra de Nevada Santa Marta Mountains. This region is known not only for its biodiversity but also for its natural coffee production. Yosemite dos Sierras coffee beans are complex and full-bodied, crisp and organic, but also certified by the Rainforest Alliance and the Smithsonian.

A cup brewed from the single-origin coffee beans from Peet’s Yosemite dos Sierras provides a dark roast of medium acidity and full body. The milk chocolate notes are very apparent while the caramel flavor is more subtle.

Peet’s Yosemite dos Sierras is a crowdpleaser.  As a Colombian Single Origin coffee, it has a profile that is sure to appeal to a wide-audience- medium acidity, full body, and chocolate/caramel/nuttiness.

Peets Yosemite dos Sierras flavor

Where To Find It

This coffee is available at Peet’s website and is slightly underrated by reviewers online. Consumers love the dark, chocolatey roast for a go-to morning brew that they can enjoy any time of day, hot or cold.

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Some similar alternatives from the same region available online are:

  • Organic Columbia Monte Sierra Single Origin Coffee by Mojave Coffee. 4.4 stars, available here – often available between $12-$13 (sometimes with a $2 off coupon).  Mojave’s Monte Sierra SO is a good value at that $12-$13 price point, but definitely don’t pay over $15.
  • Columbian Supremo Coffee by Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC. 4.2 stars, available here. OK with buying in bulk? Fresh Roasted LLC offers some extreme bang for your buck – Single Origin Colombian coffee at about $9/lb, but you do have to buy at least 2 lbs.  I’d say the quality is OK, but the value proposition is hard to beat.

Peet’s Guatemala San Sebastián

Peets Guatemala San Sebastian
Peets Guatemala San Sebastian Flavor

The Antigua Valley of Guatemala is tucked between 3 volcanoes at an elevation of 5,000 feet. This combination of a dry climate, volcanic soil, and high elevation creates an area capable of producing some of the best coffee beans in the world. In this high-quality coffee-producing region, one estate stands out among the other coffee-producers: Finca San Sebastian. Not only are they the sole producers of the high-quality Guatemala San Sebastian, but they are also environmental and social stewards.

A cup of Peet’s Guatemala San Sebastian offers a full body with flavor notes of cacao and citrus with a floral background.  It has a crisp acidity that may not be for all palettes, but definitely will be a favorite for some. This coffee has been a popular choice amongst coffee-drinkers for over 40 years.

Peet’s Guatemala San Sebastian is a personal favorite of mine.  It’s a go-to for me, particularly for a great pour over:

Where To Find It

This coffee is available at Peet’s website and is pretty underrated when looking at reviews online. Multiple reviewers write that once they tried this coffee, it became their go-to morning brew for decades. One man claims to have been drinking this particular coffee for almost 40 years!

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Some similar alternatives from the same region available are:

  • Gourmet Guatemala Whole Bean Medium Roast by Two Volcanoes Coffee. 4.4 stars, available here.  We plan to take an in-depth look at Two Volcanoes in an upcoming piece – stay tuned!
  • Guatemala Coffee by Volcanica Coffee Company. 4.3 stars, available here.  I really like Volcanica – they really make some quality coffees!  Their single origin offerings aren’t cheap (usually at around $18-$22), but most of them are great tasting and definitely worth a try if you are willing to splurge.

Starbucks Papua New Guinea Highlands

Starbucks Papua New Guinea Highlands

Papua New Guinea is a remote island north of Australia, located just below the equator. The island is characterized by fertile, volcanic soil, mild tropical weather, and a high elevation; all ideal conditions for coffee bean production. The local coffee industry consists of several small farms and a few large estates. Most coffee production occurs in either the Western or Eastern Highlands province. 

A cup of Starbucks Papua New Guinea Highlands offers low acidity and a medium body with distinct notes of fruit and spice as well as a more floral background.

Starbucks Papua New Guinea Highlands flavor

Starbucks Papua New Guinea Highlands is worth a try if you are looking for coffee with some interesting floral and fruity notes that many people haven’t experienced in their everyday coffee.  I personally don’t think it’s quite as good as some of the offerings from Peet’s or single origin offerings from a variety of smaller roasters, but not a bad coffee by any means and widely available. 

Where To Find It

This coffee is available and has a 4.7-star rating from 7 reviewers. I’d personally suggest this it is slightly overrated at 4.7 stars- I’d probably put it at 4 stars- but it is definitely a quality coffee and worth trying.

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This coffee is also available in some Starbucks locations. Some alternatives from the same region available are:

  • Papua New Guinea Single Origin Coffee by Teasia Coffee. 4 stars, find it here.  Teasia is priced similarly to Volcanica and also has a set of quality single origin options (including Single Origin PNG!).  I would say I’m partial to Volcanica, but sometimes its worth looking at both and seeing which one is currently listed cheaper.
  • Papua New Guinea Single Origin Whole Bean Roast by Groundwork. 4.5 stars, here.  Groundwork is another value single origin option.  Usually priced around $13, its definitely worth trying.

3 Coffee Comparison

CoffeePeet’s Yosemite dos SierrasPeet’s Guatemala San SebastiánStarbucks’ Papua New Guinea Highlands
RegionColumbiaGuatemalaPapua New Guinea
AcidityMediumHighLow to medium
BodyFullFullMedium
Flavor NotesMilk chocolate, caramelCacao, citrusSweet, spicy, floral, fruity
ProcessWashedWashedWashed
RoastDarkDarkDark
Rating4.3 stars4.2 stars4.7 stars
Price$17.95/lb (@ Peets – Click Here)$17.95/lb (@ Peets – Click Here)$14.99/lb

Jay Arr

Jay Arr is passionate about everything coffee. What began as a simple interest in the history, production, and brewing of coffee led him to a job as a barista at a national coffee chain. That’s not where Jay’s story with coffee ends, however. Roasting and brewing day in and out, he continued to gather knowledge about all things coffee.

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