It could depend a lot on the quality of the beans and the way they are roasted. For example, I tried some Cannonball Coffee robusta, and while the beans smelled earthy, kind of like raw potatoes – I didn’t notice it carried over in the flavor of the brewed coffee. Once brewed it smalled more like molasses. It did have a bitter flavor, but bitter is not always a bad thing, especially if you’re a fan of bitter dark chocolate which is what I tasted in this coffee.