About Gaviña
F. Gaviña & Sons traces back to 1870, when brothers José María and Ramón Gaviña left the Basque region of Spain and settled in the coffee-growing mountains of southern Cuba, eventually expanding from growing into roasting in the 1930s. Political upheaval forced the family to flee Cuba in 1960, and after rebuilding in Los Angeles they founded F. Gaviña & Sons, Inc. in 1967, headquartered in Vernon, California, where the company still roasts today. Now in its fourth generation, the family-run business describes itself as the largest privately held, minority-owned coffee roaster in the country, and its umbrella now spans three consumer brands -- Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, Don Francisco's Coffee, and Café La Llave -- roasted and blended out of a zero-waste-to-landfill facility in Los Angeles.
The Old Havana Espresso blend we featured carries that Cuban heritage directly in its name and profile -- a medium-dark, 100% Arabica bean built specifically for espresso machines and moka pots. Coffee Review, the industry's most established independent cupping publication, scored it 90/100, noting a naturally sweet cup balanced by dry berry and black currant notes, a delicate floral aroma, and a buttery, nectar-like mouthfeel that turns gently chocolaty with milk. On our own cupping table it came through the same way: nutty and sweet with a hint of citrus and a smooth, low-bitterness finish -- bold enough to anchor an espresso martini without the ashy edge that heavier dark roasts carry.
Brand website: gavina.com
What Gaviña makes
Gaviña's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Old Havana Espresso Whole Bean
medium-dark, 100% Arabica, built for espresso machines and moka pots -- our pick for Cuban-style espresso — featured on Brew Gazette
Old Havana Espresso Single-Serve Pods
K-Cup-compatible pods of the same Old Havana Espresso blend
Café Gaviña Espresso Dark Roast Whole Bean
South & Central American 100% Arabica, heavy body and deep chocolate notes
Gaviña 100% Colombian
medium roast whole bean and pre-portioned packs, sweet floral and wine-like notes
Café Gaviña French Roast Ground Coffee
rich dark roast blend, canned ground coffee
Why we recognized Gaviña
The Brew Gazette Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. Gaviña earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, brewed with daily, and judged on what lands in the cup.
Gaviña products we rated highly
Gaviña Old Havana Espresso Whole Bean Coffee
A bold, Cuban-style medium-dark from a family roaster with 140 years of espresso heritage, built explicitly for espresso machines and moka pots. It cups as nutty and sweet with a hint of citrus and a smooth finish -- robust without the harsh bitterness of a heavier dark roast -- which also makes it a gentler alternative for an espresso martini, carrying enough body for the cocktail with less of the ashy edge that heavier dark roasts bring. The 32-ounce bag and a frequent on-listing coupon keep the per-ounce price competitive.
Read the Best Coffee Beans for Espresso in 2026 (Q Grader Tested) guide →What earned Gaviña the recognition
- Independently scored 90/100 by Coffee Review, the coffee industry's most established third-party cupping publication, for the same Old Havana Espresso blend that became our pick for Cuban-style espresso.
- A rare, deep pedigree: coffee growing and roasting roots that go back to 1870 in Spain's Basque region and then Cuba, carried forward by the same family for four generations after rebuilding the business in Los Angeles in 1967.
- Recognized as the largest privately held, minority-owned coffee roaster in the United States, roasting out of a zero-waste-to-landfill facility rather than an anonymous co-packer.
- On our own cupping table, the Old Havana Espresso held its nutty, sweet, low-bitterness profile -- a genuine Cuban-style alternative to the heaviest dark-roast espresso beans on the market.
- A broad, still-growing catalog beyond the featured bag -- Colombian medium roast, French roast, dark-roast espresso, and single-serve pods -- all built on the same family sourcing and roasting standards.