Take a pic of what the beans look like - just to get an idea of the roast level.
French press instructions usually ask for a grind that's too coarse. As an immersion brewing method it's actually pretty suitable for comparative tasting.
If it's possible, weighing input beans is a better idea for comparing at equal brew ratios.
I think most Phase fans are unaware of the pricing range of "high-end" coffee, compared to say, clothing.
$35 a bag is pretty crazy. At the same price point, you can get "gesha", extremely low-yield and high demand strains. Or top-end single-origin coffees, grown on <1 acre high-altitude family farms, and roasted by coffee autists on order.
So the price range of coffee is pretty small - in my mid-sized city I don't think there's a single roaster selling anything more than $35/bag.
Without the Phase tag, these coffees would be ~$12-$16/bag from their house blends to decent high-supply single origin.
Sell them for $17-$22/bag, and that would be pretty in-line with celebrity coffees out there.
Do a subscription deal, $40 a month, that's an unironic good deal.
Bundle it with a decent hand grinder (Timemore/Kingrinder, ~$40) and brewer (~$30 Hario Switch or Clever Dripper) which are relatively idiot-proof high skill floor brewers, at $100 you're about 90% to the ceiling of filter brewed coffee.
I just think the "I'm going to buy coffee, I don't mind adding a couple bucks to support my oshi" business logic is more sustainable than the "I'm only buying this for Phase" novelty merch. You're selling a literal addictive product, for god's sake.
