Ha, now that you mention it, I didn't even look at the roasting date... maybe that was the issue. I purchased my machine in May/June when the Bianca was back in stock, but as I was going to be traveling for July and August I asked Clive if they would be willing to hold onto it and delay shipment until I got back. They did just that, so *maybe* they packed it all up and it just sat on a shelf for 2 months? That could explain A LOT...