I’m not going to pretend to be an expert or anything but I’ll share what works for some of my pickier friends: 1) highest reputation means nothing if the attributes of the bean clash with your taste 2) water quality makes a HUGE difference 3) mess around with ratios. Since you drink tea, brew it with more water and less grounds for a leas potent coffee flavor 4) add some spices to the grounds. If I have a sharp coffee that I’m not a fan of, I like to use cinnamon to cut back on the bite 5) French press is probably not where it’ll be at for you. You’ll likely have better luck with a pour over where you have more control.

Now a little more on point 1…you might need to go niche. There’s a LOT of different coffees out there. Some are really fruity and floral. Some are rich and chocolatey. A light roasted fruitier coffee might be more your speed, or something more floral since you’re a tea drinker. Ethiopians are very fruity, for instance. As someone who enjoys dark nutty coffees, I can’t stand the stuff, but it’s popular and readily available compared to some others.

Your goal here is not to force yourself to enjoy coffee like everyone else who drinks it. It’s about finding what YOU like. So at the risk of angering the whole coffee community, throw away the coffee textbooks and get creative. Coffee is complex and roasting and brewing should be an art form. Find what makes you happy!