I did something similar with some 5 Vegas Gold and had similar results - the first third being the most flavorful, but the stick itself overpowered any attempt at infusion.

I have a bunch of dark Guatemalan coffee beans that have gone a tad stale...wondering if I should try my hand at this again Maybe with a stick mostly neutral/non flavorful? Can't be too low priced as I don't want any strange aftertastes to overpower the coffee. Maybe like a cheap Fuente or something.