COFFEE REVIEW
The worlds leading coffee buying guide
Search Results
We found 360 reviews that match your search for Organics. Coffees are listed in reverse chronological order by review date. Older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee. Click on roaster images to visit roaster websites.
Evaluated as espresso. Crisp cocoa and pungent fruit dominate in the small cup with impressive vanilla and floral top notes nuancing the aroma. Medium body, smoothly syrupy mouthfeel. Co-taster Andy Newbom (91) particularly admired a "complete and elegant" structure that balances sweet with a pungent hint of savory. The savory drops away in milk where both Ken (91) and Andy found impressive chocolaty sweetness ("Cocoa pops!" Andy exclaimed) deepened by a rich, fig-like fruit. |  |
Rich aroma: sweet nut and cocoaish chocolate, lemon, stone fruit, aromatic wood. All carry into a deceptively complex cup, softly layered rather than intense. Balanced acidity and lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Very sweet finish; flavors outlast a very slight astringency. | |
Evaluated as espresso. Intense floral-toned aroma with fruit complications. In the small cup lightly syrupy mouthfeel and complex, rather savory, layers of chocolate, flowers and fruit: blueberry, stone fruit, lemon. The chocolate note sweetens and the fruit complex persists in the long, sustained finish. In two parts milk the flavors simplify slightly but maintain character. | |
A dynamic and engaging coffee. Lushly floral, tartly fruit-toned, with an underlying crisp baker's chocolate. Rich acidity, light-to-medium body. The complex flavor carries into the finish, though it loses some sweetness in the long. |  
 |
Softly roasty aroma with hints of aromatic wood and molasses. Smooth, balanced and chocolaty in the cup with complications of orange and fresh-cut wood. Simplifies in the finish with the wood note lingering. | |
Nut and fresh-cut wood dominate the delicate aroma, softened by a hint of chocolate. In cup and finish the cocoaish chocolate becomes richer and more explicit, though a faint woody flatness (probably decaffeination-related) continues to haunt the cup. Attractive, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. | |
Bright, sweetly tart. Distinct orange-toned nut in the aroma. In the cup, delicate acidity, leanish but smooth mouthfeel, and continued rich orange, cocoa and nut notes carrying into a flavor-saturated finish that turns rather woody and simple as the cup cools. | |
Rich aroma, with round notes of bittersweet dark chocolate and nut. In the cup a sweeter, orange-toned chocolate emerges, becoming more pronounced as the cup cools. Softly astringent finish with hints of fruit and a mildly bitterish nut. | |
Light-roasted blend with striking aromatics. Intense aroma: fresh-cut wood, perfume-like flowers, molasses, ripe lemon, pine nut, all saturate the intense aroma and carry into a delicately bright cup. Silky to lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The flavors soften and consolidate in a sweet-toned, rich finish. |
|
Complex aromatically and in the cup: a bouquet of jasmine and honey suckle, lemon grass, round orange- and berry-tones. Softly balanced yet rich acidity and silky mouthfeel. Although the floral/fruit complex simplifies slightly in the finish, a milk chocolate-like sweetness emerges. |
|
Softly complex aroma: hazelnut, milk chocolate, moist pipe tobacco. Refined and balanced in the cup with clear-toned acidity, silky mouthfeel and a sustained complex of flavors that combine nut and milk chocolate with hints of tangerine and grapefruit. The flavor persists deep into the finish, turning sweeter as it fades. |
|
Very sweet-toned aroma: pungent, cocoaish, a hint of flowers. In the cup rich, complexly expressed acidity, syrupy mouthfeel. Deep floral tones are supported by a crisp, lemony baker's chocolate. Long, flavor-saturated finish. | |
Aromatically rich, combining dark chocolate and soft roasty notes with hints of fruit and baking spices. In the cup the roast-muted acidity is a sideshow; the main event consists of delicate sweetness, smooth mouthfeel and layers of brandish and chocolate-toned fruit flavors suggesting cherry, raisin, dried berry. The pungent, cherry-chocolate sensation is sustained deep into the long finish. | |
Unusual aromatics and flavor: Spicy, peppery hints nuance distinct orangy and floral notes in aroma and cup, supported by a fresh, fir-like aromatic wood. Dry, spicy acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Clean and sweet-toned though rather simple finish. | |
Aromatically intense and complex: layered notes of tart coffee fruit, flowers, toast, nut, honey. Bright acidity, silky mouthfeel with flavors dominated by orange and lemon citrus and complimented by softer floral and caramel tones. Some flavor carries into a rather short, dry finish. | |
Soft, rather simple but pleasing aroma: hints of cherryish fruit and milk chocolate. Gently balanced acidity and lightly syrupy mouthfeel in a very sweet-toned cup with continued suggestions of cherry-toned chocolate. Some chocolate persists in a clean, straightforward finish. | |
Rich, deep aroma: nut, a hint of chocolate. In the cup soft acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, and a distinct and pleasing sweet cocoa note complicated by roasted nut. Gently rich, though rather short finish. | |
Aromatically deep, with richly round caramel, toast and milk chocolate notes. In the cup penetrating acidity and flavor. Intense fruit-toned chocolate gives way to layers of fruit (peach, orange, black currant?) that soften and grow in complexity as the cup cools. Pungent dark chocolate dominates in the finish. | |
Balanced aroma with hints of sweet ripe berries, malt and toasted grain. Smooth, complex and delicately bright in the cup with continued soft berry and malt character complicated by suggestions of chocolate and cidery apple. The fruit-toned chocolate in particular lingers in the long, flavor-saturated finish. | |
Lushly intense floral and lemony chocolate notes carry from aroma into cup. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The spicy, rose-like floral notes deepen to a moist pipe tobacco in the finish. | |
Very sweet-toned coffee with a balancing dry berry character that under the influence of the sweetness inclines toward dark chocolate. Brisk, balanced acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Very impressive finish: rich, sweet, flavor-saturated. | |
The ferment tones in this dried-in-the-fruit coffee take on a particularly intense brandy character. Rich, brandy-inflected acidity and flavor complicated by dry chocolate, cherryish fruit, and a hint of herby mint. Sweet short finish with a slight saltiness lurking in the long. | |
Sweet-toned, gently pungent aroma: orangy fruit, nut, hints of caramel and flowers. In the cup delicate acidity; silky mouthfeel; sweet cocoa, caramel and raisin notes with continued hints of flowers and orangy fruit. The clean, mildly sweet finish fades rather quickly. | |
Intense woodsy aroma suggesting fresh-cut pine with a hint of chocolate. Balanced acidity and smooth mouthfeel. In the cup sweet, mildly fermented fruit tones read as a heavy dark chocolate with continued crisp aromatic wood complication. Both tendencies carry into a finish in which sweetness outlasts a mild astringency. | |
Classic dark-roasted Sumatra. Deep, pungent aroma: aromatic wood, molasses, raisin, a hint of earth. In the cup roast-rounded acidity, slightly leanish mouthfeel, rich bittersweet balance, with softly scorched aromatic wood notes that deepen toward baker’s chocolate. Rich and sweet in the short finish; a roasty astringency shadows the long. | |
Dark chocolate and aromatic wood with a hint of brightness in the aroma. In the small cup light-bodied but delicately plush in mouthfeel, pungently sweet, with continued hints of aromatic wood, dark chocolate, and a complex but muted fruit. The chocolate in particular carries into a rich, rather dry finish. Flavor maintains nicely in three parts hot milk, the chocolate rounding and softening predictably while the aromatic wood notes retain some crisp authority. | |
Sweet and complex aromatically, combining round floral tones with stone fruit, toast and caramel. In the small cup medium-bodied and bright. The flowers persist, softening slightly, and the fruit turns toward crushed strawberry, carrying into a rich finish. The flavor profile is sustained in two parts milk, with a rounder, sweeter, chocolate-tinged version of flowers and fruit. | |
Sweetly and gently bright in aroma and cup. A soft, lemony citrus dominates the aroma. In the cup delicate floral-toned acidity, silky mouthfeel, continued lemony character complicated by flowers and a shadow chocolaty richness. Very sweet finish; the floral note in particular lingers. | |
A quietly distinctive, rather delicate coffee. Low-toned aroma with crisp nut notes and hints of flowers and apricotish fruit. In the cup soft acidity, light but silky mouthfeel, ripe lemon and continued nut, apricot and floral hints. Simple, sweet finish. | |
Intense fermented fruit reads as sweetly pungent herb, aromatic wood, and a raisiny dark chocolate or carob. Muted acidity, syrupy mouthfeel. The unorthodox flavors carry deeply into a long, rich finish. | |
Earth, nut and chocolate in the balanced aroma. In the cup a lemony, slightly bitter acidity, silky, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, and a simple, crisp flavor with continued earth, nut and chocolate complications. A rich, sweet finish fades to mild astringency. | |
Delicate, round and balanced. Sweet fruit and floral notes saturate aroma and flavor. In the cup the fruit nuances are so dense and complex they defy specific association, but they roll out with crisp voluptuousness into the long, sweet finish. | |
Intense, sweet-toned aroma: toast, baking spices. In the cup subdued fruit flavors hint at grapefruit before fading to a sustained rosemary- and sage-toned herb. Complications of cedar and bittersweet chocolate carry from the cup to the pungent finish. | |
Cherry-toned chocolate and caramel notes in the aroma. In the cup the cherry sensation deepens to a sustained and rich apricot-like fruit. The sweetness carries into the finish, outlasting a slight touch of astringency. | |
A lush complex of night flowers and fruit-toned cocoa dominates aroma and cup. Deepening hints of earth and aromatic wood in the cup. Round, balanced acidity, silky mouthfeel. Fades a bit in the finish. | |
A sweet-toned, round cup with balanced acidity, soft mouthfeel and delicate aroma of lemon and flowers. The lemon and flowers carry into the cup turning deeper and more complex with hints of sweeter fruit and dark chocolate. Clean finish with a mild but persistent sweetness. | |
A darkish roast turns the pungent, slightly earth-toned fruit toward grapefruit and butterscotch in the aroma. In the cup round, resonant acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The pungent, butterscotch-like fruit takes on clear floral and chocolate complications that strengthen in the finish. Flavor outlasts a very mild astringency in the long. | |
Complex aromatic profile - spice notes read as cinnamon and cardamom, ripe stone-fruit sweetness and suggestions of chocolate. In the cup a syrupy mouthfeel supports an intense fruit character: honey-like Casaba melon, plum, nectarine. Cinnamon makes a return appearance in the smooth, caramelly finish. | |
Intensely aromatic yet finely balanced. The rich aroma is dominated by a pungent cedar sensation with backgrounded caramelly chocolate sweetness and a hint of flowers. The chocolaty fruit and night floral notes move lushly forward in the cup, persisting into the finish. Soft acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. | |
Deeply complex, protean aromatics. In both aroma and cup a pungent fruit reads variously as black currant, raisin, dried fig, apricot, nut, dark chocolate. A hint of flowers. Brightly rich acidity, dense mouthfeel, long, tartly sweet finish. | |
Berryish fruit, sweet herb, dark chocolate in the aroma. In the cup, gently rich acidity, silky mouthfeel, continued spicy, berryish fruit and a distinct cocoaish dark chocolate. Clean, sweet, rich finish with a touch of dry herby astringency in the long. | |
Soft, round aromas of toast, nut, milk chocolate and vanilla. A balanced cup: smooth mouthfeel and intense flavors of fruity cherry-toned chocolate with hints of citrus and berry that fade toward a more powerful bittersweet chocolate character. A complex m?lange of fruit and chocolate carry into the flavor saturated finish. | |
An elegant and well-balanced cup. Full aromatically, with hints of fruit, baking spices and flowers. In the cup tightly knit, layered sensations, from bright orangy sweetness to round fruit-toned chocolate and flowers. A softly pungent bittersweet chocolate carries into the finish. | 
|
Pungently rich aroma, with dark chocolate and spicy cedar notes. In the cup round, roast-muted acidity, smooth mouthfeel, continued cocoaish chocolate and cedar notes with a hint of raisiny fruit. Long, flavor-saturated finish. | |
Crisply balanced cup. Roasted nut, dry berry, cocoaish chocolate, hints of flowers and lemon from aroma through finish. Rich, black-currant-toned acidity, smooth mouthfeel. | |
In aroma and cup soft, honey-like sweetness with round fruit tones and a hint of flowers. Bright acidity, medium body, silky mouthfeel, continued softly stated fruit and floral notes with an added hint of lemon. Finishes cleanly with a muted but rich pungency. | |
Sweet caramel-toned aroma with a mild roasty pungency and soft, backgrounded fruit. The sweetness and aromatic notes carry into the cup and complicate as the cup cools, revealing a distinct black currant and cherry-chocolate character. The pungent roastiness lingers softly in the finish. | |
Intense sweet-toned aroma, with complex citrus and floral character. The flowers turn distinctly toward jasmine in the cup, with a continued muted citrus and a hint of cocoaish chocolate. Bright, balanced acidity, medium body and a slightly lean mouthfeel. The quiet finish displays hints of toast and cocoa. | |
Subdued fruity aroma, with mild roasty notes, milk chocolate and toast. In the cup balanced acidity, soft mouthfeel, and round fruit flavors, hinting at black cherry that fade and sweeten toward chocolate. A slight tart astringency distracts from the otherwise pleasingly bittersweet finish. | |
Fruit and aromatic wood in the aroma, complicated by a hint of cocoa. Bright yet balanced in the cup with a lightly syrupy body, a distinct flavor note suggesting fresh-cut fir, a hint of grapefruit and a musty note that reads convincingly as fresh earth. Long, dry, slightly tight finish. | 
|
A rather dark roast develops charred fir, roasted nut, dark chocolate and pungent grapefruit notes in both aroma and cup. Roast-muted acidity, syrupy if slightly rough mouthfeel, good sweetness and flavor in the short finish, fading to a mild herby astringency in the long. | |
The sweet-toned aroma suggests butter, toast, raisiny fruit. In the cup, deep, roast-muted acidity, medium body, soft mouthfeel and straightforward flavors of molasses and nut-toned chocolate with a continued hint of dried fruit. A mild bittersweet chocolate character fades quickly in the finish. | |
Pungent, earth and aromatic-wood character with undercurrents of chocolaty, prune-like sweetness carrying from aroma into cup. Hints of orange and grapefruit; medium to full body. | |
Explosive aroma of tangerine and flowers. In the cup smooth mouthfeel, bright-toned yet balanced acidity and an extravagant fruit character with shifting cherry, stone fruit, floral and berry nuance. The fruit and sweetness prevail over a hint of salty astringency in the finish. | |
Sweet honey- and orange-toned aroma. An elegantly bright and fruity acidity points up delicate flavors of flowers, orange, cedar and tart berry. The lightly syrupy cup sweetens in the long finish. | |
Balanced aroma with soft notes of pipe tobacco, vanilla, sweet aromatic wood and suggestions of fruit. The fruit becomes more pronounced in the bright-toned acidity. A graceful cup, with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel and flavors of orange, grapefruit, fir, and a touch of chocolate that sweetens in the finish. | |
A richly balanced cup with a pungent aroma of cocoa, baking spices and orange. The orange character carries from aroma into flavor, where it is complicated by hints of flowers and flowering grasses. Mild sweetness and a touch of chocolate in the finish. | |
Rich, sweet-toned, toasty aroma with soft hints of nut and cinnamon. Medium to full body with a delicately soft mouthfeel. Quite complex in the cup: toast, cedar, chocolate, raisin and flowers. The roasty dark chocolate persists into a rich, simple finish. | |
Straightforward aroma with hints of wood and citrus. In the cup bright-toned, medium in body, with a sweet orangy character. A mild, rather papery astringency dominates in the finish. | |
Mild, sweet-toned aroma with charred aromatic wood and fruit notes. In the cup medium to full body with a leanish mouthfeel. Continued sweet charred wood, earth, and muted tropical fruit that intensifies as the cup cools. Sweet roastiness lingers in the long, dry finish. | |
A very dark roast yields a deep, smoky, charred-wood aroma, complicated by remote hints of caramel and roasted nut. Medium-body, smooth mouthfeel, with gentle charred wood notes dominating the flavor and carrying into the finish. | |
Intense floral, honey and blueberry-like aroma. Delicate yet sustained flavors of night flowers, lemon, peach and strawberry, with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel and rounded acidity. Finishes cleanly, with hints of the sweet floral and fruit notes found in the cup softly lingering in the long. | |
Crisp, pungently sweet-toned aroma: caramel, pineapple, nut, a hint of aromatic wood. In the cup softly balanced acidity, medium body. The pungent fruit reads as a cocoaish chocolate in the cup, with hints of lavender and molasses. The cocoa in particular carries into a rich finish. | |
Complete and classic Central-American style cup, lively and delicately complex. Cherryish-chocolate fruit and a shimmering hint of flowers in the aroma. In the cup gentle acidity, tart cherry and milk chocolate notes, continuing hint of flowers. The surprisingly rich finish simplifies slightly as the cup cools. | |
Very sweet-toned, cherryish, chocolate-leaning fruit in the aroma; butter and night flower complications. In the cup deeply acidy, full-bodied. The chocolate character deepens and sheds some fruit, but remains rich, sweet and buttery, with a slight herby/salty edge. The chocolate fruit outlasts a slight astringency in the finish. | |
Honey-sweet tangerine aroma, with hints of cantaloupe and strawberry. Bright fruit-toned acidity, medium body with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Tangy lime and lemon in front sweeten toward toast and honey, finishing cleanly with a mild suggestion of chocolate. |
|
Very deep-toned, balanced aroma: orangy citrus, nut, a hint of chocolate. In the cup rich, slightly wine-toned acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet cocoa and nut notes richly dominate, with a hint of grapy fruit and a slight savory edge that balances the deep sweetness. Rich, savory-sweet, flavor-saturated finish. | |
Nut, flowers and blackberryish fruit in the balanced though slightly muted aroma. In the cup rich wine-toned acidity, silky mouthfeel, sweetly tart lemon and blackberry notes soften toward chocolate as the cup cools. The blackberry fruit nuance carries into a long, rich finish. | |
Intense aroma: flowers, bergamot, lemon, cocoa nib. In the cup gently tart with a lean but silky mouthfeel. The flowers carry lavishly into the cup with continued hints of lemon and bergamot and a cocoa that softens toward a dry chocolate. Clean, long, flavor-saturated finish. | |
A rather wild fruit ferment reads in the aroma as deep-toned cherryish fruit with complicating hints of lemon and aromatic wood. In the cup muted acidity, fullish body, and a complexly savory-sweet fruit character suggesting brandy, cherry, and a slightly salty chocolate. Softens in a long, salty-sweet finish. | |
Deep, sweet aroma with roasty hints of grapefruit and night flowers. Smooth, full body, soft mouthfeel with a slight musty note that reads pleasantly as earth, nut and aromatic wood, complicated by hints of chocolate and cherryish fruit. Long, dry, earth- and dark-chocolate-toned finish. | |
A graceful floral-toned cocoa dominates. In the aroma very sweet-toned, buttery pungency, flowering grass, orangy citrus. In the cup, gentle, roast-muted acidity, silky mouthfeel, and the impressive floral-toned cocoa that persists into a rich finish. | 
|
Soft aroma of flowers and flowering grass, lime-like citrus and a hint of milky chocolate. Notes of toast, sweet citrus and dry white wine in the cup, with floral hints reemerging as it cools. Balanced acidity, medium body, with a hint of astringency in the mildly fruit-toned chocolate finish. | |
"Exciting" espresso for co-taster Byron Holcomb (91) with a shifty, hard-to-read complexity in aroma and small cup. "Fruit, chocolate, salty/sweet" for Byron, "butter, nut, cedar, earth" for Ken (90). Medium-bodied, with a long, rich, though slightly astringent finish. But comes into its own in four parts milk, where the ambiguity smoothes, fattens and becomes all good: in Byron's reading, "milk cocoa with lots of spice notes: ginger, herb, allspice, clove." | |
Both co-cupper Jennifer Stone (88) and Ken (90) remark on a distinct natural sweetness running from aroma through a gentle acidity to a long, resonant finish. Ken found more to remark on in regard to aromatic and flavor notes: nut and a hint of milk chocolate in the aroma, a more explicit chocolate in the cup, together with a hint of cherryish fruit. Delicate, rather lean mouthfeel. | |
A sensitive but very dark roast dominates the profile. Co-cupper Jennifer Stone (88) describes the aroma as "deep" and "complex"; Ken (88) finds dark chocolate and charred aromatic wood as well as floral top notes in the nose. In the cup the body is medium, the mouthfeel "thin" (Jennifer) to "lean" (Ken) but the general character of the cup is richly and crisply roasty, with continued dark chocolate, charred wood and distinct floral notes, all of which carry with impressive persistence and clarity into the mildly astringent finish. | |
The difference between co-cupper Jennifer Stone?s score of 84 and Ken's 89 depended on how they responded to a shadow fault in an otherwise impressive, complex coffee. The fault emerged as the coffee cooled; Jennifer simply called it an "off" note; Ken described it as vaguely metallic though very faint. Slight fault aside, this is a classic South Pacific profile, gently pungent with aromatic wood and nut notes softened by hints of bananaish fruit and night flowers. | |
Citrus and jasmine-like flowers in the aroma with notes of honeyed toast. Balanced acidity, medium body and a gently complex floral character with hints of berry, citrus and lavender. Clean finish with soft hints of nut and milk chocolate developing in the long. | |
A lush, chocolate- and berry-toned fruit competes with an underlying menthol and Mediterranean herb character that may strike some coffee drinkers as too sharp and others as bracing. The sweet blueberry-like fruit prevails in the aroma, the fruit and savory herb balance in the cup. They split the difference in the finish: the short finish belongs to the fruit and chocolate, the long to the dry, herby mouthfeel. | |
Orange- and lemon-toned fruit, a hint of cedar in the aroma. Soft acidity, smoothly silky mouthfeel, very complex in the cup: pipe tobacco, cocoa, a hint of flowers, orange and lemon. Orange and lemon in particular saturate the sweetly pungent, slightly astringent finish. |
|
Subtle aroma: fruit, toast and nut. Full body, smooth mouthfeel and tight-knit, balanced flavors ranging from tart lemon to sweet cherry, with hints of caramel. Toasty sweetness in the finish turns toward cocoa in the long. Continued balanced complexity in milk, with distinct notes of cherry, nut and chocolate. | |
Sweet-toned, crisp aroma with notes of fruit (cherry, apricot?) nut and fir. Medium to full body with a simple yet assertive acidity. In the cup, hints of night flowers and berry-fruit fade to cocoa and honey. Flowers persist into the finish, with a slight nutty astringency developing in the long. | |
A remarkably pure profile for this dried-in-the-fruit coffee type. Lush but delicate aroma: jammy blackberry, cocoa, ripe orange, a hint of cedar. In the cup sweet-toned acidity, lightish body, and a juicy, complex flavor: the cocoa notes move forward, supported by a round, berryish fruit that reads at various moments as red table grape, blackberry, blueberry, ripe orange. The clean, berry-saturated finish fades quickly but pleasingly. |
|
Sweet lemony aroma with hints of cinnamon, flowers, cedar. In the cup juicy mouthfeel, bright fruit-toned acidity, with lavish complexity: intense floral notes, sweet citrus and black currant. Delicately clean, mildly tart finish. | |
Evaluated as espresso. Very sweet, deep, smokily rich aroma with distinct floral and orangy citrus notes and a hint of fresh-cut fir. In the small cup lightly syrupy mouthfeel and impressive complexity: Fresh-cut fir predominates, with baker's chocolate and continued orange and floral notes carrying into a rich, walnut-toned finish. Blooms in two to three parts milk nicely, with the predictable dark chocolate complemented by surprisingly persistent floral, orange and fir suggestions. | |
Bright-toned lemony aroma, with hints of blackberry, flowers and butter. Tartly sweet acidity in the cup, with medium body and a smoothly juicy mouthfeel. Lemon-like flavors are balanced with floral and cocoaish chocolate notes. Finishes cleanly, developing sweetness in the long. | |
Complex aroma: distinct strawberry and table grape notes; hints of nut and cocoa. In the cup well-integrated acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, and extraordinary flavor: wine-like and grapy but fresh; think nouveau Beaujolais, supported by ripe strawberry and cocoa. Long, sweet, cleanly grape- and strawberry-toned finish. Only a very, very slight salty unevenness in the cups discouraged an even higher rating for this striking coffee. | |
A quiet, deep-finishing coffee. Rather simple aroma: nut, raisin. In the cup quietly rounded acidity, fullish body, and understated but impressive flavor: delicately complex cocoa, nut and raisin notes. Rich, clean, cocoa-toned finish with a surprising hint of flowers. | |
Complex aroma, with distinct ferment notes that read as blueberry and dessert wine with hints of walnut and cedar. Sweet and balanced in the cup, with creamy body, notes of cocoa nibs and cherry cordial and hints of leather, aromatic wood and dry Mediterranean herbs. Sweet toned finish with mild astringency developing in the long. | |
Straightforward aroma with hints of toast and mild citrus. In the cup, bright but sweet acidity, medium body, and flavors of tart lemon sweetening toward soft caramel. Clean, simple finish. | |
Tangy citrus, berry and mild, perfume-like floral aromas. Lemony bright acidity and full, juicy mouthfeel. Lemon-toned citrus carries from aroma to cup but is balanced by an elegant sweetness and hints of blueberry. Clean yet tart finish. | |
Complex aroma: butter, raisin, aromatic wood, hints of flowers and dark chocolate. In the cup the dark chocolate notes move forward, with continued suggestions of raisin and flowers. Medium body. Simple, rich finish. | |
The aroma is delicately balanced between orangey tartness and toasty sweetness. Surprisingly full-bodied, with soft acidity. Subtly complex in the cup with flavors ranging from citrus, berries and flowers to hints of nut and chocolate. Cocoa notes linger in the long finish. | |
A simple roasty earthiness in the aroma, with hints of baking spices and wood. Soft acidity, with a full, yet slightly lean body. Nuttiness emerges in the cup with more earthy tones and a hint of cocoa. A roasty finish, with a hint of bitter-nut astringency. | |
Deep, rather richly roasty aroma: charred cedar, dark chocolate, hints of flowers and raisins. In the cup thin-bodied and shallow, almost watery, with continued charred cedar notes hinting at dark chocolate together with a little additional tickle of flowers and perhaps menthol. The finish is sweet and rich in the short, mildly astringent in the long. | |
Gentle, balanced and round. Light tangy notes in the aroma with hints of toast and geranium. In the cup soft chocolate and nut flavors are balanced by suggestions of citrus. Fairly clean in the finish with light nutty tones lingering in the long. | |
Sweet-toned, soft aroma with wood and molasses notes. In the cup medium body, very soft acidity, with flavor notes that in their sweet wood and fruity herb character distinctly resemble date. Clean, sweet, rather fast-fading finish. | |
Superbly balanced, bright but sweet cup. Grapefruit-toned citrus, flowers, nut in the aroma. In the cup perfectly balanced acidity and sweetness, lightly syrupy mouthfeel with nut and orange notes and a continued hint of flowers. A slight astringent tightness mars an otherwise rich finish. | |
A coffee distinguished more by a gently pungent, quiet richness than by any aromatic complexity. Restrained acidity, silky mouthfeel. Dark chocolate and nut hints carry from aroma through cup to the particularly sweet finish. | |
Mildly toasty aroma, with sweet hints of flowers and orange-toned fruit. In the cup full body, straightforward toasty notes and, as the coffee cools, chocolate, nuts and tropical fruit. Pleasant cocoa in the long finish. | |
Deep, smoke-toned aroma with gently scorched wood notes, fir perhaps. Medium-bodied in the cup; the scorched wood notes round toward a pungent, herby dark chocolate. Thin but cleanly roasty finish. | |
Richly low-toned aroma: caramel, dark chocolate, fir. In the cup lightly syrupy mouthfeel, soft but vibrant acidity, with a deep, quiet, lavish complexity: distinct floral notes, dry wine- and berry-toned fruit, a hint of cherryish chocolate. | |
A richly sweet, almost overripe, berry-like aroma, with hints of earthiness. Full and smooth mouthfeel with soft, moderately sweet acidity. Though not quite as intense as in the aroma, the berry notes carry into the cup, joining a fruit-toned chocolate note that can be found in cocoa nibs. The long, dry, baker's chocolate finish turns slightly bitter as the coffee cools. | |
A light floral aroma mingles with hints of tangy fruit as well as sweet toast and nuts. Bright, balanced, somewhat winy acidity, lean but silky mouthfeel. Complex flavors combine mild citrus, jasmine, and berries with roasted nuts, chocolate and a hint of juniper. A sweet baker's chocolate finish lingers. |
|
Sweet berry-toned aroma with deepening hints of aromatic wood. Balanced sweet, winy acidity, with a smooth and syrupy mouthfeel. Concentrated dried blueberry and a fruit punch-like sweetness in the cup are balanced by a slightly musty note that reads as pleasant nuttiness. Long, dry finish with lingering notes of nut and cedar. | |
Low-toned, rich aroma: molasses, nut, floral topknots. In the cup smooth, deep, simple. The roast-influenced sweet caramel and molasses notes grow crisper under the influence of a gentle acidity, taking on a dark chocolate nuance. | |
Sweet-toned, softly acidy aroma, with crisp, cedary fruit notes (aka blackcurrant) complicated by hints of flowers and dark chocolate. In the cup powerfully acidy, dry, pungent but juicy. with citrusy berry and a continued nod toward a cocoaish dark chocolate. The finish stays on the rich side of astringent. | |
Soft, sweet-toned aroma: crisp black cherry, honey, a hint of flowers. In the cup rich acidity, syrupy mouthfeel, pungent but lush: dry berry, hints of flowers, flowering grass, herb. The dry finish remains on the rich side of astringent. | |
A very light roast preserves the essential meadowy sweetness and delicacy of this quiet, pure coffee. Notes of fir, honey, molasses and cherry in aroma and cup. The acidity is light-footed and sweet-toned, the mouthfeel silky. Surprisingly rich finish with a very slight woody flatness in the long. |
|
Rich, spicy and chocolate aroma with a mild smokiness. Mellow acidity with soft suggestions of tangy citrus. Balanced and complex flavors open as a vaguely fruity sweetness, then fade to nut and earth tones. Pleasant toasty, earthy and cocoa qualities persist into the finish. | |
Pungent nut, hints of herb and earth in the sweet-toned aroma. In the cup full mouthfeel, crisp earth notes, dry, berryish fruit and a slight herby or gingery tingle. Rich, sweet, berry-toned finish. | |
Sweet-toned and balanced aroma, with a tight-knit, quiet complexity leading with semi-sweet chocolate with support from savory herb, sweet orange, nut. In the cup medium bodied but smooth, delicate but rich. The nut-toned, semi-sweet chocolate declares itself distinctly, carrying into the long, rich finish. | |
A crisp and distinctive Ethiopia wet-processed profile. Floral and tangy orange notes in the aroma with a sweet hint of honey. In the cup, vibrant, fruit-toned acidity, medium body, somewhat soft mouthfeel. Tangy citrus turns toward sweet tangerine and tropical fruit with an underlying pungent toastiness. In the finish a slight hint of astringency and a softly bitter walnut note. | |
An autumnal sort of coffee: rich, deep, with notes of smoky wood, wet fallen leaves and humus in both nose and cup, all supported by a deep underlying sweetness. Turns from deep to rather heavy in a tongue-coating finish. | |
An apparent slow roast deepens and rounds the profile. Hints of fir, milk chocolate, possibly butter in the aroma. In the cup muted acidity, rough but full mouthfeel, continued aromatic wood and chocolate notes, with hints of flowers and butter. The chocolate notes carry into the rich, dry finish. | |
Very sweet-toned aroma: honey, cherryish coffee fruit, flowering grass. In the cup quietly vibrant acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, balanced structure, with cocoa and honey notes that carry into a long, resonantly flavor-saturated finish. | |
Fine straight-shot espresso. Rich in the aroma with a delicately pungent note Ken (91) called cedar and co-taster Heather Perry (90) spice. In the small cup dense and syrupy in mouthfeel with dark chocolate and continued spice and orangey cedar notes. Long, resonantly flavor-saturated finish. Loses some power and complexity, though it remains pleasantly drinkable and the orangey/spicy chocolate persists. | |
Mouthfeel and presence trumped aromatics. Both co-taster Heather Perry (87) and Ken (87) admired smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel in the small cup and solid balance in milk. Aromatics were relatively subdued and simple, however: "spicy" with "light lemon undertones" for Heather, "smoky chocolate" with floral hints for Ken (87). | |
Deep-toned and roasty in the aroma: dark chocolate, fir, floral top notes. In the cup heavy bodied, low-toned, continued dark chocolate and aromatic wood notes with the barest hint of flowers at the top. Smooths out nicely in the finish: rich, sweet, chocolaty. | |
A quiet but distinctive Ethiopia wet-processed profile. Distinct orange blossom and honeyed orange notes in the aroma, with hints of nut and caramel. In the cup delicate, balanced acidity, silky mouthfeel, continued honeyed orange and orange blossom with a balancing, slightly pungent nut note, walnut perhaps. Sweet, flavor saturated finish. The cup stiffens and simplifies slightly as it cools. | |
This coffee declares its essential Yirgacheffe character immediately: perfumy and pungently menthol-toned in the aroma, shimmering with floral and lemon notes. The aromatic drama carries without loss or simplification into a gently bright cup, light-bodied but silky in mouthfeel. The finish is thinnish but long, sweet, and flower-saturated. | |
Sweet-toned and balanced in the aroma, with a slight smoky character and a muted complexity that extends into the cup: raisins, honey, cedar, flowers. In the cup still balanced, slightly tart, delicate. The chocolate persists into the rich, simple finish. | |
Assessed as espresso. Sweetly wood in the aroma, with a hint of dark chocolate and a savory, almost salty note. The same aromatic complex carries into the cup, though the wood warms toward cedar and the dark chocolate intensifies. Medium to full body. Heavy but sweet finish with a continuing chocolate note. In milk softens and sweetens appropriately but the shadow savory salt note continues to haunt the chocolate. | |
A sweet, crisp, delicately rich pungency dominates the character of this quiet coffee. Prune/raisin, butter, dark chocolate, lavender-like floral notes in aroma and cup. Balanced, gentle acidity and a medium body with silky mouthfeel. The flowers and chocolate carry into a long, clean, very impressive finish. | |
Sweetly balanced in aroma and cup: butter, flowers, orange, dark chocolate. The orangy chocolate notes dominate in the gently acidy, silky-bodied cup. Fine finish: rich, sweet, flavor-saturated. A very slight hint of astringency emerges as the cup cools. | |
Quiet aroma with walnut and hints of cedar and dark chocolate. In the cup heavy body with a slightly rough mouthfeel, an almost syrupy sweet structure, and dominating musty/earthy notes that can be read as a sort of robust, walnut-toned dark chocolate. The sweetness carries into a rich, slightly tight, continued walnut-toned finish. | |
Sweet-toned, delicately complex aroma: flowers, hints of honey, cedar and tart cherry, perhaps chocolate. In the cup very gently acidy, light in body but buoyant and silky in mouthfeel, and giddily floral- and honey-toned with complicating hints of chocolate, tart coffee fruit and Riesling-like white wine. Fades rather quickly in the finish but exquisitely clean with memories of chocolate and flowers. An exceptionally pure and balanced coffee. | |
Sweet, crisp, simple with walnut and minty dark chocolate notes in the aroma that consolidate as a distinct, pleasing cocoa in the quietly balanced cup. The long, rich, cocoa-toned finish is particularly impressive. | |
Intense, roundly balanced aroma with mildly pungent roast character and orange, nut and cedary chocolate notes. In the cup low in acidity, medium in body and agreeable but rather simple aromatically: bittersweet, woody, with only a hint of cedary, perhaps earthy, chocolate. Not a long finish, but sweet and rich. | |
The surprise here is how well this blend performs in longer milk drinks. As a straight espresso it is agreeable enough, dominated in the aromatics by low-toned, musty notes that read as a raisiny semi-sweet chocolate or perhaps a spicy, cantaloupe-like fruit. The body is medium to full, the finish simple and rich with a slight astringent edge. The blend exerted a powerful though heavy dark-chocolate presence in short milk, but with more latte-like quantities of milk it bloomed with great sweetness and vivacity. | |
Both co-cupper Miguel Meza (88) and Ken (89) agreed that this coffee was low-toned, but for Ken it displayed a quietly resonant depth whereas apparently for Miguel it was simply quiet. Miguel found chocolate and citrus in the aroma, Ken chocolate and a distinct ginger note. Miguel read "blueberry, over-ripe fruit and toast" in the crisply fruity cup, Ken dry chocolate, brandy, blueberries, apricot, flowers. Both noted a persistence of berryish fruit in an otherwise rather thinnish finish. | |
Soft, gently balanced aroma with muted but deep orange, chocolate and honey notes. In the cup the mouthfeel is round, full and almost chewily present, the flavor dominated by a simple, dense, cherry-toned chocolate. |
|
A lucidly pure, deeply sweet coffee. In aroma and cup lavish floral notes and gently tart coffee fruit complicate molasses and honey tones that sail with gentle voluptuousness into a long finish. |
|
Very sweet-toned aroma with distinct floral and fresh coffee fruit notes. In the cup sustains its sweetness with a delicate intensity and continued floral and fresh coffee fruit (tart cherry) notes that carry into a long, richly bright finish. | |
In the aroma deeply pungent with a sweet earthy mustiness that suggests grapefruit with additional hints of honey and chocolate. In the cup full body with pleasantly rough mouthfeel and continued earthy notes that read as chocolate, honey and pungent citrus. Rich finish with a slight clinging astringency. | |
A balanced, quietly complete cup. Simple but harmonious aroma: chocolate-toned with a hint of cedar. In the cup gently rich acidity, smooth mouthfeel, muted night flowers, milk chocolate, tart cherry. Resonant finish. |
|
Soft aroma with a quiet, tightly-knit complexity: cocoa, cedar, hints of honey and melon. In the cup light-bodied, delicate, with sustaining hints of honey, cocoa, sweet flowering grass. Short but clean, honeyed finish. | |
Deep, gently charred tones in the aroma are complicated by semi-sweet chocolate, low-key fruit and distinct floral top notes. In the cup medium-bodied but pleasingly bananaish in mouthfeel, with a continued gently charred, deeply roasty character. The floral notes dissipate but the fundamental chocolate-banana-toned fruit persists into the slightly tight finish. | |
Deep, sweet-toned aroma with cedar and muted hints of flowers, orange and semi-sweet chocolate. In the cup softly acidy, rather full-bodied, with continued hints of flowers and orange- and peach-toned fruit. Rich finish. |
|
Evaluated as a regular brewed coffee rather than as espresso. In the aroma roundly and deeply roasty: cedar, cardamom, flowers. In the cup crisply pungent, smooth, simple, with a roast-influenced fruit that with imagination reads as semi-sweet chocolate. Cleanly rich finish. | |
Deep aroma with chocolate- and raisin-toned fruit. In the cup good body with a slightly rough mouthfeel and continued heavy, sweet fruit notes suggesting cocoa and raisin. Simple but rich finish. | |
Deep, sweet-toned aroma with distinct floral top notes and hints of butter and cedar. Simplifies slightly in the cup, but remains deep, balanced and big-bodied, with semi-sweet chocolate notes that carry into a richly clean finish. | |
Very sweet-toned aroma, intense though simple: hints of potato, orange and nut. As straight espresso medium body but syrupy mouthfeel with a smoothly pungent character and a quiet complexity: molasses, orange, nut and a hint of semi-sweet chocolate. Full, deep, slightly salty finish. In milk displays a rich semi-sweet chocolate, but a bit light on sweetness and presence. | |
A slight, serendipitous hint of sweet ferment complicates the rich fruit, turning it toward a chocolaty, brandyish cherry or orange with a hint of blueberry. The chocolate takes on an almost minty character in the sweet, very low-acid cup. As the cup cools a bare suggestion of bitterness surfaces, the shadow side perhaps of the rich, fermenty sweetness. | |
Very rich aroma: tartly sweet, round-toned, with cherry- and orange-toned fruit. In the cup syrupy mouthfeel, sweet, with continued orangy fruit and a hint of moist leaves. | |
(As brewed in a Keurig B60 single-serve brewing device using a "K-Cup" capsule at a serving size of 6 ounces): Rather subdued aroma, caramelly, with hints of flowers and chocolate. In the cup medium-bodied but silky in mouthfeel, simple and bittersweet, with distant hints of flowers, walnut, chocolate perhaps. Simple, rich, rather short finish. | |
Very sweet, almost sugary, with raisiny fruit notes and hints of orange and chocolate carrying with rich stateliness from aroma to cup. Syrupy body, deep, resonant finish. | |
Almost sugary sweet throughout the profile. Flowers and cedar in the aroma; the floral notes give way to a more pungent, tomatoey fruit and hints of cocoa in the cup. The sweetness carries straight into a rich short finish, fading to a mild astringency in the long. | |
A fine, versatile decaffeinated espresso particularly remarkable for its persistent floral top notes. In the aroma flowers, chocolate and apricot-toned fruit. In the small cup full body with perhaps a slightly rough mouthfeel, pungent, rich and balanced, with continuing semi-sweet chocolate and floral notes that carry into the finish. Blooms nicely in milk with minty chocolate sweetness while still maintaining the attractive floral and fruit complication. | |
Rather delicate, toasty aroma with hints of low-acid fruit - banana, chocolate. In the small cup medium to full body, with a crisply smoky, toasty character complicated by caramel and continued banana notes and a hint of flowers. The finish stays just on the rich side of rough. Rounds and blossoms in milk but remains roasty - think chocolate on toast - with a continued lean toward a banana-like fruit. | |
Rather thin aroma, with semi-sweet chocolate hints. In the cup the chocolate turns explicit, crisp and pleasantly cocoaish. The finish is surprisingly rich, with continued cocoa tones and a hint of flowers. The cup generally relaxes and plumps up as it cools. | |
Soft, sweet-toned aroma with limited but pleasing nuance: cedar, perhaps tomato. Remains sweet in the cup, crisply delicate, with very pronounced sweet cocoa tones. Superb finish: sweet, long and cocoa-laced. | |
Superb, richly sweet-toned aroma: semi-sweet chocolate with hints of raisins and cedar. In the cup rather lean-bodied, delicate, with crisp, very distinct cocoa-chocolate notes nuanced by hints of lemon, caramel, raisin. | |
Rich, simple aroma: cedar and butter. In the cup agreeably deep-toned and round, with chocolate and continued butter notes. Good body, soft acidity. Continues consistent into the simple but sweet, rich finish. | |
Cloyingly sweet, earthy/mildewed character with very distinct grassy notes. | |
Pungently bittersweet, rather austere coffee. Deep aroma, with tomato and rosemary notes and perhaps some semi-sweet chocolate. In the cup, rich, simple, bittersweet with continued tomato, Mediterranean herb and semi-sweet chocolate notes. | |
Deep, sweetly pungent aroma: cedar, banana-like fruit, a hint of flowers. Big-bodied in the cup, with continued pungently sweet character and limited nuance, mainly cedar and some cedar-toned chocolate. Simple but rich in the finish. | |
|