Reviews for JBC Coffee Roasters
Evaluated as espresso. Big-bodied, complexly structured: sweet-savory-tart. Notes of dark chocolate, plumeria, peach, cumin, pistachio in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate carries into a dry though richly expressed finish. The dark chocolate, pistachio and peach-toned fruit notes carry crisply but seductively into three-parts milk.
High-toned, crisply sweet-tart, richly savory. Jasmine, roasted cacao nib, lemon verbena, grapefruit zest, aromatic mushroom in aroma and cup. Balanced sweetly tart structure with a rich umami undercurrent; buoyant, satiny mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish leads with floral notes (jasmine) and closes with crisply sweet citrus (lemon verbena, grapefruit zest).
Delicate, sweet-toned, herbaceous. Milk chocolate, spearmint, gardenia, sarsparilla, date in aroma and cup. Richly sweet-tart, vibrant structure; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The cocoa- and floral-toned finish, with undertones of sweet herb notes, goes on and on.
Sweetly tart, richly savory. Red currant, baker’s chocolate, fine musk, redwood, a hint of fresh parsley in aroma and cup. Distinctly sweet-savory structure; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish leads with notes of fine musk and red currant in the short, rounding into richly wood-framed chocolate in the long.
Complex, richly sweet-savory. Jasmine, pomegranate, nutella, marjoram, frankincense in aroma and cup. Crisply bittersweet structure with high-toned acidity; velvety mouthfeel. A surprising coconut note surfaces in the immediate finish, which proceeds with chocolate-toned sweet herb hints in a larger context of sweet-tart, pomegranate-like fruit.
Deep, resonant, quietly complex. Candied orange zest, baker’s chocolate, tamarind, roasted walnut, cedar in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-savory structure with a roundly tart edge. Satiny, lively mouthfeel. Tamarind and cedar carry into the short finish; walnut lasts in the long.
Deeply sweet/savory yet delicate and vibrant. Grapefruit zest, brown sugar, hazelnut, rhododendron-like flowers, a hint of musk in aroma and cup. Roundly and resonantly brisk in structure; plump and full in mouthfeel. Nut, brown sugar and grapefruit carry into a quiet, balanced finish.
Evaluated as espresso. High-toned, floral-savory. Wisteria, nut-toned chocolate, maraschino cherry, fresh-cut cedar, grapefruit zest in aroma and small cup. Lush, syrupy body. The sweetly crisp, tart finish is assertive and maintains all of the notes from the cup. In three parts milk, wisteria notes are elevated, supported by nut-toned chocolate suggestions.
Evaluated as espresso. Delicate, richly layered. Jasmine, passionfruit, roasted cacao nib, sandalwood, lemon zest in aroma and small cup. Crisp, very silky mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to citrus notes grounded in rich aromatic wood. In three parts milk, all of the sweet notes bloom further, with spice-toned florals leading the way.
Elegant, sweetly pungent. Lilac, toffee, cedar, black cherry, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet acidity; viscous, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish is flavor-saturated in the short, consolidating to notes of cedar and toffee in the long.
Subtly complex, delicately sweet-savory. Honey, baker’s chocolate, black currant, sandalwood, wisteria in aroma and cup. Juicy, buoyant acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The sweetly tart finish is vibrant with notes of chocolate and black currant in the short; suggestions of wisteria resurface in the long.
Price: $68.50/4 ounces
Delicate yet deeply aromatic, gloriously and almost impossibly complex in its fruit and floral expression. Fruit ranges from grapefruit through lychee to passionfruit; flowers suggest lavender, rose, more. There is chocolate and a grapy Cognac reduction, and finally a savory resonance we called sweet mushroom. Juicy, floral-tart acidity; viscous, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is laden with complex floral top-notes in the short, rounding to hints of sweet fruit and deep Cognac-toned chocolate in the long.
Richly sweet, intricately layered. Lychee, chocolate fudge, bay leaf, pipe tobacco, aromatic orchid, a hint of fresh-turned earth in aroma and cup. Juicy, sweet-tart acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Notes of cocoa and sweet pipe tobacco resonate in the crisp, dry finish.
An exquisite Kenya: bold, richly sweet-savory, and deeply inviting.
Evaluated as espresso. Deeply and richly sweet-tart. Dark chocolate, hazelnut, black cherry, lavender, sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Delicate, silky mouthfeel; sweet, chocolate-toned finish with supporting notes of lavender and sandalwood. In three parts milk, pungent floral tones are elevated and sweet cocoa notes deepen.
Delicate, rich-toned. Lemon verbena, honeysuckle, cocoa powder, cedar, green grape in aroma and cup. Lively, juicy acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The sweet, resonant finish is redolent of citrusy herbs and sweet flowers supported by cocoa tones.
Evaluated as espresso. Deeply rich, sweetly savory. Dark chocolate, orange zest, vanilla, tamarind, pungently spicy flowers (lantana?) in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; bold, sweetly tart finish with suggestions of cocoa-toned tamarind and orange zest. Crisply sweet in three parts milk, where notes of dark chocolate are amplified and the tart sweetness of tamarind-like fruit persists.
Deeply and richly sweet. Dark chocolate, ripe pomegranate, orange zest, roasted pistachio, magnolia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Crisp, sweetly tart acidity; delicate, silky mouthfeel. The sweetly savory finish leads with notes of pomegranate and pistachio in the short, rounding to cocoa tones in the resonant long.
Crisply sweet, intricately layered. Grapefruit, cocoa nib, honeysuckle, white sage, a suggestion of wild mushroom in aroma and cup. Juicy, balanced acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. The sweet-savory finish is flavor-saturated, leading with fruit and floral tones in the short and culminating in umami-toned intrigue with hints of white sage and wild mushroom.
Intensely rich, complex, vast. Plumeria, chocolate fudge, white grapefruit, perique (fermented) pipe tobacco, white truffle in aroma and cup. Juicy, bright acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant, flavor-saturated finish is long, balanced, and reiterates all of the tendencies in the cup: sweet (plumeria, chocolate), tart (white grapefruit), savory (pipe tobacco, truffle).