Reviews for Temple Coffee and Tea
Intense and unmistakable Kenya character: dry yet sweet synthesis of pungent black currant, blackberry and fresh-cut cedar; backgrounded hints of lush night-blooming flowers, lemon, black sage. Big, sweetly brisk acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The Kenya flavor complex deeply saturates a long, rich finish.
Price: $17.00/12 ounces
Gently bright, sweetly intense. Honey, grapefruit, lilac, cocoa butter in aroma and cup. Juicy, floral-toned acidity; silky mouthfeel. The grapefruit note and a more explicit chocolate dominate in a cleanly sweet finish.
Price: $18.00
Round, deeply sweet; layered complexity. Brown sugar, roasted nut (macadamia?) fresh-cut cedar, honeysuckle, a savory hint of musk in aroma and cup. Crisp, gentle acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is less distinguished by its flavor persistence than by its impressive nutty sweetness and resonant depth.
Immense, intricate. Honey, roasted cacao nib, orchid-like flowers, layers of fruit (banana, mango, mandarin), pungent sandalwood in aroma and cup. Crisply juicy, nuanced acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Fruit, flowers and cacao linger far into a richly drying finish.
Richly and deeply floral: lavender, narcissus, honey, with contrasting crisp hints of dry fruit: black currant, juniper berry. Big, buoyant acidity; full, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a quiet, balanced finish.
Price: $19.00/12 ounces
Rich, intoxicating. Strawberry-like fruit, bourbon whisky, fudgy chocolate in aroma and cup. Juicy acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate carries into a clean, gently drying finish.
Price: $17.50/12 ounces
Balanced, round, classic. Dark chocolate, night-blooming flowers, zesty orange, pecan in aroma and in a very sweet, almost sugary cup. Round, resonant acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in an ongoing sweet-toned but gently drying finish.
Complex, deep, pungent. Caramel, sweetly tart red grapefruit, freshly tilled clay, moist pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. Round, resonant acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Sweetly rich, flavor-saturated finish.
Price: $18.00/12 ounces
Delicately lush, sweetly brisk. Peach, night-blooming flowers, blood orange, nut-toned chocolate in aroma and cup. Rich, ripe-citrusy acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. A slight savory hint deepens cup and finish.
Price: $15.50/12 ounces
Rich, zesty, bright. Night-blooming flowers, honey, lime, cinnamon in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, bittersweet acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Rather drying in the finish but profoundly flavor-saturated.
Price: $18.00/12 ounces
Pungent, rich, complex. Fresh-cut cedar, fruit-toned, bittersweet dark chocolate, blueberry, lily-like flowers in aroma and cup. Crisp, straightforward acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is slightly savory and salty but deeply sweet as well, with impressive flavor persistence.
Intensely and lushly pungent. Dark chocolate, cedar, lychee-like fruit, lilac in aroma and cup. Brisk, low-toned but vibrant acidity; full, satiny, lively mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a rich, very mildly drying finish.
Sweet, pungent, cleanly earth-toned. Honey, carob, malt, orange zest, lavender in aroma and cup. Round, deeply expressed acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor fades just a bit in an otherwise sweet finish.
Price: $15.50/12 ounces
Evaluated as espresso. Both Ken (91) and his co-taster (90) admired a gently bright, citrus-and-berry character in the small cup; Ken found distinct floral suggestions as well. A dark chocolate note emerged clearly and perhaps surprisingly in the finish. Citrus, chocolate and (for Ken) flowers all carried with grace into three parts milk.
Immense and intricate in flavor and aroma, balanced in structure. Crisp, nut-toned chocolate; lush night-blooming flowers; ripe tangerine; pungent sandalwood in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Quietly but profoundly flavor-saturated finish.
Honeysuckle, tangerine, roasted cocoa nib, honey in aroma and cup with a subtle brandyish hint. Tartly sweet, lyric acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is sweet and pleasantly drying, with the floral note persisting and the cocoa note softening toward chocolate.
Rich, deep, sweet. Night flowers, honey, almost marmalade-like orange and berry. Round, balanced acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Resonant, quietly flavor-saturated finish.
Exhilaratingly complex; flawlessly balanced and complete. Black currant, blackberry, grapefruit and flowers in aroma and cup; lushly tart, sweetly lively acidity. Buoyant, active mouthfeel; long, resonantly flavor-saturated finish.
Price: $15.50/12 ounces
Deep, earthy, savory. Fresh-turned earth, dark chocolate, clove-like spice, hints of highland Scotch whisky in aroma and cup. The acidity is integrated and saturated with flavor; the mouthfeel medium in weight and smooth in texture; the finish richly complex.
Dark chocolate, cherry, oak, night flowers, a hint of brandy in aroma and cup. Roundly bright, complexly expressed acidity; lightly creamy mouthfeel. Dark chocolate carries distinctly into a savory-sweet finish.