Los Angeles Reviews

Pungently sweet, juicy. Lavender-like flowers, black currant, guava, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, floral-toned acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Flowers, fruit and chocolate all carry into a rich, crisp finish.

Sweet, rich, citrusy. Molasses, complex citrus notes (blood orange, grapefruit, more), roasted cacao nib, cantaloupe, rose-like flowers in aroma and cup. Rich, resonant acidity; full, cushiony mouthfeel. Flavor-saturated, gently drying finish.

A pure, ready-to-drink bottled coffee tested over ice. Bright, dry, nutty. Brisk, nut-toned acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Walnut, roasted cacao nib, lemon, a sweetening hint of honeysuckle in flavor; tartly lemony in the finish. A small volume of cold milk develops sweetness and chocolaty depth.

A pure, ready-to-drink bottled coffee tested over ice. Bittersweet, roast-toned. Round but slightly bitterish acidity; full mouthfeel. In the flavor prune, apricot, scorched wood, dark chocolate, with a hint of citrus. In the finish sweetens and softens with a clearer expression of chocolate. The addition of cold milk surprisingly emphasizes the roasty tones and reasserts the bittersweet edge of the chocolate.

Immense and lavish. Blueberry, guava, dark chocolate, a hint of cognac, musky, carnal flowers in aroma and cup. Richly pungent acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Guava and chocolate in particular carry into a mildly drying but deeply flavor-saturated finish.

Deep, shifting complexity in aroma and cup: lavender, musk, bergamot, cinnamon, roasted cacao nib. Buoyant, melodic acidity; silky mouthfeel. Flowers in particular saturate a delicately rich, gently drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, chocolaty and hearty. Scorched cedar, deep-toned dark-chocolate, night-blooming flowers, hints of anise and plum in aroma and small cup. Full and buttery, though mildly drying mouthfeel. Bittersweet chocolate and anise carry into a long, dry finish. Flavor rounds and sweetens predictably in three parts milk: buttery chocolate nuanced by continued suggestions of anise, flowers and plum.

Immensely rich and complex. Blood orange, black currant, dark chocolate, sandalwood, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Resonantly balanced, floral-toned acidity. Plush, lively mouthfeel. Deeply flavor-saturated finish.

Big, sweet and fruity with a savory, spicy edge. Guava- and pineapple-like fruit, brandy, dark chocolate, a hint of flowers and bay leaf or eucalyptus in aroma and cup. Round, vibrant acidity; heavy, syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate, brandy and bay leaf in particular carry into a rich though drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet, delicate, balanced. Vanilla, orange, citrus flowers and roasted cacao nib are lightly expressed in aroma and deeply in the small cup. Smoothly silky, lively mouthfeel; crisply resonant finish. Flavor carries well into three parts milk: almondy orange, cacao nib, flowers.

Sweetly crisp, cleanly layered complexity. Dark chocolate, peach-like fruit, hazelnut, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Gently lively, flavor-nuanced acidity; silky mouthfeel. Dark chocolate in particular carries into a long, deep finish.

Balanced; soft but lively. Honey, night-blooming flowers, black cherry, crisp roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, lively acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Deep, juicy finish.

Richly pungent and spicy. Roasted cacao nib, plum, spicy rose, sandalwood, a hint of lemon in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, resonantly complex acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is tart and richly juicy, slightly drying in the long.

Sweetly bright, complex. Jasmine, sweet lime, plum, raspberry, roasted nut in aroma and cup. Richly tart acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but rings on in a cleanly balanced, deeply resonant finish.

Smooth, layered complexity. Delicate floral notes, nut-toned chocolate, honey, a hint of banana in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The floral notes in particular surface in a sweet, surprisingly deep finish.

Subtle, softly complex. Rounded fresh-cut fir, roasted cacao nib, honeyish meadow flowers in aroma and cup. Round, resonant acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. A hint of citrus turns up in a quietly rich finish.

Intense, exotic, balanced. Lush night-blooming flowers, roasted cacao nib, butter, hints of cedar and plum in aroma and cup. Richly round acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists deep into a balanced, slightly drying finish.

Dramatic, intense, distinctive. Aroma and flavor are dominated by the unique and unmistakable Kenya note, a pungently cedary, lemony blackberry, very sweet yet dry in the mouthfeel, a note that is often tagged with the simplifying term black currant. This sample displayed deepening complications of musk and malt as well. Crisp yet juicy acidity; silky mouthfeel. Briefly bittersweet in the short finish, then opens into a spectacular long finish, ringing with sweetness and complex layers of flavor.

Distinct chocolate and honey-and-nut notes (halvah?) in aroma and cup, with further hints of apricot and fir. Round, backgrounded acidity; buoyant and silky mouthfeel. Rich, deep finish, very mildly drying in the long.

Balanced structure; fresh, complex aromatics. Brisk, lavender-like flowers, hazelnut, sweet spice, a hint of dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Round, gently rich acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet, flavor-saturated short finish; dries and fades very slightly in the long.