Los Angeles Reviews

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.

Crisp, with a spicy, savory edge. Fresh-cut cedar, roasted cacao nib, hints of cumin, sage and sweet root vegetable in aroma and cup. Balanced structure; soft acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The chocolate suggestion sweetens in the finish.

Quiet but deeply and sweetly complex. Butter, roasted cacao nib, dark cherry, a hint of clove, and a tangerine-like top note in aroma and cup. Delicately crisp acidity; silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but lingers in a sweet-toned, slightly drying finish.

Rich, deep, floral. Dark chocolate, night-blooming flowers, molasses, prune, with a brightening hint of tangerine-like citrus in aroma and cup. Juicy, complexly expressed acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The citrus hint in particular lingers in a resonantly flavor-saturated finish.

Intricate, richly pungent: chocolate fudge, spicy oak, wild berry, faint mango-like fruit and night-blooming flowers in aroma and cup. Soft, sweetly tart acidity; full velvety mouthfeel. The finish is berry-toned, with a rounded chocolaty sweetness.

Sweetly tart, complexly floral. Honey, honeysuckle, lavender, hints of barley and fir in aroma and cup. Soft but brisk acidity; light but very silky mouthfeel. The finish is flavor-saturated and quite rich and deep for such a delicate coffee.

Sweet and honeyish. Honey, tangerine, peach, prairie flowers, hints of fir and nut in aroma and cup. Very sweet, rich acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor saturates a rich finish.

Delicate, crisp, vibrantly complex. Floral suggestions range from honeysuckle to rose to lavender. Honey, cocoa-nib, almond in aroma and cup. Gently and sweetly brisk acidity; quite light but very silky mouthfeel. Flavor-saturated finish has deep and lasting persistence despite the delicacy of the cup.

Lush honey and blueberry balanced by crisper notes of roasted cocoa nib and fresh-cut cedar. A hint of flowers. Sweetly bright acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Round, gently flavor-saturated finish.