San Diego Reviews

Crisply sweet, spice-toned. Dried papaya, caramel, tangerine zest, pink-peppercorn, vanilla in aroma and cup. High-toned, sweetly tart in structure with juicy, bright acidity; lean, though satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The resonant, richly drying finish is laden with sweet notes of caramel and papaya in the short, turning more savory-leaning in the long, with hints of pink peppercorn wrapped in vanilla.

Resonantly bright, floral-toned. Jasmine, frankincense, cardamom, toffee, apricot in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweetly tart structure with juicy acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The deep, flavor-saturated finish leads with caramel-toned apricot in the short, with rich florals resurfacing in the long.

Sweetly savory, layered. Rhododendron-like flowers, cinnamon, baker’s chocolate, cedar, red currant in aroma and cup. Round, savory-leaning structure; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The quiet finish centers on notes of vanilla-like florals and baker’s chocolate, with a hint of cinnamon.

High-toned, richly sweet. Strawberry guava, roasted cacao nib, lime zest, jasmine, almond in aroma and cup. Sweetly-tart structure with juicy, balanced acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is long and resonant, with lime zest and strawberry guava in the short, rounding to cocoa-toned jasmine in the deeply sweet long.

Delicate and confident, sweetly spice-toned. Dried coconut, frankincense, baker’s chocolate, tea rose, tamarind in aroma and cup. Sweetly savory and balanced in structure; buoyant, silky-smooth mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of chocolate and frankincense in the short, lifting to sweet-tart tamarind and coconut in the long.

Fruit-forward, richly chocolate-toned. Dark chocolate, Concord grape, peach brandy, Graham cracker, aromatic orchid in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, fruit-toned in structure; satiny mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish fulfills the promise of the cup, with resonant notes of fruit and chocolate throughout.

Evaluated as espresso. Delicate, subtle, balanced. Roasted cacao nib, clover flowers, molasses, cedar, orange zest in aroma and small cup. Satiny-smooth body; sweetly nut-toned finish. In three parts milk, floral and cocoa tones bloom in the short, while hints of bright orange zest resurface in the long.

Crisply sweet-tart, fruit-toned. Notes of cascara (dried coffee cherry), lemon verbena, honeysuckle-like flowers, dark chocolate, black peppercorn in aroma and cup. In structure crisp but almost candy-like sweet and deeply fruit-forward; syrupy mouthfeel. The finish, long, resonant and consistent, foregrounds the sweet herbaceous notes, both lemon verbena and cascara, wrapped in dark chocolate.

: Richly pungent, low-toned but floral and chocolaty. Lush, complex flowers, baker’s chocolate, dried raspberry, smoky sandalwood, a hint of black pepper in aroma and cup. Bittersweet and savory in structure; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp flowers and chocolate carry into a drying finish.

Sweetly tart, floral-toned. Lavender, passionfruit, roasted cacao nib, almond brittle, allspice in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish is deep with cocoa- and spice-toned floral notes in the resonant short and perhaps a hint of sweet, grappa-like ferment in the long.

Balanced, classic in structure. Baker’s chocolate, cedar, dried fig, magnolia, tangerine zest in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet, gentle acidity; round, plush mouthfeel. In the deeply rich finish, the flavor consolidates to notes of cocoa-toned fig with a hint of tangerine zest.

Exuberant, delicately spice-toned. Sandalwood, roasted cacao nib, strawberry, roasted almond, tea rose in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy, intensely floral-toned acidity; velvety mouthfeel. The flavorful finish leads with notes of cacao nib and strawberry in the short, consolidating to sandalwood and rose in an impressively ringing, persistent long.

Deeply sweet with a resonantly savory edge; intense and original. Peach, lavender, coconut and oak are complicated by a pleasing alcohol suggestion that no doubt reflects the bourbon-barrel conditioning, but in the sensory context of the coffee reads more brandy- or wine-like. Round, vibrant acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The peach note in particular carries into a flavor-saturated finish.

Deeply and sweetly pungent. Ripe blueberry, dark chocolate, calla lily, orange zest, aromatic sandalwood in aroma and cup. Quiet, gentle acidity; silky mouthfeel. The ripe blueberry and dark chocolate notes carry with resonance into the short finish, while richly drying sandalwood tones dominate the long.

Luscious, deeply sweet, sumptuous. Blackberry, lavender, marjoram, roasted cacao nib, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Rich, juicy acidity; smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. The long, flavor-saturated finish is zesty and sweet, offering a surprise appearance of tropical fruit notes (coconut) that resonate for a long while.

Deeply rich, sweetly tart. Pink grapefruit zest, pipe tobacco, hazelnut, pineapple, lantana in aroma and cup. Crisp, very juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish leads with rich notes of floral-toned pipe tobacco in the short, hazelnut and pineapple in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Reviewer Jen Apodaca (95) loved this coffee: “rosewater, Meyer lemon, peach preserves, honey and brown sugar … Sweet and aromatic from start to finish … a standout in milk.” John DiRuocco (91) was less enthusiastic, though he praised this coffee’s delicacy and raisin and sweet chocolate notes. Ken found enough to like (blood orange, rose-like flowers, sweet pipe tobacco) to squeeze out a 90. All three reviewers found what they liked most about the coffee carrying into three parts milk.

Delicate; quietly intricate. Lemon verbena, almond blossom, fresh-cut cedar, raisin, anise in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. The crisp, gently drying finish opens with citrus in the short, with anise and cedar in the long.

Quietly sweet, nut-toned. Dried apricot, almond, fresh-cut fir, cocoa powder, a hint of white pepper in aroma and cup. Brisk, balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The crisp, gently drying finish centers on aromatic wood notes complicated by suggestions of cocoa and white pepper.

Delicately intense, tropically sweet. Coconut, pistachio, sandalwood, plumeria, dried mango in aroma and cup. Balanced, juicy acidity. Round, plushly syrupy mouthfeel. The long, resonant finish is saturated with all of the flavor notes from the cup, in particular plumeria and coconut, which ring on and on.