Seattle Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Very discreetly and mildly roast-toned. Ken (93) found the hint of roast fine, maybe even refreshing given all of the bright, lighter-roasted espressos he tastes, but Ethan (91) was not entirely happy with the roasty suggestions. Chocolaty and floral yes, but he also found the blend “bittersweet,” “dry”, even “gritty,” and “lacking complexity overall.” The term “dry” found its way into Ken’s notes as well, but nevertheless he appreciated the chocolate, the caramel, the raisin, the flowers and for him a pleasant hint of anise. True, Ethan did fall in line with Ken when it came to sampling the blend in three parts milk, where both found the chocolate and caramel notes appealing and the floral notes surprisingly clear and persistent.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-cupper Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) equally valued this espresso, but read it slightly differently. For Ethan it was a fundamentally sweet cup (“maple syrup”) with layered complexity: blackberry, chocolate, almond. For Ken a crisp, lively, slightly bitterish edge (roasted cacao nib, lavender) complicated the sweetness throughout. Both agreed that the mouthfeel was plump and syrupy. For Ethan the finish was sweet all the way; for Ken it was a touch drying. In three parts milk again Ethan emphasized the sweetness (“retained a nice marshmallow sweetness”) while Ken cited a brisk cocoa-and-lavender character.

Complex, gently pungent, original. Apple, rose-like flowers, pink peppercorn, grapefruit, buttery cocoa in aroma and cup. Rich, roundly juicy acidity; deeply syrupy mouthfeel. Floral, citrus and apple notes in particular show up in a continued rich, round finish.

A big, enveloping aroma introduces crisp, pungent aromatics. Black currant, moist freshly fallen leaves, dark chocolate, blood orange, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Buoyantly juicy acidity; plush mouthfeel. Sweet, quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Juicy but savory, deep, subtle. Mulberry, dark chocolate, black sage, narcissus in aroma and cup. Roundly and richly tart acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor thins out a bit but rings on in a resonant finish.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a licensed K-Cup capsule containing 11+ grams of coffee to produce a 6-ounce serving). Dry, zesty, citrusy. Citrus zest, sweetly pungent, berry-like fruit, fresh-cut oak, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Brisk, distinctly bittersweet acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp, richly drying finish.

Deep, sweet, pungent. Dark chocolate, lily-like flowers, pecan, a hint of ripe orange in aroma and cup. Crisp, gently brisk acidity; soft, plush mouthfeel. Chocolate, orangy citrus, a suggestion of lily carry into a mildly drying finish.

Intense; spicy and floral; richly dry. Black currant, lavender, mulling spices, anise, a hint of roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Bright acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The lavender, black currant and anise suggestions all deeply saturate a roundly drying finish.

Lavishly and sweetly bright. Honey, jasmine, raspberry, almond in aroma and cup. Richly tart acidity; lively mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a continued sweetly tart finish.

Crisply dry but quite sweet; intricate. Black currant, lavender, kumquat, fresh-cut fir, a hint of flavor-rounding chocolate in aroma and cup. Rich, quietly vibrant acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Exceptionally deep, resonantly flavor-saturated finish.

Sweet-toned, deep; lovely balance. Dark chocolate, brown sugar, hazelnut, white peach, lily-like flowers in aroma and cup. Plump, soft acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a rich, sweet, cleanly straightforward finish.

A pure coffee concentrate. Tested over ice in proportions of two parts concentrate to one part water. Sweet, crisp, pungent. Delicately bright acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. In the flavor caramel, hazelnut, black currant, pear, ripe orange, a hint of flowers. Hazelnut and citrus carry into a pleasing though rather short finish. The addition of cold milk paradoxically seems to intensify both fruit-toned acidity and floral sweetness.

Soft, rich, deep. Complex floral-related notes (honeysuckle, rose, vanilla, peach) lead, particularly in the cup, with complicating hints of earthy, strawberry-like fruit and walnut. Pronounced but gentle acidity; plush, silky mouthfeel. Floral notes profoundly saturate a sweet-toned finish.

Rich, deep, sweet-savory. Caramel, fresh-cut fir, pineapple, pear, a hint of honeysuckle in aroma and cup. Crisp, pleasantly bittersweet acidity; plush mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a very rich finish.

Intense yet delicate; crisp, graceful. A tightly layered, utterly pleasing fusion of lavender-like flowers, roasted cacao nib and a hint of blood orange carries with clarity and consistency from aroma through finish. Lyrical, animated acidity; light but silky, lively mouthfeel. The finish never seems to stop; the floral-cacao-citrus notes ring on and on.

Resonant and complex from aroma through finish: roasted cacao nib, vanilla, apricot, hazelnut. Crisply bittersweet acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The long, deep, flavor-saturated finish is particularly impressive.

Sweetly tart, complex. Blood orange, sweet chocolate, vanilla-toned flowers, a hint of almond in aroma and cup. Rich, complexly expressed acidity; light but distinctly syrupy mouthfeel. Orange and flowers carry into a crisp finish.

Deep, complex, big-bodied. Night-blooming flowers, hazelnut, dark chocolate, fresh-cut oak in aroma and cup. Round though rather heavy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate emerges clearly in a deeply sweet, nuanced finish.

Deeply but vivaciously expressed complexity. Raspberry-like fruit, roasted cacao nib, honey, narcissus-like flowers, a hint of pungent sandalwood in aroma and cup. Round, juicy acidity; syrupy yet lively mouthfeel. Long, rich, flavor-saturated finish.

Sweetly pungent, deep. Honey, night-blooming flowers, sweet chocolate, almond-like nut in aroma and cup, where a slight savory, peppery edge complicates the sweetness and carries into a drying but flavor-saturated finish.