Seattle Reviews

Smoky, faintly rubbery aroma with hints of a sensation we are calling salt meat. Flat, bitterish acidity. Lean, rather astringent mouthfeel. In the cup some dark chocolate makes an appearance, together with a burned board sensation that shows more energy than it did in the aroma. More burned board and salt meat in the finish.

Intense and distinctive in aroma and cup: earth, fresh-cut fir, pungent grapefruit. Moderate acidity, medium body. The intensity and intrigue in the flavor thins a bit in the finish, though the grapefruit-like citrus persists.

Naturally sweet, quietly complex. Cherry, orange, and a pungent hint of fir in aroma and cup. Rich, balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The fruit hints at chocolate in the resonant finish.

Delicate, bright, juicy, precious. Ripe lemon, orange, tart cherry, black currant in aroma and cup. Tartly sweet acidity, silky mouthfeel. Rich, almost sugary finish.

Rich, deep dark-roast character. Raisiny dark chocolate and gently scorched cedar dominate in aroma and cup. Relatively light in body, but smooth in mouthfeel. Sweet, raisiny short finish, with just a hint of roasty astringency in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Intense, complex aroma: dark chocolate, flowers, nut, fresh-cut fir, toast. Smooth but rather lean mouthfeel; butter, fir, dark chocolate in the flavor. In two parts milk the buttery dark chocolate nicely dominates, with a continuing pungent complication of fir.

Lemon, crisply cocoaish chocolate, dry-roasted nut in aroma and cup. Balanced, well-integrated acidity, smoothly silky mouthfeel. Cleanly rich finish.

The pure flavor of the coffee fruit displays with in aroma and cup, a fusion of cherry and lemon sensations with a hint of chocolate developed by the roast. Balanced, resonant acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Ringingly rich finish with continuing hints of fruit and chocolate.

Pungent dark-roasted blend. Scorched wood and pruny sweetness in the aroma soften and complicate in the cup: dark chocolate, raisin, hints of lemon and savory cardamom. Surprisingly smooth, silky mouthfeel. Flavor thins and fades in the finish, though the pleasing dark chocolate suggestion persists.

Caramel, malt and scorched wood notes dominate in the aroma and in the cup, where they lean toward a bittersweet dark chocolate. Heavy and heartily rough in mouthfeel. The finish is also rather heavy, but quite sweet.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster Andy Newbom (92) simply called the deeply floral aroma of the straight shot "glorious". Both Andy and Ken (92) also admired its "smooth and sweetly syrupy" (Andy) mouthfeel. And Andy, always ready with an adjective, piles on at least ten, all good ones, on the flavor. Ken stuck with an approving "minty, cherryish fruit." Ken (9) was more enthusiastic than Andy (8) regarding this complex blend's performance in four parts milk; for him it maintained a "delicate, tartly fruity-toned chocolate," whereas Andy felt the presence faded a bit in milk: "hints of sweet citrus cream and … cocoa prevailed, but barely."

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp cocoa and pungent fruit dominate in the small cup with impressive vanilla and floral top notes nuancing the aroma. Medium body, smoothly syrupy mouthfeel. Co-taster Andy Newbom (91) particularly admired a "complete and elegant" structure that balances sweet with a pungent hint of savory. The savory drops away in milk where both Ken (91) and Andy found impressive chocolaty sweetness ("Cocoa pops!" Andy exclaimed) deepened by a rich, fig-like fruit.

Aromatically intense with layers of sweet-toned earth and aromatic wood with an undercurrent of fruit. In the cup syrupy body and penetrating flavors of cedar, pungent, bittersweet chocolate and, as the cup cools, a heightened fruit sensation. Long, dry finish; the aromatic wood and earth-toned chocolate notes in particular linger.

Straightforward roasty aroma, with hints of sweet chocolate. In the cup, simple in flavor: soft nuttiness and a charred cedar. Leanish mouthfeel, medium body, with bittersweet roastiness carrying into a dry finish.

Aromatic notes of roasty chocolate, aromatic wood and remote fruitiness. Medium to full body, smooth mouthfeel and soft acidity that hints at brightness. A faint suggestion of flowers and sweet citrus in the cup round to fruit-toned chocolate. Finishes cleanly, with mild notes of toast, roastiness and cocoa in the long.

Smoky aroma with faint hints of aromatic wood, nut and a slight suggestion of fruit. Medium body, lean mouthfeel, with simple sweetness and roasty charred wood notes. The roastiness lingers in a mildly astringent finish.

Pleasingly round aroma: nut, aromatic wood and a suggestion of fruit. In the cup balanced acidity, medium body, and a soft citrus note that rounds toward a mild, simple sweetness. As the cup cools the finish turns slightly astringent and a touch sour.

Notes of smoky dark chocolate and caramel-like sweetness in the aroma. Soft roundness in the cup, with a slightly lean mouthfeel and a roasty flavor that flirts with rosemary and pine. Simple notes of charred wood and chocolate persist in the finish.

Sweetly round aroma with hints of tropical fruit and wood. Soft acidity, full body, delicate mouthfeel with flavors of sweet grapefruit, cedar, earth and dark chocolate. A mildly astringent roasty pungency emerges in the short finish that softens and sweetens in the long.

Aroma of cedary wood and roasty chocolate, with a faint hint of earthiness. In the cup, medium body, leanish mouthfeel and flavor dominated by sweet-toned aromatic wood that lingers into a long, dry, mildly roasty finish.