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We have published thousands of coffee reviews and espresso reviews since 1997. The reviews below appear in reverse chronological order by review date. Older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee. To search for a specific roaster, origin or coffee use the Advanced Search Function.
Richly bittersweet. Candied walnut, black sage, sesame, palm sugar, dried persimmon in aroma and cup. Delicately rich, tart acidity; vibrant, silky mouthfeel. Nut-toned finish with undertones of black sage.
Cocoa-toned, sweetly fermenty. Orange zest, cocoa nib, grappa barrel, pink peppercorn, lilac in aroma and cup. Zesty, pert acidity; very full, velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Sweetly fermenty, grappa-barrel finish.
Bright, juicy, richly sweet-savory. Black currant, shiitake mushroom, amber, lilac, Meyer lemon zest in aroma and cup. High-toned, apple-like acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Citrusy, floral finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Bright, vibrant, chocolaty. Dark chocolate, magnolia, red currant, cedar, lemon verbena in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny-smooth mouthfeel; chocolaty, citrusy-herbaceous finish. In cappuccino format, rich-toned, chocolaty and floral.
Multi-layered, richly sweet. Black cherry, baking chocolate, magnolia, pink grapefruit zest, oak in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with brisk acidity; syrupy-smooth, vibrant mouthfeel. Pink grapefruit and baking chocolate in the finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Crisply chocolaty, rich-toned. Baking chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, lily, cedar in aroma and small cup. Velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Caramelly, gently tart finish. In cappuccino format, nicely chocolaty with lily and cedar undertones.
Sweetly nut-toned. Pistachio, baking chocolate, orange zest, agave syrup, nutmeg in aroma and cup. Gentle, round acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. Nut-toned finish with hints of orange zest and baking chocolate.
Multi-layered, richly complex. Pomegranate, dried pineapple, cocoa nib, marjoram, wisteria in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet, fruity acidity; full, creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Long, resonant, flavor-laden finish.
Balanced, crisply sweet. Lemon verbena, almond, dark caramel, freesia, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned acidity; full, very satiny mouthfeel. Notes of freesia and almond lead in the sweet finish.
Deeply chocolaty, floral-toned. Dark chocolate, lilac, hazelnut butter, apricot, tangerine in aroma and cup. Balanced, bright acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of lilac and dark chocolate.
Delicately sweet-savory. Date, hop flowers, agave syrup, tamarind, fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet-savory acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Finish centers around notes of date and tamarind with undertones of fir.
Sweetly nut-toned, citrusy. Orange zest, hazelnut, baking chocolate, lily, oak in aroma and cup. High-toned, juicy acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of baking chocolate and cedar.
Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly tart, richly chocolaty. Cocoa powder, Fig Newton, black cherry, cedar, hazelnut in aroma and small cup. Crisp, sattiny mouthfeel; cocoa-toned, nutty finish. In cappuccino format, richly sweet and fruit-driven.
Crisply chocolaty, sweetly citrusy. Dark chocolate, pink grapefruit zest, tamarind, fresh-cut oak, magnolia in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolaty, floral-toned finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken both found a sweetly tangy intrigue animating this plush, satiny bodied espresso, and rewarded it with 95s. Ken called it rich pistachio; John favored musky, mango-like tropical fruit. For both tasters, the pistachio/mango notes impressively sweetened and moved forward in three parts milk.
Evaluated as espresso. Sweet grapefruit and orange blossom notes shimmer inside a deeply expressed chocolate in aroma and cup. Velvety mouthfeel. Ken and co-taster John DiRuocco shared parallel descriptors and the same 95-point enthusiasm for this poised, resonantly finishing espresso. Floral-toned chocolate with a continued grapefruit hint graces three parts milk.
Evaluated as espresso. This was Ken’s favorite in the tasting; he had it at 96 with a 10 for aroma. Co-taster John DiRuocco was a bit less enthusiastic at 94. The difference may have been their reading of the striking floral herb notes. Ken experienced them as exhilarating sweet lavender while John read them as a pleasant but drier eucalyptus. But both overall admired this sweetly citrusy, walnut-toned, brightly chocolaty espresso whose character resonates through the finish and retains character impressively in three parts milk.
Evaluated as espresso. Resonant, layered berry (blueberry, raspberry), vanilla-toned flowers, papaya, a hint of cinnamon jostle in aroma and in the cup, where aromatics are suspended in a layered structure of complex bitter, sweet, tart and savory tastes. Ken (94) liked this velvety, viscous espresso a bit better than co-taster John DiRuocco (93). The complexity consolidates a bit in three parts milk, where flavor settles in with quiet certainty around a pronounced chocolate.
Evaluated as espresso. Ripe, berryish fruit hints at brandy in this lush yet tartly dry espresso that reveals its rounder chocolate side in the cup. Ken (93) decided to like its intensity and tart fruit sweetness. Co-cupper John DiRuocco went more decisively to the bright side at 94. Convincing in three parts milk: crisp chocolate with a juicy, fruit-toned finish.
Evaluated as espresso. In the aroma, lush, chocolaty fruit (maraschino cherry, ripe orange) transforms to a bright, floral citrus in the cup, slightly drying but sweet. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) felt that the entire package came together nicely, with “nice high notes balanced by chocolate undertones, acidity by body.” Ken had less conviction in regard to coherence, but he too characterized the mouthfeel as full and plush, the cup impressive, and seconded John’s 94. Both particularly praised the coffee in three parts milk, where lemon, chocolate and cherry tendencies played nicely.
