The World's Leading Coffee Guide
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.
Very deep, complex profile that hints as much at Sumatra as it does at Colombia. Intense aroma dominated by earth and ripe, almost overripe fruit notes that together can be read as a dark, raisiny chocolate. Quiet acidity, medium body with syrupy mouthfeel, and continued richly earthy/fruity notes that at moments suggest pungent butterscotch, at other times elegantly cherryish dark chocolate. Lemon hints become more explicit in the sweet finish; a very slight hint of bitter astringency in the long.
Aromas of flowers, crisp citrus and melon. Lively, floral toned acidity with smooth body. A sweeter version of citrus carries into the cup with more flowers and a hint of ferment that reads as blueberry. Fairly clean finish with mild toasty and nutty qualities.
Aroma of stone fruit - peaches and plums - with a subtle suggestion of tangy white wine and herbs. In the cup sweet and balanced overall, with a juicy mouthfeel and hints of nut, tropical fruit and aromatic wood. Mild nutty tones linger in the finish.
Intense, simple aroma: sweet scorched wood, hint of dark chocolate. More complex in the cup: nut and dark chocolate dominate, with a distinct herb note, somewhere between rosemary and peppermint. Smooth, sweet finish, only slightly heavy in the long.
Very sweet-toned aroma with floral and honey notes and a balancing walnut crispness. In the cup gentle acidity, light but silky mouthfeel, and a continued giddy, honey-toned, floral sweetness as fresh but voluptuous as a tropical morning. The finish is delicate and rather short, but as cleanly refreshing as the rest of the profile.
A coffee distinguished more by a gently pungent, quiet richness than by any aromatic complexity. Restrained acidity, silky mouthfeel. Dark chocolate and nut hints carry from aroma through cup to the particularly sweet finish.
Superbly balanced, bright but sweet cup. Grapefruit-toned citrus, flowers, nut in the aroma. In the cup perfectly balanced acidity and sweetness, lightly syrupy mouthfeel with nut and orange notes and a continued hint of flowers. A slight astringent tightness mars an otherwise rich finish.
Deep, smoke-toned aroma with gently scorched wood notes, fir perhaps. Medium-bodied in the cup; the scorched wood notes round toward a pungent, herby dark chocolate. Thin but cleanly roasty finish.
Roundly balanced aroma; orange, chocolate, a hint of flowers. In the cup silky mouthfeel, crisp acidity. The orange notes turn pleasantly bittersweet (think fresh orange peel) and the hint of chocolate goes dark and raisiny. The orange notes carry deeply into the finish, with a revived suggestion of flowers.
A round bakers' chocolate character in the aroma, with subtle berry, citrus and aromatic wood notes. Balanced acidity supports the dominant sweet chocolate tones in the cup. A long finish with fruit-toned cocoa complication, suggesting cocoa hulls or nibs.
Mildly toasty aroma, with sweet hints of flowers and orange-toned fruit. In the cup full body, straightforward toasty notes and, as the coffee cools, chocolate, nuts and tropical fruit. Pleasant cocoa in the long finish.
Sweet-toned, crisply balanced aroma: milk chocolate, cherryish fruit, a hint of freshly tanned leather. In the cup silky mouthfeel, bright acidity, distinct cocoa, orange and berry notes, dry yet lush. The flavor notes carry with depth, elegance and great persistence from short finish through long.
Richly low-toned aroma: caramel, dark chocolate, fir. In the cup lightly syrupy mouthfeel, soft but vibrant acidity, with a deep, quiet, lavish complexity: distinct floral notes, dry wine- and berry-toned fruit, a hint of cherryish chocolate.
A richly sweet, almost overripe, berry-like aroma, with hints of earthiness. Full and smooth mouthfeel with soft, moderately sweet acidity. Though not quite as intense as in the aroma, the berry notes carry into the cup, joining a fruit-toned chocolate note that can be found in cocoa nibs. The long, dry, baker's chocolate finish turns slightly bitter as the coffee cools.
An easy cup to describe but a difficult one to rate, given that canned blends of this kind are hardly coffee at all in the traditional understanding of the term, rather another kind of beverage altogether: no acidity or brightness, sweet but woody, with an herby, peppery pungency and a molasses note that aspires to chocolate but doesn't quite make it past the wood and herb. Smoothes out in a neutral but pleasantly sweet finish. We gave it the benefit of the doubt at 81.
A balanced aroma combining mild tanginess with a mild, toasty sweetness. The acidity is balanced as well, softly sweet yet brisk. Medium to full bodied, with flavors of bright summer fruit and sweet chocolate. The sweet chocolate carries into a delicate finish.
A sweet-toned aroma with hints of caramel, milk chocolate and a soft roasty note. In the cup, mild floral brightness, medium body, good sweetness enveloping distinct walnut-like notes. The nut tones persist pleasantly into the long finish.
Simple, balanced, quietly rich coffee. Sweet-toned and gently pungent in the cup with silky mouthfeel and limited but pleasing nuance: hints of chocolate, banana-like fruit, honeyish flowers.
Low-toned, rich aroma: molasses, nut, floral topknots. In the cup smooth, deep, simple. The roast-influenced sweet caramel and molasses notes grow crisper under the influence of a gentle acidity, taking on a dark chocolate nuance.
Sweet berry-toned aroma with deepening hints of aromatic wood. Balanced sweet, winy acidity, with a smooth and syrupy mouthfeel. Concentrated dried blueberry and a fruit punch-like sweetness in the cup are balanced by a slightly musty note that reads as pleasant nuttiness. Long, dry finish with lingering notes of nut and cedar.
