LATEST REVIEWS

A simple, rich, roast-influenced espresso that particularly came into its own in milk. In the small cup deep, roundly dark-chocolate-toned aroma, full body, gently pungent flavor and finish with roast-influenced notes that co-taster Heather Perry (88) associated with herbs (particularly thyme) and Ken (91) with cedar, night flowers and black cherry. Heather was particularly impressed by this coffee's performance in milk, where she found the herbal character she admired persisted "beautifully."

Both Ken (90) co-taster Heather Perry (89) found this sample pleasingly and crisply fruity; "Meyer lemon" notes dominated for Heather, spicy floral and orange for Ken. Despite a tendency to express itself in floral and fruit notes, the shot maintained balance throughout and showed well in milk, with attractive hints of chocolate and (for Ken) spicy, rose-toned flowers.

Both Ken (91) and co-taster Heather Perry remarked on a delicate, slightly pungent quality in both aroma and small cup that that Heather associated with herb and orange peel and Ken with cedar and orange. Medium-bodied, with a flavor-saturated finish. In milk both Heather and Ken found balance, with continued orange-toned and, for Ken, chocolaty nuance.

Flowers and tropical fruit in the sweet-toned aroma. For co-taster Heather Perry (88), "Floral notes turned to orange, berry, spice and cocoa, complex yet balanced and sweet" in the small cup. Ken (91) agreed. However, Heather found the shot in milk "very rough" whereas Ken liked it: "sweet, balanced, with a banana-toned chocolate."

Fine straight-shot espresso. Rich in the aroma with a delicately pungent note Ken (91) called cedar and co-taster Heather Perry (90) spice. In the small cup dense and syrupy in mouthfeel with dark chocolate and continued spice and orangey cedar notes. Long, resonantly flavor-saturated finish. Loses some power and complexity, though it remains pleasantly drinkable and the orangey/spicy chocolate persists.

Complex, authoritative espresso. Ken (92) found dark chocolate and fresh leather notes in the aroma, co-taster Heather Perry (89) nut. Both remarked on an attractive bittersweet citrus character in the cup, which Heather nicely characterized as "blood orange." Ken was particularly taken by the citrusy chocolate finish. But perhaps this coffee's most remarkable performance was in milk, where the crisp fruit bloomed with round, chocolate- and berry-toned assurance.

Crisply floral-toned aroma, caramel and pear-toned fruit notes, with a hint of cedary warmth. In the cup medium body with a lightly and pleasantly syrupy mouthfeel. A bright, pronounced acidity simplifies the aromatics when the cup is hot, but as it cools a delicate, tight-knit complexity emerges: hints of white wine, caramelly milk chocolate, continued pear-toned fruit. Clean, sweetly dry finish.

Symphonically rich coffee of extraordinary elegance. Crisp dry berry notes of the kind often characterized as black currant, orange, nut, dusk flowers run through the profile from aroma to cup. Powerful acidity enveloped in sweetness, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The black currant notes in particular carry into a long, pure, sweet-toned finish.

Sweet-toned aroma with fruit notes that Ken (88) read as banana and co-cupper Ted Stachura (88) as blackberry. In the cup fresh, delicate, with nut and continued fruit notes complicated by floral hints that Ken found just a touch grassy, a fault that for him carried into the otherwise clean, floral-toned finish.

In the aroma cocoaish chocolate with floral top notes. In the cup Ken (89) and co-cupper Ted Stachura (87) both found continued baker's chocolate notes with a lean toward nut. Complications for Ken were hints of flowers and white wine, for Ted faint suggestions of citrus and pipe tobacco. Round and chocolaty in the short finish, fading toward a mild astringency (Ted: "dry wood") in the long.

Roasty notes in both aroma and cup: pungent cedar, dark chocolate, caramel. For co-cupper Ted Stachura (88) further hints of nut and pipe tobacco; for Ken (88) dusk flowers. Full body, lightly syrupy mouthfeel, a slight hint of astringency in the otherwise rich, sweet, cocoa-toned finish.

A very sweet-toned coffee with a balancing crisp pungency. Roasted nut notes turned up in aroma and cup for both Ken (89) and co-cupper Ted Stachura (86) with low-acid fruit notes that Ken read as raisin and Ted as cherry. Ken found cocoa and dusk-floral notes in both cup and finish, which perhaps accounts for his higher rating.

Ken (89) and co-cupper Ted Stachura (88) both found cocoa, black-cherryish fruit and nut notes running from aroma through finish. Soft acidity, medium body, silky mouthfeel. Rich finish with fruit notes persisting through a very slight hint of astringency.

Caramelly, wine-like aroma with ripe, perhaps overripe, fruit notes. Dense, heavy presence in the cup. Both Ken (89) and co-cupper Ted Stachura (89) found bittersweet chocolate notes. Ted also noted nut, pipe tobacco, hints of leather. Long, nut-toned finish.

Co-cupper Ted Stachura (91) and Ken (88) both admired the honeyish, crisply fruit- and floral-influenced aroma. Ken, however, found the cup very slightly sharp with a mild but distracting astringency. Ted, however, had no complaints: "bright, tangy acidity with floral tones. Flavor: floral, sweet, [with] notes of tangerine and fruity white wine. Mild, nutty finish."

Ken (91) was more attracted to this coffee's sweet, deeply low-toned, big-bodied character than was co-cupper Ted Stachura (89), who found the dominant nut and bittersweet chocolate character marked by a hint of woodiness. But both cuppers describe a deep, dark-chocolaty, nutty coffee with a balancing hint of citrus and a rich if slightly heavy finish.

Little difference in rating or description between Ken (92) and co-cupper Ted Stachura (91) in regard to this exceptional Brazil natural. Ted's assessment: "Big, floral aroma - lavender, fruit and sweet-leaning white wine. Floral and fruit qualities carry into the bright, yet fine, acidity. Complex flavors with more floral upfront, subtle, tart citrus tones and lots of sweetness. Clean finish with lingering floral hints."

Ken (91) was struck by the pungently sweet berry or black currant notes, which carry straight through from aroma through cup to finish. Co-cupper Ted Stachura (also 91) was a bit more general in his characterization, finding "sweet, winy tones and fruit" in the aroma and "bright acidity with floral qualities and sweet tangerine, cherry blossom and chocolate" in the cup. For both Ken and Ted the finish was slightly heavy but nevertheless pleasantly rich and flavor-saturated.

In the aroma roasted nut and honey for co-cupper Ted Stachura (91), plum, cedar and nut for Ken (92). In the cup softly acidy, gently bittersweet, quietly complex: cocoa, roasted nut, (walnut for Ted), hints of flowers, citrus and plumy fruit. The cocoa turns chocolaty in a surprisingly rich finish.

Balanced, complex, complete. The quiet but assertive acidity was praised as "balanced" by co-cupper Ted Stachura (93) and "sweet, rich, integrated" by Ken (94). The mouthfeel was "juicy" (Ted), the aroma and cup showed a crisply sweet complex of dry berry, cocoa, flowers, citrus, nut. Long, deep, chocolate-toned finish.