An exceptional versatile espresso that maintains complexity and intrigue from small cup to big milk. Nuance ranges from chocolate and walnut to fermented fruit and malty/musty tones. The musty notes are sharp in the finish of the small cup but turn splendidly round and rich in milk. (87 straight espresso, 93 w/milk)
Heavy, rich, a touch sharp, but balanced in the small cup, complicated nicely by dry fruit and cocoa. Maintains balance and authority in small milk, where the cocoa sweetens toward a voluptuous hazelnut-toned chocolate. Fades a bit in big milk, though still round and chocolaty. (89 straight espresso, 90 w/milk)
Citrus and floral notes float atop pungent fermented fruit tones in the small cup; nut and chocolate notes complicate the finish. Maintains its leathery, spicy complexity in milk, adding a rounder and softer chocolate finish. 88 straight espresso, 89 w/milk)
Fermented, wine-like fruit notes agreeably dominate the small cup, though they are shadowed by bitterness, particularly in the finish. The bitterness turns pleasantly bittersweet in cappuccino-sized milk, and flat-out gloriously sweet and chocolate-fruit-toned in big milk. (86 straight espresso, 90 w/milk)
In the small cup full and buttery in body, in flavor grainy, sharply malty/musty, with dry, pleasing cherry-like fruit notes. Cappuccino-quantities of milk sweeten the profile, accentuating the fruit and turning the grainy tones pleasantly nut-like. At its best in big milk, where it its fat, buttery body masters the dairy with pure weight and character rather than with bitterness. (86 straight espresso, 90 w/milk)
Smooth, medium-to-full bodied and richly balanced in the small cup, discreetly complicated by crisp leather and dry chocolate notes. Slightly astringent in the finish. Milk amplifies the dry chocolate tones, which turn hearty and bittersweet in short milk drinks and voluptuously sweet in taller. (87 straight espresso, 88 w/milk)
In the small cup intense and rather lean-bodied but richly sweet, complicated by dry fruit notes and shimmers of flowers and chocolate. In milk smooth, sweet and toasty with a lushly chocolate-toned finish. (87 straight espresso, 88 w/milk)
An appealing combination of orange, chocolate, and floral notes shimmer in the small cup, though shadowed by a roasty sharpness. Milk rounds the cup nicely, however, turning the citrus and floral notes into a crisp, toasty chocolate. Fades slightly in big milk. (87 straight espresso, 89 w/milk)
In the small cup rather stingy in body, sharp, without nuance. Milk softens the sharp tones, however, allowing the coffee to develop beautifully, with rich fruit and floral notes leaning toward chocolate. (84 straight espresso, 89 w/milk)
Splendid in the small cup, sweet, round, balanced, utterly free of sharpness or flaw. Its relative lack of nuance -- mere hints of chocolate and nut -- only emphasize the clarity and completeness of its classic gesture. Disappointing in milk, however: heavy and bitter in small milk, blunt and flat in large. (89 straight espresso, 84 w/milk)
A smoky, heavy, bittersweet espresso. In the small cup the smoky, bitter tones overshadow floral and fruit top notes and toasty, leathery midtones. In small milk maintains its husky, smoky bittersweetness. In big milk softens, adding a hint of chocolate. (84 stright espresso, 85 w/milk)
In the small cup sharp, bitter astringency overpowers hints of malty chocolate and dried fruit. Remains sharp and thinly bitter in small volumes of milk; in larger volumes softens to an expansive milk chocolate. (80 straight espresso, 84/milk.)