Blind Assessment

The elements of the dark-roast complex -- sweetness, pungency and carbon -- all work together smoothly here until the aftertaste, when carbon tones linger past any memory of sweetness. Until that moment, this coffee achieves an unassuming dark-roast completeness.

Notes

The elements of the dark-roast complex -- sweetness, pungency and carbon-- all work together smoothly here until the aftertaste, when carbon tones linger past any memory of sweetness. The side of the bag offers a little shaggy-dog legend about an island, sirens, perpetually burning Christmas trees and the solstice. It doesn't mention coffee. Is this post-modernist marketing?

Who Should Drink It

The holiday factor:Still another one for French presses and mellowing out contentious relatives during post-holiday-dinner slumps. Enough balance and sweetness to make a good espresso.

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