Blind Assessment: Exceptionally complex espresso that maintains aromatic intrigue from aroma through a rather majestic finish in milk. Elegant aroma with deep-toned fruit and herb notes. In the small cup smooth in mouthfeel and medium-full in body, slightly sharp and acidy in structure but with a continued fruity complexity that reads persuasively as chocolate. Both co-cupper Ted Lingle (92) and Ken (90) were particularly impressed by this blend's performance in milk: lavishly fruity and chocolaty with a rich, clean finish. Blue Bottle's espressos were nominated by reader Christopher Losa.

Notes: Blue Bottle Coffee is the quintessential boutique coffee business: A micro roasting operation in Oakland housed inside a space about as large as a suburban walk-in closet and a single retail location in San Francisco. Despite, or perhaps because of, its small scale, and certainly owing to its fine coffees, Blue Bottle has attracted a strong following in the San Francisco Bay Area. Temescal is the name of the Oakland neighborhood where the Blue Bottle roasterie is located. Visit www.bluebottlecoffee.net or call 510-653-3394 for more information.

Who Should Drink It: This espresso, simultaneously exotic and elegant, particularly impresses in milk.