Blind Assessment: A smoky, cedary espresso with a deep-toned fruit that in the small cup suggests semi-sweet chocolate or perhaps a rich port wine. Ken (90) and co-taster Ted Lingle (93) differed a bit on this blend's impact in milk: Ted found this blend mastered milk with an impressive sweetness and richness; for Ken the chocolate carried nicely into milk but the mouthfeel was a bit lean. Nominating reader Christopher Losa testified to his admiration for this blend in almost lurid terms: "rich, thick, and chocolaty...the way it syrups out of the portafilter is absolutely sexy...comparative to a California Zin or a Petit Syrah fruit bomb wine.'

Notes: Blue Bottle Coffee is a quintessential boutique coffee business: A micro roasting operation in Oakland housed in 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. Hayes Valley is the name of the neighborhood where the Blue Bottle retail kiosk is located. Visit www.bluebottlecoffee.net or call 510-653-3394 for more information.

Who Should Drink It: Those who prefer boutique chocolates to the kind found next to the checkout counter.