Blind Assessment

This very dark-roasted blend teeters on the edge of burned, but backs off nicely to stay on the agreeably sweet side of bittersweet. Fruit and fruit-toned chocolate notes, a suggestion of flowers, with only a shadow astringency. The Seattle-based reader who nominated this blend describes it as his (or her) "favorite local coffee. And as I am from Seattle, that's saying something."

Notes

Caffe Appassionato ("Coffee with passion, roasted with patience") makes a particular point of promoting a round, gentle style of dark roast. Visit caffeappassionato.com or call 888-502-2333 for more info.

Who Should Drink It

Those looking for a conventional breakfast cup may find the slightly astringent finish bothersome, and non-Seattleites may object to the coffee-city chauvinism of the nominator, but lovers of dark roasts should find nothing to complain about in this complex but balanced blend.

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