Blind Assessment: Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster Sean Kohmescher (92) and Ken (88) split on this coffee and how to read its deep, ferment-toned fruit. Sean enjoyed the distinctive character of the fruit: “stone-fruited chocolate” with a hint of grapefruit. Ken read the same fruit but also picked up nagging musty/salty tendencies. Two parts milk smoothed things out a bit for Ken, developing a chocolaty sweetness, though Sean remained more committed here also, praising the shot’s “light, sweet, berries and cream” performance in milk.

Notes: From a project in Mexico with a long and honorable history of dried-in-the-fruit coffees. This is a dry-processed or "natural" coffee, meaning the beans were dried inside the fruit rather than after the fruit has been removed, as is the case with wet-processed or "washed" coffees. Located in Everett, Washington, north of Seattle, Velton's Coffee is a quality-focused small-batch wholesale roaster. Visit www.veltonscoffee.com or call 206-250-6130 for more information.

Who Should Drink It: Those who enjoy fruity, slightly fermenty dried-in-the-fruit naturals should like this designed-for-espresso presentation of the type.