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We have published thousands of coffee reviews and espresso reviews since 1997. The reviews below appear in reverse chronological order by review date. Older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee. To search for a specific roaster, origin or coffee use the Advanced Search Function.
Woody and vaguely sweet with a background salty mildew that could perhaps be charitably interpreted as spice. Flat with no brightness whatsoever; lean mouthfeel. The finish is sweet but empty and astringent. As the cup cools the musty, mildewy sharpness intensifies. Owing to the intensity of the mildewy taint we deducted three points from our already low rating.
Astoundingly under-roasted and woody. Sweet-toned wood, peanut, perhaps a hint of flowers in the aroma. In the cup nothing but salty, bitterly sour wood and peanut skins (the skins, not the nuts). Somewhere amid all of that a tiny hint of flowers shimmers on. Plumps up just a bit in the finish, though the salty-sour sensations continue to dominate.
Sweet-toned and pungent in the nose, with composty, prune-like fruit and bitterish wood notes. Retains the fruit and wood hints in the cup, but turns more aggressively bitterish and sour. Thin, leanish mouthfeel. Heavily astringent in the finish.
Disappointing for a 100% Colombian Arabica, even a Colombia presented in a roast-and-ground, canned format. Woody aroma with some pruny sweetness. Flat acidity, leanish mouthfeel. In the cup the wood persists and the fruit turns composty and unpleasantly fermented. Flat, astringent finish.
Woody nut rounded by a cherryish, rather composty dark-chocolate sweetness. Muted, slightly bitterish acidity; lean but smooth mouthfeel. Some nut and chocolate carry into a heavyish, astringent finish.
Pleasant enough ultra-dark-roast character in the aroma: roundly charred cedar, anise, a hint of citrus. All carry into the cup, though they lose considerable intensity on the way. Lean mouthfeel. The charred cedar turns to charred board in a terminally empty, astringent finish.
Impressive aroma: dark chocolate, a hint of pungent, grapefruity citrus. Both fade in the cup and disappear entirely in a heavily astringent, roast-flattened finish. Lean, watery mouthfeel.
Aromatically simple but rich, with a roundly roasty character and suggestions of dark chocolate, nut and cedar. Silky mouthfeel. The finish is sweet-toned, though slightly woody and astringent. The can does not claim 100% Arabica but we found no obvious suggestion of Robusta in the cup.
Sweet-toned, delicate, though rather simple. Cocoa and nut in aroma and cup, with faint hints of lemon and flowers. Round, muted acidity; smooth but rather lean mouthfeel. Some flavor carries into the short finish but fades toward astringency in the long.
Impressive aroma: Sweetly pungent and grapefruity with cedar, nut and dark chocolate complications. The aromatics remain pleasing and complex in the cup, though they lose intensity. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Aromatics fade further in a sweet-toned but empty finish.
Balanced and sweet-toned: roasted almond, hints of flowers and cocoa. Delicate, slightly winey acidity; silky to lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The aromatics remain pleasing but lose intensity and turn slightly woody in the cup. The wood prevails almost entirely in a clean but empty finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Subtle, balanced aroma. Dark chocolate, flowers and berry carry into the cup with the addition of peach-like stone fruit and hints of fir. Deeply syrupy mouthfeel. Dark chocolate dominates the sweet, quiet finish. Fades somewhat in two parts milk, though the peach-like stone fruit ripens and chocolate notes sweeten.
Evaluated as espresso. Sweet-toned, pleasing but simple aromatics: roasted almond, lemon, grape. Buttery mouthfeel. Dry plum, lemon/lime-like citrus and anise carry from the small cup into finish. Continued hints of lemon and anise in a well-balanced, two-part milk drink.
Evaluated as espresso. Smoothly round aroma: toasted almond, cocoa-toned caramel and apricot-like stone fruit. Syrupy mouthfeel. Turns crisper in the small cup: the almond turns smoky and walnutty, the caramel deepens toward a cedary dark chocolate. Dominates richly in two parts milk.
Richly bright with a deeply expressed acidity: tart berry, black currant, dusk-blooming flowers. Pungently sweet acidity: silky mouthfeel. Very long, deep, resonant finish.
Fresh, naturally sweet, dominated by floral and honey notes anchored by a complicating hint of fresh-cut fir. The acidity is giddily and sweetly bright; the mouthfeel lively and somewhere between silky and creamy in texture. Long, resonant finish.
High-toned, giddy and bright: lavender, lime zest, baker's chocolate in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet-toned acidity; silky mouthfeel. The lime notes turn ripely sweet in the flavor-saturated finish.
Crisply assertive yet delicate. Nectarine-like stonefruit, tea rose and lime zest carry into the cup, complicated by fresh-cut fir and sweet, plummy fruit notes. Floral-toned acidity; buoyantly silky mouthfeel. More flowers and tart stone fruit in the finish.
Plum, cedar, almond, a hint of milk chocolate in intense aroma and roundly rich cup. Bright but balanced acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet but slightly tight finish.
Complex and distinctive darker-roasted profile. Pungently sweet and deep in aroma and cup: dark chocolate, cedar, grapefruity citrus, fresh-turned earth. The mouthfeel is full and rough, perhaps appropriately so given the earthy, autumnal character of the aromatics. Chocolate, citrus and earth carry into a richly dry finish.