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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.
Finely balanced, quietly complete lighter roasted coffee. Molasses, dusk flowers, fresh-cut fir, gently tart fruit (strawberry?) in aroma and cup. Softly crisp acidity; smooth, silky mouthfeel. Flavor carries into a dryish finish.
Intense and deep yet delicately balanced, saturated from aroma through finish with famous, sweetly tart Kenya black currant sensation, a layering of ripe lemon, honey, fresh-cut fir, blackberry, flowers and, depending on one’s memory bank, probably much more. Gently rich acidity, lightly silky mouthfeel. The black currant note rings on far into the finish.
Quietly balanced, sweetly tart: flowers and orangy citrus, a hint of cedar carry from aroma to cup. Round, soft acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel; the tart sweetness extends into a long finish.
Notes of floral-toned coffee fruit read as lemon, sweet nut and fir in aroma and cup. Tart acidity with a citrus-zest assertiveness; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The tart fruit sweetens and smoothes in a ripe, lemony finish.
Crisp and silky. Honey, cocoaish nut, hints of cedar and flowers in aroma and cup. The acidity is tartly sweet and assertive. The crisp, out-doorsy aromatics persist into a smooth finish.
Classic darker roasted Sumatra. Gently scorched fir and earth notes hint at dark chocolate, complicated by a pungent citrus that clearly suggests grapefruit. The chocolate and grapefruit suggestions carry into a very mildly astringent finish.
Deep, resonant, very sweet-toned in aroma and cup. A slight hint of sweet ferment encourages a deep plum-like and banana-like fruit and dark chocolate complicated by a pungent hint of fir. Rich, low-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Some chocolate carries into an agreeable but simple finish.
Quiet, sweetly smooth. Nut, raisin, hints of fir and flowers in aroma and cup. Softly balanced acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Round, sweet-toned finish.
Honey and flowers dominate in aroma and cup, complicated by coffee fruit that reads variously as lemon, fresh-cut fir, and pungent, moist pipe tobacco. Tartly sweet, floral-toned acidity; leanish, almost silky mouthfeel. Very rich, long, flavor-sustained finish.
Delicate, meadowish, gently balanced. Lemon, blackberry, flowering grass and a hint of spicy nut in aroma and cup. Softly bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Flavor and sweetness persist in a surprisingly deep, rich finish.
Deep, sweet, and pungent with the dry fruit notes: black currant and cherry complicated by suggestions of fresh-tanned leather and fresh-cut fir. The acidity is rich and assertive, the mouthfeel heavy but slightly lean. The dry berry notes carry deep into an intense, resonant finish.
An espresso blend evaluated here for use with non-espresso brewing methods (drip, French press): Distinct dark chocolate in aroma and cup, enlivened by a hint of pungent, grapefruity citrus. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Citrus and lemon carry into a smooth, sweet finish.
Bright but balanced. Tart coffee fruit reads as a crisp-toned but lavish layering of cherry, orange and lemon suggestions with an anchoring hint of fresh-cut fir. Intense but sweet-toned acidity; lightly silky mouthfeel. Sweet, rich short finish; a very slight hint of astringency in the long.
Delicate, meadowy, complex, refreshing. Flowers and the pure taste of the coffee fruit – sweet, tart and slightly vegetal – dominate, with deeper, anchoring suggestions of molasses and pipe tobacco, the moist, fresh kind. Gentle acidity; very smooth, silky mouthfeel. Rich, flavor-saturated finish.
Bright, high-toned and complex. Flowers, honey, lemon zest, pungent fir and pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. The acidity is gentle and sweetly tart; the body light but the mouthfeel particularly smooth and silky. Flavor carries into a tart but juicy finish.
Richly and deeply complex. Black currant, blackberry, dark chocolate, brandy, hints of lemon and fir in aroma and cup. Crisply balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Long, rich, resonant finish.
Deep, pungent aroma: raisin, walnut, fresh-cut fir. Round, muted acidity; medium body. Quite sweet in the cup, with a crisp, cocoaish chocolate complicating continued walnut and fir notes. Flavor and sweetness carry impressively into a long, roundly rich finish.
Intense aroma: fresh-cut fir, brandy, cherry, a hint of nut. Rich, deep-toned acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Continued intensity in a complex and juicily sweet cup: lush dusk flowers, berry, brandied fruit, a hint of dark chocolate and a continued hint of fir. In the finish the opulent sweetness fades but flavor persists nicely.
Evaluated as espresso. Sweet-toned and quietly complex: pungent fir and dark chocolate dominate, with top-note hints of lemon and flowers. Mouthfeel is smooth if slightly lean; cleanly rich, straightforward finish. At best in two parts milk, where the chocolate softens and rounds to fill out the milk nicely, complicated by continued suggestions of lemon and fir.
Intense, complex, inimitably distinctive aromatics and flavor: crisp cocoa, cherryish fruit, brandy, spicy tea rose, fresh pipe tobacco. Rich, fruit-toned acidity; syrupy mouthfeel; long finish with an exquisite balance of dry cocoa and sweet fruit notes.