LATEST REVIEWS

An anthology of coffee taints. The aroma is dominated by a rotten dried-in-the-fruit Robusta note, though with effort one can find a sort of compost-toned chocolate lurking in it. Negligible acidity of any kind; rather light-bodied. In the cup the rotten compost note is overwhelming, compounded by a salted meat sensation with a hint of sulfur. On top of all of that one can detect a medicinal or phenolic suggestion characteristic of really badly handled dried-in-the-fruit coffees. It all carries into the finish.

Sweet with some fruit in the aroma, which is otherwise dominated by a wet burned board sensation. Negligible acidity; lightly syrupy, perhaps lightly soapy, mouthfeel. Aggressively flat in the cup; salt, soap, wet board. Salty sweet finish.

Burned, salted meat sensation dominates in the aroma, perhaps softened by a hint of caramel. Dull to non-existent acidity, medium body. Sweet but burned and rubbery in the cup and finish.

Flat, burned-board aroma, with a hint of pruny chocolate and a significant hint of salt meat. Sour, bitterish acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The chocolate makes some headway in the cup, but gives way quickly to a salty-sour, burned board character as the coffee cools.

Smoky, faintly rubbery aroma with hints of a sensation we are calling salt meat. Flat, bitterish acidity. Lean, rather astringent mouthfeel. In the cup some dark chocolate makes an appearance, together with a burned board sensation that shows more energy than it did in the aroma. More burned board and salt meat in the finish.

Wet wood and salted meat dominate, though subdued. Hints of composty fruit and caramel. Negligible acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Lightens up a bit in the finish, but not much.

In the aroma caramel and wet burned wood notes. Muted but heavy, bitterish acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Woody with less burned sensation in the cup, with a caramel and perhaps prune-toned sweetness. The finish is woody, bitter and astringent, with only the slightest hint of caramel sweetness.

Steamed wood (boiling water poured on board), caramel and a hint of dark chocolate in the aroma. The acidity hints at brightness, but lapses into a dull bitterness as the cup cools. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Boiled, or maybe burned, wood in the cup, rounded by caramel and the barest suggestion of dark chocolate. Sweet in the finish though quite astringent.

In the aroma a rather cloyingly sweet nut sensation complicated by a brisker cocoa. The acidy sensation is flat, barely there, but at least not excessively bitter. Smooth though leanish mouthfeel. Sweet and neutral in the cup; tastes more like malted, toasted grain than coffee, though the cloying nut character persists. Clean but empty in the finish.

In the aroma faint but complex suggestions of butter, nut, fruit and dark chocolate peer out from under a burned or steamed wood sensation. Acidity is bitterish with some hints of tart sweetness. The body is full in weight, slightly leanish in mouthfeel. The burned or steam-scorched wood sensation dominates in the cup, sitting on continued, potentially pleasing hints of fruit and dark chocolate. Clean short finish: sweet, rich, simple, but a mildly astringent version of the scorched wood note reasserts itself in the long.

Sweet, caramelly aroma with a hint of nut-toned chocolate. Balanced though flat acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. In the cup almost cloyingly sweet: nut, caramel, a hint of raisiny fruit. Clean, rather rich finish when hot. Generally the cup deteriorated as it cooled, turning slightly sourish with a very faint off-note in the finish that suggested sulfur.

Difficult to assess in coffee terms, but an attractive and distinctive beverage. Sweet-toned, perfumy aroma: caramel, flowers, a hint of fruit. Delicate, wine-like acidity. The mouthfeel is light in weight but silky in texture. In the cup caramel dominates with floral and chocolate-fruit complications. Clean finish, though flavor fades rather quickly.

Pungent aroma, dark chocolate complicated by an orange-like citrus. Bright-toned acidity and lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor mirrors the aroma, becoming more intense in the cup and persisting distinctly into the finish with an added minty note.

Deeply sweet aroma that combines notes of fresh tobacco and aromatic wood with dried apricot-like fruit and caramel. In the cup brightly fruit-toned acidity and gentle balance, with continued apricot and orangy citrus notes. Flavors carry softly and sweetly into the finish.

Flowers, stone fruit and honey in the aroma. In the cup bright acidity and flavor that balances tart citrus with sweetness, more flowers and a hint of black currant as the cup cools. Fruit and flowers sustain in the rich, softly astringent finish.

Complex and unusual. Flowers, lemon, cocoaish nut, with a very distinctive pungent, stewed fruit note, sweet yet savory. Rich acidity, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, flavor-saturated finish.

Quietly complex and impressively balanced: milk chocolate, nut, stone fruit, lemon in aroma and cup. Gentle acidity; lightly syrupy, very smooth mouthfeel. Lemon and a spicy chocolate carry into the finish.

Pungently rich aroma: charred wood, roasted nut, with hints of raisiny fruit and dark chocolate. Although the charred wood dominates in the cup the chocolate becomes more distinct and the raisiny suggestion persists. Lean mouthfeel. The finish is sweet but rather astringent.

Gently balanced, silky coffee. Flowers, fir, orangy fruit in the aroma. Soft acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Cocoa-toned fir, dark chocolate, raisin in the cup. Simple, sweet finish.

The aroma is rich with floral notes and a pungent black-currant-like fruit. Delicately and sweetly tart acidity; smooth, silky mouthfeel. The black currant note carries into the cup with an enveloping hint of dark chocolate. Slight hint of drying astringency in the finish.