LATEST REVIEWS

Co-cupper Miguel Meza (89) was rather faint in his praise of this coffee, finding a "floral and tropical citrus" character he associates with the more familiar washed or wet-processed Ethiopia profile, with added "chocolate and berry" nuance derived from dry-processing. Ken (91) wrestles with the detail a bit more, admiring a wine or brandy nuance to the chocolate and berry character, which he finds "lush but crisp."

Co-cupper Miguel Meza and Ken took different descriptive paths in an attempt to characterize the underlying structure of this low-toned, full-bodied coffee. For Miguel (92) the cup was "soft and comforting" with a mix of "dried fruit and mesquite" and "berries and chocolate." Ken (89) felt the cup's sweet yet salty structure dominated the berry- and cocoa-toned aromatics, making the cup attractive but limited.

Co-cupper Miguel Meza (91) calls this coffee "juicy and refreshing," Ken (91) "sweet and deep." Both were impressed by a crisp, complex aroma (for Miguel "lemon-lime, cantaloupe and peach") and as the cup cooled distinct cocoa and sweet ferment notes that Ken read as "brandied cherry" and Miguel (with more ambition to precision) as "distilled agave."

A soft cup, rather simple aromatically but "well-balanced" (co-cupper Miguel Meza, 91) and "smooth and deep in structure" (Ken, 91). Miguel finds "berries, citrus and chocolate," Ken reads some quiet chocolate and perhaps some orange. The finish is quiet but impressive with continued chocolate and fruit (Miguel: strawberry and cherry) notes. (Previously reviewed and rated 92 ponts in June 2007).

Intense, complex aroma. Quite tropical for co-cupper Miguel Meza (92) who cites guava, pineapple, and orange; Ken's (92) associations are more temperate: blueberry, cherry, orange, honey. In the cup both Ken and Miguel find cherry and chocolate, and most likely Miguel's "mango and caramel" and Ken's "candyish butterscotch" both are efforts to find descriptors for the same sensation, a pleasingly pungent sweetness. Miguel passes on the finish; Ken finds the usual flaw haunting this style of coffee: a slight salty astringency hiding amid the lovely fading trajectory of fruit.

Miguel Meza (94) found only purity and ripeness in this opulent coffee; Ken (92) was impressed as well but felt just slightly let down by a limiting simplicity once past the aroma. Miguel Meza: "Vibrant, pure and ripe ... Creamy mouthfeel with vanilla-like floral notes. Full and balanced with a juicy acidity that hints of peach, orange and berries in the long, clean finish." Ken (92) admired the ripe, lush aroma every bit as much as Miguel for its "true dark chocolate, mint, floral and berry" notes, but observed that once past the aroma the cup simplified despite remaining "rich and berry-toned." Miguel and Ken diverged most strongly over the finish, where Ken detected a shadow astringency amid the memories of aromatic complexity where Miguel found only clean flavor.

Miguel Meza (93): "An intense but slightly flawed cup. The coffee is so luscious and passionate[, however,] that such misgivings are easily forgotten. A dizzying array of ripe and dried berry flavors mingles with banana, lime and chocolate." Ken (93) agrees, finding a rich mix of "brandyish cherry, crisp cocoa/chocolate and ripe orange" notes. He is more specific about the flaw, which for him is a slight salty astringency that "softens as the cup cools, allowing the ripe fruit notes to fully bloom."

Co-cupper Miguel Meza (94): "Intensely fragrant: strawberry, kiwi, cherry, amaretto. The cup is powerful, well-structured and dynamic, [progressively revealing] a whole universe of fruit flavor. Only a lingering sharp astringency, perhaps a side effect of he same process that developed the incredible range of flavors ..., limits this coffee from near perfection." Ken (92) found the lavish aroma and rich acidity particularly impressive, but like Miguel he found a slight nagging astringency in the finish, a shadow to this coffee's monumental yet seductive aromatics.

Co-cupper Miguel Meza (92) finds bergamot and flowers in the aroma, Ken (94) finds flowers as well as cherries, red wine, and hints of chocolate and butter. In a cup that is "sweet" for Miguel, "rich and opulent" for Ken, both read cherries and blueberry and a positive fruit ferment note which Miguel nicely describes as 'Grand Marnier" and Ken more prosaically as red wine. In either case a slight, pleasing (more so to Ken?) hint of ferment complicates a round, deep, lavishly fruity cup.

Straightforward, lucid, classic. Very sweet-toned aroma with fresh coffee fruit (tart cherry) and honey notes, hints of cedar and lemon. In the cup the honeyish sweetness envelops an intense though not sharp acidity. Continued coffee fruit notes with a lemony lean. Richly tart finish.

In the aroma deep-toned with moist earth and fruit tones that suggest molassy fruitcake or banana bread or a fruity dark chocolate. The candied fruit, molasses and moist earth complex carries into the cup, riding richly over a slight flatness introduced by decaffeination. Sweet, long, rich finish, very slightly astringent when hot but impressively smooth as the cup cools.

In the aroma the fruity earth tones display an almost candied sweetness paired with a moist-leaf pungency. In the cup medium in body but silky in mouthfeel, with continued candied fruit and moist leaf notes that together hint at a host of associations ranging from chocolate to butterscotch to tartly sweet grapefruit. The flavor-saturated finish is a bit astringent when the cup is hot, but rounds nicely as it cools.

The aroma is very deep and sweet-toned with lush references to banana, coconut, dusk flowers. In the cup the acidity is extraordinarily rich and round-toned, the mouthfeel supple, the nuance opulent with coconut, red wine, chocolate and floral notes. Rich, long, flavor-saturated finish.

Intense, sweetly tart aroma: flowers, cherry, lemon. In the cup the acidity is lyrically sweet, the mouthfeel silky, the flavor vivid with grapefruit, dry berry and floral notes that soften toward a raisiny chocolate as the cup cools. Superb finish: cleanly bright, long, sweet to the far end of sensation.

Deep, pungent aroma: cedar, orange, molasses, honey. In the cup sweetly and crisply acidy, with dry berry, continued citrus and honey notes and an underlying pungent richness that suggests moist pipe tobacco. Flavor-saturated short finish; a slight astringency in the long softens as the cup cools.

Deep, roast-influenced aroma: gently scorched cedar, cardamom, orange. In the cup the softly pungent roast and earth tones turn toward a raisiny dark chocolate, with continued distinct orange references. The finish is round, resonant, and stays well on the rich side of a slight astringency.

In the aroma crisp walnut, fresh-cup wood, cardamom. In the cup syrupy body, distinct smoky and earthy notes with an underlying sweet candyish character: The whole package could be read as a sort of woodsy butterscotch. Sweet-toned finish.

Deep, roundly pungent fruit in the aroma: orange, semi-sweet chocolate. In the cup full-bodied, soft in acidity, and very rich, dominated by a continuing crisp semi-sweet chocolate. Simple but opulent finish.

Deep, lush aroma: cherry, semi-sweet chocolate, flowers. In the cup smooth acidity, supple mouthfeel, sweet- and low-toned fruit and floral character suggesting semi-sweet chocolate, molasses, pipe tobacco. Simplifies a bit in the finish, particularly as the cup cools.

As roasted here, a coffee most impressive for its big body and balanced structure. Deep, sweet aroma with honey and cherry notes and hints of cedar and chocolate. Sweet in the cup with quiet acidity, syrupy body, floral-toned honey and a hint of chocolate. Round, rich, simple finish.