Blind Assessment: Evaluated as espresso. Rich, chocolaty, sweetly tart. Dark chocolate, peach, Szechuan peppercorn, orange zest, myrrh in aroma and small cup. Smooth, satiny mouthfeel; resonant, chocolaty finish. In three parts milk, notes of Szechuan peppercorn and dark chocolate harmonize sweetly, with undercurrents of peach and myrrh.

Notes: A blend of coffees from Ethiopia (natural-processed), Colombia and Kenya. Choosy Gourmet is a cafe in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where founder Howard Hung’s mission is to highlight the “living soul” of each coffee. Visit www.choosygourmet.com, https://www.facebook.com/choosy.gourmet, email [email protected] or call +886-7-3509609 for more information.

The Bottom Line: An espresso blend in which spice notes — in particular, a peppery element reminiscent of sweet Szechuan peppercorns — figure prominently and are in harmonious balance with the rich sweetness of the coffee, both in the straight shot and in milk.