Blind Assessment: Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) ended with the same score for this blend though their descriptors varied rather dramatically. Ethan’s emphasized flowers and fruit, Ken’s sandalwood and nut, though both cited a fine, elegant dry cacao note. Both found a refined brightness -- “piquant green grape acidity” according to Ethan – and a light though very smooth mouthfeel. A gentle tart character dominated in three-parts milk but pleasantly so, well-nuanced with cacao, cedar and orangy fruit.

Notes: This seasonal espresso blend consists of three distinctive origins: two wet-processed or washed coffees, a Colombia Amistad and a Rwanda Cotecaga, and a dried-in-the-fruit or natural-processed Brazil Recanto. Ritual is a frequently celebrated (NY Times, etc.), obsessively quality-oriented roastery based in San Francisco, California. Visit www.ritualroasters.com or call 415-641-1024 for more information.

Who Should Drink It: Poised, elegant espresso in the newer lighter-roasted style, with a delicate, crisply layered complexity and an understated but vivacious brightness.