Top 30 Coffees of 2016
Coffee Review‘s Top 30 Coffees of 2016 appear below.
We selected and ranked these 30 exciting coffees and espressos from the thousands we cupped throughout the year. The rankings are based on quality (represented by overall rating), value (reflected by most affordable price per pound), and other factors that include distinctiveness of style, uniqueness of origin or tree variety, certification, and general rarity.
Deeply sweet, round, balanced. Blueberry, hazelnut, pipe tobacco, orange zest, graham cracker in aroma and cup. Crisp, richly tart acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The rich-toned finish leads with ripe blueberry notes in the short; a citrus-toned hazelnut resurfaces in the long.
Price: $22.50/12 ounces
Sweet-toned, delicately rich. Maple syrup, ripe persimmon, orange zest, roasted cacao nib, gardenia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Juicy, balanced acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The rich-toned finish is saturated with crisp cacao nib and deep orange zest notes.
Complex, deeply pungent, sweetly savory. Lavender, pink peppercorn, gooseberry, lemongrass, baker’s chocolate in aroma and cup. Juicy, sweet-tart acidity; lightly creamy mouthfeel. Cocoa and lavender tones lead in a resonant, flavor-saturated finish.
Deeply sweet, richly savory. Butterscotch, lavender, tamarind, roasted cacao nib, mango in aroma and cup. Big, juicy acidity; viscous, velvety mouthfeel. In addition to resonant butterscotch and lavender tones in the short finish, the long introduces an appealing coconut note.
Price: NT $1300/16 ounces
Evaluated as espresso. Exuberant, vibrantly composed. Buttery chocolate, wisteria, blood orange zest, almond, pineapple guava in aroma and small cup. Creamy, smooth mouthfeel. The rich finish is flower-forward and chocolaty, precise in its clarity. It continues to impress in three parts milk, which further sweetens the chocolate notes and rounds the bright fruit tones.
Big, rich, deeply sweet. Raspberry, tamarind, lilac, butterscotch, a hint of rye whisky in aroma and cup. Sweetly brisk acidity; plump, syrupy mouthfeel. The rich, long, flavor-saturated finish resonates with tamarind, lilac and raspberry notes.
Deeply rich, sweetly tart. Pink grapefruit zest, pipe tobacco, hazelnut, pineapple, lantana in aroma and cup. Crisp, very juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish leads with rich notes of floral-toned pipe tobacco in the short, hazelnut and pineapple in the long.
Delicate but deep, fruit-forward. Raspberry, violet, blood orange zest, liquorice, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Juicy, vibrant acidity; lean but silky mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish consolidates to blood orange zest and roasted cacao nib.
Complex, sweetly rich. Pungent grapefruit, sweet violet, almond brittle, pipe tobacco, fragrant sandalwood in aroma and cup. Juicy acidity; lightly syrupy, buoyant mouthfeel. The crisply rich, long finish retains a pretty combination of violet and tobacco tones.
Elegantly floral, strikingly complex. Roasted cacao nib, jasmine, caramel, dried raspberry and cinnamon in aroma and cup. Vibrantly rich, balanced acidity; delicate, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor notes carry intact through the strikingly long, satisfying finish.
