Africa Reviews

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.

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.

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."

Both co-cupper Miguel Meza (88) and Ken (89) agreed that this coffee was low-toned, but for Ken it displayed a quietly resonant depth whereas apparently for Miguel it was simply quiet. Miguel found chocolate and citrus in the aroma, Ken chocolate and a distinct ginger note. Miguel read "blueberry, over-ripe fruit and toast" in the crisply fruity cup, Ken dry chocolate, brandy, blueberries, apricot, flowers. Both noted a persistence of berryish fruit in an otherwise rather thinnish finish.

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.

In the aroma deep, sweet, with exhilarating floral top notes and a fruit ferment that reads persuasively as raisiny chocolate with a hint of cedar. In the full-bodied cup the dark, raisin-toned chocolate and the floral notes sustain, while the pungent tendencies in the aroma intensify, contributing a cedary, herby, rather salty character to the profile. The fine aromatics regain the upper hand in the floral- and chocolate-toned finish.

In the aroma pungent black cherry and berry notes with lush undercurrents of orange and honey. The cedary berry notes carry richly into the cup with a continued sweet envelopment of orange and honey. Deep, long finish.

Very sweet-toned aroma with distinct floral and fresh coffee fruit notes. In the cup sustains its sweetness with a delicate intensity and continued floral and fresh coffee fruit (tart cherry) notes that carry into a long, richly bright finish.

Floral-toned, intense aroma dominated by the elegantly crisp, dry berry note coffee tasters are fond of calling black currant. In the cup richly acidy. The black currant note softens toward cherry under the influence of a sweet, deeply honeyed richness. The black currant revives in the flavor-saturated finish.

No hints here: The aromatics are direct, inescapable, lavish. Lushly intense blueberry, chocolate, and floral-toned honey in the aroma. In the cup the incendiary aromatics are influenced by a wine-like acidity that turns the berry and chocolate notes crisp and richly dry. The fundamental berry and floral notes linger with surprising clarity in the finish, although they are outlasted by a slight but forgivable astringency.

In the aroma delicately complex: berries, flowers, sweet lemon, honey. In the cup opulent: syrupy mouthfeel, sweet acidity, crisply powerful berry notes, continued hints of honey and flowers. Only a rich but simple finish prevents this coffee from rating in the high 90s.

Sweet-toned, soft aroma with flickers of flowers, chocolate and pear-like temperate fruit. In the cup quietly acidy, with a richly syrupy mouthfeel and a round, balanced structure. Continued flowers, chocolate and fruit, though in the cup the fruit is more honeyish date than pear. Simple, rich finish.

The dry, crisply pungent berry character we call black currant gently dominates throughout the profile. In the aroma it takes on a light-red-wine-like character, while in the cup it is enveloped in a quiet background sweetness. Soft acidity, delicate body, simple finish.

Dominated throughout the profile by crisp, complex dry berry notes (think blackberries and cedar) with deep, sweet undercurrents of honey and chocolate that emerge with particular clarity as the cup cools. The tart berry notes also carry suggestions of dry, light-bodied red table wines.

Very sweet throughout the profile. Nut and semi-sweet chocolate notes in the aroma. In the cup tart coffee fruit notes make a distinct and delicate lean toward chocolate. The tart cherry tones persist in the sweet short finish, fading toward astringency in the long.

Gentle, balanced, agreeably simple aroma, with distinct floral notes and a hint of milk chocolate. The floral tones carry into a soft, sweet cup with orange and a spice note that could qualify as cinnamon. Flattens a bit in the finish but remains sweet.

Low-toned and nut-like aroma with a hint of chocolate. In the cup round, simple but resonant, with fruit that carries hints of chocolate, red wine, orange perhaps. Rich and sweet in the short finish, a bit heavy in the long.

(As brewed in a Keurig B60 single-serve brewing device using a "K-Cup" capsule to produce 6-ounce and 8-ounce serving sizes): Distinguished by a sweet, gently tart fruit note in aroma and cup that reads as a sort of crisp orange- and chocolate-toned blackberry - or call it "black currant," a term for this flavor note in vogue among coffee describers. Whatever we call it, it is a precious and agreeable sensation. The body is medium and the mouthfeel silky at a 6-ounce serving, slightly thinnish and lean at 8. Rich finish with good flavor persistence and excellent stability as the cup cools.

Sweet, rich, deep, pungently juicy aroma: cedar, oranges, banana, a hint of flowers. In the cup lean-bodied with a brightly pungent acidity, intensified floral notes, and a cocoa-chocolate cast to the fruit. The slightly dominating acidity softens in the finish, allowing the juicy orange and banana notes to bloom in a long, complex finale.

Intense, complex, yet balanced aroma: chocolate, caramel, cedar, flowers, tomato. In the cup the acidity is powerful but juicily sweet, the flavor alive with shifting hints of flowers, citrus and wine. Long, gently astringent finish.