Africa Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Richly roast-toned; floral and chocolaty. Gently scorched cedar, baker’s chocolate, narcissus-like flowers, mango, spearmint in aroma and small cup. Satiny mouthfeel; chocolate and spicy roast notes carry in a dry but lasting finish. The crisp chocolate dominates in three parts milk, with continuing hints of flowers and mango-like fruit.

Richly sweet, deeply savory, elegantly balanced. Dried apricot, maple syrup, narcissus, sandalwood, cacao nib in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart-savory in structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of dried apricot and cacao nib in the short, rounding to narcissus and sandalwood in the long.

Lavish, captivatingly complex, deeply savory-sweet. Candycap mushroom, lilac, dark chocolate, dried coconut, frankincense in aroma and cup. Structurally, the savory component, which is typically an undertone, occupies the top of the aromatic and flavor range, with deep sweetness (fruit, florals) underneath. The mouthfeel is lively and richly syrupy. The seemingly eternal finish is a quiet mirror of the cup.

Evaluated as espresso. Exquisitely aromatic: high-toned, savory and impossibly floral. Toffee, dried black currant, myrrh, lavender, fine musk in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; big, complex finish that is equal parts sweet and savory. In cappuccino-scaled milk, a whole new mid-palate is created, something akin to a mushroom custard.

Deeply sweet, fruit-toned, with a hint of sweet ferment. Baker’s chocolate, plum, narcissus, barrel-aged rum, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Richly drying, flavor-saturated finish.

Deep, rich, roundly pungent. Lime zest, date, maple syrup, magnolia, fresh-cut cedar. Balanced sweet-tart-savory in structure, with a lime-brightened gleam of acidity. Full, syrupy though drying mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a robust, layered short finish, fading and drying slightly in the long.

High-toned, fruity, deeply savory. Cocoa nib, plum sauce, brown sugar, sumac, freesia in aroma and cup. Round and deep, richly sweet-savory structure; full, chewy mouthfeel. The finish resolves with a simple yet compelling sweet and tart resonance.

Richly sweet, cocoa-toned. Dark chocolate, apricot, hazelnut, lilac, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Balanced, bittersweet structure with rounded acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is thoroughly chocolaty with undertones of apricot and hazelnut.

Richly and cleanly fruit-toned. Bing cherry, freesia-like flowers, fruit taffy, fresh-cut oak, lemon verbena in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with vivacious acidity; vibrant, creamy mouthfeel. Gentle, fruit-forward finish with spicy floral notes.

Deeply sweet, intensely pungent. Dark chocolate, pink grapefruit zest, wisteria, maple syrup, myrrh in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet-toned in structure with lively, juicy acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is long and satisfying: flavor-saturated, floral-, chocolate- and fruit-toned, harmoniously balanced.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply sweet, richly tart, pungent. Dark chocolate, jasmine, mango, green tea, tangerine zest, cedar in aroma and small cup. Full and syrupy though slightly rough mouthfeel. The finish consolidates around quiet cocoa and citrus. Flowers and green tea in particular carry into three parts milk.

Richly savory-sweet, balanced, layered and lively. Red currant, maple syrup, honeysuckle, sandalwood, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet-savory structure with juicy, confident acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, flavor-saturated finish centers around red fruit and sweet-spicy floral notes.

Round, layered, sweet-savory, understated but original. Walnut, cocoa powder, maple syrup, hints of pear and rum in aroma and cup. Softly brisk in structure; syrupy and full in mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around walnut and maple syrup in a gently drying finish.

Crisp, chocolaty, roast-framed. Baker’s chocolate, scorched oak, gardenia, hazelnut in aroma and cup. Sweet-savory structure with a touch of acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. Smoky-sweet finish with chocolate notes throughout and a rich floral suggestion.

Very sweet, floral, deeply rich. Date, tangerine zest, fresh pipe tobacco, freesia-like flowers, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Complex and deeply rich structure; roundly tart acidity. Full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is dry but rings with rich tobacco and unsweetened chocolate far into the long.

Very sweetly tart, floral-prominent and rich-toned. Lemon custard, red currant jam, tea rose, maple syrup and dried coconut in aroma and cup. Delightfully crisp and tart, though cohesively resonant in structure; very lightly though buoyantly syrupy in mouthfeel. The finish is pert and satisfying, with a lingering sweet crispness and a long aromatic trajectory.

Deeply sweet, richly drying, complexly sweet-savory. Nutella, sumac, oak, clove, loquat, hop blossom in aroma and cup. Rounded and rich though drying in structure; brisk, juicy acidity. Very full, syrupy mouthfeel. The short finish consolidates around prominent oak and sumac with hints of cocoa and fruit. The long turns rather dry, though remains resonant.

Richly fruit-toned, musky sweet. Raspberry jam, fine musk, apple brandy, hop flowers, almond in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-tart-savory in structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; buoyant, syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp, resonant finish with raspberry, brandy and hops carrying into the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly savory-leaning, deeply sweet. Tamarind, dark chocolate, sunchoke, wisteria, almond butter in aroma and small cup. Velvety-smooth mouthfeel; cocoa- and nut-toned finish. In three parts milk, sweet and savory present in particularly harmonious balance.

Richly sweet-savory, spice-toned. Baker’s chocolate, spice box, narcissus-like flowers, almond, peach in aroma and cup. Savory-sweet structure with gentle, round acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The crisp finish centers on notes of baker’s chocolate and almond with a hint of sweet flowers.