Africa Reviews

Sweetly savory, high-toned. Blackberry, freesia-like flowers, orange zest, brown sugar, juniper in aroma and cup. Rich, savory acidity; delicate, though rather syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is especially savory-toned, resonant with notes of juniper (berry and bark) and bittersweet orange zest.

Deeply sweet, cocoa-toned. Dark chocolate, cedar, magnolia, caramel, black peppercorn in aroma and cup. Round, gently resonant acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is thoroughly chocolate-toned, with pleasantly smoky background hints of cedar.

Elegant, richly sweet, deeply savory. Butterscotch, roasted cacao nib, dried jasmine, caraway seed, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The richly drying cocoa-toned finish is saturated with notes of butterscotch and dried jasmine.

Sweetly pungent, rich-toned, savory. Peach, violet, pistachio, molasses, thyme in aroma and cup. Gentle, backgrounded acidity; syrupy, lean though smooth mouthfeel. The resonant finish is long, leading with attractive floral top notes, followed by hints of stone fruit, finally rounding to cocoa and herb tones in the very long.

Richly sweet-savory, floral-toned. Mulberry, rhododendron, lemon verbena, white peppercorn, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Sweet, rounded acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to mulberry and roasted cacao nib in the short; notes of white peppercorn return in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep-toned, balanced, richly sweet. Dark chocolate, cherry blossom, pink grapefruit, coconut, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and small cup. Round, buttery mouthfeel; sweetly tart cedar- and floral-toned finish. Dark chocolate and coconut notes are amplified in three parts milk, supported by pleasant hints of aromatic cedar.

Crisply sweet, spice-toned. Baker’s chocolate, cinnamon, date, magnolia, pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet, floral acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The gently drying finish is savory-leaning, leading with pipe tobacco notes with backgrounded hints of baker’s chocolate and hazelnut.

Delicate, intensely sweet, floral-toned. Star jasmine, tangerine, roasted cacao nib, maple syrup, myrrh in aroma and cup. Lively, sweet-tart acidity; plush, satiny mouthfeel. The resonant finish carries through on the promise of the aroma with deep floral and bright citrus tones, both grounded by hints of cocoa.

Very sweet; quietly layered complexity. Dried jasmine, alcohol-toned raspberry, roasted cacao nib, scorched oak, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Light-footed, delicate acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. Floral and raspberry notes carry into a rather dry, roast-dominated finish.

Deeply sweet with a resonantly savory edge; intense and original. Peach, lavender, coconut and oak are complicated by a pleasing alcohol suggestion that no doubt reflects the bourbon-barrel conditioning, but in the sensory context of the coffee reads more brandy- or wine-like. Round, vibrant acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The peach note in particular carries into a flavor-saturated finish.

Deeply and sweetly pungent. Ripe blueberry, dark chocolate, calla lily, orange zest, aromatic sandalwood in aroma and cup. Quiet, gentle acidity; silky mouthfeel. The ripe blueberry and dark chocolate notes carry with resonance into the short finish, while richly drying sandalwood tones dominate the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Intensely aromatic and sweet. White peach, nougat, jasmine, tamarind, myrrh in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; richly drying, floral-toned finish with continued notes of white peach. In three parts milk, all of the aromatic notes converge, perfumy and complex.

Delicate, subtle, intricately vibrant. Honey, strawberry guava, lilac, roasted cacao nib, fine musk in aroma and cup. Buoyant, juicy acidity; lush, velvety mouthfeel. The finish is distinctive in its richly drying, yet flavor-saturated originality. All of the aroma and flavor notes from the cup are sustained in the short finish, and strawberry guava and lilac, in particular, persist far into the very long.

Delicate, sweetly spicy. Baker’s chocolate, pink peppercorn, rose hip, ripe peach, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Crisply bittersweet acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The resonant finish leads with notes of stonefruit in the short; baker’s chocolate and cedar round out the long.

Delicately sweet and subtly lush. Honeysuckle, roasted cacao nib, lychee, pink grapefruit zest, myrrh in aroma and cup. Lively, expressive, crisply sweet acidity; velvety-smooth, viscous mouthfeel. The quietly resonant finish is flavor-saturated, leading with honeysuckle and pink grapefruit in the short, rounding to notes of cocoa-toned lychee in the long.

Delicate, sweetly savory. Spicy, freesia-like flowers, baker’s chocolate, pink grapefruit zest, sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Crisply sweet-tart acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to an intriguing combination of pink grapefruit zest and rich, aromatic sandalwood.

Deeply and richly sweet, spice-toned. Violet, baker’s chocolate, star anise, butterscotch, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Balanced, fruit-toned acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The resonant finish extends all the flavor notes of the cup in the short, and consolidates to baker’s chocolate with suggestions of cedar and star anise in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply rich, sweetly savory. Dark chocolate, orange zest, vanilla, tamarind, pungently spicy flowers (lantana?) in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; bold, sweetly tart finish with suggestions of cocoa-toned tamarind and orange zest. Crisply sweet in three parts milk, where notes of dark chocolate are amplified and the tart sweetness of tamarind-like fruit persists.

Deeply sweet, floral-toned. Jasmine, roasted cacao nib, white peach, cinnamon, incense-like notes (frankincense) in aroma and cup. Crisp, gentle acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The sweet-toned finish is flavor-saturated, resonant with suggestions of jasmine and stonefruit in particular.

Deeply sweet, invitingly structured. Baker’s chocolate, cedar, brown sugar, pungent berry, bittersweet, bergamot-like citrus in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-tart acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The finish rounds and consolidates around baker’s chocolate and brown sugar.