The World's Leading Coffee Guide
The coffees and espressos that appear below demonstrate exceptional value relative to other coffees of similar quality and distinctiveness as reflected in their overall score. These best value coffees often sell out quickly and may no longer be available. Older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee.
Sweetly floral and richly resinous. Cedar, lemon zest, dried jasmine, cacao nib, loquat in aroma and cup. Delicate, sweetly brisk in structure; silky and lively in mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around cedar and cocoa in a crisp, drying finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Fruit-toned, chocolaty. Dried apricot, chocolate fudge, oak, honeysuckle, almond brittle in aroma and small cup. Velvety mouthfeel; fruit- and chocolate-toned finish. In three parts milk, chocolate and almond notes converge for a dessert-like experience, with a hint of dried apricot.
Richly sweet-toned, floral. Magnolia, brown sugar, cedar, plum, hazelnut in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with round, gentle acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to notes of brown sugar and magnolia.
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.
Evaluated as espresso. Bittersweet, gently roast-toned, chocolaty. Chocolate fudge, roasted hazelnut, green apple, molasses, singed cedar in aroma and small cup. Silky-smooth mouthfeel; crisp, richly drying finish. Reads like a classic Italian espresso in three parts milk, bitter and sweet in equal parts, balanced and harmonious with a hint of roast throughout.
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.
Deeply rich, equally sweet and savory. Brown sugar, hop flowers, toasted coconut, chestnut, sumac in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart-savory structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; viscous, satiny mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to coconut and chestnut with undertones of brown sugar.
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.
Evaluated as espresso. Richly sweet, fruit-toned and chocolaty. Dark chocolate, dried cherry, fresh-cut fir, almond blossom, molasses in aroma and small cup. Full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel; flavor-saturated finish driven by chocolate and stone fruit notes. This blend sings in milk, elevating notes of both cherry and chocolate in lasting vibrancy.
Evaluated as espresso. Deeply cocoa- and nut-toned, brightly fruit-forward. Cocoa powder, caramel, almond butter, dried black cherry, myrrh in aroma and small cup. Velvety mouthfeel, crisp, chocolaty and nut-toned finish. The milk shot leads with notes of black cherry and cocoa powder, supported by rich aromatic wood and almond butter.
Evaluated as espresso. Classically cocoa-toned and sweetly tart. Nutella, pink peppercorn, pomegranate, molasses, magnolia in aroma and small cup. Creamy-smooth body; short but resounding finish. The milk shot is lush and fudgelike, with undertones of pomegranate and magnolia.
Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, richly bittersweet. Baker’s chocolate, dried apricot, hop flowers, sandalwood, hazelnut butter in aroma and cup. Plush, creamy mouthfeel; bright, fruit-forward finish. In milk, crisp chocolate notes envelope notes of stone fruit and bittersweet florals in the short, with rich aromatic wood tones resurfacing in the long.
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.
Balanced, high-toned, richly sweet. Molasses, crisp green tomato, wisteria, Nutella, fresh pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. Sweet-savory-tart structure; very syrupy mouthfeel. Rich-toned finish with notes of dark chocolate, hazelnut and wisteria.
Juicy, bright, deeply and richly sweet. Dried strawberry, toffee, lilac, myrrh, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with vivacious acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to notes of strawberry and toffee.
Evaluated as espresso. Round, balanced; softly and sweetly tart. Mango, orange zest, pistachio, cedar, cocoa. Satiny mouthfeel. Cedar, nut and cocoa carry into a resonant, lightly drying finish. Custardy orange and chocolate dominate in three parts milk.
Soft, balanced: cocoa and nuts. Baking chocolate, tangerine zest, nut (hazelnut, pistachio), fresh-cut pine in aroma and cup. Delicately brisk in structure; light though silky mouthfeel. Finish is resonant but drying, consolidating around unsweetened chocolate and nut.
Roasty-sweet, spice-toned. Banana, orange blossom, cocoa powder, scorched cedar, molasses in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with a brisk touch of acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of cocoa and orange blossom in the short, with scorched cedar and molasses in the long.
High-toned sweetness, crisply tart, pleasantly salty-edged. Dried apricot, tamarind, salted chocolate, cedar, magnolia in aroma and cup. Gently low-toned with balanced tart and salty/savory structure; briskly juicy acidity. Full, buttery mouthfeel. Flavor simplifies in the finish, with hints of salted cocoa and dry cedar carrying into the long.
