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.
Fruit-toned, roast-rounded. Brown sugar, cherry blossom, ripe blueberry, gently singed cedar, vanilla paste in aroma and cup. Delicate, balanced acidity; round, velvety mouthfeel. Notes of brown sugar, vanilla and blueberry carry the short finish, all of which fade with slow elegance into the long.
Delicate, sweetly tart. Red currant, roasted cacao nib, orange zest, graham cracker, marjoram in aroma and cup. Crisp, balanced acidity; velvety mouthfeel. The finish resonates with flavor, particularly savory-sweet red currant and orange zest in the short. sweet marjoram notes in the long.
Evaluated as espresso. Bright, chocolaty, floral-toned. Grapefruit, dark chocolate, hazelnut butter, lavender, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and small cup. Lively, full, velvety mouthfeel; tart, aromatic wood-framed finish. Dark chocolate notes are enlivened in three parts milk, with intimations of lavender-like flowers throughout.
Deeply sweet, richly earth-toned. Pipe tobacco, lime zest, ripe pear, freesia, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned, vibrant acidity; very delicate, silky-smooth mouthfeel. The crisp, flavor-saturated finish leads with notes of pipe tobacco in the short, sweetening toward ripe pear and spice-toned florals in the long.
Richly savory, sweetly herb-toned. Honey, rosemary flower, baker’s chocolate, black currant, almond in aroma and cup. Juicy, vibrant acidity; delicate, velvety mouthfeel. Savory-sweet notes of almond and rosemary flower carry the richly drying, resonant finish.
Cleanly fruit-toned and floral. Strawberry, alyssum, allspice, almond butter, sweet chocolate in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy, sweet-tart acidity; delicate, silky mouthfeel. The richly drying finish centers around strawberry in the short and rounds to spice-toned chocolate in the long.
Sweetly tart, delicately spicy. Pomegranate, cocoa nib, brown sugar, clove, grapefruit blossom in aroma and cup. Big, juicy, sweet-tart acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. All aroma and flavor notes carry harmoniously into a resonant, flavor-saturated finish.
Crisply sweet, intricately layered. Grapefruit, cocoa nib, honeysuckle, white sage, a suggestion of wild mushroom in aroma and cup. Juicy, balanced acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. The sweet-savory finish is flavor-saturated, leading with fruit and floral tones in the short and culminating in umami-toned intrigue with hints of white sage and wild mushroom.
Intensely rich, complex, vast. Plumeria, chocolate fudge, white grapefruit, perique (fermented) pipe tobacco, white truffle in aroma and cup. Juicy, bright acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant, flavor-saturated finish is long, balanced, and reiterates all of the tendencies in the cup: sweet (plumeria, chocolate), tart (white grapefruit), savory (pipe tobacco, truffle).
Delicately and richly sweet; balanced. Lemon verbena, myrrh, honeysuckle, spearmint, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Crisply juicy, sweetly tart acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The gently drying, flavor-saturated finish is resonant with citrus and sweet herb enveloped in cocoa tones.
Delicately rich, crisp, balanced. Dried apricot, baker’s chocolate, rhododendron, orange zest, cinnamon in aroma and cup. Lively, juicy acidity; velvety mouthfeel. Cinnamon-like spice leads in the short finish; dried fruit and vanilla-like flowers resonate in the long.
Sweetly pungent, rich-toned. Apricot, pipe tobacco, narcissus, dark chocolate, pink peppercorn in aroma and cup. Gentle, round acidity; plush, satiny mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish opens with spicy chocolate tones in the short, followed by intimations of deep pipe tobacco and sweet narcissus in the long.
Sweetly tart, deeply floral. Honeysuckle, mango, sarsparilla, butterscotch, pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. Juicy, buoyantly tart acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The quietly resonant finish centers around sarsparilla and butterscotch.
Luscious, deeply sweet, sumptuous. Blackberry, lavender, marjoram, roasted cacao nib, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Rich, juicy acidity; smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. The long, flavor-saturated finish is zesty and sweet, offering a surprise appearance of tropical fruit notes (coconut) that resonate for a long while.
Richly and sweetly pungent. Concord grape, roasted cacao nib, cedar, hazelnut, lemon blossom in aroma and cup. Brisk, lightly juicy acidity; delicate, satiny mouthfeel. The crisp, nut-toned finish leads with Concord grape notes in the short and cedar in the long, with hazelnut throughout.
Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, sweetly tart. Dark chocolate, pomegranate, Oolong tea, rose-like flowers, almond in aroma and small cup. Delicate, silky mouthfeel. Clean, sweet finish, with a savory resonance. In three parts milk, chocolate tones re-emerge, along with hints of roasted almond.
Deeply rich, sweetly spicy. Butterscotch, pipe tobacco, rhododendron, juniper berry, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Lively, juicy acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. The engaging finish is laden with notes of sweet pipe tobacco and butterscotch.
Intensely sweet and savory, exotic. Passionfruit, frankincense, grapefruit zest, rose, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Bright, lyrical acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The rich, long, cocoa-toned finish is flavor-saturated, all the notes from the cup persisting, passionfruit and grapefruit zest in particular.
Evaluated as espresso. Smooth, fragrant, lively. The three reviewers for this coffee lined up nicely in respect to rating: John DiRuocco at 93, Jen Apodaca at 93, and Ken at 94. All found the buoyant, richly silky mouthfeel particularly impressive (Jen: “light and airy on the tongue like a meringue cookie”). All three reviewers additionally cited caramel notes, and two sweet flowers. The subtle but explicit sweetness attracted a range of candy-toned positives, from vanilla marshmallow (Jen) to, in three parts milk, dulce de leche (John).
Evaluated as espresso. All three reviewers praised this espresso for its clean, citrusy/orangy sweetness: “orange hard candy” for co-taster Jen Apodaca (94); orange and brown sugar for John DiRuocco (93); tart but juicy blood orange for Ken (93). All found notes that rounded and complicated the citrus: the brown sugar for John, caramel for Ken, Concord grape for Jen. Jen was most enthusiastic and explicit about what this coffee brought to three parts milk: “tasted like cherry pie.”
