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.
Rich, pungently sweet, complex. Sandalwood, buttery dark chocolate, blackberry, guava, lush night-blooming flowers in aroma and cup. Roundly and deeply tart acidity; velvety mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but rings on in a long, resonant finish.
Dramatic, intense, distinctive. Aroma and flavor are dominated by the unique and unmistakable Kenya note, a pungently cedary, lemony blackberry, very sweet yet dry in the mouthfeel, a note that is often tagged with the simplifying term black currant. This sample displayed deepening complications of musk and malt as well. Crisp yet juicy acidity; silky mouthfeel. Briefly bittersweet in the short finish, then opens into a spectacular long finish, ringing with sweetness and complex layers of flavor.
Complex, pungent, savory-sweet. Sweetly tart, guava-like fruit, night-blooming flowers, buttery dark chocolate, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Round, soft acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The guava note in particular enlivens a deep, long finish.
Crisply lush, juicy. Distinct lavender notes, honey, fresh-cut fir, white grape, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Delicately bright, juicy acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. The finish is richly and deeply flavor saturated, though slightly drying in long.
Delicately earthy and tartly fruit-toned. Fresh-cut cedar, chocolate, green grape, plum with a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Bright, lively acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a sweet, rich, slightly drying finish.
Richly and tartly sweet, exotic, complex. Orange, honey and butter in aroma and cup, supported by a crisp backgrounded earth note. Round, gently tart acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor carries virtually intact into a long, ringing finish.
Extraordinarily lush, nectar-like fruit; cherry, black currant, nectarine; balanced by a crisp, roasted cocoa nib and roasted malt notes. Balanced, lively acidity; full, plush mouthfeel. Flavor simplifies but remains resonantly present in a long, rich finish.
Pure, powerful, sweetly bright. Chocolate, honey, orange zest, fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Richly and roundly tart acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is tart, resonant and flavor-saturated.
Sweet-toned, svelte, refreshing. Honey, lemon, lilac, a hint of roasted cocoa nib in aroma and, more intensely, in the cup. Tartly sweet, lively acidity; velvety, buoyant mouthfeel. Fades just a bit in the long finish, but the short is resonant and flavor-saturated.
Pungent cedar, savory-sweet melon, orange zest, hints of raisin and night-blooming flowers in aroma and cup. Impressively syrupy mouthfeel. A decidedly tart acidity settles down in a very sweet finish.
Lush, crisply juicy. Lavish, complex floral notes matrixed in ripe, lemony citrus, chocolate, a pungent hint of cedar. Sweetly bright, lively acidity; silky mouthfeel. Long, flavor-saturated finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Richly tart yet profoundly sweet. Raspberry-toned dark chocolate, orange or tangerine marmalade, crisp cedar, a hint of flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, buttery mouthfeel. Flavor rounds without losing its complexity or sweetly tart authority in two- to four-parts milk.
Deep, rich, resonantly low-toned. Minty chocolate, agave syrup, dried fig, a hint of rose-like flowers in aroma and cup. Round, quiet acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate and fig in particular carry into a long finish.
Intricate, richly pungent: chocolate fudge, spicy oak, wild berry, faint mango-like fruit and night-blooming flowers in aroma and cup. Soft, sweetly tart acidity; full velvety mouthfeel. The finish is berry-toned, with a rounded chocolaty sweetness.
Complex but harmonious. Honey and a very sweet citrus suggesting candied lemon dominate in aroma and cup, with complications of almond, fresh-cut fir and a soft caramel. Smoothly and sweetly tart acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Deep, flavor-saturated finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Deep, sweet-toned aroma: dark chocolate, butter, leather, a hint of pineapple. In the small cup the pineapply fruit note moves forward and dry anise and cedar notes complicate the sweet chocolate. The buttery smoothness of the aroma reasserts itself in a very persistent, complex finish. Rather light, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Very fine in three parts milk: buttery chocolate, pineapply fruit, richly balance.
Amazingly and giddily sweet. Honey, lush night-blooming flowers and ripe orange in aroma and cup. Juicy, lyric acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates more than fades in a remarkably rich, honey-toned finish.
Comfortable, inviting cup combines a cedary black-currant pungency, dark chocolate sweetness and a vanilla-like floral freshness. Delicate, crisply balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Quietly sweet-toned, resonant finish.
Heavily scorched wood dominates in aroma and cup, with hints of faded chocolate, clove and molasses. Acidity is folded inside the scorched pungency of the roast; mouthfeel is light and leanish. The finish is bittersweet and drying.
Sweet, delicately crisp. Dark chocolate, brown sugar, hints of plum and fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Tartly juicy acidity; the mouthfeel is light, hinting at silkiness. Chocolate carries into a gently drying finish.
