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.
Immensely rich and complex. Blood orange, black currant, dark chocolate, sandalwood, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Resonantly balanced, floral-toned acidity. Plush, lively mouthfeel. Deeply flavor-saturated finish.
Intense and unmistakable Kenya character: dry yet sweet synthesis of pungent black currant, blackberry and fresh-cut cedar; backgrounded hints of lush night-blooming flowers, lemon, black sage. Big, sweetly brisk acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The Kenya flavor complex deeply saturates a long, rich finish.
Gently bright, sweetly intense. Honey, grapefruit, lilac, cocoa butter in aroma and cup. Juicy, floral-toned acidity; silky mouthfeel. The grapefruit note and a more explicit chocolate dominate in a cleanly sweet finish.
Intense, rich, pungent. Blood orange, black currant, fresh-cut fir, plum blossom in aroma and in cup, where a slight savory, truffle-like edge deepens and complicates flavor. Powerful but opulently balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Resonant, gently drying, flavor-saturated finish.
Deeply but vivaciously expressed complexity. Raspberry-like fruit, roasted cacao nib, honey, narcissus-like flowers, a hint of pungent sandalwood in aroma and cup. Round, juicy acidity; syrupy yet lively mouthfeel. Long, rich, flavor-saturated finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Deep, shifting complexity. Dark chocolate, hazelnut, a hint of night-blooming flowers in aroma and small cup. An apricot-like note in the aroma brightens and turns delicately citrusy in the small cup and in a sweetly drying, chocolate-toned finish. Buoyant, creamy mouthfeel. Chocolate dominates in three parts milk, crisply sweet and nut-toned.
Crisply sweet, deep. Dark chocolate, hazelnut, cherry, anise, night-blooming flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, velvety mouthfeel; flavor simplifies but carries into a balanced finish. Delicately complex and sweet in three parts milk: chocolate, hints of cherry, nut and flowers.
Delicate yet intense; distinctive aromatics. Minty floral notes, sweet chocolate, hints of blueberry and rye whisky in aroma and cup. Gentle but buoyantly vivacious acidity; lively, silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a slightly drying, whisky-toned finish.
Powerfully dry yet opulently sweet; deeply complex. Blackberry, black currant, honey, mint, sage, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Bright but roundly balanced acidity; silky, lively mouthfeel. Flavor rings on far into a deep, sweet finish.
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.
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.
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.
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.
