Blend Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply sweet, chocolate-toned. Chocolate fudge, pear, almond, scorched cedar, gardenia in aroma and small cup. Satiny-smooth mouthfeel; crisp, gently smoky finish with chocolate undertones. In three parts milk, chocolate fudge and almond harmonize with scorched cedar for a satisfying, complex milk shot.

Evaluated as espresso. Very sweet, caramel-toned. Dark caramel, lily, persimmon, roasted walnut, cedar in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny mouthfeel; fruit-toned finish redolent of persimmon and fresh-cut cedar. In the milk shot, caramel pleasantly subsumes all the other notes, save for undertones of roasted walnut, which add complexity.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep sweet, chocolaty. Chocolate fudge, gardenia, plum, gently scorched fir, a hint of barley in aroma and small cup. Big, velvety mouthfeel; crisply sweet, wood-framed finish. Chocolate fudge notes resurface richly in three parts milk, along with gardenia-like florals.

High-toned, richly sweet-tart. Pie cherry, dark chocolate, almond butter, violet, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with juicy, fruit-toned acidity; saturatingly viscous, plush mouthfeel. The confident finish centers around notes of pie cherry, dark chocolate and cedar.

Deeply sweet, roast-toned. Dark caramel, gently scorched fir, gardenia, date, a hint of cardamom in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with gentle, round acidity; velvety mouthfeel. The resonant finish centers around notes of dark caramel and gardenia, with undertones of aromatic wood.

A ready-to-drink black coffee tested cold. Subtle, nuanced, attractively bittersweet. Dark chocolate, candied tangerine, cashew butter, lilac, cedar. Balanced structure with gentle but vibrant acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The brisk finish centers around dark chocolate and cedar notes. Milk particularly enlivens dark chocolate, candied citrus, and cashew notes.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Crisp, sweetly tart, multi-layered. Black cherry, rhododendron, marzipan, oak, baking chocolate. Sweet-tart structure with brisk acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Marzipan and oak carry into the quietly engaging finish. Milk changes the equation entirely; rhododendron and baking chocolate take center stage with levity added by the infused nitrogen.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Delicate, sweet-toned. Apricot, almond, lime zest, baking chocolate, maple syrup. Sweet-tart structure with gentle, mild acidity; light, almost feathery mouthfeel. Crisp, subtly sweet-tart finish. Baking chocolate and almond notes bloom in milk, while apricot and lime zest recede.

A ready-to-drink black coffee, tested cold. Richly chocolaty, boldly nut-toned, deeply sweet. Chocolate fudge, rhododendron, black cherry, fresh-cut fir, molasses. Sweet-toned structure with mild acidity; crisp, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The chocolaty finish is supported by rhododendron and fresh-cut fir. With a splash of whole milk, fudge-like chocolate notes and undertones of black cherry win the day.

Evaluated as an instant or soluble coffee at proportions of one packet of instant coffee (5 grams) mixed with 8.5 ounces (250 ml) of hot water. Delicately sweet-tart. Caramel, green apple, hazelnut, magnolia, oak in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with little perceptible acidity; smooth mouthfeel with medium weight. The crisp finish centers around notes of caramel, hazelnut and green apple.

Evaluated as espresso. Cocoa-toned, sweetly smoky. Cocoa powder, gently scorched oak, lily, raisin, Brazil nut in aroma and small cup. Crisp, velvety mouthfeel; gently drying, nut- and cocoa-toned finish. In three parts milk, notes of cocoa powder and Brazil nut come to the fore, supported by hints of smoky oak.

Deep-toned, cocoa- and fruit-driven. Nectarine, cocoa powder, cashew butter, lily, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Sweet in structure with gentle, round acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Sweetly cocoa-toned, nutty finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep-toned, richly chocolaty. Chocolate fudge, dried cherry, almond brittle, gardenia, lemon verbena in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny mouthfeel; chocolaty, nut-toned finish. Dessert-like in cappuccino-scaled milk with rich notes of chocolate fudge and almond brittle.

Richly chocolaty, deeply sweet. Dark chocolate, freesia-like flowers, crisp pear, vanilla bean, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet in structure with gentle acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Quiet, chocolaty finish with notes of pear and cedar.

Deep, rich-toned, sweetly smoky. Mexican chocolate (dark chocolate and cinnamon), gently scorched mesquite, raisin, gardenia, roasted hazelnut in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with barely perceptible acidity; plush, satiny mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of dark chocolate and gently smoky mesquite.

Crisply sweet, bright and lively. Baking chocolate, orange zest, golden raisin, gardenia, molasses in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with brisk acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish consolidates around molasses and orange zest in the short, with gardenia resurfacing in the long.

Sweetly bright, deeply floral. Carnation, caramel, orange zest, pecan, golden raisin in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk, lightly juicy acidity; viscous, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish centers around notes of carnation and pecan.

Richly sweet, caramel-toned. Dark caramel, lemon zest, cedar, hazelnut, lily in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with savory underpinnings; full velvety mouthfeel. Crisp, bittersweet finish with caramel notes throughout, hazelnut in the short, cedar in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich-toned, floral. Dark chocolate, black cherry, gently scorched cedar, molasses, magnolia-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, satiny mouthfeel; the crisp finish centers on notes of molasses and scorched cedar. Especially chocolaty in three parts milk, with pretty floral tones and undercurrents of smoky cedar.

Deep, intense, sweet-savory, utterly coherent. Intense lavender, black currant, mandarin orange, sandalwood, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Sweet, tart, savory-bottomed structure with intense, balanced acidity; big, mouth-filling body. The flavor-saturated finish carries over every nuance from the cup.