Central America Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Roast-prominent, chocolaty, richly sweet. Scorched fir, ripe banana, bakers chocolate, wilted narcissus, allspice in aroma and small cup. Light and fluffy mouthfeel; finish consolidates to chocolate and banana with smoky undertones. In three parts milk the roast integrates nicely with deep chocolate, sweet fruit and a savory pungency.

Rich-toned, chocolaty, exquisitely balanced. Chocolate fudge, pink grapefruit zest, cherry, sandalwood, narcissus in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of chocolate fudge and citrus-toned sandalwood.

Sweetly and pleasingly pungent. Orange zest, cedar, baker’s chocolate, fresh date, a hint of sweet flowers in aroma and cup. Balanced sweet-tart-savory in structure; lightly syrupy in mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around faint orange and cocoa in a rich though drying finish.

Sweet, deep, nut-toned but juicy. Roasted pistachio, baker’s chocolate, lime zest, hints of peach and elderflower in aroma and cup. Gently and roundly bright in structure; smooth, satiny in mouthfeel. Coconut, implicit in the cup, emerges in a nut-buttery finish.

A deep sweetness and considerable complexity resonate impressively inside a bitter-savory structure. Hints of blueberry and guava, spearmint, cocoa, rose, a hint of clove in aroma and cup. Fully, syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor carries persuasively into a rich though bittersweet finish.

Deeply sweet, pungent, with a very slight roasty edge. Cedar, dark chocolate, candied walnut, dried peach, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweetly and roundly brisk in structure; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate dominates in the short finish, cedar in the long.

Mild though intricately deep; sweet, savory, rich. Cocoa, hemp-seed, scorched clove, fig, gardenia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Quiet but well-composed sweet/savory structure; light though nicely satiny mouthfeel. The finish is resonant and gently drying.

Briskly sweet-savory, rounded by a cherry-like juiciness. Black cherry, lavender, baker’s chocolate, pistachio, artichoke blossom in aroma and cup. Bittersweet and savory in structure lifted by a cushiony fruit; full and plump in mouthfeel. The richly drying finish consolidates around chocolate, nut and a hint of flowers.

Sweet, crisply nut- and cocoa-toned. Cocoa, hazelnut, honey, a hint of lime zest, artichoke blossom in aroma and cup. Delicately crisp, lightly zesty in structure; light and silky in mouthfeel. Surprisingly resonant in the finish, with flavor consolidating around flowers and a hint of citrus.

Sweetly and crisply floral- and fruit-toned. Roasted pineapple, honey, cashew, lavender and magnolia, baker’s chocolate in aroma and cup. In structure round, balanced, sweet with a tart/savory edge. Lightly syrupy, satiny mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around dry, spicy chocolate in a crisp finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Nuanced, floral-toned, richly sweet. Wisteria, chocolate fudge, almond brittle, cedar, black cherry in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy, crisp mouthfeel; gently drying, cocoa-and wood-framed finish. Notes of wisteria are foregrounded in three parts milk, supported by chocolate fudge and almond.

Bittersweet, rich-toned. Date, grapefruit zest, hazelnut, cedar, freesia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is framed by aromatic wood notes (cedar) with date and hazelnut undertones and a throughline of grapefruit zest.

High-toned, delicate, complex. Apricot, narcissus, maple syrup, sandalwood, tangerine zest in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Rich, resonant finish that consolidates to notes of apricot and sandalwood.

Crisply sweet-tart. Lemon verbena, cherry, oak, cocoa nob, honeysuckle in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with vibrant acidity; velvety mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of cherry and oak.

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.

Evaluated as espresso. Cocoa-toned, deeply sweet. Cocoa powder, date, cedar, apricot, blood orange zest in aroma and small cup. Big, creamy mouthfeel; the finish is redolent of cocoa and citrus zest. In cappucino-scaled milk, cocoa tones are amplified, as are notes of stone fruit and citrus.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep, rich, chocolaty. Dried apricot, dark chocolate, hazelnut, molasses, cedar in aroma and small cup. Satiny smooth mouthfeel; crisp, sweetly nut-toned finish. Chocolate leads in three parts milk, followed by notes of molasses and hazelnut.

A complex and overwhelming aromatic immersion. Pink bubblegum, winter spices, salted fudge, candied ginger, elderflower, herbal liqueur (yellow chartreuse?) in aroma and cup. The structure is dramatic: basic tastes are all disconcertingly intense, including sweet, salt and savory, yet they all somehow layer and satisfy. Very full and syrupy mouthfeel with a spicy drying edge. The finish is resonant, slightly bittersweet though chocolaty and rich.

Richly sweet-savory. Passionfruit, dark chocolate, hop flowers, almond butter, wine barrel in aroma and cup. Deep sweet-savory structure with wine-like acidity; very full, syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp, richly fruit-toned finish with a throughline of dark chocolate.

Crisply sweet-tart, high-toned. Mandarin orange, candied violet, hazelnut, baker’s chocolate, fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Tart-leaning structure with brisk acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The quiet finish centered around notes of baker’s chocolate, almond and orange.