Central America Reviews

Deep, resonant, quietly complex. Candied orange zest, baker’s chocolate, tamarind, roasted walnut, cedar in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-savory structure with a roundly tart edge. Satiny, lively mouthfeel. Tamarind and cedar carry into the short finish; walnut lasts in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Baker’s chocolate, plum blossom, molasses, grapefruit zest, cedar in aroma and small cup. Crisp, lightly satiny mouthfeel; the finish consolidates around grapefruit zest and baker’s chocolate in the short, with notes of cedar returning in the long. In three parts milk, baker’s chocolate envelopes citrus zest and stone fruit notes in pleasing balance.

Subtle, engaging, deeply sweet-savory. Orange blossom, baker’s chocolate, cantaloupe, fresh pine, a hint of cinnamon in aroma and cup. Round, sweetly savory structure; taut, velvety body. The finish consolidates around quiet chocolate and almond notes.

Deeply rich, bittersweet, herbaceous. Almond brittle, date, mace, honeysuckle, eucalyptus leaf in aroma and cup. Crisply bittersweet structure; satiny, full mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to gently drying notes of date and almond.

Deeply rich, sweetly smoky. Ripe banana, black peppercorn, singed clove, pipe tobacco, gardenia-like flowers in aroma and cup. The structure is dominated by a smoke-toned sweetness with spice undertones. Velvety smooth mouthfeel. Fruit tones carry the short finish, while gently drying pipe tobacco and clove re-emerge in the long.

Richly aromatic, wood-framed, bittersweet. Rhododendron, fresh mulch, dried apricot, saltwater taffy, molasses in aroma and cup. Bitter-leaning in structure; lean, silky mouthfeel. The finish is gently drying, with sweet mulch notes and vanilla-like florals.

Deeply aromatic, floral-toned, sweetly and brightly tart. Star jasmine, dried apricot, myrrh, wild raspberry, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Lively, richly sweet-savory in structure; buoyant, silky-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is resonant and flavor-saturated, leading with fruit and floral notes in the short and closing out in the very long with rich tones of myrrh.

Evaluated as espresso. Fruit-toned, sweetly tart. Raspberry jam, almond, dark chocolate, narcissus, sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The crisp, chocolate-toned finish is complicated by complex, jammy notes of raspberry in the short, consolidating to dark chocolate and sandalwood in the long. In three parts milk, fruit and chocolate deepen and round.

Sweetly zesty, quiet but resonant. Pineapple guava, sweet, aromatic starch (taro?), nougat, hints of lemon zest and honeysuckle in aroma and cup. Tart in structure, with rounding sweetness and a distinct savory edge. Flavor consolidates around guava and nougat in a simple but rich finish.

Subtle; balanced; classic. Roasted cashew, sweet apple, clover flowers, brown sugar, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Softly and sweetly tart in structure; plush and velvety in mouthfeel. Apple, brown sugar, cashew and clover all carry into a quietly complete finish.

Roast-encapsulated complexity; sweetly and exhilaratingly pungent. Richly scorched cedar, rose-like flowers, orange zest, black sage, a hint of cocoa-ish chocolate in aroma and cup. Bittersweet but zesty in structure; light though plush mouthfeel. Flowers and cocoa in particular carry into a roasty but cleanly sweet-toned finish.

Delicately rich, deeply sweet, lushly intricate. Complex flowers (rose, lavender) apple, tangerine zest, roasted almond, baker’s chocolate in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet in structure, with a pleasantly brisk, bitterish complication. Crisply smooth, satiny mouthfeel. Apple, almond, lavender in particular carry into a very sweet finish.

Rich, lavish, elegantly sweet-tart and complexly layered. In aroma and cup, intricately expressed citrus (sweet lime, grapefruit, blood orange); spice (coriander, mace); lilac-like flowers; almond; cocoa. Grand but balanced in structure; plump and delicately syrupy in mouthfeel. Everything rounds and deepens in a flavor-saturated finish.

Deeply sweet/savory yet delicate and vibrant. Grapefruit zest, brown sugar, hazelnut, rhododendron-like flowers, a hint of musk in aroma and cup. Roundly and resonantly brisk in structure; plump and full in mouthfeel. Nut, brown sugar and grapefruit carry into a quiet, balanced finish.

Deeply sweet, fruit-toned. Ripe strawberry, cashew, fine musk, cocoa powder, fir in aroma and cup. Gentle, fruit-forward acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The gently drying finish is characterized by aromatic wood notes, sweetly fermenty berry tones, and suggestions of cocoa powder.

Deeply rich, sweetly spice-toned. Pineapple, roasted cocoa nib, lavender, maple syrup, hazelnut butter in aroma and cup. Juicy, citrus-toned acidity; smooth, creamy mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to lavender and cocoa notes in the short, with suggestions of hazelnut returning in the long.

Sweetly tart, floral-toned. Lavender, passionfruit, roasted cacao nib, almond brittle, allspice in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish is deep with cocoa- and spice-toned floral notes in the resonant short and perhaps a hint of sweet, grappa-like ferment in the long.

Intensely sweet, intricate. Dark chocolate, aromatic orchid, strawberry guava, almond butter, frankincense in aroma and cup. Juicy, savory-sweet acidity; delicate, satiny mouthfeel. A bonus coconut note surfaces in the resonant, flavor-saturated finish.

Delicate, crisply sweet. Violet candy, hazelnut butter, lemon verbena, molasses, cedar in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; lightly silky mouthfeel. The quiet finish settles to notes of lemon verbena and molasses.

Delicate, sweetly tart, spice-toned. Nougat, orange, clove, rye whisky, baker’s chocolate in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet-tart acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The gently drying finish is richly aromatic and laden with chocolate tones, hints of orange, and a whisper of sweet ferment suggesting rye whisky.