Central America Reviews

An elegant and well-balanced cup. Full aromatically, with hints of fruit, baking spices and flowers. In the cup tightly knit, layered sensations, from bright orangy sweetness to round fruit-toned chocolate and flowers. A softly pungent bittersweet chocolate carries into the finish.

A pungent fruit aroma with hints of flowers, cedar and red currant. In the cup, nicely balanced acidity, a lightly syrupy mouthfeel and flavors of peach and lemon that lean toward chocolate. The fruit-toned chocolate grows more distinct and lingers in the finish.

Intense, sweet-toned aroma: cherryish fruit, hints of orange and flowers. In the cup rich, rounded acidity, fullish body, and continued cherry- and orange-toned fruit complicated by a dry, cocoaish chocolate. Simple, sweet finish.

Gently sweet aroma with hints of wood and molasses. Delicate but well-balanced in the cup, with medium body, soft mouthfeel, and flavor notes of aromatic wood, fruit-toned chocolate, and a citrusy quality reminiscent of sweet lemony tea. Some sweetness persists in the finish, though it fades rather quickly.

Balanced aroma with soft notes of pipe tobacco, vanilla, sweet aromatic wood and suggestions of fruit. The fruit becomes more pronounced in the bright-toned acidity. A graceful cup, with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel and flavors of orange, grapefruit, fir, and a touch of chocolate that sweetens in the finish.

Sweet-toned orange and lemon aroma, with soft hints of nuts, cherry and caramel. A bright acidity is softened and rounded by a suggestion of fruit. The balance continues in the cup with sweet lemon and honey in front, fading to a pleasant nuttiness. Hints of chocolate and aromatic wood linger in the long finish.

A very slight fruit ferment both complicates and shadows the profile. A distinct orange-toned citrus and nut character dominates the aroma. In the cup round-toned acidity, syrupy mouthfeel, continued orange and nut notes sweeten and add a cocoa crispness. The finish is long and resonant, though the flavor fades rather quickly.

For co-cupper Andy Newbom (88) "dried peaches and a hint of prunes struggle to open into dark chocolate" in the cup. For Ken (89) the sweet dried fruit notes actually make it to dark chocolate, albeit a "berry-toned" version. Similarly, Ken tastes the good side of the finish, citing "long, deep, dry berry notes," whereas for Andy an attractive "dried fruit sweetness" in the finish was compromised by "hard mineral fruit notes." Both noted a "soft citrus" [Andy] acidity and a full but slightly rough mouthfeel.

Improves as it moves along. The aroma is delicate, almost too delicate, with only slight hints of chocolate and flowers. Picks up energy in the cup: soft but vibrant acidity, silky mouthfeel. The dark chocolate and night flowers retain their delicacy but turn distinct and rich, carrying into a long, sweet-toned finish.

Citrus-basket aroma - tangerine, Key lime, Mandarin orange - with mild floral notes. Bright, sweetly fruit-toned acidity and a delicately juicy mouthfeel. Sweet citrus carries into the cup with hints of flowers, berries and black currant. Lush finish; toast and caramel turn toward orangey chocolate in the long.

Elegantly delicate, lightly floral aroma, with tartly-sweet acidity and medium body. The delicacy carries into the cup with notes of sweet citrus rounding and softening toward candied-nut. Very clean finish, with a slight astringent note in the long.

Round, sweet-toned aroma: flowers, molasses, spice. In the cup intense but sweetly balanced acidity, silky mouthfeel, lemon, floral and caramel notes. Sweet, rich, citrus-rind- and nut-toned finish.

Bright-toned lemony aroma, with hints of blackberry, flowers and butter. Tartly sweet acidity in the cup, with medium body and a smoothly juicy mouthfeel. Lemon-like flavors are balanced with floral and cocoaish chocolate notes. Finishes cleanly, developing sweetness in the long.

A pungent but sweet fruit character, subtle but striking, carries from aroma to finish, suggesting at various moments black currant, grapefruit, fresh-cut fir, butter, raisin, perhaps something one could call butterscotch. Very rich, sweetly clean, long finish.

Sweet ripe citrus aroma with hints of flowers and mulling spices. Lively, assertive acidity, medium body, and a soft, round mouthfeel. Complex flavors range from flowers to sweet lemon to butter and toast. Clean, floral-toned finish, with a suggestion of milk chocolate in the long.

Aromatic notes of chocolate, peppery spices, nuts and soft, sweet-toned fruit. Rounded, balanced acidity, with full, buttery mouthfeel. Sweet raisin-like fruit notes in the cup fade toward dark chocolate and nut. A cocoaish chocolate carries into the finish.

Sweet-toned, soft aroma with wood and molasses notes. In the cup medium body, very soft acidity, with flavor notes that in their sweet wood and fruity herb character distinctly resemble date. Clean, sweet, rather fast-fading finish.

A coffee distinguished more by a gently pungent, quiet richness than by any aromatic complexity. Restrained acidity, silky mouthfeel. Dark chocolate and nut hints carry from aroma through cup to the particularly sweet finish.

Richly and sweetly bright aroma with aromatic wood, peach-toned fruit and cocoa notes. In the cup quietly acidy, elegantly crisply sweet, deeply floral, with distinct peach-toned fruit and hints of cocoaish chocolate that carry into a long, flavor-glistening finish.

Mildly tangy aromatic notes, with soft hints of nuts and chocolate. A bright acidity is softened and rounded by faint suggestions of fruit. The balance continues in the cup with tart lime tones standing out in front, fading to a pleasant nuttiness. Hints of chocolate, spice and aromatic wood linger in the long, dry finish.