Coffees from Taiwan Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Complex, multi-toned. Chocolate fudge, black cherry, almond blossom, sandalwood, pipe tobacco in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel; very sweet, chocolaty finish. In three parts milk, richly complex with wide-ranging floral and fruit notes, all supported by deep chocolate.

Balanced, sweetly nutty, gently tart. Pomegranate, hazelnut, baking chocolate, cedar, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; very full, syrupy mouthfeel. Quiet finish settles into notes of baking chocolate and pomegranate.

Richly bittersweet. Candied walnut, black sage, sesame, palm sugar, dried persimmon in aroma and cup. Delicately rich, tart acidity; vibrant, silky mouthfeel. Nut-toned finish with undertones of black sage.

Cocoa-toned, sweetly fermenty. Orange zest, cocoa nib, grappa barrel, pink peppercorn, lilac in aroma and cup. Zesty, pert acidity; very full, velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Sweetly fermenty, grappa-barrel finish.

Bright, juicy, richly sweet-savory. Black currant, shiitake mushroom, amber, lilac, Meyer lemon zest in aroma and cup. High-toned, apple-like acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Citrusy, floral finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Bright, vibrant, chocolaty. Dark chocolate, magnolia, red currant, cedar, lemon verbena in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny-smooth mouthfeel; chocolaty, citrusy-herbaceous finish. In cappuccino format, rich-toned, chocolaty and floral.

Multi-layered, richly sweet. Black cherry, baking chocolate, magnolia, pink grapefruit zest, oak in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart with brisk acidity; syrupy-smooth, vibrant mouthfeel. Pink grapefruit and baking chocolate in the finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisply chocolaty, rich-toned. Baking chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, lily, cedar in aroma and small cup. Velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Caramelly, gently tart finish. In cappuccino format, nicely chocolaty with lily and cedar undertones.

Sweetly nut-toned. Pistachio, baking chocolate, orange zest, agave syrup, nutmeg in aroma and cup. Gentle, round acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. Nut-toned finish with hints of orange zest and baking chocolate.

Delicately sweet-savory. Date, hop flowers, agave syrup, tamarind, fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet-savory acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Finish centers around notes of date and tamarind with undertones of fir.

Sweetly nut-toned, citrusy. Orange zest, hazelnut, baking chocolate, lily, oak in aroma and cup. High-toned, juicy acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of baking chocolate and cedar.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet grapefruit and orange blossom notes shimmer inside a deeply expressed chocolate in aroma and cup. Velvety mouthfeel. Ken and co-taster John DiRuocco shared parallel descriptors and the same 95-point enthusiasm for this poised, resonantly finishing espresso. Floral-toned chocolate with a continued grapefruit hint graces three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Resonant, layered berry (blueberry, raspberry), vanilla-toned flowers, papaya, a hint of cinnamon jostle in aroma and in the cup, where aromatics are suspended in a layered structure of complex bitter, sweet, tart and savory tastes. Ken (94) liked this velvety, viscous espresso a bit better than co-taster John DiRuocco (93). The complexity consolidates a bit in three parts milk, where flavor settles in with quiet certainty around a pronounced chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Ripe, berryish fruit hints at brandy in this lush yet tartly dry espresso that reveals its rounder chocolate side in the cup. Ken (93) decided to like its intensity and tart fruit sweetness. Co-cupper John DiRuocco went more decisively to the bright side at 94. Convincing in three parts milk: crisp chocolate with a juicy, fruit-toned finish.

Evaluated as espresso. In the aroma, lush, chocolaty fruit (maraschino cherry, ripe orange) transforms to a bright, floral citrus in the cup, slightly drying but sweet. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) felt that the entire package came together nicely, with “nice high notes balanced by chocolate undertones, acidity by body.” Ken had less conviction in regard to coherence, but he too characterized the mouthfeel as full and plush, the cup impressive, and seconded John’s 94. Both particularly praised the coffee in three parts milk, where lemon, chocolate and cherry tendencies played nicely.

Evaluated as espresso. Lots of flowers with an herby edge—lavender, jasmine, orange blossom, cilantro—cushion on milk chocolate in this bright, light-footed espresso. Both co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken read this high-toned but resonant espresso in about the same terms with parallel ratings of 94. Resolves to an orangy, floral caramel in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) liked this coffee (“brightly orange and juicy, sweet, jasmine and stone fruit”) a bit better than Ken did (93), who nevertheless concurred with John’s descriptors and added dark chocolate and molasses. Both found the mouthfeel plush and satiny. In three parts milk, the shot proved delicate yet substantial, with an animated, light-footed chocolate.

Elegantly berry-toned, dessert-like. Mulberry, candycap mushroom amber, apricot nectar, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet-savory acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Harmonious, integrated, flavor-saturated finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich-toned, deeply sweet-savory. Black currant, pomegranate, hop flowers, dark chocolate, magnolia, cedar in aroma and small cup. Crisp, lightly satiny mouthfeel; intense, concentrated finish rife with notes of black currant, magnolia and dark chocolate. In cappuccino format, dark chocolate notes are amplified, as are magnolia and black currant.

Juicy, lithe, high-toned. Lychee, passionfruit, sandalwood, cocoa nib, marjoram in aroma and cup. Sparkling acidity; crisp, lushly satiny mouthfeel. Cocoa-toned tropical fruit in the finish.