Coffees from Taiwan Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Dark chocolate, cedar, roasted nut, vanilla, blackberry in the impressive aroma. The aromatics dry out a bit in the small cup but retain complexity; the mouthfeel is full and robust; the finish richly drying with some flavor persistence. In two parts milk the coffee rather sharply dominates the milk, but it softens and blooms while retaining some complexity in four parts.

Evaluated as espresso. Buttery dark chocolate and hints of flowers, vanilla and cedar in the roundly balanced aroma. In the small cup the cedar comes forward and the chocolate turns crisp and backgrounded. Medium, lightly syrupy mouthfeel; gently and richly drying finish with good persistence of the chocolate note. Crisp and balanced in two parts milk crisp, with excellent flavor persistence: The buttery chocolate dominates with the cedar note once again backgrounded.

Evaluated as espresso. In the straight shot complex floral notes ranging from lavender to lily, honey, fresh-cut cedar, vanilla-toned dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is medium in weight and lightly syrupy in texture; the finish sweet and resonantly persistent. Preserves character in two parts milk with a zesty orange-toned chocolate and a continuing hint of flowers.

Quiet and roundly deep. Night flowers, honey, plum, hints of roasted nut and chocolate. Crisp, backgrounded acidity; impressively full, syrupy mouthfeel. Nut, plum and chocolate in particular carry into a rich finish.

Complex, richly theatrical blend. Sweet, honeysuckle-like flowers, pronounced brandy-toned blueberry, hints of mint, dark chocolate, cedar. Round, crisply rich acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor sustains in the short finish, fades slightly in the long.

Crisply sweet, extravagantly aromatic. Honey, rose-like flowers, orange, almond, a hint of fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Delicate, balanced acidity; silky, lively mouthfeel. Floral notes in particular sustain in a flavor-saturated, slightly drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, deep, complex. In the small cup aromatic wood, apricot-like fruit, dark chocolate, night-blooming flowers and a hint of lemony citrus in aroma and flavor. Big, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor persists deep in a richly drying finish. Presents a crisply dry, forceful dark chocolate in two parts milk.

Sweetly pungent, intensely complex dried-in-the-fruit profile. Notes range from a honey eucalyptus note with a slight savory edge, through very complex floral notes including sweet (honeysuckle) and bittersweet (lavender) to zesty tangerine and crisp roasted cocoa nib. Rich, deep acidity; silky/syrupy mouthfeel. Impressively long, resonant finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Brisk, zesty, floral. Anise, flowers, prune, orange zest in aroma and small cup. Smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel; gently tart, richly flavor-saturated finish. Orange zest, a hint of flowers and a crisp, cocoaish chocolate in two parts milk.

Crisp, complex. Almond, caramel, spicy flowers, tart berry, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Brisk, bittersweet acidity; light but silky mouthfeel. Hints of chocolate and flowers carry into a gently drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep, earthy, savory. Dark chocolate, caramel, nut, rich earth and faint orange- and apricot-toned fruit in aroma and small cup. Round, lightly syrupy mouthfeel; a crisply dry chocolate dominates in a flavor-saturated finish and carries persuasively into two-parts milk with a complicating hint of orangy fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, deep, nutty. Molasses, roasted pecan, dark chocolate and pungent, pineapple-like fruit in aroma and small cup. Fullish, creamy mouthfeel; richly dry, fruit-toned finish. Fruit and chocolate survive, though quietly, in two parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Intense, sweetly tart, complex. Passion fruit, melon, hazelnut, vanilla in aroma and small cup. Full, buttery mouthfeel; hazelnut and vanilla in particular carry into a rich finish. Delicate, crisp and chocolaty in two parts milk.

Sweet, complex, briskly floral. Honey, lavender-like flowers, cocoaish chocolate, hints of fir and mint in aroma and cup. Softly bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Very sweet, flavor-saturated finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, richly complex, distinctive. Vanilla, hazelnut, candied ginger, dark chocolate and ripe, orangy raspberry in aroma and small cup. Full, round mouthfeel; raspberry, ginger and dark chocolate particularly saturate the finish. Preserves richness and complexity two parts milk.

Rich, low-toned, savory. Walnut, salty dark chocolate, caramel and a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Round, muted acidity; full, slightly rough mouthfeel. Chocolate in particular lingers in a long finish.

Sweet, delicate, honey-toned. Honey, molasses, night-blooming flowers, fresh-cut fir and an elegant, pistachio-like nut note in aroma and cup. Gently crisp acidity; light but very silky mouthfeel. Very clean, flavor-saturated finish slightly drying in the long.

Richly tart, resonantly complex. Orange, black currant, walnut, honeysuckle and jasmine in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Long, deep finish, resonant with flavor.

Shifting, engaging complexity. Just a few of the notes we registered: apricot, honey, melon, fresh pipe tobacco, cedar, dark chocolate. There were more. Delicately bright, floral-toned acidity; light, silky/satiny mouthfeel. Pleasingly soft though fading finish.

Intense, lyric, complex floral character – tea rose, lily, lavender, honey – anchored by a crisp, cocoa-toned chocolate. Sweet-toned, floral acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Dry but rich, flavor-saturated finish.