Coffees from Taiwan 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.

Evaluated as espresso. Smoky, chocolate-toned. Cocoa, salted raisin, crimson lily, smoke in aroma and small cup. Heavyish though velvety mouthfeel; sweetly salty, smoky finish with a chocolate throughline. In three-parts milk, bittersweet cocoa and salted fruit resonate clearly.

Evaluated as espresso. Assertively sweet, fruity, spicy. Ripe banana, baking chocolate, allspice, lemon drop, dried lavender and narcissus in aroma and small cup. The mouthfeel is syrupy though drying, the finish rich-toned though rather drying and heavyish in the long. In three-parts milk the coffee balances nicely, with high-toned sweetness and florals showing with pleasing clarity.

High-toned, sweetly tart, deeply savory. Jasmine, dark chocolate, lemon verbena, pink grapefruit zest, candycap mushroom in aroma and cup. Balanced sweet-tart-savory structure; lyrical, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish leads with citrus notes (lemon verbena, grapefruit) in the short, rounding to deep chocolate and sweet mushroom in the long.

High-toned, richly savory-sweet. Red currant, hop flowers, dark chocolate, oak, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Rich, savory-sweet structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Resoundingly long, flavor-saturated finish.

Cleanly fruit-toned, deeply rich. Dried raspberry, toffee, molasses, cedar, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk acidity; creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Impressively resonant, multi-layered finish.

Crisp, citrusy, deeply sweet. Lemon verbena, cacao nib, agave syrup, cedar, freesia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with high-toned, lively acidity; full, viscous mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to notes of citrus-toned cocoa and freesia.

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.

Fruit-driven, sweetly savory. Dried raspberry, baker’s chocolate, hop flowers, grappa barrel, cedar in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with round, accessible acidity; full, viscous mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of raspberry and lily with a hint of grappa barrel.

Sweetly fermenty with savory undertones, very fruit-forward. Concord grape, chocolate rum cordial, cucumber pickles, musk, gently scorched sandalwood in aroma and cup. Sweet-savory structure with winy acidity; velvety mouthfeel. Ferment carries into the finish, with notes of Concord grape, rum, scorched sandalwood and a hint of dark chocolate in the long.

Delicately fruit-toned. Persimmon, rose hips, cacao nib, lemon verbena, saltwater taffy in aroma and cup. Balanced, sweet-savory structure with fruit-driven acidity; vibrant, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to persimmon and rose hips with cocoa undertones.

Sweet, crisp, meadowy, fresh. Honeydew melon, fresh-cut fir, orange zest, clover blossom in aroma and cup. Crisp, balanced structure; satiny mouthfeel. The finish is citrusy, savory-sweet, resonant.

Deeply rich, sweet, complex. Cocoa nib, ripe persimmon, tangerine zest, gardenia and myrrh in aroma and small cup. Rich, lightly velvety mouthfeel; crisp, cocoa-toned finish. In three parts milk, aromatics carry through distinctly with balanced pungency and sweetness.

Richly sweet, fruit-forward. Dried peach, baker’s chocolate, jasmine, cedar, molasses in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Long, lingering finish that centers around dried peach and chocolate notes, supported by cedar-like wood.

Richly sweet, fruit- and floral-toned. Blueberry, narcissus, agave syrup, sandalwood, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Sweet in structure with gentle, round acidity; plushly syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish leads with notes of blueberry and narcissus in the short, rounding to aromatic wood-framed chocolate in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly roast-toned; floral and chocolaty. Gently scorched cedar, baker’s chocolate, narcissus-like flowers, mango, spearmint in aroma and small cup. Satiny mouthfeel; chocolate and spicy roast notes carry in a dry but lasting finish. The crisp chocolate dominates in three parts milk, with continuing hints of flowers and mango-like fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp, sweetly spice-toned. Pomegranate, cedar, dark chocolate, magnolia, a hint of cumin in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny mouthfeel; tart-leaning, richly drying finish. Tart flavors stand up to three parts milk, in which dark chocolate and magnolia are also amplified.

Evaluated as espresso. Bright, floral, sweetly herbaceous. Tangerine zest, lemon verbena, dark chocolate, narcissus-like flowers, sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny mouthfeel; resonant finish consolidates to narcissus and sandalwood. In cappuccino-scaled milk, this coffee is driven by deep florals and rich aromatic wood notes, with a base of dark chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Bittersweet, gently roast-toned, chocolaty. Chocolate fudge, roasted hazelnut, green apple, molasses, singed cedar in aroma and small cup. Silky-smooth mouthfeel; crisp, richly drying finish. Reads like a classic Italian espresso in three parts milk, bitter and sweet in equal parts, balanced and harmonious with a hint of roast throughout.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisply sweet-tart, spice-toned. Baker’s chocolate, cardamom, tart cherry, fir, almond butter in aroma and small cup. Creamy body; bittersweet, wood-framed finish. Cardamom-toned chocolate blooms in three parts milk, along with sweet nut and tart fruit notes.