Coffees from Taiwan Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly tart, chocolaty. Black cherry, apricot, dark chocolate, narcissus and lily, hints of spice in aroma and small cup. Light, satiny mouthfeel; tartly fruit- and spice-toned finish. A pleasing, lively, fruit-nuanced chocolate dominates in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Tart, rich, complex. Dark chocolate, blood orange, sandalwood, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel; sandalwood, citrus and flowers carry into a dry but resonant finish. Softens yet retains its tart richness in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Exhilaratingly bright without sharpness; juicy. Mango, pineapple, roasted cacao nib, honeysuckle-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Lively, effervescent mouthfeel. The pineapple fruit softens and the cacao nib deepens toward chocolate in a long, very sweet finish. In three parts milk the tropical fruit notes turn almost buttery: think ripe papaya.

Evaluated as espresso. Wide-ranging complexity. Strawberry, cedar, walnut, dark chocolate, narcissus-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Slight savory suggestion. Big, syrupy mouthfeel; sweet floral notes carry into a sweetly and richly pungent finish. Narcissus, chocolate and cedar all move persuasively into three parts milk.

Sweetly and delicately bright. Honey, lilac, lavender, roasted cacao nib, a hint of lemon zest in aroma and cup. Crisp yet juicy, floral-toned acidity; satiny mouthfeel. Honey, flowers and cacao nib linger in a long, gentle finish.

Sweet, cidery, unusual. Apple cider, rose, almond, sweet-orange Turkish delight, a hint of angostura bitters in aroma and cup. Crisply balanced, rounded acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Finish consolidates around a lightly sweet and spice-toned resonance.

Evaluated as espresso. Lush tropical fruit and tart berry dominates with a chocolaty depth that for co-taster Ethan Hill (94) evoked “chocolate-covered raisin and tropical fruit.” Ken (94) for his part cited cleanly sweet alcohol suggestions (“fruity cabernet”), and both remarked on a sweetly tart pineapple top note that carried throughout the profile. For both tasters the mouthfeel was “plush [and] velvety,” the finish a bit drying but still saturated with the fruit and chocolate suggestions. In three parts milk the fruit and chocolate rounded but persisted with satisfying continuity.

Evaluated as espresso. Both co-taster Ethan Hill (93) and Ken (92) remarked on the subtle, intricate layering of aroma and flavor, which for Ethan involved “lilac, lavender, blackberry … almond.” Both found mouthfeel relatively light but “satiny” (Ethan), the general structure delicate and balanced, the finish softly resonant and berry-toned. Both Ethan and Ken felt the general poise and quiet intricacy of this coffee carried persuasively into three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Both co-taster Ethan Hill (92) and Ken (92) were impressed with deep, pungent aromatic wood notes (sandalwood, cedar) and rich fig and date suggestions. Ken found further complication: musky flowers and chocolate. Ethan felt that the low-toned richness turned rather barley-like in the finish, though for Ken it remained chocolaty. Both were impressed by the blend in three parts milk; for Ken it displayed a “flower-nuanced cocoa and cedar.”

Sweetly and richly fermenty: rye whisky, lilac-like flowers, lemon custard, carob and almond suggestions in aroma and cup. Tart, lively acidity; plush mouthfeel. Flavor saturates a clean though richly drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Vibrantly rich, sweet, intense. Chocolate fudge, passion-fruit, mango, jasmine, sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Smooth, silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around cocoa and sandalwood in a resonant, slightly drying finish. Chocolate dominates in three parts milk with continued hints of passion-fruit and mango.

Reviewed as espresso. Opulent and pungent; complete. Cherry, spicy oak, dark chocolate, lily-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, buttery mouthfeel; richly drying finish. Oak, chocolate and flowers sustain in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Deep, richly sweet. Chocolate fudge, mango, wisteria, vanilla in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is crisply dry; flavor consolidates as a cedar-toned chocolate. Richly chocolaty in three-parts milk with continued hints of fruit and flowers.

Delicate, intricate, very sweetly but crisply fruit-toned. Orange, honey, roasted cacao nib, lilac-like flowers, a hint of brandy in aroma and cup. Round, brisk but rich acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Resonantly crisp, slightly bitter-toned finish.

Intense, complex, sweetly pungent. Honeysuckle, tangerine, apricot and plum, spicy aromatic wood. Richly and roundly bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Bright, mildly drying, flavor-saturated finish.

Soft but intense; original. Lavender, kumquat, musk, roasted cacao nib, ripe banana in aroma and cup. Rich, round acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Very sweet finish, slightly drying in the long.

(As brewed in a Keurig B70 Platinum single-serve brewing device using a Keurig-compatible capsule containing a 7-gram dose of particularly finely ground coffee to produce a 6-ounce serving). Crisply delicate yet lush. Roasted cacao nib, night-blooming flowers, moist perique tobacco, dried cherry in aroma and cup. Round, low-toned acidity; light but distinctly syrupy mouthfeel. The cherry note in particular carries into a sweet though quietly drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly pungent, chocolate- and nut-toned. Chocolate, hazelnut, fresh-cut fir, orange, raisin in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel; orange and chocolate in particular carry into a richly drying finish. Excellent in three-parts milk, where the chocolate amplifies and the hazelnut takes on a vanilla-like sweetness.

Evaluated as espresso. Chocolaty, deep. Dark chocolate, lively fresh-cut cedar, anise, musky flowers in aroma and small cup. Full though drying mouthfeel; crisply chocolate-toned, resonant finish. Chocolate carries nicely into three parts milk, turning nutty and buttery with continued cedar and musk complications.

Big, brightly sweet, intense. Complex fruit – red currant, peach, orange – honeysuckle, musk, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Richly tart acidity; full, plush mouthfeel. Long, sweet-toned, resonantly flavor-saturated finish.