Dark Reviews

A wildly flawed but perversely interesting coffee. Dramatically uneven from cup to cup, with some cups dominated by a heavy and rather oppressive Mediterranean spice character (thyme or rosemary) and others displaying less oppressive and more pleasant floral and bitter fruit tones - in the latter case, imagine bitter-chocolate-covered jasmine petals. All of this aromatic peculiarity probably derives from a combination of mildly fermented fruit with a musty overlay acquired while the still fruit-encased beans were drying.

The opulent, flower-toned sweetness of this coffee is overlaid by an effervescent, spicy mustiness. Imagine mildewed spice covered by chocolate.

Not nearly as dramatic as the Olympic mountains, but satisfying and substantial. Straightforward, low-toned, agreeably balanced, vibrant and solid in mid-range, fresh and sweet in finish, complicated by a touch of intrigue that could be called chocolate. As the cup cools the sweet tones grow rounder, fuller and more distinctly chocolate.

A complete but rather simple profile; decent acidity balances the pungency of the moderately dark roast. Hints of vanilla intensify and the entire profile sweetens as the coffee cools.

The aromatics of the vanilla-chocolate complex fade fast under the impact of the carbon, although the clean-sweat pungency will please lovers of extremely dark roasts. The blanketing astringency of the carbon reaches a climax in the aftertaste, but even there sweetness balances and pungency complicates.

I found this blend low-toned and pungently fruity, although the fruitiness was dry rather than sweet. For me the pungency turned pleasantly round, sweet, and chocolaty when combined with milk. My tasting colleague didn't respond to the pungency in any context. She found this blend too sharp in a demitasse and too thin in milk.

Simple but centered, a classically solid Espresso. Once past the low-key, caramel/toast/chocolate nose I didn't register much in the way of grace notes, but neither was I oppressed by carbon. My taster colleague picked up muted wine-fruit tones. In milk, sweet and substantial.

This classic medium-dark coffee gives us solid, mouth-filling dark-roast pungency, though the carbon notes seem to co-opt its sweetness. Some acidity survives the roast, and fills out the top of the profile nicely.