Espresso Reviews

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. Bright, sweetly tart, floral- and nut-toned. Nougat, cherry, wisteria, almond wood, sweet lime in aroma and small cup. Nicely syrupy, crisp mouthfeel. The finish simplifies around an attractively tart and nutty resonance. The florals, tart elegance and rich-toned nuttiness carry with grace and delicacy into three parts milk.

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.

Briskly and richly pungent. Dark chocolate, date, cherry tomato, violet, hints of herbs and spices (sage, cumin, cinnamon) in aroma and small cup. Light and silky, though gently drying mouthfeel. Crisp, quietly resonant finish. Distinctively tart, floral-toned and rich in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso produced as a ristretto 25ml (.85-ounce) shot using a Nespresso capsule espresso brewer with whole milk heated using a conventional steam wand. Distinctly chocolaty, gently and sweetly bright. Baker’s chocolate, sweet lemon zest, almond, rhododendron-like flowers, maple wood in aroma and small cup. Feathery, lightly buoyant mouthfeel; flavor consolidates but rings on in a balanced finish. Crisply sweet in three parts milk: sweet lemon and chocolate, floral hints.

Evaluated as espresso. Nuanced, floral-toned, richly sweet. Wisteria, chocolate fudge, almond brittle, cedar, black cherry in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy, crisp mouthfeel; gently drying, cocoa-and wood-framed finish. Notes of wisteria are foregrounded in three parts milk, supported by chocolate fudge and almond.

Very sweet, chocolaty and spicy. Ripe banana, moist pipe tobacco, tangerine zest, lilac, bakers chocolate in aroma and small cup. Light, silky mouthfeel. Tightens and turns rather dry in the finish, especially in the long. The coffee’s complex aromatics and deep sweetness carry seductively into three parts milk.

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.

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. Fruit-toned, chocolaty. Dried apricot, chocolate fudge, oak, honeysuckle, almond brittle in aroma and small cup. Velvety mouthfeel; fruit- and chocolate-toned finish. In three parts milk, chocolate and almond notes converge for a dessert-like experience, with a hint of dried apricot.

Evaluated as espresso. Exquisitely aromatic: high-toned, savory and impossibly floral. Toffee, dried black currant, myrrh, lavender, fine musk in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; big, complex finish that is equal parts sweet and savory. In cappuccino-scaled milk, a whole new mid-palate is created, something akin to a mushroom custard.

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.

Evaluated as espresso. High-toned, fruit-forward. Watermelon candy, salted caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, cinnamon in aroma and small cup. Full, creamy mouthfeel; delicate, sweet-toned finish centered around notes of watermelon candy and cinnamon. Dessert-like in the milk shot, all fruit and candy with a hint of cinnamon.

Evaluated as espresso. Cocoa-toned, deeply sweet. Cocoa powder, date, cedar, apricot, blood orange zest in aroma and small cup. Big, creamy mouthfeel; the finish is redolent of cocoa and citrus zest. In cappucino-scaled milk, cocoa tones are amplified, as are notes of stone fruit and citrus.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply and richly sweet. Dark chocolate, lightly scorched cedar, tart pie cherry, molasses, gardenia in aroma and small cup. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel; heavy, bittersweet finish. In three parts milk, chocolate notes are foregrounded, supported by hints of aromatic wood and molasses.

Evaluated as espresso. High-toned, sweetly tart; Bing cherry, dark chocolate, tangerine zest, honeysuckle, a hint of fine pipe tobacco in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel; earthy-sweet finish. In cappuccino-scaled milk, dark chocolate is amplified, as are deep florals, while tart fruit notes round.

Evaluated as espresso. Spice-toned, fruit-forward. Dried raspberry, cinnamon, dark chocolate, almond butter, narcissus in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny texture; resonant, flavor-saturated finish. In three parts milk, balanced and chocolaty, with lingering spice notes.