Espresso Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster Andy Newbom (91) and Ken (91) in particular admired the mouthfeel of the straight shot: "big in the mouth ... viscous but not heavy" in Andy's words. In flavor licoricy and spicy, slightly sharp, rounded by prune and berry notes. In four parts milk the flavor plumped up and rounded beautifully toward a complex chocolate, in Andy's words "chocolate ... nuts and candied apple."

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, fruit-toned aroma. Brightly fruity in flavor with an undercurrent of licorice and aromatic wood. Slightly lean in mouthfeel. Smoothes out in a long, sweetly rich finish. "Improved in milk," according to co-taster Andy Newbom (88), who reported the fruit rounded and deepened toward cherry and plum. Ken (89) agreed, finding hints of flowers and chocolate as well.

Evaluated as espresso. Delicately rich aroma, medium body but slightly leanish mouthfeel. Co-cupper Andy Newbom (88) found the flavor in the small cup a bit sweeter-toned ("fruit and chocolate") than Ken (89), who described a "crisp aromatic wood, walnut and licorice". But both felt the cup smoothed and softened in a pleasing, fruit-toned finish. In four parts milk displayed an attractive and rather distinctive dried fruit and chocolate character: "sweet chocolate, prunes and carob" in Andy’s words.

Evaluated as espresso. Particularly impressive aroma: sweet-toned and delicate: "flowers, orangy chocolate" (Ken, 89). Smooth, buttery mouthfeel. In flavor, lively but rather "tangy and sharp" (co-cupper Andy Newbom, 88); a little too much unripe lemon and licorice sensation perhaps. Chocolaty but simple in milk.

Evaluated as espresso. A solid, balanced blend with flowers, chocolate, and a hint of savory spice and aromatic wood. In co-taster Andy Newbom's (88) more colorful words: "sweet, fruity, caramel, spicy, balanced and soft, warm nuts and cocoa with a touch of fruit." That makes it sound a bit more than solid (Ken had it at 88 also), but a rather muted aroma and heavy finish dragged on its rating. In four parts milk, however, it held up with admirable consistency: tart chocolate, nut, and a continuing hint of flowers.

Resonant, big-bodied, aromatically complex espresso. Dark chocolate, aromatic wood, and a lush, brandy-toned fruit in both aroma and small cup. The flavor softens in two parts milk, with the chocolate taking on a minty sweetness, but still maintains grown-up power and complexity.

Sampled as an ESE pod on a FrancisFrancis! pod brewer. In both aroma and flavor roasted nut, aromatic wood and milk chocolate with hints of flowers, fruit and honey. Full body with a lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is rich and sweet in the short but heavy in the long. In two parts milk deeply bittersweet with continued chocolate and aromatic wood notes.

Evaluated as espresso. Suggestions of flowers, aromatic wood and a vanilla-infused dark chocolate in the aroma. In the small cup medium body and deeper flavors leaning toward black cherry and molasses. Sustains character in two parts milk: aromatic wood, dark chocolate, even a hint of flowers and vanilla.

Evaluated as espresso. Aromatically rich: molasses, nut and caramel with delicate notes of orange and apricot. In the small cup, smooth body and rounded flavors of sweet nut, dark chocolate and prune with a continued orangy hint. The nut character dominates in the finish, turning slightly astringent and walnut-like. Flavors deepen but maintain character in two parts milk: orange-toned milk chocolate dominates with continued complications of nut, caramel and prune-like fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. High-toned aroma combining flowers and very ripe orange with a distant hint of fresh-cut grass. In the small cup smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel and a complex range of flavors that maintain the floral and ripe citrus theme with complications of black cherry and sweet nut. The flavors carry into a sweet short finish and linger delicately in the long. The flavor complex carries intact into two parts milk cushioned by a rich, caramel-like sweetness.

Evaluated as espresso. A complete, big-bodied straight shot. Caramel, toast, flowers and orange in the aroma. All carry into a cup further complicated with deeper suggestions of brandy and chocolate. Flavors linger in the finish, developing solid sweetness in the long. Flavor notes consolidate nicely in two parts milk: turning even sweeter but maintaining complexity.

Evaluated as espresso. Quietly bright and floral throughout the profile. Flowers, toast and apricot in the aroma with a touch of cardamom-like spice. Flavors deepen in the small cup: raspberry-toned chocolate, prune and molasses. The flavors linger long into the sweet, flavor-saturated finish. Round and sweet in two parts milk: delicate orange, milk chocolate and nut suggestions.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, sweet aroma with toast and caramel notes and a smoky suggestion. In the small cup syrupy body and deep, softly pungent flavors of dark chocolate, raisin and aromatic wood. The chocolate turns bittersweet in a slightly astringent finish, but the flavors soften again in two parts milk, blooming nicely while maintaining their complexity and authority.

Rich aroma: dark chocolate, toast and a hint of fruit. The flavors blossom in the small cup with a broad cherry-like fruit balanced by notes of aromatic wood, a suggestion of mint, soft roastiness and more dark chocolate. Flavors simplify in the finish. Sweet and round in two parts milk: nut-toned chocolate dominates, complicated by continued suggestions of fruit, caramel and aromatic wood.

Evaluated as espresso. Honey-sweet aroma with notes of aromatic wood, dark chocolate, raisin. In the small cup full mouthfeel and a deeper rendition of dark chocolate and raisin; hints of floral and citrus brightness. Long, resonant, flavor-saturated finish. Unusually complex in two parts milk, with notes ranging from milk chocolate to dry walnut.

Evaluated as espresso. Big floral aroma with notes of minty dark chocolate and orange peel. In the small cup, silky and smooth with continued floral character and layers of brandyish concentrated fruit - citrus, cranberry, blueberry modulating to chocolate. The fruit reverts to orange peel in the finish. In two parts milk the fruit turns to chocolate but sustains a complicating brandy and orange-peel edge.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp aroma with an enveloping sweetness: dried apricot, caramel, nut. All carries into the small cup, complicated by penetrating suggestions of lemon, cocoa nib, fir. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel, rich finish. In two parts milk the cocoa rounds to chocolate nuanced by continued hints of fir and lemon.

Evaluated as espresso. High-toned, sweet aroma: caramel and hints of orange, lemon and aromatic wood. In the small cup the fruit brightens and the suggestions of lemon and aromatic wood become more distinct, though still softened by caramel. Two parts milk deepen the caramel to a dark chocolate nuanced by continued hints of citrus and aromatic wood.

Evaluated as espresso. Distinct floral- and citrus-toned aroma, lightly syrup mouthfeel and crisp, concentrated fruit that combines suggestions of citrus, flowers, aromatic wood and a cocoaish chocolate. Clean, very rich finish; the cocoa rounds to a sweet lemony chocolate. The intense flavors simplify in two parts milk but retain character and balance.

Dark chocolate and aromatic wood with a hint of brightness in the aroma. In the small cup light-bodied but delicately plush in mouthfeel, pungently sweet, with continued hints of aromatic wood, dark chocolate, and a complex but muted fruit. The chocolate in particular carries into a rich, rather dry finish. Flavor maintains nicely in three parts hot milk, the chocolate rounding and softening predictably while the aromatic wood notes retain some crisp authority.