Espresso Reviews

Superb fruity, caramelly aroma with distinct brandy and chocolate notes. In the small cup medium body, dominated by caramel and cedar notes with only a hint of cherryish brandy intrigue. The fruity brandy tones intensify in the finish, though with a very slight bitterish edge. They reach their apotheosis in milk, however, where they finally free themselves from their slight bitter shadow and bloom with lush, powerful expressiveness.

Crisp, lemon- and chocolate-toned aroma with a hint of flowers. In the small cup medium in body and slightly lean but effervescent in mouthfeel. Sweet, balanced and lively in flavor, with a cedar-toned dry chocolate. Masters milk with a deep, simple authority and a sneakily lush, minty chocolate.

Very deep, richly fruity aroma: banana, raisin perhaps, hints of chocolate and rose-like flowers. In the small cup the body is full and syrupy, the flavor simple, deep-toned, with cedar and tart fruit notes - tamarind perhaps - the finish rich and long. Masters milk with an understated balance and a soft persistence of banana, cedar and chocolate notes.

Delicate, sweet-toned aroma: butter, flowers, the barest hints of chocolate and cedar. In the small cup medium-bodied, smooth in texture, gently and sweetly pungent in flavor with caramel and cedar notes. Simple but deep presence in milk, with pronounced semi-sweet chocolate tones and a clear hint of flowers.

In the aroma distinct semi-sweet chocolate notes and cherryish or raisiny fruit with a lush twist of ferment. Crisp cedar and toast notes complicate the cherry-toned chocolate in the small cup. The fruity chocolate persists in the splendid short finish, though a shadow astringency barely implied in the cup eventually dominates in the long. In milk a slightly lean body is more than made up for by crisp toasted rice notes and a voluptuous, milk-softened version of the fruity-fermented chocolate.

Simple but deep aroma with distinct berry notes - blueberry or blackberry - and a hint of milk chocolate. In the small cup substantial body with a lively, effervescent mouthfeel and toast, cedar and continuing berryish fruit notes. The berry notes persist in the very slightly astringent finish. In milk the berry notes round and soften toward a lush banana-toned chocolate.

Balanced but subdued aroma: smoke, flowers, a hint of peach-toned fruit. In the small cup heavy-bodied with rounded cedar and raisiny fruit notes and hints of flowers, red wine and chocolate. Resonant finish with excellent flavor persistence. Distinct and pleasing milk chocolate presence in milk.

Sweet-toned, round, caramelly aroma with hints of flowers and pears or peach. In the small cup full-bodied with a dominating sweet, cedary pungency complicated by raisiny fruit and dark chocolate with a slight whiff of brandyish ferment. In milk balanced and rich, with continued semi-sweet chocolate, richly grapy ferment and even a surprising resurfacing of flowers.

Intense aroma: brandy, chocolate, caramel. In the small cup medium in body but smooth in mouthfeel, crisply pungent yet caramelly sweet, with a tightly knit, understated complexity: brandy, caramel, cedar and flowers, hints of which persist in the roundly rich finish. Masters milk with a gentle, brandied chocolate authority.

Deep, very sweet-toned aroma, with chocolate, flowers, walnut, and a hint of carnal fruit - peach or papaya. In the small cup very full body, but not heavy - the mouthfeel is lively, almost effervescent. In flavor very sweet, very deep, with cedar and a gently spicy semi-sweet chocolate. Superb finish: long, caramelly, rich. Exerts a simple but powerful presence in milk: sweet milk chocolate with perhaps a shimmer of flowers.

A refined, quietly understated espresso. Delicately complex aroma with vanilla and milk chocolate innuendos. Medium body, smooth mouthfeel in the small cup, balanced in flavor with a slight cedary sharpness and semi-sweet chocolate notes. Maintains its dry chocolate, muted fruit elegance nicely in milk. Co-taster Ted Lingle's rating: 91; Ken's: 89. Nominating reader Teri Bolla remarks accurately on this blend's balance, "total finesse" and "fruit/cocoa floral" character.

Both Ken and co-taster Ted Lingle remarked on the "lush but elegant" (Ken) aroma and fat, buttery body of this single-origin espresso. In the small cup, dry berry notes and semi-sweet chocolate. Blooms sweetly and richly in milk. Ken found the flavor in cup and milk a bit too simple, limiting his score to a 90, but for Ted the profile throughout was complete, classic, and worth a resounding 95. Nominating reader Teri Bolla clearly agrees with Ted: "incredibly balanced, round, extremely smooth, shows total finesse, abundant chocolate...thick and rich on the palate."

An impressively sweet, smooth, deeply dimensioned, softly complex espresso. Co-cupper Ted Lingle (92) used the term "resonant" twice to describe flavor and finish in the small cup. Ken (90) was most impressed by the details: a fresh-cut cedar character that was pungent but sweet and round, and wine-toned fruit notes. Bloomed in milk with discreet balance and a rich chocolate. Reader Chris Horn nominated another of Supreme Bean's espresso blends, but we ended up reviewing this one instead (don't ask).

A crisply classic espresso. Fresh leather and spice notes in the aroma. In the small cup the mouthfeel is a bit lean but the flavor complex: dry berry, wine, semi-sweet chocolate, cedar. The wine and berry notes persist in the long, clean finish. In milk perhaps a bit lean in mouthfeel, but the cedar and berry notes bloom sweetly. Ken's rating: 90. Co-taster Ted Lingle's: 93. Turns out this espresso was nominated by the roaster, Peggy Sue herself, but roasters are readers too.

Exceptionally complex espresso that maintains aromatic intrigue from aroma through a rather majestic finish in milk. Elegant aroma with deep-toned fruit and herb notes. In the small cup smooth in mouthfeel and medium-full in body, slightly sharp and acidy in structure but with a continued fruity complexity that reads persuasively as chocolate. Both co-cupper Ted Lingle (92) and Ken (90) were particularly impressed by this blend's performance in milk: lavishly fruity and chocolaty with a rich, clean finish. Blue Bottle's espressos were nominated by reader Christopher Losa.

A smoky, cedary espresso with a deep-toned fruit that in the small cup suggests semi-sweet chocolate or perhaps a rich port wine. Ken (90) and co-taster Ted Lingle (93) differed a bit on this blend's impact in milk: Ted found this blend mastered milk with an impressive sweetness and richness; for Ken the chocolate carried nicely into milk but the mouthfeel was a bit lean. Nominating reader Christopher Losa testified to his admiration for this blend in almost lurid terms: "rich, thick, and chocolaty...the way it syrups out of the portafilter is absolutely sexy...comparative to a California Zin or a Petit Syrah fruit bomb wine.'

A full-bodied espresso with exotic aromatics. Floral and fruit tones throughout the profile, with pungent notes that read as herbal for co-taster Ted Lingle (90) and licorice-like and smoky for Ken (89). For Ken the full body and heavy mouthfeel seemed partly to stifle flavor in the small cup, but for both Ken and Ted this blend came into its own in milk, where it rounded and sweetened richly without losing power or nuance. Nominated by Kemp LaMunyon of Las Vegas.

Ken (90) liked this espresso with its earthy-musty influenced aromatics considerably more than co-taster Ted Lingle (87). In the aroma, vanilla, floral, earth, leather and fruit notes. In the small cup medium body, leanish but smooth mouthfeel, with a rather sharp, musty/fruity flavor that persisted in the mildly astringent but resonant finish. Probably at its best in milk, which rounded and softened the coffee, turning the musty fruit toward a pleasingly complex chocolate. Reader Adam Harvey testifies that "Simply put, [this] is the best espresso I have ever tasted. And I have tasted plenty."

Delicate floral and vanilla-toned aroma, clean and precious. In the small cup medium-bodied, with a sweet, softly fruity character that suggests banana, perhaps, or papaya. Long, sweetly resonant finish with a slight astringent bite. Co-taster Ted Lingle (88) felt this soft, delicate blend faded a bit in milk; Ken (88) found it limited perhaps in nuance but sweet and substantial in presence. Nominating reader Martin Freeman exclaims that this "best espresso blend ever ... rich, creamy ... deep, fragrant ..." is "WORLD CLASS."

An attractive if underpowered espresso. Muted notes of flowers, fruit and chocolate in the aroma. In the small cup medium-bodied, supple in mouthfeel, but limited in flavor: some floral hints persist but the main impression is a thinnish pungency that Ken (87) called smoky and co-taster Ted Lingle (86) spicy. Nevertheless, rounds and richens in the finish, and reveals a round, semi-sweet chocolate character in milk. Nominating reader Andrey Akselrod says simply "It is one of my favorite espressos."