Espresso Reviews

Splendid in the small cup, sweet, round, balanced, utterly free of sharpness or flaw. Its relative lack of nuance -- mere hints of chocolate and nut -- only emphasize the clarity and completeness of its classic gesture. Disappointing in milk, however: heavy and bitter in small milk, blunt and flat in large. (89 straight espresso, 84 w/milk)

Citrus and floral notes float atop pungent fermented fruit tones in the small cup; nut and chocolate notes complicate the finish. Maintains its leathery, spicy complexity in milk, adding a rounder and softer chocolate finish. 88 straight espresso, 89 w/milk)

Heavy, rich, a touch sharp, but balanced in the small cup, complicated nicely by dry fruit and cocoa. Maintains balance and authority in small milk, where the cocoa sweetens toward a voluptuous hazelnut-toned chocolate. Fades a bit in big milk, though still round and chocolaty. (89 straight espresso, 90 w/milk)

In the small cup sharp, bitter astringency overpowers hints of malty chocolate and dried fruit. Remains sharp and thinly bitter in small volumes of milk; in larger volumes softens to an expansive milk chocolate. (80 straight espresso, 84/milk.)

A smoky, heavy, bittersweet espresso. In the small cup the smoky, bitter tones overshadow floral and fruit top notes and toasty, leathery midtones. In small milk maintains its husky, smoky bittersweetness. In big milk softens, adding a hint of chocolate. (84 stright espresso, 85 w/milk)

In the small cup rather stingy in body, sharp, without nuance. Milk softens the sharp tones, however, allowing the coffee to develop beautifully, with rich fruit and floral notes leaning toward chocolate. (84 straight espresso, 89 w/milk)

Fermented, wine-like fruit notes agreeably dominate the small cup, though they are shadowed by bitterness, particularly in the finish. The bitterness turns pleasantly bittersweet in cappuccino-sized milk, and flat-out gloriously sweet and chocolate-fruit-toned in big milk. (86 straight espresso, 90 w/milk)

In the small cup full and buttery in body, in flavor grainy, sharply malty/musty, with dry, pleasing cherry-like fruit notes. Cappuccino-quantities of milk sweeten the profile, accentuating the fruit and turning the grainy tones pleasantly nut-like. At its best in big milk, where it its fat, buttery body masters the dairy with pure weight and character rather than with bitterness. (86 straight espresso, 90 w/milk)

Smooth, medium-to-full bodied and richly balanced in the small cup, discreetly complicated by crisp leather and dry chocolate notes. Slightly astringent in the finish. Milk amplifies the dry chocolate tones, which turn hearty and bittersweet in short milk drinks and voluptuously sweet in taller. (87 straight espresso, 88 w/milk)

In the small cup intense and rather lean-bodied but richly sweet, complicated by dry fruit notes and shimmers of flowers and chocolate. In milk smooth, sweet and toasty with a lushly chocolate-toned finish. (87 straight espresso, 88 w/milk)

An appealing combination of orange, chocolate, and floral notes shimmer in the small cup, though shadowed by a roasty sharpness. Milk rounds the cup nicely, however, turning the citrus and floral notes into a crisp, toasty chocolate. Fades slightly in big milk. (87 straight espresso, 89 w/milk)

An exceptional versatile espresso that maintains complexity and intrigue from small cup to big milk. Nuance ranges from chocolate and walnut to fermented fruit and malty/musty tones. The musty notes are sharp in the finish of the small cup but turn splendidly round and rich in milk. (87 straight espresso, 93 w/milk)

Cloyingly sweet and sharply musty - imagine the taste of mildewed nuts left sitting in a damp basement closet for a few weeks. The musty tones hint at cocoa but don't come through.

Superb aroma: rich, sweet, opulent with cocoa, flowers, and vanilla. A touch disappointing in the demitasse, however; the body is rather lean and the flavor acidy and sharp. But the sharpness rounds beautifully in milk with a lovely balance of dry cocoa tones and sweetness.

A balanced, straightforward West-Coast American espresso. In the demitasse bittersweet with a slant toward the bitter side, complicated by brisk cocoa tones. Medium-bodied but smooth. The cocoa tones turn agreeably fruity in milk, where the shot softens without losing character.

This espresso, dominated by a musty flavor, showed best at a rather quick extraction, which encouraged the mustiness to read as crisply effervescent, exhilaratingly spicy cocoa. Extremely heavy body and rich crema. Carries very well in milk.

Clean, elegant, balanced. Fragrant with toast, nut, and caramel notes in aroma, suave in body. The straightforward balance of bitter and sweet tones in the demitasse is complicated by the slightest edge of floral acidity and dry fruit. Light, bright and sweet in milk.

The aroma is clean and high-toned with innuendo of fresh leather. The demitasse is complex but controlled, with a classic balance of sweetness and bitterness embellished by cocoa and nut notes and a crisp shimmer of acidity. In discreet amounts of milk seductive with caramel and cocoa tones.

Impressive complexity: high, sweet notes, caramel in the middle, crisp, edge-of-burned tones, a touch of floral acidity. Excellent body. Pungent, bitter tones propose sugar for the demitasse, but give this blend tremendous staying power in milk, where it blossoms with little loss of range or complexity.

The demitasse confirms the bag copy: This is an intense blend. Intensely sweet, but even more intensely bitter; a strong gesture but a simple one. Softens and rounds a bit in milk, but maintains its bitter edge.