Estates Reviews

High-toned, tropical, exquisitely balanced. Orange blossom, cocoa nib, guava, young ginger, cedar in aroma and cup. Juicy-bright yet delicate acidity; silky-smooth mouthfeel. Long, resonant finish that fulfills the promise of the cup.

Complex, richly nuanced. Narcissus, cocoa nib, pear, wild honey, amber in aroma and cup. Invigorating, malic acidity; full, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Very long-lasting, floral-toned, richly sweet finish.

Fruit-driven, richly floral. Boysenberry, lilac, cocoa nib, honey, cedar in aroma and cup. Winy acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Fruity, floral finish with undertones of cocoa nib, cedar and honey.

Juicy-bright, sweetly tart. Red plum, tamarind, almond, tangerine zest, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Citrusy, high-toned acidity; very full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Tangerine zest and agave syrup lead in the resonant finish.

Richly sweet-savory, citrusy. Cocoa nib, hop flowers, almond, magnolia, key lime in aroma and cup. Crisp, citric acidity; viscous, satiny mouthfeel. Magnolia and cocoa nib are front and center in the gentle finish.

Sweet, tart, distinctly spice-toned. Guava, shishito peppers, basil, rhododendron, cedar in aroma and cup. Savory-leaning acidity; very smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. Crisp, spice-toned finish with floral undertones.

Elegantly fruit-forward, richly aromatic. Strawberry guava, lychee, cocoa nib, amber, ginger blossom in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet, gently tart, balanced acidity; vibrant, silky-smooth mouthfeel. Harmonious, resonant, coherent finish.

Balanced, sweetly nutty, gently tart. Pomegranate, hazelnut, baking chocolate, cedar, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; very full, syrupy mouthfeel. Quiet finish settles into notes of baking chocolate and pomegranate.

Multi-layered, richly complex. Pomegranate, dried pineapple, cocoa nib, marjoram, wisteria in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet, fruity acidity; full, creamy-smooth mouthfeel. Long, resonant, flavor-laden finish.

Balanced, crisply sweet. Lemon verbena, almond, dark caramel, freesia, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned acidity; full, very satiny mouthfeel. Notes of freesia and almond lead in the sweet finish.

Deeply chocolaty, floral-toned. Dark chocolate, lilac, hazelnut butter, apricot, tangerine in aroma and cup. Balanced, bright acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish leads with notes of lilac and dark chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken both found a sweetly tangy intrigue animating this plush, satiny bodied espresso, and rewarded it with 95s. Ken called it rich pistachio; John favored musky, mango-like tropical fruit. For both tasters, the pistachio/mango notes impressively sweetened and moved forward in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet grapefruit and orange blossom notes shimmer inside a deeply expressed chocolate in aroma and cup. Velvety mouthfeel. Ken and co-taster John DiRuocco shared parallel descriptors and the same 95-point enthusiasm for this poised, resonantly finishing espresso. Floral-toned chocolate with a continued grapefruit hint graces three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. This was Ken’s favorite in the tasting; he had it at 96 with a 10 for aroma. Co-taster John DiRuocco was a bit less enthusiastic at 94. The difference may have been their reading of the striking floral herb notes. Ken experienced them as exhilarating sweet lavender while John read them as a pleasant but drier eucalyptus. But both overall admired this sweetly citrusy, walnut-toned, brightly chocolaty espresso whose character resonates through the finish and retains character impressively in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. In the aroma, lush, chocolaty fruit (maraschino cherry, ripe orange) transforms to a bright, floral citrus in the cup, slightly drying but sweet. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) felt that the entire package came together nicely, with “nice high notes balanced by chocolate undertones, acidity by body.” Ken had less conviction in regard to coherence, but he too characterized the mouthfeel as full and plush, the cup impressive, and seconded John’s 94. Both particularly praised the coffee in three parts milk, where lemon, chocolate and cherry tendencies played nicely.

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (94) found this anaerobic natural Kona luxurious with deep floral notes and softly subtle chocolate and orange. Co-taster John DiRuocco (93) concurred but was bothered by what he regarded as a very slight overripe edge to the fruit. Both found the mouthfeel medium in weight but impressively plush in texture, and the shot in three parts milk delicately complex with flowers, fruit and chocolate working in layered coherence.

Evaluated as espresso. Chocolate, mango and sweet lime animate this satiny bodied espresso. Impressive stone-fruit sweetness is complicated by an engaging resiny edge co-taster John DiRuocco (94) and Ken (93) both associated with mango. Mango and chocolate crisply and sweetly persist in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Lots of flowers with an herby edge—lavender, jasmine, orange blossom, cilantro—cushion on milk chocolate in this bright, light-footed espresso. Both co-taster John DiRuocco and Ken read this high-toned but resonant espresso in about the same terms with parallel ratings of 94. Resolves to an orangy, floral caramel in three parts milk.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco (95) was particularly impressed by the lavish sweetness and fruit of this elaborately anaerobic-processed coffee from Colombian processing innovator Edwin Noreña. John found the well-structured and clean-finishing character sufficient to contain and balance the aromatic fireworks. Ken (92), on the other hand, found the sweetness and fruit a bit too intense and candy-like, though he found compensating value in underlying musk and sandalwood tendencies. Both tasters admired the coffee in three parts milk, which rounded and diluted the intensely sweet fruit.

Evaluated as espresso. Co-taster John DiRuocco (94) found spicy fruit, orange water and vanilla-like flowers in aroma and cup; Ken (93) concurred and added sweet chocolate and almonds. Altogether a silky textured, lively espresso. The aromatic intricacy consolidates a bit in three parts milk, and the familiar chocolate and almondy nut move forward.