Exotic Reviews

Bright, balanced, juicy-sweet. Cocoa nib, strawberry guava, cashew butter, pink peppercorn, lemongrass in aroma and cup. High-toned, malic acidity; very smooth, satiny mouthfeel. Cocoa-toned finish with notes of lemongrass and pink peppercorn.

Deeply savory, sweetly tart. Jolly Rancher, hop flowers, halvah, pineapple kefir, hint of sweet soy in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet-savory acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Savory-leaning finish redolent of halvah and sweet soy.

Crisply sweet-savory. Hop flowers, date, marjoram, satsuma mandarin, salted caramel in aroma and cup. Gently brisk, bittersweet acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. Crisp, sweet-savory finish centered around notes of hop flowers and salted caramel.

High-toned, crisply sweet-tart. Tamarind, cashew butter, Meyer lemon zest, cedar in aroma and cup. Bright, vibrant acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. Finish leads with notes of tamarind and cashew butter.

Richly sweet-savory, deep-toned. Red currant, hop flowers, sage, wild honey, oak in aroma and cup. Gently bright, confident acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. Red currant and wild honey notes are supported by oak in the resonant finish.

Elegant, immersive, unique. Butterscotch, honeysuckle, cocoa nib, coconut, muscat grape, bergamot in aroma and cup. Layered, intense, sparkling acidity; very smooth, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, incense-like finish with notes of honeysuckle and bergamot and undertones of muscat and cocoa nib.

Complex, deep-toned, confident. Blackberry, violet, roasted coconut, wild honey, blood orange in aroma and cup. Juicy, vibrant acidity; plush, syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Flavor-laden finish centered around notes of roasted cocoa nut, blood orange and violet.

Crisp, sweet, delicate. Fir, cocoa, macadamia, jasmine, lemon in aroma and cup. Sweetly bright and high-toned in structure, silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a quiet finish.

Crisply sweet, chocolaty. Baking chocolate, hazelnut, lemon balm, cedar, lily in aroma and cup. Brisk, sweet-toned acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of baking chocolate and lily.

Sweetly herbaceous, delicately fruity. Nectarine, sage, almond, coconut saltwater taffy, fir in aroma and cup. Briskly bittersweet acidity; very full, creamy mouth feel. Notes of sweet almond, sage and fir lead in the quiet finish.

Brightly sweet-tart, balanced. Nectarine, almond butter, tangerine, fresh-cut oak, bay leaf in aroma and cup. Sparkling acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. FInish consolidates to notes of nectarine and bay leaf.

Balanced, fruit-toned. Lychee, almond, green grape, red wine barrel, cardamom in aroma and cup. Gently bright acidity; round, viscous mouthfeel. Quietly intriguing finish that leads with notes of lychee and cardamom.

Deep-toned, multi-layered. Black cherry, hazelnut, agave syrup, tangerine, rich cedar in aroma and cup. Gentle, round acidity; full, creamy mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of black cherry and tangerine with cedar undertones.

Deeply sweet-savory, quietly complex. Tamarind, narcissus, hop flowers, brown sugar, marjoram in aroma and cup. Gently bright acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. Resonant finish consolidates to notes of tamarind and narcissus.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly tart, intriguingly complex. Tamarind, Jolly Rancher, dark chocolate, hop flowers, hint of marjoram in aroma and small cup. Creamy-smooth mouthfeel; chocolaty-tart finish. Cappuccino format emphasis the marriage of sweet-tart-savory with bright fruit, candylike sweetness, and bittersweet floral undertones.

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.

Evaluated as espresso. Savory-sweet with a tart edge. Delicate chocolate and lemon, apricot, fir, savory-edged blackberry in aroma and small cup. In mouthfeel, full though rather dense in texture. Clean, rich, simple finish. In three-parts milk, straightforward, chocolate-toned.

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.

Elegantly fruity, tropical leaning. Pineapple, lychee, baking chocolate, pomelo, redwood in aroma and cup. Brightly sweet-tart acidity; crisp, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Fruit-toned finish with hints of baking chocolate.