Exotic Reviews

Deep, musky, complex, subtly spirits-toned. Oak, fruit-toned spirits, suggestions of butterscotch, banana bread and crisp roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Round, resonant acidity; plush, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor saturates a long, persistent finish.

Sweetly bright; exhilaratingly floral. Honeysuckle, lavender, apple, walnut in aroma and cup. Crisp, very sweet acidity; lively, syrupy mouthfeel. The distinct apple and floral notes carry into a long, resonant finish.

The intoxicating spirits-rich aromas of the cask dominate in the nose, but a fine coffee character emerges in the cup to balance and support the casky rum notes with suggestions of dark chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, almond, passion flower. Smooth, rounded acidity; plush, buoyant mouthfeel. Very long, resonantly flavor-saturated finish.

Crisply sweet, delicately original. Sugar cane, peach, tart cherry, cocoa-like chocolate, plum blossom in aroma and cup. Gentle, crisply balanced acidity; light, very silky mouthfeel. Dry chocolate and peach carry into a very sweet though gently drying finish.

Very sweet throughout; subtle, delicate, lyric. Green grape, flowers (wisteria?), tangerine, roasted cacao nib, raisin in aroma and cup. Crisp, soft, cleanly wine-toned acidity; very light but lively, silky mouthfeel. More sweetness in a floral-and-grape-toned finish.

Deep, sweet, richly fermenty. Blueberry and blackberry, dark chocolate, Bourbon whisky and carnal, sweetly heavy floral notes in aroma and cup. Round, backgrounded acidity; heavy mouthfeel. The finish is richly resonant with an edgy overripe fruit.

Richly and softly pungent. Dark honey, wisteria-like flowers, dark chocolate, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Soft but vibrant acidity; plush, lively mouthfeel. The finish consolidates around a deeply nuanced chocolate sensation.

Sweetly tart, complex. Blood orange, sweet chocolate, vanilla-toned flowers, a hint of almond in aroma and cup. Rich, complexly expressed acidity; light but distinctly syrupy mouthfeel. Orange and flowers carry into a crisp finish.

Quietly balanced, complex. Butter, roasted cacao nib, flowers, tangerine, a deepening hint of musk. Sweetly crisp acidity; satiny mouthfeel. Flavor, flowers in particular, saturate a delicate but richly dry finish.

Sweetly bright, lyric, exhilarating. Honey, peach, tangerine, night-blooming flowers, a hint of roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet, resonantly tart acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The dry chocolate of the cacao nib note moves forward in a flavor-saturated finish.

Intense and unmistakable Kenya character: dry yet sweet synthesis of pungent black currant, blackberry and fresh-cut cedar; backgrounded hints of lush night-blooming flowers, lemon, black sage. Big, sweetly brisk acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The Kenya flavor complex deeply saturates a long, rich finish.

Round, deeply sweet; layered complexity. Brown sugar, roasted nut (macadamia?) fresh-cut cedar, honeysuckle, a savory hint of musk in aroma and cup. Crisp, gentle acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is less distinguished by its flavor persistence than by its impressive nutty sweetness and resonant depth.

Intensely sweet and fruit-toned. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut, a hint of mint in aroma and cup. Roundly rich acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is impressively sweet and flavor-saturated, though it simplifies and dries out a bit in the long. Two of five cups we sampled were slightly less sweet and more astringent than those upon which this general description was based; owing to this unevenness we deducted two points from the overall rating, dropping it from 92 to 90. Still, an impressively lush, voluptuous coffee.

Sweet and gently spicy. Brown sugar, roasted walnut, tangerine-like fruit, spearmint, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Soft, rounded acidity. Lightly plush mouthfeel. Sweet, clean, simple finish.

Richly pungent. Sandalwood, apricot, dark chocolate, plum blossom, musk and chanterelle-like mushroom in aroma and savory-edged cup. Rich and plump though simple acidity; lightly smooth mouthfeel. Finish rounds in crisp sandalwood and chocolate.

Quietly but deeply layered complexity. Dark chocolate, black currant, fresh-cut cedar, hints of mint and cumin in aroma and cup. Buoyantly floral-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate and cedar carry into a richly round finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly pungent. Fresh-cut cedar, roasted cacao nib, orange zest, rich prune in aroma and, more pronounced, in the small cup. Crisp but rather heavy mouthfeel; flavor consolidates though persists in the finish. Quietly but resonantly pungent in three parts milk.

Complex, deep, pungent. Caramel, sweetly tart red grapefruit, freshly tilled clay, moist pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. Round, resonant acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Sweetly rich, flavor-saturated finish.

Softly crisp, juicy. Complex fruit, particularly blackberry and Concord grape, roasted cacao nib, vanilla, anise in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Balanced, quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Intense, bright but balanced. Complex lime- and orange-toned citrus, night-blooming flowers, a hint of hazelnut and crisp roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart acidity; smooth, silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but lingers in a quietly rich finish.