Exotic Reviews

Reviewed as espresso. Quiet, round, chocolaty. Butter, dark chocolate, plum/apricot and a hint of raisin in aroma and small cup. Smooth, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. A hint of chocolate carries into a delicate, drying finish. In three parts milk the dark chocolate continues to dominate, with a backgrounded apricot-like fruit.

Sweet grain, hazelnut, hints of orange and strawberry in the aroma and, much more intensely, in the cup. Crisp, quietly lively acidity; very lightly creamy mouthfeel. The strawberry and orange notes faintly persist in a clean, straightforward finish.

Intense with distinct whisky-like notes. Dry, nut-toned chocolate, raspberry, rye whisky, fresh-cut fir in aroma and cup. Rich, delicately bittersweet acidity; silky, lively mouthfeel. The dry chocolate note in particular dominates in a crisp finish.

Rich, deep, pungently complex. Blackberry, cherry, fresh-cut fir, a hint of cinnamon bark in aroma and cup. Gently tart, juicy acidity; round, buttery mouthfeel. Floral notes emerge in a very sweet, long finish.

Intricately sweet, delicately complex. Ripe strawberry, orange, candied nut, vanilla-toned flowers in aroma and cup. Gently crisp acidity; light but smoothly silky mouthfeel. Very sweet, lightly flavor-saturated finish.

Intense, crisp, juicy. Tartly sweet berry notes -- black berry, black currant; lush flowers, honey, roasted cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Rich, balanced acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor carries deep into a long, resonant finish.

Rich, intense, sweetly and pungently citrusy. Melon, grapefruit, sandalwood, musk, caramel in aroma and cup. The acidity is round and pungently tart; the mouthfeel smooth and lightly syrupy. Sweet-toned, flavor-saturated finish.

Complex, with a savory-sweet depth. Roasted cocoa-nib, jasmine, cedar, honey, orange zest in aroma and cup. Bright, bittersweet acidity; light but very silky mouthfeel. Citrus and floral notes in particular persist in a crisp but resonant finish.

Sweetly crisp, unusual and striking flavor and aroma. Pecan, chocolate, black-cherry-like fruit in aroma and cup, moist pipe tobacco in aroma. Quiet but lively acidity; silky mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates and sweetness persists in a balanced finish.

Complex, intense, classic. Pungent black currant, blackberry, plum, night-blooming flowers, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Sweetly balanced, lavishly rich acidity. Big, syrupy mouthfeel. The pungent berry notes in particular carry into a deep, long, flavor-saturated finish.

Intricate, richly pungent: chocolate fudge, spicy oak, wild berry, faint mango-like fruit and night-blooming flowers in aroma and cup. Soft, sweetly tart acidity; full velvety mouthfeel. The finish is berry-toned, with a rounded chocolaty sweetness.

Great range of aromatic and flavor sensation. Bright, sweet-toned and floral, but with molasses, mushroom, moist wood and rich musk notes deepening and complicating the profile. Delicate, brisk acidity; smoothly silky mouthfeel. Drying but sweet, mushroom-toned finish.

Originally cupped in November 2010. Balanced, smoothly complete coffee: the raisiny fruit and cedary dark chocolate in the aroma sweetens toward fresh cherry and milk chocolate in the cup, with a tart complication of lemon. Sweetly tart, citrus-toned acidity; very smooth, silky mouthfeel. Flavor simplifies a bit in the clean finish.

Intense, heady blueberry and lush, lily-like flowers with deepening suggestions of cedar and brandy in aroma and cup, and a savory hint in the cup. Impressive structure: sweet-toned acidity; full syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is sweet and blueberry-toned with a continuing savory edge.

Achieves a fine balance of chocolate-toned coffee notes with deep, resonant wine-associated notes – grapy fruit, oak – that presumably reflect the influence of the wine-barrel conditioning of the green coffee. The sensory depth and complexity achieved by this interaction takes this coffee far beyond novelty to something quite original and authentic. Balanced, rich acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The complex flavor if anything deepens in a finish that balances sweetness with a pleasantly drying hint.

Bittersweet, sharply pungent, earthy. Pungent fir, overripe plum, sweet earth that collectively leans toward chocolate in aroma and cup. Heavy, bitter-toned acidity; heavy mouthfeel. The overripe fruit and earth notes hint at chocolate in the short finish, but turn astringent and composty in the long.

Complex, brandy-like fruit. Distinct lychee and ripe grape notes in aroma and cup, rounded with dark chocolate and sandalwood. Roundly bright acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is flavor-saturated and sweet, with a faint clove-like crispness.

Balanced, sweetly crisp. Floral-toned peach and a tart, mandarin orange dominate, rounded by a backgrounded nut-toned chocolate. Brisk, sweet-toned acidity; silky mouthfeel. The chocolate suggestion carries into a clean finish.

Rich, brandy-like fruit dominates the profile: cherry, blueberry, cocoaish dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Round, fruit-influenced acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor carries richly into the finish, where a very slight over-ripe note emerges as the cup cools.

Sweetly tart, soft, balanced, aromatically complex. Orange, black cherry, black currant in aroma and cup, with a faint, backgrounded hint of milk chocolate. Rich, wine-like acidity, lightish body but silky mouthfeel. Sweet, full finish with considerable flavor persistence.