Green Reviews

From 1997 to 2001, Coffee Review occasionally published reviews of green coffees. For the ensuing two decades, Coffee Review focused solely on roasted coffees. In 2022, we resumed publishing standalone reviews of green coffees.

The green reviews below are meant to help commercial roasters, home roasters, and other industry professionals source superior quality green coffees, while directly recognizing and rewarding the farmers and growers who produce the coffees. These scores are on the Coffee Review scale, judging the coffee from the point of view of potential consumer acceptance of the coffee as a finished product at a medium roast. These scores are NOT equivalent to Q or industry scores, which are typically lower for a similar coffee.

Note: Roasters should not use green reviews to promote their roasted version of the same coffee. The roasted version of coffees may achieve a higher or lower score than the green version. Older reviews, particularly those from 2001 to 2003, may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee. Coffee Review performs basic due diligence on the green coffee samples it evaluates. However, we rely on the submitter of a green coffee sample for the authenticity of the sample and accuracy of the sample description. Coffee Review does not independently confirm the information provided and accepts no responsibility for the authenticity of samples reviewed. Companies or individuals using Coffee Review ratings or reviews as the basis for purchasing green coffees should conduct their own due diligence, including additional sample testing, to make sure the coffees they buy are the same coffees that we reviewed.

Monte Alegre

Semi-Washed – Green

Review Date: Feb 1998

Virtually everyone had something positive to say about the aroma of this delicate, semi-dry-processed coffee: caramelly, vanilla-like, nutty. However, the comments dwindled thereafter, which supports my assessment: lively, complex nose, but no development. Solid consensus on body (medium) and acidity (soft as usual). Only two hints of fault: one cupper, who otherwise liked the coffee, found the aftertaste slightly medicinal. I thought I detected a slight grassiness in both aroma and aftertaste.

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Los Ausoles Cooperative

El Salvador – Green

Review Date: Sep 1997

Although the overall rating earned by this coffee was the same as the rating for the preceding Larin pacamara, the comments were less effusive. No exclamation points, and the poker-faced praise-word "nice" came up twice: "nice berry (raspberry) tang"; "sweet nice but fuzzy." In the comments the body of this coffee was admired more consistently than any other in the cupping: "full"; "buttery." The absence of off-notes, the sweetly fruity acidity, and the fullish body together seem to have lifted this coffee to the top of the cupping.

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Finca La Tacita

Green

Review Date: Jul 1997

This Antigua was nearly everyone's favorite, and probably the only coffee in the cupping to display genuine refinement as well as intrigue and power. Exclamation points littered the cupping forms. One enthusiastic (and very experienced) cupper confessed he "subscribed to the Olympic gymnastics scoring system" and assigned this coffee tens across the board and an overall score of 100. (However, like the Olympics, we dropped the highest and lowest scores for each coffee, so this heartfelt tribute went for naught).Positive comments ranged from the generally approving ("best of the litter"; "very Guatemala") to characterizations of completeness, complexity, or dimension ("Depth, depth depth! Spice comes in on back end. Very nice!"). Assessments of body extended from medium through full, but everyone agreed that there was enough of it to balance the coffee ("medium body but perfect for its flavor!"). To me the clinching evidence of this coffee's distinction came in the nuances discovered in its sweetly acidy top notes. Descriptions ran from winy (five citations), fruity/floral (also five), through prune, blueberry, and "floral berry." One found the flavor reminiscent of fresh leather. No one uncovered defects. The only cupper who dissented on this coffee found the acidity too sharp.

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