Processing Method Reviews

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (91) liked this bright, zesty espresso; his co-taster (92) liked it even better. Both admired the citrus and floral vivacity of the aroma and flavor. Ken and his co-taster both accepted the smooth though rather light mouthfeel as an appropriate complement to the lively aromatics; both enjoyed the emergence of a lower-toned fruit (fig, roasted cacao nib) in the finish. Ken found the sweet-citrus impact in three parts milk a bit more pleasing than his co-taster did, though the co-taster offered an apt descriptor for it: “key lime pie.”

Evaluated as espresso. Both Ken (93) and his co-taster (91) admired the wine-like intensity of this dried-in-the-fruit profile, though Ken read more complexity, in particular floral top notes, in flavor and finish. Both tasters cited a creamy mouthfeel and consistent finish. Especially impressive in three parts milk, where the shot bloomed with a complex expression of fruit-toned chocolate.

Evaluated as espresso. Ken (92) showed considerably more enthusiasm for this intense dried-in-the-fruit profile than his only mildly respectful co-taster (89). The co-taster associated the usual fermented fruit notes with wine and spiced cider, Ken with bourbon whisky (which he likes). The co-taster found the fermented fruit notes complicated by “sweet hay and malt,” Ken by a more decisive “fresh-cut cedar.” Ken rated the lightly syrupy, perhaps buttery mouthfeel a bit higher than did his co-taster. Both found the shot pleasantly chocolaty in three parts milk, additionally nuanced by malt for the co-taster, by cedar for Ken.

Crisply sweet, intensely complex. Honey, brandy, apricot, brandy, citrus flower, a hint of walnut in aroma and cup. Round, brandyish acidity; very lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Honey and walnut in particular persist in a deeply flavor-saturated, gently drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Crisp, finely structured, quietly distinctive. Dark chocolate and a shifty, anise-toned fruit (orange, blackberry, grape) dominate in aroma and small cup, with backgrounded complications of cedar and butter. Creamy, full yet buoyant mouthfeel. Berry and chocolate in particular persist in a rich, deep finish. Round, quietly balanced in three parts milk.

Floral notes stretch from evanescent, delicate top notes to lushly rich, jasmine-like mid-notes in aroma and cup, with roasted cacao nib and kiwi/lemon complications. Round, rich acidity; lightly syrupy, lively mouthfeel. The finish is drying but long and flower-saturated.

Deeply and crisply sweet; complex. Chocolate, hazelnut, orange zest, flowers in aroma and cup. Soft but lively acidity; lightly syrupy, buoyant mouthfeel. Sweet, gently flavor-saturated finish.

Sweet, floral, clean. Lavender and plum flower, honey, cherry, candied pecan in aroma and cup. Lightly bright and juicy acidity, creamy mouthfeel. The plum-blossom note in particular lingers in a sweet and persistent finish.

Sweet, deep, fermenty. Very ripe blueberry and strawberry, minty dark chocolate, brandy, walnut in aroma and cup. Round, rich acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. A savory edge in the cup turns more prominent in a drying 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.

Bright and exhilaratingly complex. Jasmine-like flowers, tangerine, raspberry, a hint of hazelnut in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart, floral-toned acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Gently dry, quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Sweetly pungent, intense. Molasses, fresh-cut cedar, grapefruit, and a sweet-toned fresh earth note in aroma and cup. Rich, lively acidity; silky mouthfeel. Long, richly flavor-saturated finish.

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.

Sweet, complex, briskly floral. Honey, lavender-like flowers, cocoaish chocolate, hints of fir and mint in aroma and cup. Softly bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Very sweet, flavor-saturated finish.

Richly structured coffee with an intense balance of sweet, bitter and tart tastes supporting complex aromatics: lavender-like flowers, pecan, fresh-cut fir, and most strikingly, an unusual fruit note simultaneously suggesting mango and melon. Rich, deep acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The complex fruit note in particular carries into a drying but sweet finish.

Spicy floral notes (lavender, tea rose), dark chocolate, honey, hazelnut, and a pungent mango-like fruit in aroma and cup. Rich, juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is bittersweet and drying in the short, but flavor and sweetness reassert themselves in the long.

Intense, tartly sweet, richly dry. Tart berry leads in aroma and cup, softened by a minty dark chocolate and a hint of cedar. Roundly bright acidity; silky mouthfeel. Chocolate in particular carries into a sweet finish.

Gently crisp, refreshingly balanced. Freshly cut aromatic wood, dark chocolate and a faint tart berry note in aroma and cup. Quiet, softly expressed acidity; lightly creamy mouthfeel. Aromatically simple but balanced, resonant finish.

Quiet but engaging. Molasses, ripe orange, almond, aromas of moist, old forest wood. Gently rich, round acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Simple but resonantly sweet finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Vanilla-toned chocolate, low-acid, mango-like fruit in the aroma. In the small cup smoothly syrupy mouthfeel, a slight tart brightness, cedary pungency, and continued chocolate and fruit that carry into a quietly resonant finish. Balanced and simple in two parts milk, with the chocolate dominating.