South America Reviews

Deeply and richly sweet; floral-toned. Lilac, roasted cacao nib, cardamom, myrrh, mango in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; delicate, silky mouthfeel. The crisp, richly drying finish leads with notes of lilac in the short, consolidating to cacao nib and apricot in the long.

Sweetly pungent, chocolate-toned. Dark chocolate, lightly scorched cedar, raisin, roasted hazelnut, lily-like flowers in aroma and cup. Round, gentle acidity; satiny mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates to raisiny dark chocolate in the resonant, gently drying finish.

Exuberant, delicately spice-toned. Sandalwood, roasted cacao nib, strawberry, roasted almond, tea rose in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy, intensely floral-toned acidity; velvety mouthfeel. The flavorful finish leads with notes of cacao nib and strawberry in the short, consolidating to sandalwood and rose in an impressively ringing, persistent long.

Crisply sweet, balanced. Maple syrup, rhododendron-like flowers, pear, hazelnut, cedar in aroma and cup. Briskly sweet acidity; silky mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish is resonant, if short.

Richly sweet-savory. Baker’s chocolate, vanilla, thyme, pomegranate, spicy oak in aroma and cup. Brisk, sweetly-tart acidity; crisp, velvety mouthfeel. The richly drying finish consolidates around notes of pomegranate and thyme in the short, rounding to baker’s chocolate in the long.

Delicate; crisply sweet-savory. Lemon blossom, roasted cacao nib, pink peppercorn, fresh fennel, plum in aroma and cup. Brisk, sweet-tart acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The quiet finish consolidates to cocoa-toned citrus notes in the short with suggestions of fresh fennel in the long.

Sweetly spice-toned. Gardenia, baker’s chocolate, green grape, pecan, black peppercorn in aroma and cup. Brisk, sweet-tart acidity; delicate, silky mouthfeel. The gently drying finish consolidates to notes of pecan and baker’s chocolate with hints of gardenia.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly and roundly bright; chocolaty and floral. Guava, tangerine, dark chocolate, sandalwood, lily in aroma and small cup. Smooth, silky-satiny mouthfeel; dry though flavor-saturated finish. Flowers, sweetly tart fruit and chocolate all carry with rich authority into three parts milk.

Crisply sweet, spice-toned. Praline, cedar, baker’s chocolate, fig, clove in aroma and cup. Soft, bittersweet acidity; richly drying, syrupy mouthfeel. The deep-toned, resonant finish consolidates to fig and cedar in the short, with a suggestions of praline in the long.

Delicate, richly sweet. Lilac, roasted cacao nib, vanilla bean, tart quince, aromatic frankincense in aroma and cup. Roundly sweet acidity; lush, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The gentle finish is quietly flavor-saturated, leading with fruit and floral tones in the short, cocoa in the long.

Crisp, sweetly nut-toned. Toffee, pecan, fresh-cut fir, baker’s chocolate, rosemary flower in aroma and cup. Mild, briskly sweet acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The gently drying, resonant finish centers around baker’s chocolate in the short, with aromatic wood and nut tones resurfacing in the long.

Deeply and richly sweet. Dark chocolate, ripe pomegranate, orange zest, roasted pistachio, magnolia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Crisp, sweetly tart acidity; delicate, silky mouthfeel. The sweetly savory finish leads with notes of pomegranate and pistachio in the short, rounding to cocoa tones in the resonant long.

Delicate, sweet-toned, subtly complex. Rhododendron, date, graham cracker, pink peppercorn, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy, citrus-like acidity; lightly satiny mouthfeel. The gently drying finish consolidates around notes of date and graham cracker in the short, with suggestions of spicy floral tones (pink peppercorn) in the long.

Cleanly fruit-toned and floral. Strawberry, alyssum, allspice, almond butter, sweet chocolate in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy, sweet-tart acidity; delicate, silky mouthfeel. The richly drying finish centers around strawberry in the short and rounds to spice-toned chocolate in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Rich, deep, roundly spicy. A particularly aromatic cedar plus caramel, almond butter, peach, rose-like flowers in aroma and small cup. Full, velvety mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates around a cedar-toned chocolate in a resonant finish. Crisp and delicate in three parts milk: continued cedar and chocolate.

Richly and roundly roast-toned. Plum, baker’s chocolate, lightly scorched cedar, vanilla, a hint of flowers in aroma and cup. Roast-rounded acidity, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Vanilla and chocolate carry into a roasty but sweet finish.

Intricately composed, deeply sweet-savory. Pink grapefruit zest, chocolate fudge, dried papaya, roasted pumpkin, fresh bay leaf in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet-tart acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish leads with rich chocolate fudge notes in the short, followed by roasted pumpkin and bay leaf in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. An engagingly exotic coffee that polarized the three reviewers: John DiRuocco was lukewarm at 90, whereas Jen Apodaca was very enthusiastic at 95; Ken landed in the middle at 93. Ken read the coffee as driven by an attractive sweet ferment that for him suggested winey grape edging on grappa; John cited a fruit that for him was simultaneously ripe, tart and spicy; Jen went entirely positive on the fruit notes, citing in particular mango and passion fruit – fruit that taken together perhaps echoes John’s lush, tart and spicy reading. The cup was intense for John but not entirely coherent, while Jen found it expressed a “nice balance of acidity and sweetness.” Everyone found the coffee attractively complex in three parts milk, simultaneously lushly sweet and tart.

Evaluated as espresso. Reviewer Jen Apodaca (95) loved this coffee: “rosewater, Meyer lemon, peach preserves, honey and brown sugar … Sweet and aromatic from start to finish … a standout in milk.” John DiRuocco (91) was less enthusiastic, though he praised this coffee’s delicacy and raisin and sweet chocolate notes. Ken found enough to like (blood orange, rose-like flowers, sweet pipe tobacco) to squeeze out a 90. All three reviewers found what they liked most about the coffee carrying into three parts milk.

Layered, richly sweet. Dried mango, sandalwood, pink peppercorn, rhododendron, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Delicately tart acidity; lush, satiny mouthfeel. The finish is crisp with sandalwood and pink peppercorn notes in the short, while cocoa tones return in the long.