Tree Variety Reviews

Delicately rich, gently and sweetly bright. Dark chocolate, peach, blood orange zest, lilac-like flowers, a pungent hint of juniper berry in aroma and cup. Crisp, light-footed acidity; smooth, satiny mouthfeel. Peach, chocolate and flowers carry into a deeply flavor-saturated finish.

Pungently and sweetly wood- and nut-toned. Fresh-cut cedar, baker’s chocolate, cashew, orange zest in aroma and cup. Round, backgrounded acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. Simple but sweet, resonant finish.

Expressive, balanced, richly sweet. Lemon blossom, baker’s chocolate, cashew butter, aged Tequila, tea rose in aroma and cup. Vibrant, balanced acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Lemon blossom and cashew butter carry the short finish, while notes of aged Tequila, suggesting a refined sweet ferment, return in the long, enveloped by baker’s chocolate.

Delicate, high-toned, sweetly tart. Lemon verbena, toffee, pomegranate, dark chocolate, lavender in aroma and cup. Vibrantly tart acidity; very silky, smooth mouthfeel. The quietly expressive finish centers around crisp lemon verbena notes and hints of spicy lavender.

Bold, sweetly spice-toned. Molasses, hazelnut, cedar, persimmon, orange blossom in aroma and cup. Mild, balanced acidity; plush, creamy mouthfeel. The gently drying finish offers notes of cedar and orange blossom in the short, consolidating to hazelnut in the long.

Intense, deeply aromatic, richly sweet. Dark chocolate, scorched lemon zest, rose, passion fruit, vanilla in aroma and cup. Engaging, fruit-toned acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The crisp finish consolidates to a cocoa-toned passion fruit with continued appealing notes of lemon zest.

Bold, caramel-toned. Caramel, baker’s chocolate, cedar, black cherry, magnolia in aroma and cup. Rounded, gentle acidity; lean, satiny mouthfeel. The gently drying finish is wood-framed, with sweet notes of caramel and chocolate.

Deeply sweet, round, balanced. Blueberry, hazelnut, pipe tobacco, orange zest, graham cracker in aroma and cup. Crisp, richly tart acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The rich-toned finish leads with ripe blueberry notes in the short; a citrus-toned hazelnut resurfaces in the long.

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.

Sweetly and richly enticing. Baker’s chocolate, Graham cracker, dried cranberry, orange blossom, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Crisp, balanced acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The richly drying finish consolidates to baker’s chocolate in the short finish, with aromatic wood notes resurfacing in the long.

Fruit-toned, deeply pungent. Blueberry, rum cordial, fresh-cut fir, baker’s chocolate, gardenia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Fruit-forward acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. The quiet finish is characterized by cocoa-toned blueberry in the short and hints of aromatic wood in the long.

Seductively pungent, richly sweet, tropical. Cognac, almond butter, frankincense, lychee, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. The crisp finish is richly nut-toned in the short, while tropical fruit notes (lychee) return in the long, along with a pleasing new coconut (the fruit flesh) note.

Delicate, crisp, sweet-savory. Black currant, maple syrup, candied orange zest, jasmine, sage in aroma and cup. Balanced, lightly juicy acidity; leanish but satiny mouthfeel. The resonant finish leans toward savory suggestions in the short (sage); fruit notes (black currant, candied orange zest) revive in the long.

Evaluated as espresso. All three reviewers praised this espresso for its clean, citrusy/orangy sweetness: “orange hard candy” for co-taster Jen Apodaca (94); orange and brown sugar for John DiRuocco (93); tart but juicy blood orange for Ken (93). All found notes that rounded and complicated the citrus: the brown sugar for John, caramel for Ken, Concord grape for Jen. Jen was most enthusiastic and explicit about what this coffee brought to three parts milk: “tasted like cherry pie.”

Evaluated as espresso. Of three reviewers, Ken (93) was most supportive of this crisply chocolaty, silky-bodied espresso, citing its balanced range of baker’s chocolate, flowers and fruit. Jen Apodaca’s (92) descriptors overlapped Ken’s. For John DiRuocco (89), however, the sample was “a bit bipolar,” lacking coherence, although he praised the baker’s chocolate and pleasing mouthfeel. Everyone liked this one in three-parts milk, which help the chocolate sweeten and blossom.

Complex, deeply pungent, sweetly savory. Lavender, pink peppercorn, gooseberry, lemongrass, baker’s chocolate in aroma and cup. Juicy, sweet-tart acidity; lightly creamy mouthfeel. Cocoa and lavender tones lead in a resonant, flavor-saturated finish.

Sweet, crisp, deeply floral. Wisteria, dried mango, blood orange, almond butter, clove in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy-tart acidity; silky-smooth mouthfeel. The crisp, clean, deeply flavor-saturated finish is sustained and resonant.

Deeply sweet, fruit-forward. Dried raspberry, apple brandy, freesia-like flowers, roasted cacao nib, molasses in aroma and cup. Crisp, sweet-tart acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Raspberry tones ring from the break through to the quietly resonant finish, with a supporting array of spicy florals.

Lush, sweetly savory, deeply floral. Black currant, hops, coriander, kola syrup, violet in aroma and cup. Juicy, round acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The flavor-saturated finish consolidates around fruit and floral tones in the short, modulating to crisp, resonant notes of hops and kola in the long.

Sweet-toned, delicately rich. Maple syrup, ripe persimmon, orange zest, roasted cacao nib, gardenia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Juicy, balanced acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The rich-toned finish is saturated with crisp cacao nib and deep orange zest notes.