Top 30 Coffees of 2015

Immense, sweet, juicy, intricate. Lilac and jasmine, peach, apricot, rosehip, much more in aroma and cup. A vibrant but unobtrusive acidity shimmers in the heart of the sweetness; mouthfeel is satiny, full, almost nectar-like. Flavor, particularly the crisper notes, carries deep into a sweet, peachy finish.

Invitingly complex, vividly expressive. Starfruit, musk, butterscotch, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Lyric, gracefully coherent acidity; ultra-silky mouthfeel. A full complement of flavor notes carry deep into a long, resonant finish.

Complex, pungently juicy. Rose-like flowers, roasted cacao nib, candied lemon, mulberry in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned, softly lively acidity; plush, satiny mouthfeel. Deep and flavor-saturated in the finish.

Extraordinary authority and complexity. Honey, complexly-expressed flowers – lavender, lilac – candied grapefruit, underlying suggestions of sweet herb. Sweetly and richly bright acidity; buoyantly syrupy mouthfeel. Finishes with immense sweetness enveloping a crisp, drying edge.

Intricate, exhilarating; crisp yet juicy. Honey, roasted cacao nib, tangerine, sandalwood and very complex flowers, particularly rose and jasmine, in aroma and cup. Juicy, gently tart acidity; plush mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but persists in a long, sweet, resonant finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Delicately yet vastly intricate; crisp yet lush. Buttery chocolate, deeply sweet, lilac-like flowers, pungent sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Light, silky mouthfeel; flavor consolidates but rings on in a richly drying finish. Complex and complete in three parts milk: buttery, fruit-toned chocolate, a continuing shimmer of flowers.

The intoxicating spirits-rich aromas of the cask dominate in the nose, but a fine coffee character emerges in the cup to balance and support the casky rum notes with suggestions of dark chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, almond, passion flower. Smooth, rounded acidity; plush, buoyant mouthfeel. Very long, resonantly flavor-saturated finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Distinctive but extraordinarily complete and balanced in structure. Dark chocolate, black cherry, violet, oak in aroma and small cup. Full, nectar-like mouthfeel; sweet, violet-toned finish. Big, rich presence in three parts milk: floral chocolate and a buttery nut note.

Delicate but extraordinarily intricate. Passion flower, orange, loquat, sandalwood, frankincense in aroma and cup. Sweetly bright, juicy acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. Flavor resonates far into a long finish with very little loss of complexity.

Sweetly and deeply pungent. Black currant, tangerine, roasted cacao nib, lily-like flowers, a hint of savory black sage in aroma and cup. Lyric, balanced acidity; full, cushiony mouthfeel. Resonant, flavor-saturated finish.

Delicately sweet and exotically spicy. Tea rose, cocoa nib, cedar, frankincense, much more in aroma and cup. Dynamic and expansive acidity; satiny mouthfeel. Rich, resonant finish infused with musky floral notes far into the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply and roundly bright, balanced, complete. Cedar, blood orange, apricot, baker’s chocolate, a hint of lily in aroma and small cup. Syrupy though buoyantly lively mouthfeel; orangy chocolate and a hint of lily carry into a richly sweet finish. Fills out three parts milk with authority: orange- and cedar-toned chocolate, hints of lily and stone fruit.

Very sweet, exhilaratingly floral, lavishly complex. Lavender honey; floral notes ranging from violet to lily; candied lemon and blood orange; roasted cacao nib; black cherry in aroma and cup. Delicate, gently crisp, very sweet acidity; syrupy, buoyant mouthfeel. Deep, long, resonantly flavor-saturated finish.

Pungent, layered, deeply complex. Blackcurrant, dark chocolate, lavender, orange zest, fresh-cut maple in aroma and cup. Vivid, brightly sweet acidity; light but silky mouthfeel. Round, ringingly rich finish, saturated with flavor.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet-toned, round, deep. Dark chocolate, roasted almond, ripe fig, lily, oak. Full, syrupy mouthfeel. Chocolate and fig in particular carry into a resonant, balanced finish. Fills out three parts milk with authority: more rounded fig, chocolate and lily.

Intricate; lushly fruit-forward and round. Lilac, tangerine, almond butter, Cognac and ultra-fine musk in aroma and cup. Juicy, richly floral acidity; silky, levitating mouthfeel. Crisp, sweet, long-lasting finish redolent of musk.

Deeply sweet, lyrically balanced. Honey, honeysuckle, hazelnut, cacao nib, crisp pear in aroma and cup. Gracefully and gently brisk acidity; silky, buoyant mouthfeel. The sweet honey/honeysuckle and the crisp cacao nib and hazelnut notes carry into a quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Crisply sweet, deeply and exhilaratingly intricate. Orange blossom, ripe raspberry, roasted cacao nib, sandalwood in aroma and cup. Brisk but juicy, complexly nuanced acidity; smooth, satiny mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates but resonates in a long, echoing finish.

Delicate, sweetly pungent, spicy. Crisp peach, black tea, magnolia-like flowers and lemon zest in aroma and cup. Juicy, bright acidity; lightly silky mouthfeel. Peach, black tea and floral notes carry deep into a crisply sweet finish.

Richly sweet; layered complexity. Pomogranate, narcissus, round, caramelly chocolate, a pungent hint of pine in aroma and cup. Balanced, lyrically lively acidity; plump, satiny mouthfeel. Chocolate and a hint of pine in a lightly drying finish.

Sweetly bright; exhilaratingly floral. Honeysuckle, lavender, apple, walnut in aroma and cup. Crisp, very sweet acidity; lively, syrupy mouthfeel. The distinct apple and floral notes carry into a long, resonant finish.

Vivid with complex, shifting fruit and floral notes. Vanilla, raspberry, roasted cacao nib, sandalwood, hints of spearmint and violet in aroma and cup. Balanced but vibrant acidity; syrupy, lively mouthfeel. Deeply sweet, flavor-saturated finish, very slightly though richly drying in the long.

Sweet, crisp, gently exuberant. Spicy flowers, roasted cacao nib, almond, sandalwood, tangelo in aroma and cup. Lively, gently crisp acidity; buoyant, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor saturates a very sweet finish.

Intricately sweet, delicately composed. Lilac-like flowers, blueberry, pink grapefruit zest, cocoa nib in aroma and cup. Vibrant, lyrical acidity; silky-smooth mouthfeel. Richly drying fruit- and floral-toned finish.

Soft, enveloping, resonantly complex. Rose and violet floral notes, apricot, dark chocolate, clove and marjoram in aroma and cup. Bright, juicy acidity; satiny, buoyant mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a brisk short finish; floral and chocolate return sweetly in the long.

Lush, intricate, with a deep, cushiony sweetness. Lavishly complex floral notes – cherry blossom, lavender, saffron, more – complicated by mulberry, tangerine and a crisp roasted cacao nib. Round, floral-toned acidity; plush, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Flavor, particularly the floral notes, sustain in a long, balanced, lightly drying finish.

Intense, pungent, juicy. Berry (raspberry, black currant), complex flowers (lavender, lilac), dark chocolate, a hint of cooked squash or beet in aroma and cup. Richly balanced, wine-toned acidity; full, nectar-like mouthfeel. Chocolate and flowers, in particular, carry into a resonant, balanced finish.

Big, pungent, zesty. Pink peppercorn, grapefruit, narcissus, brown sugar in aroma and cup. Lilting, very sweetly and gently bright acidity; light, silky mouthfeel. Flowers and citrus in particular saturate a crisply drying finish.

Sweetly bright, balanced, classic. Ripe tangerine, apricot, honeysuckle-like flowers, hazelnut, fresh-cut cedar in aroma and cup. Delicate, lively acidity; lightly plush mouthfeel. Flavor consolidates in a gently tart, richly balanced finish.

Very sweet, delicately pungent. Red currant, spicy rose, fresh-cut cedar, vanilla in aroma and cup. Lightly bright, gently lively acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The spicy rose and red currant carry into a crisply sweet-toned finish.