LATEST REVIEWS
We have published thousands of coffee reviews and espresso reviews since 1997. The reviews below appear in reverse chronological order by review date. Older reviews may no longer accurately reflect current versions of the same coffee. To search for a specific roaster, origin or coffee use the Advanced Search Function.
Evaluated as espresso. High-toned, sweetly tart; Bing cherry, dark chocolate, tangerine zest, honeysuckle, a hint of fine pipe tobacco in aroma and small cup. Full, syrupy mouthfeel; earthy-sweet finish. In cappuccino-scaled milk, dark chocolate is amplified, as are deep florals, while tart fruit notes round.
Evaluated as espresso. Spice-toned, fruit-forward. Dried raspberry, cinnamon, dark chocolate, almond butter, narcissus in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny texture; resonant, flavor-saturated finish. In three parts milk, balanced and chocolaty, with lingering spice notes.
Evaluated as espresso. Deeply chocolaty, richly floral. Chocolate fudge, lilac, peach, fresh-cut cedar, hazelnut butter in aroma and small cup. Crisp, satiny-smooth mouthfeel; the deep, long, resonant finish maintains all of the aroma and flavor notes from the cup. Also profoundly satisfying in three parts milk, with chocolate and florals in a slow dance and fruit returning to the surface in the long finish.
Evaluated as espresso. Richly sweet, fruit-toned and chocolaty. Dark chocolate, dried cherry, fresh-cut fir, almond blossom, molasses in aroma and small cup. Full, satiny-smooth mouthfeel; flavor-saturated finish driven by chocolate and stone fruit notes. This blend sings in milk, elevating notes of both cherry and chocolate in lasting vibrancy.
Evaluated as espresso. Deeply cocoa- and nut-toned, brightly fruit-forward. Cocoa powder, caramel, almond butter, dried black cherry, myrrh in aroma and small cup. Velvety mouthfeel, crisp, chocolaty and nut-toned finish. The milk shot leads with notes of black cherry and cocoa powder, supported by rich aromatic wood and almond butter.
Evaluated as espresso. Classically cocoa-toned and sweetly tart. Nutella, pink peppercorn, pomegranate, molasses, magnolia in aroma and small cup. Creamy-smooth body; short but resounding finish. The milk shot is lush and fudgelike, with undertones of pomegranate and magnolia.
Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, richly bittersweet. Baker’s chocolate, dried apricot, hop flowers, sandalwood, hazelnut butter in aroma and cup. Plush, creamy mouthfeel; bright, fruit-forward finish. In milk, crisp chocolate notes envelope notes of stone fruit and bittersweet florals in the short, with rich aromatic wood tones resurfacing in the long.
Price: $9.99/12 sticks
Evaluated as an instant or soluble coffee at proportions of one cube of instant coffee mixed with 8.5 ounces (250 ml) of hot water. Delicately sweet-savory. Caramel, fir, cashew, lily hint of beef jerky in aroma and cup. Sweet-savory structure with little perceptible acidity; thin, smooth mouthfeel. The crisp finish centers around notes of cashew, caramel and beef jerky.
Richly sweet, cocoa-toned. Dark chocolate, apricot, hazelnut, lilac, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Balanced, bittersweet structure with rounded acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. The finish is thoroughly chocolaty with undertones of apricot and hazelnut.
Richly and cleanly fruit-toned. Bing cherry, freesia-like flowers, fruit taffy, fresh-cut oak, lemon verbena in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with vivacious acidity; vibrant, creamy mouthfeel. Gentle, fruit-forward finish with spicy floral notes.
Deeply sweet, intensely pungent. Dark chocolate, pink grapefruit zest, wisteria, maple syrup, myrrh in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet-toned in structure with lively, juicy acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is long and satisfying: flavor-saturated, floral-, chocolate- and fruit-toned, harmoniously balanced.
Balanced, high-toned, richly sweet. Molasses, crisp green tomato, wisteria, Nutella, fresh pipe tobacco in aroma and cup. Sweet-savory-tart structure; very syrupy mouthfeel. Rich-toned finish with notes of dark chocolate, hazelnut and wisteria.
Elegant, tropical, rich-toned. Strawberry guava, honeysuckle, almond, sandalwood, cacao nib in aroma and cup. Richly sweet structure with bright, vibrant acidity; lush, syrupy mouthfeel. Lingering notes of strawberry and honeysuckle in the delicate finish.
Juicy, bright, deeply and richly sweet. Dried strawberry, toffee, lilac, myrrh, maple syrup in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with vivacious acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates to notes of strawberry and toffee.
Price: HK $125.00/250 grams
Evaluated as espresso. Deeply sweet, richly tart, pungent. Dark chocolate, jasmine, mango, green tea, tangerine zest, cedar in aroma and small cup. Full and syrupy though slightly rough mouthfeel. The finish consolidates around quiet cocoa and citrus. Flowers and green tea in particular carry into three parts milk.
Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly nutty with a slight salty edge. Nut (roasted almond, peanut-butter), dark chocolate, scorched oak, prune, pungent lily in aroma and small cup. Mouthfeel is lightly satiny. The short finish consolidates around bittersweet nut, with a slight drying edge in the long. In three parts milk, distinctly nutty and bittersweet with hints of cocoa.
Richly savory-sweet, balanced, layered and lively. Red currant, maple syrup, honeysuckle, sandalwood, dark chocolate in aroma and cup. Deeply sweet-savory structure with juicy, confident acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Long, flavor-saturated finish centers around red fruit and sweet-spicy floral notes.
Cleanly fruit-toned, richly sweet-tart. Raspberry, freesia, oak, pistachio, cacao nib in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with gentle, rounded acidity; full, velvety mouthfeel. Raspberry and freesia notes animate the elegant, crisply sweet finish.
Price: NT $180/8 ounces
Evaluated as espresso. Deep, rich, chocolaty. Dried apricot, dark chocolate, hazelnut, molasses, cedar in aroma and small cup. Satiny smooth mouthfeel; crisp, sweetly nut-toned finish. Chocolate leads in three parts milk, followed by notes of molasses and hazelnut.
Price: $49.50/4 ounces
A complex and overwhelming aromatic immersion. Pink bubblegum, winter spices, salted fudge, candied ginger, elderflower, herbal liqueur (yellow chartreuse?) in aroma and cup. The structure is dramatic: basic tastes are all disconcertingly intense, including sweet, salt and savory, yet they all somehow layer and satisfy. Very full and syrupy mouthfeel with a spicy drying edge. The finish is resonant, slightly bittersweet though chocolaty and rich.