Reviews for JBC Coffee Roasters

Delicate yet deeply aromatic, gloriously and almost impossibly complex in its fruit and floral expression. Fruit ranges from grapefruit through lychee to passionfruit; flowers suggest lavender, rose, more. There is chocolate and a grapy Cognac reduction, and finally a savory resonance we called sweet mushroom. Juicy, floral-tart acidity; viscous, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is laden with complex floral top-notes in the short, rounding to hints of sweet fruit and deep Cognac-toned chocolate in the long.

Richly sweet, intricately layered. Lychee, chocolate fudge, bay leaf, pipe tobacco, aromatic orchid, a hint of fresh-turned earth in aroma and cup. Juicy, sweet-tart acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Notes of cocoa and sweet pipe tobacco resonate in the crisp, dry finish.

An exquisite Kenya: bold, richly sweet-savory, and deeply inviting.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply and richly sweet-tart. Dark chocolate, hazelnut, black cherry, lavender, sandalwood in aroma and small cup. Delicate, silky mouthfeel; sweet, chocolate-toned finish with supporting notes of lavender and sandalwood. In three parts milk, pungent floral tones are elevated and sweet cocoa notes deepen.

Delicate, rich-toned. Lemon verbena, honeysuckle, cocoa powder, cedar, green grape in aroma and cup. Lively, juicy acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The sweet, resonant finish is redolent of citrusy herbs and sweet flowers supported by cocoa tones.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply rich, sweetly savory. Dark chocolate, orange zest, vanilla, tamarind, pungently spicy flowers (lantana?) in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; bold, sweetly tart finish with suggestions of cocoa-toned tamarind and orange zest. Crisply sweet in three parts milk, where notes of dark chocolate are amplified and the tart sweetness of tamarind-like fruit persists.

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.

Crisply sweet, intricately layered. Grapefruit, cocoa nib, honeysuckle, white sage, a suggestion of wild mushroom in aroma and cup. Juicy, balanced acidity; velvety-smooth mouthfeel. The sweet-savory finish is flavor-saturated, leading with fruit and floral tones in the short and culminating in umami-toned intrigue with hints of white sage and wild mushroom.

Intensely rich, complex, vast. Plumeria, chocolate fudge, white grapefruit, perique (fermented) pipe tobacco, white truffle in aroma and cup. Juicy, bright acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant, flavor-saturated finish is long, balanced, and reiterates all of the tendencies in the cup: sweet (plumeria, chocolate), tart (white grapefruit), savory (pipe tobacco, truffle).

Luscious, sweetly savory. Candied yam, sarsaparilla, baker’s chocolate, rhododendron-like flowers, pomegranate in aroma and cup. Round, balanced acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The cleanly resonant finish is carried by sarsaparilla and sweet yam notes.

Subtle, complexly layered. Candied ginger, pomegranate, rhododendron, cashew butter, bergamot in aroma and cup. Zesty, balanced acidity; delicate, satiny mouthfeel. The quietly resonant finish consolidates around cashew and rhododendron suggestions.

Deeply rich and sweet-toned. Roasted cacao nib, lily, sandalwood, lychee, hazelnut in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart acidity; satiny smooth mouthfeel. The crisp finish resonates with hazelnut and lily in the short, consolidating to cocoa-toned sandalwood in the gently drying long.

Deeply sweet, seductively rich. Lemon drop, sandalwood, starfruit, black honey, fragrant thyme in aroma and cup. Juicy, rich acidity; billowy, silken mouthfeel. Black honey envelopes an herb-toned short finish; crisp lemon complicates the long.

Evaluated as espresso. Balanced, sweetly tart, floral. Baker’s chocolate, honeysuckle, cedar, mango, tangerine zest in aroma and small cup. Juicy, nectar-like body. The rich, resonant finish is saturated with orange-cloaked chocolate notes. In three parts milk, fruit and floral tones round and soften but remain deeply sweet and invitingly tart.

Evaluated as espresso. Deeply sweet-tart. Lemon curd, walnut, roasted cacao nib, honeysuckle, candied apple in aroma and small cup. Crisp, silky mouthfeel. Bright, balanced short finish; sweetly nut-toned in the long. Maintains its composure in three parts milk, where both chocolate and lemon notes converge and fatten.

Subtly rich, crisply sweet. Brown sugar, rhododendron, baked green apple, walnut, oak in aroma and cup. Crisp, apple-like acidity; lightly velvety mouthfeel. Brown sugar, green apple, rhododendron all carry into a sweet, gently drying finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Delicate, exotic, profoundly floral. Star jasmine, tamarind, saffron, bittersweet orange blossom, dark chocolate in aroma and small cup. Sumptuous, levitating mouthfeel. Bittersweet, citrus-driven short finish; dark chocolate enveloped in jasmine in the resonant long, with waves of saffron notes best described as umami-floral. Maintains its nuance in three parts milk, where dark chocolate and saffron round and deepen.

Intricately rich, tartly sweet. Lilac, wild strawberry, sandalwood, roasted cacao nib, grapefruit zest in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet, vibrant acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Aromatic sandalwood notes are amplified in the richly drying short finish, with a return of cacao nib and quietly spicy grapefruit zest in the resonant long.

Deeply pungent, sweet-savory. Magnolia, dried mango, toasted barley, hops, thyme. Plump, juicy acidity; silky-smooth, delicate mouthfeel. The rich-toned finish consolidates to a citrus-leaning hops, complicated by hints of sweet thyme.

Evaluated as espresso. Floral-toned, sweetly rich. Mango, wisteria, myrrh, roasted cacao nib in aroma and small cup. Tart, very silky mouthfeel. Tartly sweet short finish; almond and myrrh carry into a richly drying long. Mango dominates, complicated by sweet nut suggestions, in three parts milk.