LATEST REVIEWS

Pleasant enough ultra-dark-roast character in the aroma: roundly charred cedar, anise, a hint of citrus. All carry into the cup, though they lose considerable intensity on the way. Lean mouthfeel. The charred cedar turns to charred board in a terminally empty, astringent finish.

Woody nut rounded by a cherryish, rather composty dark-chocolate sweetness. Muted, slightly bitterish acidity; lean but smooth mouthfeel. Some nut and chocolate carry into a heavyish, astringent finish.

Disappointing for a 100% Colombian Arabica, even a Colombia presented in a roast-and-ground, canned format. Woody aroma with some pruny sweetness. Flat acidity, leanish mouthfeel. In the cup the wood persists and the fruit turns composty and unpleasantly fermented. Flat, astringent finish.

Sweet-toned and pungent in the nose, with composty, prune-like fruit and bitterish wood notes. Retains the fruit and wood hints in the cup, but turns more aggressively bitterish and sour. Thin, leanish mouthfeel. Heavily astringent in the finish.

Astoundingly under-roasted and woody. Sweet-toned wood, peanut, perhaps a hint of flowers in the aroma. In the cup nothing but salty, bitterly sour wood and peanut skins (the skins, not the nuts). Somewhere amid all of that a tiny hint of flowers shimmers on. Plumps up just a bit in the finish, though the salty-sour sensations continue to dominate.

Woody and vaguely sweet with a background salty mildew that could perhaps be charitably interpreted as spice. Flat with no brightness whatsoever; lean mouthfeel. The finish is sweet but empty and astringent. As the cup cools the musty, mildewy sharpness intensifies. Owing to the intensity of the mildewy taint we deducted three points from our already low rating.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweet-toned, pleasing but simple aromatics: roasted almond, lemon, grape. Buttery mouthfeel. Dry plum, lemon/lime-like citrus and anise carry from the small cup into finish. Continued hints of lemon and anise in a well-balanced, two-part milk drink.

Evaluated as espresso. Subtle, balanced aroma. Dark chocolate, flowers and berry carry into the cup with the addition of peach-like stone fruit and hints of fir. Deeply syrupy mouthfeel. Dark chocolate dominates the sweet, quiet finish. Fades somewhat in two parts milk, though the peach-like stone fruit ripens and chocolate notes sweeten.

Evaluated as espresso. Smoothly round aroma: toasted almond, cocoa-toned caramel and apricot-like stone fruit. Syrupy mouthfeel. Turns crisper in the small cup: the almond turns smoky and walnutty, the caramel deepens toward a cedary dark chocolate. Dominates richly in two parts milk.

Plum, cedar, almond, a hint of milk chocolate in intense aroma and roundly rich cup. Bright but balanced acidity; lively, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Sweet but slightly tight finish.

Crisply assertive yet delicate. Nectarine-like stonefruit, tea rose and lime zest carry into the cup, complicated by fresh-cut fir and sweet, plummy fruit notes. Floral-toned acidity; buoyantly silky mouthfeel. More flowers and tart stone fruit in the finish.

High-toned, giddy and bright: lavender, lime zest, baker's chocolate in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet-toned acidity; silky mouthfeel. The lime notes turn ripely sweet in the flavor-saturated finish.

Fresh, naturally sweet, dominated by floral and honey notes anchored by a complicating hint of fresh-cut fir. The acidity is giddily and sweetly bright; the mouthfeel lively and somewhere between silky and creamy in texture. Long, resonant finish.

Richly bright with a deeply expressed acidity: tart berry, black currant, dusk-blooming flowers. Pungently sweet acidity: silky mouthfeel. Very long, deep, resonant finish.

Sweet-toned, grapy wine and plum-like fruit are anchored by a pungent hint of cedar in aroma and cup. Richly tart acidity; lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Deeply layered, flavor-saturated finish shows just a hint of bitterness and salt in the long, though sweetness and flavor ultimately prevail.

Complex and distinctive darker-roasted profile. Pungently sweet and deep in aroma and cup: dark chocolate, cedar, grapefruity citrus, fresh-turned earth. The mouthfeel is full and rough, perhaps appropriately so given the earthy, autumnal character of the aromatics. Chocolate, citrus and earth carry into a richly dry finish.

A sweet and very complex coffee. A discreetly fermenty, brandy-toned chocolate dominates, rounded and complicated by brighter and crisper notes: strawberry, grapefruit and an almond-like nut note that under the impact of the essential sweetness of the coffee reads as lush marzipan. Remains rich and sweet in the finish, though simplifies a bit.

Impressively sweet-toned, bright and brandyish dried-in-the-fruit profile. Distinct blueberry notes in aroma and cup, balanced by a crisp mint and a spicy fir. Juicy, rounded acidity; syrupy but lively mouthfeel. The finish is flavor-saturated and sweet when the cup is hot; as it cools a slight salty tightness emerges.

Deep, sweet-toned aroma: dark chocolate, rich cedar, apricot-like fruit, lily-like flowers. Rich though slightly rough acidity; impressively full, syrupy mouthfeel. The complex aromatics simplify a bit in the cup, but retain depth and resonance. Long though rather dry and piney finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Elegant aroma: milk chocolate, toasted nuts and rose-like flowers. Creamy, rich mouthfeel. Milk chocolate deepens to dark chocolate and the rose-like flowers to lavender in the small cup with complications of cedar and stone fruit. Hints of all carry into to a long, resonant finish. Flavor softens but maintains presence well in two parts milk.