LATEST REVIEWS

Both co-cupper Jim Reynolds (94) and Ken (91) particularly admired the "active acidity" (Jim) of this coffee with its rich berry and floral influences. Jim found the flavor "complex but balanced." Ken was more specific: "dark chocolate, cherryish fruit, a hint of dusk flowers." Both approved of mouthfeel ("lightly syrupy," Ken) and finish ("light, bright and very pleasant," Jim).

Co-cupper Jim Reynolds and Ken both admired this coffee, but Ken, at 90, was less admiring than Jim at 95. Essentially, Jim found everything he wanted in an African coffee of this style - a combination of complexity, balance and deep dimension - whereas Ken liked what he found but wanted more of it, more intensity and a more pronounced, distinctive character. Both admired a bright, citrusy but delicate acidity, silky mouthfeel, and a mildly pungent chocolate that Jim described as "smoky chocolate" and Ken as "cocoa and aromatic wood." Jim found the aftertaste "lingering," Ken found it pleasing but short.

Ken (92) particularly admired this coffee's deep, night-blossoming floral character which he felt was balanced by an underlying crisp, cedary cocoa. Co-cupper Jim Reynolds (91) found the profile "mild" and caramelly with a soft ? for Jim, a bit too soft ? acidity.

Ken (93) favored this coffee considerably more than did co-cupper Jim Reynolds (89) despite the fact that both described it in similar terms. Ken was taken by floral qualities in aroma and cup, an essential sweetness, and what he called a complimentary "cocoaish dry fruit," doubtless the same sensation as Jim describes positively as "pungent" and "spicy and nutty." Both agreed that the acidity was gentle, though Ken scored it higher and described it as "crisp and sweet." Both found the mouthfeel attractively smooth and the finish long and flavor-saturated.

Both co-cupper Jim Reynolds (90) and Ken (91) described a very sweet-toned aroma and pleasingly delicate acidity, which Ken glossed as "wine-toned." Lightly syrupy mouthfeel, clean and balanced in flavor, "nutty" for Jim, tartly fruity and floral for Ken. Very sweet-finishing.

Co-cupper Jim Reynolds (91) praised a "spicy pungency" in the aroma and a smooth, balanced acidity. Ken (89) agreed. Both found the pungent character carrying into the cup, complicated for Ken by hints of flowers and cocoa. Simple but satisfying finish. Jim found the body "balanced in the light to medium range" but Ken found the mouthfeel a bit lean, accounting for his somewhat lower score.

For co-cupper Jim Reynolds (89) a smooth and essentially complete cup but too subdued, with "unassertive acidity." Ken (90) found the cup quiet as well, but enjoyed floral, apricot, chocolate, possibly butter notes in aroma and cup, with an acidity that was richly red-wine-like.

Rich, low-toned, deceptively simple coffee. Co-cupper Jim Reynolds (89) found it a quietly complete cup, though "somewhat shy" in acidity. Both Jim and Ken (90) wrestled with a very slight hint of what cuppers call "bagginess," a faint mildewed note that appears in coffees that have suffered exposure to too much moisture during shipment or storage. The coffee's essential richness and floral cocoa tendencies overcame this shadow note, however, allowing the underlying beauty of the coffee to resonate in cup and long, flavor-saturated finish.

Balanced, pungent character - "smoky and nutty" for co-cupper Jim Reynolds (89), "prune, nut, aromatic wood" for Ken (90) with rich floral hints. Smooth mouthfeel, round, rich finish.

Co-cupper Jim Reynolds (88): "This coffee had a complex, well-balanced aroma that reminded me of a vanilla flower, although I?ve never smelled a vanilla flower. I wish more of this had carried over into the cup, because the flavor was not as complex [nor] as interesting." Ken (92), on the other hand, found the floral and prune-toned fruit character of the aroma carried well into the cup, joined by cocoa and a slight, not unpleasant, salt or savory note. Ken and Jim agreed, however, in praising the richly resonant finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Sweetly aromatic in the small cup, with soft notes of toast, honey and fruit. Medium to full body with orangey chocolate notes and hints of flowers and caramel. The fruit toned chocolate persists in the bittersweet finish. In two parts milk, toast and cocoa dominate the cup at first, with the orange-like character re-emerging as the cup cools, lingering into the finish.

The aroma is sweet-toned and alive with flowers, ripe tomato, a hint of cedar; the mouthfeel silky. The issue in the cup is the acidity, sweet but intense, all but sidelining delicate cocoa and floral notes and carrying with dry authority into the finish.

Sweet-toned aromatic wood and roundly fruity aroma, with hints that suggest coconut. Medium to full body, soft mouthfeel, balanced acidity, and a complex range of flavors - grapefruit, lime, coconut, sweet table grapes, aromatic wood and a suggestion of flowers. Flavor characteristics linger and sweeten in the long, slightly dry finish.

A graceful floral-toned cocoa dominates. In the aroma very sweet-toned, buttery pungency, flowering grass, orangy citrus. In the cup, gentle, roast-muted acidity, silky mouthfeel, and the impressive floral-toned cocoa that persists into a rich finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Richly and sweetly aromatic in the small cup, with roasty hints of cedar, spice and tobacco. Lightly syrupy mouthfeel with flavors of dark chocolate, more cedar, and sweet notes of lemon and prune. The chocolate becomes more bittersweet in the finish, overlaying a mild astringency. In two parts milk, a roasty, salty-sweet chocolate dominates the cup.

Soft aroma of flowers and flowering grass, lime-like citrus and a hint of milky chocolate. Notes of toast, sweet citrus and dry white wine in the cup, with floral hints reemerging as it cools. Balanced acidity, medium body, with a hint of astringency in the mildly fruit-toned chocolate finish.

Co-taster Byron Holcomb (94): "On the nose, I got inviting, complex floral and strawberry notes. The body was vivacious - I could have said round, sweet, with a little savory edge, comforting, but vivacious will do." Both Ken (94) and Byron found chocolate and malt in the flavor, with an assortment of additional descriptors that testify to the complexity of this blend: "cedar, butter" (Ken), "lemon bar, spice" (Byron). Both were impressed by the big, sweet, chocolaty bloom in milk, which Byron found was complicated by a continued, brightening hint of lemon zest. It appears that a very controlled, judicious use of cleanly fruity-fermented dry-processed coffees contributed to the round, sweet, complex richness of this versatile blend.

For co-taster Byron Holcomb (92) pleasing "sweet caramelized" notes dominated, with some savory hints that together netted a suggestion of "sweet BBQ sauce." Ken (91) read the sweet/savory tendencies as flowers and aromatic wood, perhaps fresh anise. Syrupy body, long, cleanly rich finish with impressive flavor persistence. In milk caramel dominated, with hints of nut (Byron), butter and flowers (Ken).

The heavily syrupy body of this espresso particularly impressed both Ken (90) and co-taster Byron Holcomb (93) who for his part associated it with the fruity heaviness of mango nectar. The tropical fruit theme also surfaced in Ken's description of flavor and finish, where he found "bananaish fruit" along with cedar and anise. Byron also admired the "subtle, nutty, light nose" that turned to honey and whiskey in his characterization of flavor. In milk a distinct chocolate was complicated by fruit and floral notes for Ken, berry and agave for Byron.

Co-taster Byron Holcomb (92) particularly admired the aroma of this espresso, remarking on "distinct notes of saffron, carrots and pistachio." Both Ken (90) and Byron enjoyed the lightly syrupy, cohesive mouthfeel. Both offered approving descriptors for an unusual flavor complex that Byron described as dry flowers and Ken as anise and herb. In milk Byron found the light, complexly sweet flavor of tres leches cake; Ken may have found that too if he had thought of it, but left to himself he settled on a floral/fruit-toned chocolate.