LATEST REVIEWS

A sensitive but very dark roast dominates the profile. Co-cupper Jennifer Stone (88) describes the aroma as "deep" and "complex"; Ken (88) finds dark chocolate and charred aromatic wood as well as floral top notes in the nose. In the cup the body is medium, the mouthfeel "thin" (Jennifer) to "lean" (Ken) but the general character of the cup is richly and crisply roasty, with continued dark chocolate, charred wood and distinct floral notes, all of which carry with impressive persistence and clarity into the mildly astringent finish.

The difference between co-cupper Jennifer Stone?s score of 84 and Ken's 89 depended on how they responded to a shadow fault in an otherwise impressive, complex coffee. The fault emerged as the coffee cooled; Jennifer simply called it an "off" note; Ken described it as vaguely metallic though very faint. Slight fault aside, this is a classic South Pacific profile, gently pungent with aromatic wood and nut notes softened by hints of bananaish fruit and night flowers.

Sweet fruity aroma: flowers, citrus, honey and a distant hint of sage. In the cup bright, balanced acidity with medium body and a delicate mouthfeel. Floral and lemon tones dominate with hints of berry, orange blossom, black currant and molasses. Finishes crisply and cleanly, with a mild note of nuttiness in the long.

Gently pungent aroma of sweet chocolate and nut. Balanced acidity, full mouthfeel, and soft, deep layers of flavors ranging from flowers and dried fruit to more nut and cocoa. Finishes cleanly, with a mild milk chocolate note.

Lovely balance. Crisply sweet-toned aroma: lemon, flowers, and a deepening hint of pungent dried fruit. In the cup gently bright, with a continued delicate sweetness and complex cherryish fruit completely free of bitter or astringent imbalances. Cleanly simple finish.

Complex aroma: toast, nut, cinnamon, caramel, cocoa and aromatic wood. Smooth acidity, creamy body, very nutty flavor with notes of fresh-cut wood and chocolate. Long, dry finish with a very mild woody tightness in the long.

Simple, balanced aroma: hints of tart cherry, cocoaish chocolate. In the cup soft acidity, silk mouthfeel, with intensifying crisp chocolate and nut notes haloed by a continued tart cherryish sweetness. Rich, sweet finish.

Complex aroma: flowers, citrus, black currant and fresh-cut pine. Bright acidity, juicy mouthfeel, balanced, round flavor of sweet orange, strawberry, lavender and continued black currant. Finishes cleanly, with mild fruit tones and a suggestion of caramel.

Intense, roundly fruity aroma with notes of flowers and candied citrus peel. Bright floral-toned acidity, soft mouthfeel, and graceful notes of sweet lemon, berries and yes, more flowers. Sweet, clean finish with a mild suggestion of milk chocolate lingering in the long.

Superbly balanced structure and quiet, tight-knit aromatic complexity. Well-integrated acidity, silky mouthfeel. Cocoa, prune-toned fruit, caramel, aromatic wood notes and a hint of flowers carry from aroma through cup to a long, rich, resonant finish.

Citrus and jasmine-like flowers in the aroma with notes of honeyed toast. Balanced acidity, medium body and a gently complex floral character with hints of berry, citrus and lavender. Clean finish with soft hints of nut and milk chocolate developing in the long.

Sweet tangerine and jasmine aroma, balanced acidity and a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Tangerine and flowers carry into the cup along with notes of berries, apricot and mandarin. Finishes cleanly with soft fruit notes continuing in the long.

Simple but softly rich aroma: sweet aromatic wood, caramel. In the cup balanced, soft acidity, delicately smooth mouthfeel, crisp nut and cocoa notes with a halo of cherryish sweetness. Lovely finish: clean, sweet, cocoa- and cherry-toned.

Intensely pungent fir, sweet nut and fruit aroma; leanish but smooth mouthfeel; sweet, balanced acidity. Complex flavors of aromatic wood, pine needles and berries with hints of black currant and flowers. The flavor turns toward cocoa or fruit-toned chocolate in the long finish.

Improves as it moves along. The aroma is delicate, almost too delicate, with only slight hints of chocolate and flowers. Picks up energy in the cup: soft but vibrant acidity, silky mouthfeel. The dark chocolate and night flowers retain their delicacy but turn distinct and rich, carrying into a long, sweet-toned finish.

A gently bright coffee, with a sweet-toned aroma: orange, blackberry and flowers. Fruit carries into the cup - citrus, tart berry and black currant - with the floral note reemerging in the finish, softly fading toward toast.

A lush, chocolate- and berry-toned fruit competes with an underlying menthol and Mediterranean herb character that may strike some coffee drinkers as too sharp and others as bracing. The sweet blueberry-like fruit prevails in the aroma, the fruit and savory herb balance in the cup. They split the difference in the finish: the short finish belongs to the fruit and chocolate, the long to the dry, herby mouthfeel.

Round aroma: roasty, chocolaty and herbal, with soft hints of fruit. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel and flavors of cocoa, cedar, toast, earth, perhaps grapefruit. Long finish, with lingering notes of sweet aromatic wood.

Sweetly pungent in the aroma: cedar, hints of dark chocolate and raisiny fruit. In the cup smooth mouthfeel but a little lean; richly bittersweet; continued hints of a rather dry dark chocolate and raisins. The flavor prevails over a mild astringency in the finish.

Intense aroma: herb, night flowers, sweet berry. In the cup roast-dampened acidity, leanish mouthfeel but rich flavor: herb, aromatic wood, continued night flowers and a berry note that fattens toward chocolate. The herb and chocolate notes in particular carry into a surprisingly round, smooth finish.