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.
Rather subdued aroma, but quite sweet and deep, with floral, semi-sweet chocolate and cherry hints. Continued round and deep in the cup, with distinct semi-sweet chocolate notes and a slight woody, herby edge. The round richness carries into the short finish but gives way to a shallow, salty woodiness in the long.
Smoky aroma dominated by scorched cedar notes with hints of spice and orange. In the sharply pungent, faintly sweet cup all grace notes vanish with the exception of the smoky, scorched cedar. Good sweetness in the short finish, with only slight astringency in the long.
The aroma is sweet but neutral and thin, with wood, caramel and nut notes. In the cup caramelly with a hint of cedar, but dominated by a cloyingly sweet nut character, the calling card of inexpensive coffees of the robusta species.
Very sweet aroma, with nut and perhaps slight floral and chocolate notes. In the cup cloyingly bittersweet wood and nut robusta character with continued faint chocolate and floral suggestions.
Sweet wood and vegetal cocoa in the aroma. In the cup flatly bittersweet, continued woody, with a hint of vegetal cocoa that stays just on the cocoa side of rubbery. Simple, short, salty/sweet finish.
Cloyingly sweet, earthy/mildewed character with very distinct grassy notes.
Pungently sweet, cedary, faintly sewerish-fermented aroma. In the cup neutral, sweet, very simple, with hints of walnut and continued composty ferment. Cleans up a bit in the finish. Considerable difference from cup to cup, with some cups more fermented than others.
Very sweet-toned, exquisitely balanced aroma with floral, candied lemon and sweet herb notes. In the cup intense, tartly sweet acidity and buoyant mouthfeel with white wine and continued sweet lemon notes. The barest hint of chocolate in the cup blooms with soft explicitness in the surprisingly sweet finish. The cup stiffens ever so slightly as it cools.
A coffee at once voluptuous and austere. Delicately complex aroma: flowers, chocolate, tobacco leaf, lemon grass. In the cup an amazingly rich, wine-like acidity, sweet flowers, and a gently crisp, dry berry fruit. Hints of chocolate re-emerge in the cleanly long, almost perfect finish.
Pungently bittersweet, rather austere coffee. Deep aroma, with tomato and rosemary notes and perhaps some semi-sweet chocolate. In the cup, rich, simple, bittersweet with continued tomato, Mediterranean herb and semi-sweet chocolate notes.
Chocolate and citrus on the break. Regal acidity, complex flavors of chocolate, citrus and herbs. A powerful, intense and demanding cup. Haunting, persistent finish. Perfect roast of this especially challenging bean. What great coffee is all about.
Cocoa laced with citrus in the aroma. Flavors are as complex and sculpted as a top Alsatian Riesling, with intense lemon and orange acidity, chocolate, and a suggestion of fresh chive or tarragon always associated with this variety. A powerful, aristocratic grand cru. This fragile, low-density variety is a major challenge to roast (and cannot handle dark roasting); this is a particularly masterful roasting job.
Spectacularly aromatic in both dry and infused aroma: candied lemon peel, bergamot, hints of jasmine. Medium bodied and sweet, with superb acidity and flavors that suggest both the mentholated citrus of a Yirgacheffe and the blueberry notes of a Harrar, but without a trace of ferment or earthiness. Perfumed perfection.
Cocoa and dark chocolate aroma, vigorous flavors of dark chocolate laced with cherry, medium-full body, intense, focused acidity, great purity. Ideally roasted.
Mouth watering dark chocolate laced with butter caramel and black cherry, subtler flavors of cigar leaf and mace. Razor sharp acidity. Extraordinary concentration, vigor and balance. Exceptionally skillful, tender roast that lets the coffee shine.
Huge body, luscious Belgian chocolate flavor with plenty of supporting acidity. Vanilla bean along with the chocolate in the finish. Roast is perfectly matched to the coffee.
Crisply acidy but big-bodied and lavishly chocolate-toned. Vanilla bean complicates the chocolate in the finish. A tactful match of roast to coffee.
Cocoa and caramel aroma. Blazing acidity, dark chocolate and caramel, regal balance. A nicely conducted, relatively light roast makes this balanced but assertive coffee particularly well-suited for vacuum pot and drip brewing.
Dark chocolate and caramel in the aroma. Luscious body, cherry-laced dark chocolate in the cup.
Intense, gently pungent aroma with great, low-toned complexity: vanilla, honey, caramel, banana, semi-sweet chocolate. In the cup a heavy bittersweetness and rough mouthfeel initially dominate, but as the cup begins to cool a honeyish sweetness and rich semi-sweet chocolate emerge and persist into the finish.
