In the past, our Top 30 Coffees lists tended to favor high-scoring coffees produced from botanical varieties of Arabica with striking sensory properties such as Geshas, coffees from the distinctive traditional Ethiopian varieties, Kenyan coffees, and so on.
Last year, we began the practice of recognizing coffees by category to focus attention on fine coffees from other parts of the world and/or produced from less celebrated botanical varieties. The coffees below may not have attracted superlative ratings of 95 points or more but they merit recognition for their excellence nonetheless. For more information, visit our expanded rankings post from 2015.
Three coffees per category will be recognized beginning on Tuesday, November 29.
Best Values
Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea, Brazil Fazenda Passeio Natural – 94 points
Klatch Coffee, Sumatra Lintong Mutu Batak – 94 points
Thanksgiving Coffee Company, Paul’s Blend – 92 points
Single Origin Espressos
JBC Coffee Roasters, Deri Kochoha Espresso – 96 points
JBC Coffee Roasters, El Aguila Pacamara Espresso – 94 points
Simon Hsieh’s Aroma Roast Coffees, Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe “Mini Me” 2016 Espresso – 95 points
Central Americas (Non-Gesha)
JBC Coffee Roasters, El Aguila Pacamara Espresso – 94 points
Dragonfly Coffee Roasters, Los Congos Pacamara Natural Nicaragua – 94 points
Temple Coffee and Tea, Costa Rica Alberto Guardia Bourbon Natural (May) – 95 points
Non-Espresso Blends
Per’la Specialty Coffee, Miami Winter Holiday Blend – 94 points
Thanksgiving Coffee, Paul’s Blend – 92 points
Red Rooster Coffee Roaster, Sweet Holiday Blend – 93 points
Certified Coffees (Organic, Fair Trade, etc.)
Kickapoo Coffee, Ethiopia Charbanta Natural – 95 points
Oceana Coffee, Passport Collection Kenya Ichamara – 94 points
Lexington Coffee Roasters, SOPACDI Congo – 94 points
Espresso Blends
Campos Coffee (Australia), Blade Runner Blend – 95 points
Red Rooster Coffee Roasters, Competition Blend – 94 points
Creation Food Co. (Taiwan), P.R.O. Special Blended Coffee – 94 points
Alternative Africas
Lexington Coffee Roasters, SOPACDI Congo – 94 points
Red Rooster Coffee Roasters, Rwanda Kabirizi Organic – 93 points
Coffee Alchemy, Tanzania Masangula AB – 92 points
Asia/Pacific
Big Shoulders Coffee, Sulawesi Tana Toraja – 93 points
Simon Hsieh Aroma Roast Coffees (Taiwan), Taiwan Taiwu Pingtung Natural Typica – 93 points
Greater Goods Coffee Roasters, Papua New Guinea Korona – 91 points
South Americas
PT’s Coffee Roasting Co., Colombia Granja La Esperanza Las Margaritas Sudan Rume – 95 points
Lexington Coffee Roasters, El Sitio Ecuador – 94 points
Red Rooster Coffee Roaster, Colombia San Adolfo – 94 points
Darker Roasts
Creation Food Co. (Taiwan), P.R.O. Special Blended Coffee – 94 points
Old Town Roasting, Velvet Fog – 91 points
Mystic Monk, Thanksgiving Blend – 90 points
